Must Read… Together

My book club recently read Beautiful Boy, a true story by David Sheff about his son’s meth addiction. I tend to gravitate towards these hard core drug memoirs, because there’s an intensity and frenetic energy to the voices that make for a compelling read. If it’s well written, I want to read it…. and in this case, Sheff doesn’t disappoint.

It is heartwrenching and scary, drawing the reader into the same cycle of denial/forgiveness/hope that he goes through as a father.  And moreso than other memoirs of this ilk, it brings up heaps of questions for debate and consideration: Is addiction a disease or a choice? Why does our society treat addicts as outcasts, and is that hampering the chance for recovery? Are current rehab options productive and viable? What can a parent do to help a child stay off the path of addiction?

When reading Beautiful Boy, there were times when I felt Sheff was holding back, or maybe only telling half-truths. It was only when I read Tweak, by his son Nic, that I grasped the power of perspective.

Whether it’s in marriage, friendships, work situations or family interactions, there are always at least two sides to every story. If two people witness the same car crash, for example, their perspectives are bound to be wildly different. The one-two punch of Beautiful Boy and Tweak couldn’t illustrate this more clearly.

Did Nic have a fulfilling childhood of surfing, swimming, writing? Or was he pressured to grow up too early, always around adults? How did his parents’ divorce and remarriages impact him emotionally? This isn’t an exercise in blame; rather, it points to the fact that parents reading Beautiful Boy should not only rely on the father’s perspective, but should read Tweak as well, to get Nic’s viewpoint. Granted, the truth lies somewhere in between, but at least we are presented with the chance to seek more than a single narrative.

For more on David and Nic Sheff, check out these links:

• Nic Sheff, David Sheff Talk about Life after Meth Addiciton
• A Twice-Told Tale of Addiction: by Father, by Son

The Story of Sushi

Check out Women’s Adventure Magazine for my latest book review: Appreciating the Art of Fish and Rice.

In Japan, sushi is a man’s world. Male chefs have defended the sacred space behind the sushi bar with claims that women don’t have the reflexes needed for knife work; that makeup, lotion and perfume ruin the flavor of fish and rice; that women’s warm hands cook the raw fish just by handling it.  (In fact, studies show that women have colder hands than men.)

Read more…

Reading is Sexy

Thanks to my friend, and fabulous design colleague, Angela Knightley for creating these images for The Next Page Bookstore, the indie shop where once a week I escape my “real” job to lose myself in books….

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun

Check out Women’s Adventure Magazine for my latest book review…  When A Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa, by Peter Godwin.

“Few authors have the power of perspective to elevate a memoir’s relevance beyond their individual story. Peter Godwin is the exception.”

Ordinary Miracles

Last time I traveled to California, I sat at San Jose International Airport waiting for my flight to be called, hooked up to my iPod and distracted by my book, when a man whose plane had just arrived entered the gate with arms outstretched in a “Y” above his head. He was mumbling, as if on a cell phone with one of those wireless speakers. Something about his excited presence was out of place. But he was smiling. No, truly beaming. Was he about to greet his wife or a friend?

He looked right at me and briefly caught my eye. Not usually one to avoid connecting with people this way, for some reason I turned away, uncomfortable with such direct eye contact.  Was I mistrusting because I was at the airport where incessant loudspeaker chatter dictated the threat level and therefore how scared I should be of the slightest anomaly? Of a man who acts more boldly than the typical airport automaton? Of a man smiling?  

As he passed by me, I heard him call out: “I’m in America! My first time in San Jose! What a great country!” with arms still extended, truly savoring the moment.

I finally found my smile, too late to connect with him, but amazed at the simple joy of what I just witnessed. A few other passengers waiting for the plane to DIA finally looked up from their laptops and we exchanged small, contented smiles. I started tearing up, thinking about this country and thinking about Obama.

I don’t know who the man was or why he came to the U.S., but I am so very lucky to have shared the experience with him, even if in a very small way.  As I sat there taking it all in, I noticed Sarah McLaughlin’s “Ordinary Miracle” playing on my iPod, a perfect soundtrack for the moment. 

I agree with him: this can be a great country. So here’s to good thoughts for a great country on inauguration day…  and for many more ordinary miracles to come.

So Sad to See Stacey’s Go

Last week, when the Shelf Awareness  newsletter brought the news that Stacey’s Bookstore was going out of business, I was heartbroken. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

Stacey’s was my go-to book haven when I lived in San Francisco. Right next door to my office, it was where I took a (very!) extended lunch break to stand in line to get It’s Not about the Bike signed by Lance Armstrong (he was so much shorter than I expected!), where I could always find the perfect book along their staff recommendation wall, where I still return every single time I’ve been back in the city over the last four years.

For someone who has zero willpower to walk past a bookstore, and even goes so far as to orchestrate road trips to include bookstore visits, the increasing casualties of these indie staples get me in the gut. Will my kids have access to indie book enclaves? Will my only source of books be Amazon, Costco and Walmart?

Here’s the deal, folks: support your independent bookstores. A couple weeks ago, David Streitfeld from the New York Times wrote an article, Bargain Hunting for Books, and Feeling Sheepish About It, that still fires me up. If you claim to be a true book lover, then aren’t those couple of extra dollars woth it?

For the last several years, I’ve worked at indie bookstores, not for the paycheck, but for the pure love of books, for the intelligent, curious and open-minded community who gather there, and because of a commitment to make sure independent bookstores don’t meet the same fate as the local specialty shops of our parents’ and grandparents’ generation.

R.I.P. Stacey’s.

Blog Slacker

I confess: I am officially a blog slacker. I have no excuses… but maybe a few explanations: e.g. reading Twilight to see what all the hype was about and then getting sucked into the entire series; discovering cross country skiing trails in my neighborhood; spending time with the perfect pair: a good book with a freshly brewed cup of green tea.

So, just in time to sneak in a “Best of” list before 2008 ticks away, I offer my favorite books, in no particular order, of the year:

Nonfiction

1. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa (Peter Godwin)

2. The World Is What It Is: the Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipual (Patrick French)

3. Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present (Peter Hessler)

4. The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (Daniel Mendelsohn)

5. The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life. His Own. (David Carr)

Fiction

1. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery)

2. Serena (Ron Rash)

3. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (Murakami Haruki)

4. Out Stealing Horses (Per Petterson)

5. Loving Frank (Nancy Horan)

Always a good book on hand

 

Peace, good health and quality books to all in 2009!

NYT ‘08 Notable List

It’s that time of year, for one of my favorite book round-ups. The New York Times has published its annual “100 Notable Books of 2008.”

Credit: New York Times

I’ve only read a couple this year, but do think that The Night of the Gun by David Carr earned its spot. I was less impressed with Netherland, by Joseph O’Neill. After reading a glowing write-up, I had high expectations, but wasn’t as impressed as the reviewer. Once in paperback, it will do well as a book club read, but I wouldn’t put it at the top of my 2008 list.

At the front of my queue from the rest of the NYT picks – Nonfiction: American Lion, Factory Girls, Hot Flat & Crowded.        Fiction: American Wife, Beijing Coma, A Mercy.

We’ll see soon which ones made the Top 10!

Disappointed

Malcolm Gladwell’s latest pop sociology book, Outliers, did not live up to the promise of its subhead: “The Story of Success.” As always with Gladwell, the tidbits of little publicized studies (e.g. the cultural reason for the excessive Korean Air plane crashes) and psychological tests (e.g. the impact of calling a Southern guy vs. New Englander an “asshole” on his way into a classroom study) were fascinating in their own right, the perfect fodder for cocktail chat.  But, as has been the worsening trend with his trio of books, Gladwell simply doesn’t connect the social observations in a convincing – or useful – thesis.

While I still stand by The Tipping Point as an essentiel read for anyone in PR or marketing, Outliers felt like a lazy attempt. It was formulaic (and as a result will likely become a bestseller on the merit of the author’s past success),  oftentimes condescending and surprisingly simplistic, especially in its generalizations on wealth and race. 

For now, I’m sticking to my new favorite columnists, Chip and Dan Heath, whose book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is on my short list. For a taste of their insight, check out their column in Fast Company.

A new favorite travel writer…

While there are plenty of travelogues and adventure-driven memoirs out there, it’s hard to find those that combine fine writing, sincerity and a truly engaging story.  Rosemary Mahoney has succeeded in getting my attention, and I expect she’ll keep it.

I recently reviewed Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff and can’t wait to dig in to some of Mahoney’s previous books… like The Singular Pilgrim: Travels on Sacred Ground, and The Early Arrival of Years: A Year in China.

As I’ve written about before, other favorites in this genre includeTales of a Female Nomad, by Rita Golden Gelman, and Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan, by Jamie Zeppa. Strong women willing to take a chance with the unknown. Honest storytelling. Unexpected adventures.

I still don’t understand all the hype about Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert), which came across as a self-serving, contrived memoir written about an “adventure” funded by a book deal. I prefer to stick to the reflective, humble storytelling of authors like Mahoney.