Down-Time Readin' - He Will Rise Again

I had some down time before a showcase at the Gibson (Guitars) Showroom for Trevor Menear so I decided to go for a walk. Across from the Beverly Center I notice a guy sitting on the patio couches of the Starbucks, cradling a book in his lap. It's funny how everytime I see a reader I find myself pacing around them for a bit before approaching them...it's the interrupting someone in mid-read.

Drew is reading The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon. I had never heard of it but according to Amazon, looks like the book just came out at the beginning of the month. Drew says he is enjoying the book so far. He'd just realised that he'd been sitting in that spot for almost 2 hours, consumed in the book! It had been a recommendation so he decided to give it a go.

The book is about a Bosnian immigrant in Chicago there to investigate and write about a Jewish immigrant who was shot by the Chicago police. After a little investigation of my own I found out that this is actually sprung from a historical event of the 1908 kiling of Lazarus Averbuch, a 19-year old Jewish immigrant who was shot by a Chicago cop, George Shippy. So in this novel, the main character, a Bosnian-American writer finds out what really happens and in his journey finds out his life is intertwined with Lazarus. Kind of similar to Everything is Illuminated (a book and movie that I enjoyed).

I asked Drew what he likes to read the most and he prefers fictional humour in the vein of David Sedaris books. He also enjoys James Patterson.

Favourite book? Ohh a tough one! He was stuck so I asked if he had read any book more than once...c'mon, think....

It would have to be Buddha by Deepak Chopra, a book he has read twice so far since its release in February. Did he read it twice because he loved it so much and had to read it again or was it because it was hard to digest and he had to go back and re-read it? Drew says it is a bit of both. He enjoyed the book but the main reason he gave it another go was because he kept finding fascinating and interesting tidbits in the book that he wanted to go back and revisit them and contemplate them more.

We talked a bit more and I found out that Drew just moved here from Boise, Idaho (I think he is my first Idaho-ian encounter...) to attend FIDM (college). School doesn't start until the Fall so he says this is a perfect time to get in alot of pleasure reading. He hadn't really read anything for about a year so now he is loving that he has a few months to get some reading under his belt before school starts. (How fitting! Biblical Lazarus rises from the dead...Drew returns to reading...I love it!)

I asked if he knew what book he wanted to read next then realised it was a silly question because I could see he just started the Hemon book. Lo and behold, Drew digs into his pocket and whips out his iPhone. "Actually, I do know what I want to read next. I made a list!" Fingering the touch-screen, he's found what he was looking for. "Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion!" It was recommended to him 2 or 3 times so he's compelled to read it soon.


What book have you re-read numerous times because passages/ideas the first time around made you think and come back for more?

Has a friend recently recommended a book that you're itching to read in the near future?