An amateur no more...

 

 

 So, this past week, I realized a life-long dream.  After years of working the amateur circuit, I have become a professional bookseller.  What's an amateur bookseller, you may be asking?  Well, I've had a pretty fierce case of bookseller-envy going, and it wasn't at all uncommon for me to loiter in a bookstore for hours, hand-selling favorite titles to random customers, answering questions... possibly moving friends' books to more advantageous shelf positions.

 

I am delighted to announce that I've been hired by Bookshop West Portal, one of San Francisco's

finest independent booksellers.  (Thank you Neal, Kevin, & Richard!)  I've been shopping at Bookshop West Portal for years.  They've also hosted some of my favorite author events: Ann Patchett, Gary Shteyngart, Jonathan Tropper, my pal Matt Richtel, and so many more.  My new co-workers are people I want as friends.  Take my word for it, it's a really good place!

 

It was kind of fun to announce this new job to friends and the world.  There was a widespread cry of "You're perfect for it!"  And I was tickled by the number of best-selling authors who took the time to congratulate me.  I spend so much time with writers; I can't wait to see a friend show up in the shop to sign stock.  And I've already started hand-selling my favorite books.  Please don't tell my new bosses, but this feels a bit like being paid (albeit modestly) to do what I normally do:

• Follow the publishing industry
• Read a bunch of books
• Talk to people about them

Best. Job. Ever.

So, yes, it's business as usual around here, but now when I read the PW Daily, I can feel noble.  "This is for work," I say.  Peruse reviews in the New York Times--for work.  Earlier tonight I was schmoozing with a Pulitzer Prize winner and a National Book Award winner--for work.  And I'm reading more than ever, which, as you know, is saying something.

I fear that my television viewing--already well below the national average--is going to suffer.  As these things go, I've probably read more new titles than the average bookseller.  My iPhone tells me that I read an average of 4.3 books a week last year.  But surely I can up that number?  I would really like to read at least 5 books a week this year.  250 books in 2014 sounds like a reasonable goal.  After just a few days in the store, it's become incredibly obvious just how much easier it is to (a) sell a book, and (b) help a customer, if you've actually read every book in the store.  Happily, I was able to compare and contrast The Goldfinch and The Luminaries for a customer this week.  (That's 1,600 pages right there.)  I was able to give my personal seal of approval to Lisa O'Donnell's debut novel, The Death of Bees to a nervous book club reader.  I was able to recommend Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and Ernie Cline's Ready Player One for the woman looking for something light to bring a sick friend.

Oh, can we talk gifts?  I wrapped a lot of gifts this week!  (This is actually pathetic.  My family will attest that my gift-wrapping skills are remedial at best.  So much to learn.)  But the subject of gifts reminds me of the best thing I saw this week, and it happened on my very first day.  It was the best omen imaginable.

Bookshop West Portal is tremendously valued by the local community.  It's so incredibly obvious.   Any number of customers mentioned how important it was to support their local independent bookstore as I rang them up.  And there's a terrific core of super-friendly regulars.  They're greeted by name, as I am in so many bookstores across the city.  I was warmly welcomed by all that I met.  That first day I met a customer that I'll simply refer to as "the Hungarian Gentleman."  He came by to pick up a special order that included hardback copies of Wildwood and Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy (which are already out in paperback).  "How many copies of these books do you think I buy?" he asked my colleague.  His guess of "a dozen" was a little low.  Apparently, it was more like 30 copies of each book.  This lovely man, this Hungarian Gentleman, buys these beautiful books to hand out to random young people that he meets as he goes through his daily life.  He'll stop and gift them to a kid on the street and go on his way. 

The Hungarian Gentleman had to feed his meter.  He dropped off the books in his car and came back.  While he was browsing, a teenage girl came in looking for a copy of Veronica Roth's latest, Allegiant.  I didn't witness this interaction, but he must have approached her.  He wound up buying her copies of both Meloy books, as well as her copy of Allegiant.  It was a not inconsiderable total, and he was so clearly happy to do it.  This Hungarian Gentleman is a literary Santa Claus!  (I'm not kidding; I've heard he sometimes takes poor booksellers out for meals.  Amazing.)  This man is doing everything possible to foster a love of reading in these young people, no strings attached.  I didn't know people like this existed.  I mean, I've been a Bookcrosser for years, but this is taking the  Random Act of Literary Kindness (RALK) to a whole new level.  And I get to work in a store where such people congregate.

I've only been on the job for a week.  I haven't had to schlep boxes of books until my back aches.  I haven't had a customer give me grief over a bad recommendation.  I haven't had the slightest negative experience.  I'm not an idiot.  Shiny, new jobs fade, and bad days are a part of life.  But, you know what?  Everyone who knows me knows that I was born to be a bookseller.  I already have been a bookseller.  I think that this is going to be a good fit.

“Art stands on the shoulders of craft…”

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is a writer I’ve come late to. Everyone raved about Bel Canto, but opera-lover that I am, have I read it yet? Nope. Still, her most recent novel, State of Wonder, made my annual top 10 list, and seeing her speak inspired a blog post entitled, “No one ever told me Ann Patchett was so charismatic.” So, even though I read relatively little non-fiction, I was well-primed for this collection of essays, penned over the course of many years. Allow me to cut to the chase and tell you that I loved this book from start to finish.

After a brief introduction meditating on the differences in writing fiction and non-fiction, Patchett launches into writings on craft. And I thought to myself, I could read her thoughts on this subject all day! At one point, she writes, “If you’ve read this far, you must be pretty interested in writing yourself.” On the contrary, I’m the furthest thing from a writer and I was utterly captivated. And while I don’t write, there were plenty of underlined quotes to share with writing friends.

Ms. Patchett truly charmed me in these pages. I found her reflections on her most influential teachers

both generous and winning. Likewise, I was utterly enchanted by her essay on attending the Met’s simulcast at the local multiplex. Ms. Patchett writes on subjects that resonate with me—her love of her dog; ups and downs with her husband; on becoming an independent bookseller, and the importance of bookstores in our communities; on her relationship with her elderly grandmother. An unexpected, but terrific, story recounts her efforts to get into the LAPD Police Academy. There’s great diversity in the collection.

Ms. Patchett, as always, writes beautifully. And as so much of the writing is frankly autobiographical, her voice and personality come shining through in each entry. They paint the portrait of an artist whose work—whether fiction or non-fiction—I intend to get to know better. And they portray an interesting and accomplished woman with whom it was a true pleasure to spend time.

No one told me Ann Patchett was so charismatic...

So, as noted about 12 times on this blog, I went out to hear Ann Patchett speak last week.  And I was just enthralled, from start to finish.  I'd never met the lady before, nor heard her speak, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I guess I was expecting more of a quiet, literary Nicole Krauss-type (Although why, after reading this novel, I have no idea.) and I got this great, outspoken, unsentimental character.

But now I feel self-conscious, because we had a discussion about this event at my face-to-face book club the other night, and I was all, "Ann Patchett is awesome!"  And a friend, whose opinion I greatly respect, was all, "I used to worship her, but now I spit on her.  Phooey!"  (I'm paraphrasing.)  We'd both sat in the same room, listening to the same lady, but we'd walked away with very differing impressions of her.  And alas, the video below is not going to clarify the situation.

This first little snippet is her opening remarks before she began her reading.  She tells a story about clearing Canadian customs for this book tour, and then she introduces the excerpt she's about to read:




Now, I didn't record the excerpt she read for two reasons.  The first reason is that she read probably the most exciting and dramatic scene in the novel.  It's a terrific scene, and you'll enjoy reading it yourself in context.  The other reason is that I only had a few minutes of space left on my video recorder, or else I would have filmed much more than this.  She talked and did Q & A at length.  (It was the Q & A that was her downfall.)

So, I resumed recording right after she finished reading, and here she is essentially telling a story that took place during her research trip to in Amazon that led to the scene she had just read.  I'll warn the phobic among you: there is much talk of snakes.  In fact, there is exactly six minutes of snakes in the Amazon, followed by two minutes announcing her next venture, which ends abruptly when I run out of digital space. Sorry!





Let me save you some trouble:  Mr. Greg's Reptile Roadshow

But you get the gist of how things were going. It was lively and very entertaining. The Q & A started out well, too. Someone asked if there would be a film version of Bel Canto, which allowed Ms. Patchett to speak at length about the vapidity of Hollywood producers. She said that people had been talking about making a movie for 10 years, and it was like being at a junior high slumber party. One girls says, "I want to take George Clooney to the prom. What do you think?" And the other says, "No, I want to take Matt Damon." And all they do is talk, talk, talk, FOR 10 YEARS!  So, she's not a fan of Hollywood. She said if a film is ever made, she doesn't want to know about it until she see's the ad in her local paper, at which point she'll go and buy a ticket. She also mentioned that Bel Canto has almost been an opera three times and a Broadway musical three times.

Truthfully, I can't remember all the questions, but she did express some unusual sentiments. At one point she stated that she cares about the books for about two weeks after they're published. After that, she said that you could come up to her and say, "I hated your novel," and she would reach into her handbag and hand you your money back, but she doesn't care. She's moved on. That's different. Where she got into trouble was when an adoring fan tried to ask her about an unresolved plot thread from a 20 year old novel.

Ms. Patchett hadn't looked at the book in 20 years, and, as noted above, had moved on. She was not kind to her questioner. She told him that she had done her part of the contract, she had written the book. It was his job to decide what it meant. The questioner did not quit while he was behind. He said something about loving the book, and desperately wanting a sequel. Ms. Patchett said something to the effect of, "Great, grab a pen and paper. Write it yourself. I've done my part. You want a sequel, you write it."

All of the above is paraphrased, and maybe my friend will chime in and share her memories and impressions of where things went astray. But ultimately, she was far more distressed about the interaction than I was. In our discussion the other night, I suggested two reasons why she was so much more disturbed by the author's indifference to her fans. First, she's a hard-core fan herself, whereas I'm merely an admiring newbie. In other words, Ms. Patchett didn't have to live up to any expectations for me. I was just thrilled she was so entertaining. The other thing is that I'm fairly familiar with the hell that is a book tour. Twenty cities in 20 days! It takes a lot out of a person. I've seen the best of them have meltdowns. This was not a full scale meltdown, but Ms. Patchett was not at her most diplomatic. I can empathize.

If you have the opportunity to hear Ann Patchett speak in the future, I urge you to go see her and make up your own mind.  And whether you think she's nice lady or not, I defintely urge you to read State of Wonder, reviewed below.  I, for one, was delighted with this first experience of a new favorite author.

Ann Patchett marries commercial and literary fiction in my dream novel

State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett

A researcher enters the Amazon in search of a missing explorer and on the hunt for a miracle drug. As a life-long fan of science and adventure thrillers, I’ve read that novel any number of times. And I liked it each and every time. It’s a story that never grows old, as far as I’m concerned. However, even in my most far-fetched literary mash-up daydreams, I never thought I’d see novelist Ann Patchett entering that verdant territory!

What Patchett has created is essentially my dream novel, marrying the best of my beloved thrillers with a gorgeous and substantive literary work. In some ways, the novel feels like half of one thing and half the other due to the way the story is structured. It’s told through the eyes of Marina Singh, a pharmaceutical researcher headquartered in Minnesota. When it is learned that her lab partner, Anders Eckman, unexpectedly died on a trip to the Brazilian jungle, both his widow and her boss (and lover) entreat Marina to follow his path into the jungle. The widow wants answers, and the boss wants the job Anders started to be finished. And that job is to find out what is going on out in the field with researcher Annick Swenson, the renowned but difficult doctor who was once Marina’s mentor.

In the first half of the novel, the action is stalled. There’s a lot of waiting for events to transpire. This allows plenty of time for Patchett to set the premise, exposit the background, and richly develop her characters—for as much as plot drives the novel, the characters’ relationships are always at the heart of the story. Around the time that both Marina and the reader have had about as much waiting as they’re going to take, the second half of the novel springs into action. And I do mean action! It’s exotic jungle adventure at its pulpiest best! As beautifully-written as it is, this part of the story is truly plot-driven. Patchett took me delightfully by surprise more than once, yet even when she caught me off guard, I could look back and see her carefully laid foundation. It’s really masterfully constructed.

A lot happens towards the end of the novel. Some may find the conclusion too neat, but for me it was perfect. Now if only John Irving would write a techno-thriller, my life would be complete!

NOTE:  I caught Ann on tour for this book, and will be posting some video footage from the event, hopefully later today.

The mailbox was overflowing...

Happy Monday, y’all,

Well, I’m still struggling desperately to catch up after my two weeks on the East Coast. I feel like I finally got some good sleep this weekend! Meanwhile, things are as busy as ever out here, and life does not seem to be inclined to wait for me to catch up. I started writing some updates about the stuff going on this past week and in the immediate future, and the post became so ridiculously long, I decided to separate it from Mailbox Monday, which is itself ridiculously long. It’s the inventory of the boxes from BEA, and I’m still working on it. So, let this be the first part of my weekly check in:

• Just a reminder that the giveaway for Charlaine Harris’s Dead Reckoning is still going on here.  You have until Wednesday morning to post a comment.  The more of you who enter, the more copies I’ll give away.  So please post a comment today!
• My sister and baby Jonah are doing well! 
• I went out to catch the always entertaining Matt Richtel on tour for Devil’s Plaything the other night.
  He was so cute.  He was terrified of boring his audience (I assure you he wasn’t!) and stopped the reading portion of the evening after like the shortest reading ever for fear of going on too long.  But that’s okay; the Q&A portion was more fun anyway.  Most authors wait for the audience to come up with questions.  Matt takes a proactive approach and supplies questions that the audience may ask him.  I shot a few minutes of video before my battery died the other night.  If it’s any good, perhaps I’ll post it this week.  Oh, and this was sweet, HarperCollins messed up and forgot to include the acknowledgements page in the book, but Matt had insert copies cut to size on his signing table.  I did make the acknowledgements page, but Matt signed my book: To my favorite unacknowledged early editor.
• I also had the opportunity to hear Nick Mamatas and Lisa Goldstein read from Sensation and The Uncertain Places respectively, and then both authors had a discussion with moderator Terry Bisson.  This is all a part of the SF in SF author and film series, always an enjoyable night out, even if you’re not especially interested in the books or authors that month.  In this case, however, I was interested in Goldstein, ever since reading this review of her new book.  So, I picked up a copy at the event and of course had her sign it.  Afterwards, several people including Lisa; and her publisher, Jacob Weisman of Tachyon Books; and his wife, Rina, who runs the SF in SF series, just sat around kibbitzing for an hour.  I’d never met (or read) Lisa before, but Rina and Jacob are good friends.  It was a predictably fun evening, and I read a sizable chunk of The Uncertain Places yesterday.  This may sound like an odd compliment, but it’s very readable.  Reading it is pleasantly quick and easy, without being the slightest bit dumb or pandering.  It’s just effortless and delightful, and I’m finding myself carried away by the story.  It’s everything a good fairy tale should be.
• Of course, I would have finished The Uncertain Places in a day, had I not been primarily reading (Finally!) Ann Patchett’s completely wonderful State of Wonder.  This book could have been written specifically for me.  Of course, I’ll be reviewing all books mentioned in the near future.  But the reason I finally got around to the Patchett that I’ve been dying to read for at least a month is that she’s coming through SF on tour tomorrow.  Bookshop West Portal, here I come!  I’ve never met her or heard her speak before, so I’m really looking forward to this.
• Tonight, Jon and I are going to see a current Broadway show, The Importance of Being Earnest, on screen in a movie theater.  Do you know about this?  It will be the second time we’ve seen a theatrical production at the movies, the first time being a few weeks ago with last year’s Best Musical Tony winner, Memphis.  The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the few shows I didn’t see in NY, because as excellent as the production is rumored to be, I knew I could see it this way.  And with so many excellent shows to see, it was a compromise. 
• Also, we already have tickets to a Sunday matinee screening of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Patty LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Martha Plimpton, John Cryer, Christina Hendricks, and many others. This production, in conjunction with the New York Philharmonic, played for only one weekend back in April. This is the sort of special event that sends me running for the airline schedules, but tickets were impossible to get. How wonderful that the production was filmed live so that more than a handful of people would have the opportunity to see it!
• This leads me, of course, to last night’s Tony Awards telecast.  Did you watch it?  Best.  Tonys.  Ever.  Well, not so much having two shows sweep the awards in a forgone conclusion—I hate that—but the show itself was wildly entertaining.  I do love me some NPH, and having him do a number with Hugh Jackman just about sent me into orbit.  And even though The Book of Mormon and Warhorse swept the musical and play categories respectively, they didn’t sweep the acting awards.  Having seen so many of the productions, I was really delighted with most of the winners.  It was a great night honoring the best theater season in years, and I was delighted to spend the evening with good friends who love the theater as much as I do.  Thanks so much, Jon, for playing the consummate host, as always!
• Finally, Jon, Peter, and I went to see Midnight in Paris the other night.  I loved it so much!  But, I have enough to say about the film that I’ll try to do a separate blog post.  But this leads me to a recent epiphany…  I’ve decided not to feel guilty if I want to write about a film, a play, or even a television show here.  Yes, it’s a book blog first and foremost, but I do have other interests, and it’s my book blog.  Since I make the rule, I’ve decided to feel less constrained, or at least less guilty about occasionally veering off topic.  And usually not that far off topic, because these are all scripted forms.  They’re just a different type of written language.  So, it’s still a book blog, but a value added one, LOL.

That’s all for now, but I will be posting a Mailbox Monday post sometime later today.  Thanks for sticking with me as I ramble!

Mailbox Monday: April at last! edition

So, this will shock you...  Lots of books in this week.  Happily, I'm also back on track with my reading.  :-)

The Frozen Sky
by Jeff Carlson
Release date:  1/15/2010
Source:  Purchased via Kindle

Jeff Carlson is awesome.  Who else could get away with an opening sentence like, "They ate Jorgensen first."  Best. First. Sentence. Ever.  (It opens his debut novel Plague Year.)  Never mind the fact that he wrote me in as a character in the sequel and nuked me off the planet.  (Bastard!  Why are authors always doing this to me?)  At 99 cents, this is a bargain.  I can't wait to read.

The Haunting of Sherlock Holmes and Other Tales of Adventure
by Warren Fahy
Release date:  3/16/2011
Source:  Purchased via Kindle

A week without Warren Fahy is a week without sunshine.  True fact.  And as this is another 99 cent bargain, how can I resist? 

Until Tuesday : A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him

by Luis Carlos Montalvan
Release date:  5/3/2011
Source:  Paper galley from publisher

That is the cutest dog of all time, but I'm so not reading this book.  It's just not my cup of tea.  This might go over well withsomeone in my book group, which is where I'll give it away--unless there's a rash of comments here asking to make it a Humpday Giveaway.

The Bridge to Never Land
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Release date:  8/9/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

I've read enough of their Peter and the Starcatchers books to be comfortable (and excited about) reading this latest book that brings the tail into contemporary London.  Fun!

State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
Release date:  6/7/2011
Source:  Paper galley via Amazon Vine program

I had not heard about this book until it was offered to me through Amazon.  The description sounds fantastic!  Like James Rollins meets... well, Ann Patchett.  I cannot wait to dive in!

Lowcountry Summer
by Dorthea Benton Frank
Release date:  6/15/10
Source:  Trade paperback from publisher

Last week's giveaway.

Crunch Time
by Diane Mott Davidson
Release date:  4/5/2011
Source:  Finished hardback from publisher

Spoiler alert... this week's giveaway.

Skinny
by Diana Spechler
Release date:  4/26/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

A book set at a weight loss camp narrated by one of the counselors.  Sounds interesting. 

The Book of Lies
by Mary Horlock
Release date:  7/19/2011
Source:  Electronic galley from publisher

Teen murders on Guernsey, with a tie to the present and a tie to the Nazi occupation.  What's not to like?

Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
Release date:  5/31/2011
Source:  Paper galley via publisher

The sequel to Shanghai Girls, which I still have to read first.

The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen
Release date:  3/29/2011
Source:  Purchased with Audible.com credit

It was okay, not great.  And I've already posted a review!

Skipped Parts
by Tim Sandlin
Release date:  1/22/1992
Source:  Kindle freebie

I read this novel years ago--which didn't stop me from getting sucked right back in when I foolishly opened it this evening.  I speed read it on one sitting.  If anything, it was better the second time around!  And guess what?  Fifteen years after the GroVont Trilogy ended he's got a new book, Lydia, returning to those beloved characters.  Check my review below.

13 Little Blue Envelopes
by Maureen Johnson
Release date:  8/23/2005
Source:  Kindle freebie

This YA novel got excellent reviews.  I will surely read it at some point when I am dreaming of travel--or actually traveling.

The Bond : Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them

by Wayne Pacelle
Release date:  4/5/2011
Source:  Finished hardback from publisher

Another possible giveaway for book group or here.  Anyone aching for a chance to win this book?  Let me know in the comments.

The Story of a Marriage
by Andrew Sean Greer
Release date: 4/29/2008
Source:  Purchased at Books, Inc.

I started to write the story of how Andy and I became friends, but it's too good of a story to wedge here.  I'll do a blog post this week.  The short version of this acquisition is that the nicely inscribed copy I'd acquired at BEA several years ago never made it back to SF, and I never read this book.  Seeing a lovely hardback copy remaindered at Books, Inc. last night, I had to purchase.  I love an excuse to support my local independent booksellers!  Independent booksellers are the best, and we should all support our local indies!

Books finished this week:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson - I was almost done this one at the beginning of the week.

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - It was light and short.

Skipped Parts by Tim Sandlin - This was an unplanned, speed re-read.

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark - What else did I have to do this weekend?

Currently reading:

The Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel (e galley - Kindle)

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips (paper galley)

The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls (paper galley & e galley - Kindle)


So, a bookish week, all in all!  What books have you acquired this week?  What are you reading?  Let me know in the comments!