How'd You Score That Gig?

I've been wanting to run away from real life for as long as I can remember, but this desire finally took a front seat in February 2007 when I quit my full-time newspaper job to become a freelance journalist. I loved writing, I just hated that I was forced to sit in a stuffy office all day to be allowed to write. So I took a huge pay cut (at first) and jumped into the great unknown. Even now, a year later I'm barely scraping by. But I'm much happier. I get outdoors more often. I'm not completely tired and stressed about deadlines every single day. And I can pick and choose my jobs. It's not ideal from my parents' perspective, but they've learned to keep that to themselves.

As it turns out, there are a number of 20 and 30-somethings out there with college degrees who seem like aimless floaters to their parents because they are following their dreams and spending their time doing something they love without the constraints of being stuck under the tyrannical work system they were meant to have joined. Today, in The Buffalo News, I read about a new book coming out, "How'd You Score That Gig," by Alexandre Levit, and I gotta say I'm a bit scared to pick it up. If I get this book, it will only encourage me on the path I've been taking. Not that I mind that path, but man would I love to have some extra cash one of these days. It's the same as me reading travel essays – do I really need more encouragement?!

But here we are. The book has been written and will be released April 15 and I will read it. It's inevitable.

About the book: "How'd You Score That Gig" is filled with some of the most coveted jobs of my generation - graphic designer, travel writer, interior designer, entrepreneur – and how to get those jobs. There is a personality test included for those of us who want to do all of these jobs, but can't decide on which one to pursue, and there are also more than 60 interviews with recent college grads who successfully broke into these fields.

See, it's like crack for people like me. Seeing other people being successful in these kinds of careers only makes me believe even more that I too can be one of those people. And so I'll go on putting off my, hopefully not inevitable, return to the "real" world ...

The Blind Assassin: A Many-Layered Story

As with the other books I've read by Margaret Atwood, the reader is kept in the dark for a good portion of The Blind Assassin. Atwood tends to tell a story layer by layer, letting the reader get to the heart of the situation slowly, as if they're eating an artichoke. And, like an artichoke, you're never disappointed when you finally get to the good part, but sometimes it can be a lot of work getting there. I felt like The Blind Assassin was one of those times when it was a lot of work, perhaps because I wasn't as curious about where the story was going as I have been with her other books (Oryx and Crake and The Handmaid's Tale).

The book opens with the death of Laura Chase, the daughter of a once-influential family in Port Ticonderoga, Canada, in 1945. We then read a chapter of a book written by Laura Chase and published post-humously by her sister, Iris (hence the cover and reviewer's constant talk of "a novel within a novel"). From then on, the book switches back and forth between excerpted chapters of that book, The Blind Assassin, and Iris' telling of her family's history, the events that led up to the writing of the book, and her sister's suicide.

The book is really interesting, but I didn't find myself as drawn into it as I have been with other Atwood books – at least not until about 150 pages in, when we begin to see some of the layers begin to fall off more quickly. As I began to understand what was really going on, I began to get more and more curious about how the book was going to end and I found myself reading more and more quickly. But up until that point it was really hard going. Had I not read other Atwood books and understood her style of writing, I may have given up on this book after 50 pages or so. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend this as your first Atwood book (especially considering this book is more than 500 pages long!).

However, there are many things I like about this book. I liked that it was a historical novel, covering high society in Canada from about 1910 to 1947. And as with other Atwood books, I liked the social commentary, especially, in this book, about God.

For instance, on page 137 after her mother dies, Laura, age 8 at the time, begins to question God in a way she had never done before:

"In the nighttimes Laura would creep into my room and shake me awake, then climb into bed with me. She couldn't sleep: it was because of God. Up until the funeral, she and God had been on good terms ... But now she was no longer sure. She began to fret about God's exact location. It was the Sunday-school teacher's fault: God is everywhere, she'd said, and Laura wanted to know: was God in the sun, was God in the moon, was God in the kitchen, the bathroom, was he under the bed? ... Laura didn't want God popping out at her unexpectedly, not hard to understand considering his recent behaviour."

I love this simplistic, child's look at who and where God is, along with what his purpose is. Atwood recognizes this human trait of questioning God and the difficulty children sometimes have with just accepting faith because they sometimes take things too literally, especially where religion is concerned.

Atwood is a great story teller, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on her beautifully described scenes and wonderfully written stories, however I'd suggest starting with a different one of her books before taking on The Blind Assassin. If you insist though, be aware that it will take awhile before the plot really begins to come out. Atwood is not the type to take the plot and conk you on the head with it. Her books are very mysterious in this way and you begin to feel like a detective as you start to piece it together for yourself. My favorite part is finding out if I've got it right. With her books though, there's always some last minute turn that really surprises me and sticks with me, so look out!

Authors paying out-of-pocket for book tours

It used to be almost expected that a new author would go on tour with his or her book as a way to get the word out and promote the book. Publishing houses often paid for this considering they were getting the major money out of the deal, but it seems like today more and more authors are looking for creative ways to promote their books without having to go on tour.

Part of the reason is that if you aren't already famous, your publishing house won't pony up the cash for you to go on tour. For them it's a matter of making money on their return, and, although it pains me to say it, they're right. I've been to quite a few book signings and the lesser known authors definitely are lacking in crowds. Little to no crowd equals small sales at the end of the signing.

Some authors are doing internet tours. Others phone in to book club meetings or create a blog to raise awareness about their book and their goings-on. But there are those who still want a real connection with their audience (and there are those of us who crave those opportunities), such as Michael Steers and Stanley Trollip, who write under the pen name of Michael Stanley and will be taking an international book tour using money from their own pockets.

On April 1, the two authors released their first book, A Carrion Death, but if their book tour does well, they may indeed be seen more often. And maybe their next book tour will be paid for by their publishers. I'm not a huge fan of murder mystery or detective novels, but I think I might just buy this one to show my support. To learn more about the tour or the book, visit the authors' Web site here.

Mountain Climber, Author Coming to Town

As a novice rock climber and outdoorswoman, I am constantly looking for opportunities to learn more about safety and skills for outdoor activities. And, when I can afford it, I buy books about my favorite activities to help me on this quest. When I don't have money the books just end up on my Amazon wishlist, like Duane Raleigh's Knots and Ropes for Climbers, which has been on my wishlist for over a year.

So when I heard Arlene Blum is coming to Sacramento in a couple of weeks I couldn't hold in my excitement. Blum led the first women's climbing expedition of Annapurna and later wrote a book about the experience. More recently she wrote Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life, a memoir that follows Blum from her childhood in Chicago to some of the world's most challenging peaks. I've put both of her books on hold at the library and hope to be able to read at least one before I see her in person.

If you're interested in hearing Blum speak here are the details:

Arlene Blum will appear at Sacramento State University in the University Library Gallery at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. The event is free and will be followed by a reception.

A story of women in Afghanistan

It is difficult to write a review about A Thousand Splendid Suns without wanting to make comparisons to Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner, even though the two books are mutually exclusive. One doesn't have to have read The Kite Runner to understand A Thousand Splendid Suns, and in fact the two books are quite different.

The similarities lie in the way the story is told, in that Hosseini begins the story in an Afghanistan very unlike the one we read about in the newspapers today. A Thousand Splendid Suns begins in the 60's with Mariam, a harami, the illegitimate child of a rich man. Her father is never able to fully claim her and when her mother dies she is forced into an arranged marriage that will move her far away from her father and enable him to forget the shame that lies in her very being. Mariam is moved to Kabul, where she is treated kindly at first by her new husband. However, he is very strict, expecting her to where Burqa long before the Taliban comes to power and makes it mandatory for all women.

In the book we see Afghanistan transformed from a very modern city, where women are treated as equals with (most) men. It then goes through the period where Afghanistan is at war with Russia, and the story changes from Mariam to Laila. Laila is only 14 when her friends have all moved from her childhood neighborhood to escape the war. Just as her family is preparing to leave themselves, their home is shelled and both of her parents are killed. She is rescued by Rasheed, Mariam's husband, and forever after their lives are entwined.

Once the book reaches this point it takes on a much quicker pace, switching back and forth from Mariam to Laila, telling the story of their life together from each of their perspectives, which eventually becomes one and the same. Once the Taliban takes over we see a stark contrast between the Afghanistan of before and the Afghanistan of today.

"They want us to operate in burqa," the doctor explained, motioning with her head to the nurse at the door. "She keeps watch. She sees them coming, I cover."

She said this in a pragmatic, almost indifferent, tone, and Mariam understood that this was a woman far past outrage. Here was a woman, she thought, who had understood that she was lucky to even be working, that there was always something, something else, that they could take away.

Reading this book was difficult for me as it was told from the perspective of women. I could almost tangibly feel their anger mounting. They try everything humanly possible to get away from the horrible situation, but they are always betrayed.

Mariam thinks back to that long-ago morning when Mammy had said to her, "Like a compass needle pointing north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that Mariam."

For them, these experiences really put their lives into perspective. They realize they really don't have any other option. And their husband helps them to see that, always pointing out that without him they'd be out on the street or dead because neither is able to work, nor are they able to be in public without a male companion without risking being severely beaten.

Mariam heard the answer in his laugh: that in the eyes of the Taliban, being a communist and the leader of the dreaded KHAD made Najibullah only slightly more contemptible than a woman.

If you are interested in Afghanistan, it's culture and it's people, both before and after the last 20 years of conflict, I highly recommend Hosseini's books. He tells the stories of normal people, and he tells it with a balanced hand I don't think would be possible by westerners who probably wouldn't be able to write without showing their outrage by such treatment of women.

Other blog reviews of this book:
Maw's Books
ReadingAdventures

Love your public library

There aren't much things I like better in the world than my public library. I can order all of the books I want for free. I can go on a waiting list for the popular books and have them waiting for me at my local branch as soon as they come in. And how cute is it that they still only charge 25 cents a day for turning a book in late. Blockbuster has nothing on the public library. I'm sitting in my public library using free internet and marveling over the four books I just checked out:

I've had "Anthills of the Savannah" on my reading list for more than a year, and have it listed as one of my books for the TBR Challenge. I've been in love with Chinua Achebe's writing ever since I read "Things Fall Apart" in 10th grade. Achebe is a natural storyteller who conveys the history of his people and the effects of imperialism in his short books. I've read wonderful things about this book and am looking forward to it.

Another Margaret Atwood book. Another book based around WWII. I'm becoming predictable in my old age. I've been looking for another Atwood book to read, and this one came highly recommended so I'm giving it a try. This is supposed to be one of her best books, and winner of The Booker Prize. I found the cover for "The Blind Assassin" to be a little confusing, but that's not unusual for an Atwood book. I guess I'll just have to read it to see what it's really about. I promise to report back.

"The Solace of Leaving Early" is another book that was recommended to me by a friend. It's Haven Kimmel's first novel. The basic premise is a murder in a small town brings two friends together. The first, 40-year-old preacher Amos Townsend, had been counseling the deceased as her marriage was unraveling. The second, Langston Braverman has abandoned her Ph.D. studies in search of a simpler life, only to return home to the news that one of her childhood friends has been murdered.

And, lastly, I am finally going to get around to reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma." I have heard great things about this book and really want to read it before my copy of Michael Pollan's new book arrives. I'm currently 91st on the list, so I won't be too rushed to finish Dilemma. For those of you who haven't heard of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," it is Pollan's attempt to answer the question, "What should we eat?" For omnivores it isn't an easy answer because we are able to eat just about anything nature has to offer us. In the book Pollan gives a history of four different kinds of diets and shows the benefits and downfalls of each.

March book club selection: Water for Elephants

Water For Elephants has caught my eye a couple of times, but I was never sure I liked the idea of a story about a circus. However, it has been on my reading list for more than a year, so I'm going to give it a go and see if it's worth all the hype.

Here's a description from Publisher's Weekly (found on Amazon):

"With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)—but without the mass appeal that horses hold. The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. When 23-year-old Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures[...] He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for. Despite her often clichéd prose and the predictability of the story's ending, Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book."

The book club discussion will be online on March 31, the last day of the month. I also plan to hold an in-person discussion that evening so be sure to read the book. If there is enough interest I'll do live discussions each month.

OK then, happy reading!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

In My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult brings to life the questions of stem cell research and genetic engineering through the book's main character, Anna, and her family. Anna, at age 13 has given bone marrow, stem cells and blood to her older sister Kate. And now her parents are asking her to give Kate a kidney as well. After all, it's what Anna was born to do.

When Kate was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia at age 3, her parents decided to have another child, genetically engineered to be a match to Kate and hopefully to save Kate's life.

Now, 13 years later, Anna is tired of being a pin cushion and is seeking legal action to keep her parents from making her give a kidney - which may save Kate, but puts Anna's life in danger.

When I first heard about this book, I couldn't understand how anybody wouldn't do everything possible to try to save a family member, but after reading this book I felt I really understood how that type of decision could be made, although it would be difficult. Picoult does an amazing job of showing this from everyone's perspective, including the defending lawyer's position.

There were a few cheesy parts in there, and some predictable story lines, but for the most part I found this book to be a well-written and captivating read. And it made me cry, a lot, so it gets a high rating. Also, I found it difficult to believe that Anna was only 13 in the book. Her thoughts and actions seemed much more mature than that of any 13-year-old I've ever met. It was the one thing that kept stopping me throughout the book, but I just had to accept it and move on.

All in all I really liked this book. It got me to think about a subject I've never given much thought to. It also really made me think about what it must be like to be a parent trying to save a child with leukemia, and it made me wonder at what point they should give up.

Other blog reviews of this book:
ReadingAdventures
Dog Ear Diary

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I normally post new reviews on Monday, but I don't know how much time I'll have tomorrow so I'm posting it today. Sorry there haven't been many blogs lately. My internet hasn't been working and I've been working way too much. I'll try to get book news to you again soon. Now for the book review...

In a land ravaged by nuclear war, we find a father and son who have managed to save not just themselves, but their humanity. The son was born just after war sunk the world into a nuclear winter. He never knew the world with animals running wild and plants blooming and dying with the seasons. He's also never known a world where humans don't fear one another.

In the world where he grew up, ash is constantly clouding the horizon, humans hunt each other for lack of any other available food, and masks are worn in attempt to postpone the inevitable radioactive poisoning from the atmosphere. And the only person he can trust is his father, who is using the last months of his life moving his son south, where it is bound to be warmer and hopefully safer.

The story follows the two on their journey down the road. Their run-ins with other humans are often graphic, with the father turning at one point to see a headless infant roasting on a skewer. The descriptions of falling forests, barren land, and starving people can seem hopeless at first, but in the end we see that the one thing that was never lost was a sense of hope.

Throughout the story the father tells the son the difference between good guys and bad guys, pointing out that they themselves are the good guys. The two, no matter how long they have to go without food, will never stoop to eating other humans. In teaching his son this, the father tries to preserve the son's humanity.

The Road is a quick and interesting read. The punctuation is a little weird, missing apostrophes and commas, along with quotation marks, but it makes the book a quicker read and even might be symbolic of the loss of culture and education. I haven't read other McCarthy books, so I don't know if the punctuation is a trademark of his, or if it was for this book alone.

I'd recommend picking this one up though. It definitely wouldn't have caught my eye if it weren't the book club selection here in Paris last month. I'm glad it was chosen though and I'd like to read more of McCarthy's work to see what it's like.

Other blog reviews of this book:
ReadingAdventures
The Book Mine Set
She Wrote, He Wrote
Reading Reflections

The Lover by Marguerite Duras

I can sum this book up in one conversation I had with a French friend:

Me: "Hey, so I'm reading a book by Marguerite Duras..."
Them: "Oh no! No! You can't be reading Marguerite Duras. It's terrible."
Me: "But I didn't even tell you which book I'm reading."
Them: "It doesn't matter, they're all terrible. Please tell me you aren't trying to read it in French. Not even native French speakers can understand it when it's in French."

And the conversation went on like that. And it's true. I sought out the advice of my French friends after I had already started reading this book because I was having such a difficult time getting through it. I thought maybe it was just a bad translation, but apparently that's just how she writes.

The Lover reads as though Marguerite Duras had a loose-leaf journal that she accidently dropped, or maybe threw against a wall, then picked it back up, not bothering to see if pages were missing or if it was in the correct order, and had it published. She goes from being age 52 in one paragraph to being age 8 in the next. Without a main timeline until the last few pages of the book, The Lover was a confusing read. To add to the confusion was the fact that very few of the characters were named.

The book is autobiographical, talking about the author's time spent in Saigon during the 1930s as a French colonist. During that time she had a Chinese lover, which was unheard of at the time, both because of the racial difference and because of their different social classes (she was poor and he rich). To the other people in the book, including her mother, this made her a prostitute, using him for his money.

Despite my dislike for the book, I did find a few passages I enjoyed, including this description of the dry season in Saigon: "The light fell from the sky in cataracts of pure transparency, in torrents of silence and immobility. The air was blue, you could hold it in your hand. Blue. The sky was the continual throbbing of the brilliance of the light." (Page 86).

Aside from a few lovely passages, I don't understand how this was Duras' most acclaimed work. Perhaps it was the sex scenes, which may have been scandalous in her time. I really don't know. What I do know is this book was barely more than 100 pages and it took me nearly two weeks to get through it. Also, I found the afterword and information about Duras' life to be more interesting than the book she wrote about her life. I'd have preferred to have read a biography written about her than to have read this book.

Sunday Cravings

First up this week we have Natalie Angier's The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science. Not exactly a new book, but new to me. It came out in May 2007, but I didn't discover it until I stumbled across an old The New York Times review of the book. I am always looking for books that can explain science to me in easy terms. I like science, but sometimes it's a little much for my brain to handle. Last year I thought I'd finally found the perfect book, when I picked up The History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, but I was wrong. Bryson's book was still a little too snoozerific for me, so I'm going to try this one and see if it's any better.


Second on my list for this week is Kara Zuaro's Indie-rock cookbook, I Like Food, Food Tastes Good. Although not really a book to read per se, this book sounds really interesting to me. Zuaro compiled on-the-road recipes from touring bands to put together this book. One such recipe is for a veggies sausage and peanut butter sandwich, submitted by Death Cab For Cutie. Read more about the book and its contents here.




Lastly, I offer you Beautiful Children from first-time author Charles Bock. This has been hyped up big time in The New York Times, but is getting mixed reviews on Amazon, where people either love it or hate it. There seems to be no middle ground for this book depicting Sin City in all its seediness. No, it's not the Sin City of tourists, it's the Las Vegas most people would like to think doesn't really exist. The book centers around a 12-year-old boy who goes missing. It's told from the perspecitves of his distraught parents, himself and the people he meets along the way. Bock, the son of pawn shop owners, grew up in Las Vegas and is intimately familiar with the unflashy part of the city. I think it might be interesting to see Las Vegas from an inhabitant's standpoint, rather that a visitor's (my usual viewpoint there). I think it's worth checking out. I just hope it's not as bad as some people are saying.

Challenge Yourself to Read More This Year

Some of you may be wondering what the challenges are all about in the left-hand column. I tried to link to the challenge pages using the blogger template, but for some reason it won't allow it. So instead I'm going to explain it here.

In addition to my personal goal of reading 52 books this year (or one book a week), I also joined two challenges I found on the internet. The first is the TBR (to be read) Challenge, which encourages participants to finally read the books that have been lingering unread on their shelves for far too long. Any book that you've been planning on reading for more than one year can be added to your challenge list, which is 12 books long (one for each month of the year).

The second challenge I joined is the Chunkster Challenge. In this challenge participants choose four books (one for each quarter of the year) that are 450 pages in length or longer.

I only chose to do these two challenges because I'm going to have less time this year with going to grad school, moving back to California and looking for work. However, if you are interested in participating in a challenge, and neither of these suits you, I've provided links to a number of other challenges you may find interesting. Many of you have expressed a desire to read more, but haven't found the inspiration or motivation to really do it. Perhaps one of these challenges will be just the motivation you need...

The Graphic Novel ChallengeEncourages readers to read six graphic novels by the end of 2008. Also provides a list of award-winning graphic novels in case you're just getting started in the graphic novel genre.

The What's In a Name Challenge: The mediator of this challenge gives a subject, say animals, and you have to pick a book that has that subject in the title (To Kill A Mockingbird would work for the animals subjet). This looks like a fun one because you can be creative in what you choose.

The 19th Century Women Writers Challenge:If you're a big fan of Jane Austen and her kind, this might be the challenge for you (Ahem, Steph, Ahem). The blogger also has a link to a list of books in case you're coming up blank. For this challenge you are only required to read six books. Not bad, I'd say.

The First in a Series Challenge: I think the title of this one says it all, as many of them do. This challenge requires 12 books by the end of 2008.

The Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge: This one encourages readers to read books from genres that intimidate them. There is a suggested reading list, or you can choose your own. Again, 12 books, one per month.

Feel free to look for other challenges and join at will. I hope this gets some of you reading a bit more this year. Also, you may consider reading some of the books from The 100 Best Books of 2007 list. There are quite a few on my TBR list already.