Essays, Pianos, and Drugs

Lunching on Thursday at the 8486 Cafe on 3rd and La Cienega I see Yaron walk in with a giant book under his arm. On my way out I plop in the chair across from him as he's reading and eating. I ask him what he's reading and he flips the massive book around to show me the title on the page: Cynthia Ozick's "A Drugstore In Winter". It's actually part of The Best American Essays of the Century anthology that he's reading for his English 101 class. He's a student at LACC (Los Angeles Community College) studying business. English 101 is just a pre-req.


He doesn't normally read essays. Actually his response was "Oh no no no" accompanied by a head shake. He prefers biographies or any book that showcases someone's life somehow. The last book he read was a biography on Lang Lang, a Chinese pianist. It was a recommendation from his friends because he's a pianist himself - been playing the piano for the past 10 years now! (Impressive). If he were to write his own book it would be a book of songs/music and poems.

Yaron has other favourite books. They are mostly in Hebrew and he had a hard time trying to think of their titles in English. But he does enjoy the Harry Potter books. These he read in English :) I asked him how he felt about the movie adaptations and if you could've seen the scrunched up face he made - Yaron admits that he isn't a fan of the movies and prefers the books. "It's just not the same..."

When he was younger he had many favourite books but one in particular stuck out to him. He had an older sister who had a book called "My Name Is Christina P." (he couldn't remember who wrote it and I can't seem to find it on Amazon) about a girl who goes through a drug addiction that started when she was only 10 years old. Yaron explains how the book was very controversial and his older sister had forbade him from reading it or even touching it!

Knowing that he wasn't supposed to read the book made him want to read it even more! So he stole the book from his sister one day and was automatically hooked! The book follows Christina through her drug addiction and the madness that followed. He couldn't get enough of it and was fascinated about reading about someone his age going through such a crazy rollercoaster ride of a life at the age of 10! Yaron was only 9 when he read this. :)


Was there a specific book that you weren't allowed to read as a child?

Was there an "adult" book that you read when you were younger? What was it? Did you enjoy it? Did you understand what was going on?

One hell of a job

After stuffing myself with some Chipotle madness we head over to Starbucks to top off with a grande iced green tea, half sweetened, nuckas! Right by the pick-up counter and I can't help but inch my way towards Forrest. He's reading Working For The Devil by Lilith Saintcrow. The cover features the femme fatale, Dante Valentine, heroine extraordinaire in Saintcrow's books. Word on the internet streets is that this is book 1 in a series.

The book is about a necromancer who's under contract with the devil! She's working for the man down under and killing demons left and right. Kind of like the Reaper on the CW? Mayhaps. I wanted to know how Forrest came about such a book. Necromancer under contract with el diablo? Had to be a recommendation or something! Forrest had actually read other books by Saintcrow and loves them HENCE his graviational pull towards her work.

No face shots, please, because his tennis game had left him frazzled and not camera-ready

Typically you can find Forrest reading books about cops, spies, swordsmanship, and sorcery. Magic and espionage adventures - can't go wrong with that.

Favourite book of all time? He'd have to go with the Lord of the Rings books. I asked him what he thought about the movies. To his liking? Forrest thought the movies were alright and naturally enjoyed the books more but explains that the books, like any book, contains dialogue and intricate layers that is often left out in movies because it's often difficult to incoporate every nuance. These are more often than nought better found on the pages and left off the big screen.


Has there ever been a movie adaptation of a book that you actually liked/found to be as close to true-blueness?

Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road comes out in December! Finally saw a billboard ad. I really enjoyed the book and hope Leo and Kate don't fail me. I hope I can shake off the Titanic visuals whilst watching it.

Band On The Diaper Run - "Count your books"

It's no secret - the musical loves of my life are Mates of State. Since having babies Kori has been a feature blogger on Babble.com with Band on The Diaper Run

With that said, naturally I follow her musings on bandom and motherhood. Today I was happy to find her post on books and seeing as I have been MIA from this blog due to my hectic life I thought I would share! Plus it will kick-start my blogging again :)

Jason reading to Magnolia

Post from Band on The Diaper Run

So, I've been learning about the Read for the Record campaign started by Jumpstart. On October 2, everyone who is involved and cares about this (I do) will read the same book with their children (The book is Cordouroy, a favorite of ours)..and we'll break the world record.

And, this weekend, Magnolia and I are going to count the age-appropriate (4 and under) books we have.

I think everyone else should do the same and we can compare our numbers.

Then, we can all be astounded together that in economically depressed areas, children, on average, have 0-2 books.

I'd like to see what our (babble blog readers) average is.

We try so hard to read every night to our kids, even when we are cutting it close to show time. Sometimes we read in her bed and other times we sit anywhere she wants to read. We've also found that she sits down and eats better if we read her books. Lately I've been really into getting Mem Fox books from the library. Her books can make adults cry, and Mags loves them too.

Anyway, as quoted by Jumpstart, "The home environment, specificaly the availability of reading material is a stronger predictor of later academic achievement than socioeconomic status." And for us, I guess the home environment means on-the-road.

Count your books!

Also, maybe we can do a music nerd study later and count our vinyl records.

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Parents - What books have you read to your child lately?

Everyone - What was your favourite bedtime story growing up?

"Pee in your pants kind of funny"

I sound like I am touting Brightkite but I can't help but be curious as to what my fellow bkiters are reading when they mention their books :)

A few weeks ago I see that @bethesdasprite is reading David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed In Flames, a book that had been coming up in conversations often amongst my circle of friends. Norma (her real name) tells me that the book is "part biography, part memoir, encompassing everything from Sedaris' daily life in Paris to his three month sojourn in Tokyo". Norma once read his essays are "pee in your pants kind of funny" and after reading this book she agrees. This happens to be her first Sedaris book, an impulse buy at the airport to have a quick, easy ready during a long flight. In the past she's read his essays in The New Yorker or listened to him on public radio. Although she's never seen Sedaris live Norma has gone to every local performance of This American Life. "I hope they'll pay him enough to come on stage someday!"

Norma's "book-hound" of a cat, Mellon, with Sedaris' book.

At the time a few weeks ago Norma was reading Andrew Weil's "Healthy Aging". "I know, I know, shouldn't have mentioned that ...also trying to get through Eckhart Tolle's,"The Power of Now". I don't really get it but everyone else does, including Oprah's Book Club, so I'm trying . Really I am." Oh yes, another Tolle reader in the "Noses In Books" house. She recently just finished reading The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho and Here If You Need Me: A True Story by Kate Braestrup

Growing up Norma loved history and biographies, and this love has followed her to the present. Her favourite book by far was "Gone With The Wind", a romance novel no less! "I recall I had to get special permission from the school librarian to check it out because I was considered too young for such an "adult" book. Poppycock, it rocked and I loved it. " (I need to adopt the phrase "poppycock" into my lexicon...I mean, c'mon!)

Today her favorite books are all history and biographies but ironically her favourite book of all time is again a novel, Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. She HIGHLY recommends this book.

If she were to write a book it would definitely be a biography of some early American author, maybe Alcott, Hawthorne or Thoreau. Incidentally, she bought her present home in part because it was on Thoreau Drive. "I couldn't afford the historical home I wanted so this was the next best thing!"

When asked if she could read in another language she tells me that she's learning Spanish but far from fluent. Although Norma didn't like, "Love In the Time of Cholera," she does love Marquez's writing style. She found herself reading his sentences over and over again and out loud because it's such beautiful prose. Her long term goal in learning Spanish is to be able to read in Spanish and more fully appreciate authors such as Marquez.

Favourite spot to read? Generally reads at night in bed or in JJ's overstuffed gold chair.

On audiobooks: "I've never listened to an audiobook in my life until I read Sedaris's latest book. After reading, "When You Are Engulfed In Flames", I longed to hear his familiar dead pan voice, listen to his unique rhythm and experience his inflection and mimicry first hand; so, what did I do? I downloaded the audiobook on my Mac and listened to it in his own words. Listening to the unabridged version took a while,nine hours plus, but It was well worth the time. He brought his own words to life and I enjoyed it all the more the second time around."


What is your favourite Sedaris book? I would have to say mine are between Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Have you ever seen Sedaris live? To think that he is always 'performing' at UCLA yet I've yet to see him.

At ease, soldier

The sun is beginning to set at Golden Gate Park and my sister and I were ready to get some food into our systems after napping and lounging in the garden during my visit. We're strolling through the roads, me getting hopeful instructions from a pea back home to do this and eat that, and Z and I trying to map out our next steps. Behind the chain-linked fence wrapped around the soon-to-be (or is it just under re-construction) California Academy of Science I spot Sean at his post, making sure noone crosses the barrier. I run across the road and ask if I could slink through the fence to talk to him.

Sean is reading The First Casualty by Phillip Knightley - a war correspondent reporting from the trenches.


Sean finds himself drawn to historical books. He happened to be in the military himself so he enjoys being entrenched in anything military/historical/war related.

The last book he read? Rule by Secrecy: The Hidden History That Connects the Trilateral Commision, the Freemasons, and the Great Pyramids by Jim Marrs (exhale). Jim Marrs, another journalist (I see a pattern here) traces various guarded secrets and secret societies from ancient to modern day.


Did you have a secret club/society when you were a kid/teen? One of my guy cousins (a few years older than us) started a little secret club and called themselves "The Aces". So being younger and wanting to be "cool", too, the gal cousins formed our own little group called "The Acerettes". I know. I know. The guys met in the shed in the back and we found an opening on the other end of the shed and had our secret meetings there, too, "unbeknownst" to them.

Were you in a fraternity/sorority?

The Grassy Knolls

A little back-logged from my SF trip.

Decided to wander off a bit around the garden in Golden Gate park while Z went to the bathroom. Found a nice spot on the grassy knoll overlooking the flower kingdom. There were so many readers around me - I didn't know where to begin! Rachel, to my right, was lounging under the sun with her book as her visor. She's reading Peace Like A River by Leif Enger. Rachel doesn't want to reveal too much about the book but let's me in on a few little tidbits. The book ftakes place in Minnesota in the early 1960's and focuses on an asthmatic 11-year-old child narrator, his father who performs "miracles", and the boy's brother who gets into some trouble with the law. And I will add that it involves a Winchester :)


The book happens to be for book club. Although this wasn't her personal choice Rachel does find the book to be a lovely read. Besides fiction Rachel also enjoys historical novels and non-fiction.

The last book she read was Birds Without Wings by Louis De Bernieres which takes place during the Ottoman Empire - about a Christian girl who is betrothed (I love this word) to her Muslim childhood friend. I found a photo of the book cover and find it to be quite lovely.


Growing up she read the Little House On The Prairie book series and loved them for the romanticism of the West.

If Rachel were to write a book it would be about the Women's Suffrage Movement...and Scotland, her two passions.


What historical movement/event would you like to write or learn more about?

One thing I noticed in San Francisco - library books seemed to be more prevalent up there than here in Los Angeles. Angelenos (and others) - when was the last time you checked out a book from your local library?

Escaping the Haze

Upon landing in San Francisco on Saturday morning I immediately had a craving for eggs. After taking the BART and Muni over to Z's place to drop off my bags we were off in search of a place to brunch - particularly in a sunny part of town since the fog was taking over her 'hood (Inner Sunset). We made our way to Hayes Valley and stuffed our faces at Flipper. Bought some art from a guy selling his wares on the sidewalk then wandered aimlessly looking for our next adventure.

Spotted Keith sitting at a cafe/restaurant whose name I can't recall. He's reading The Radiance of The King by Camara Laye. Keith works for Browser Books on Fillmore and Sacramento and the new arrivals usually dictate what he will be reading next. He's been gravitating towards the New York Review Books that have been coming in and The Radiance of the King is one of them. When asked to briefly describe what the book is about I am told that it is about a white man who is shipwrecked on the coast of Africa, and becomes a slave resulting in self revelation and discovery. (I will be honest - due to my horrid hearing I had first thought he said, "A white man who becomes a stud and then an African Queen" which got me thinking of Virginia Woolf's Orlando). He's been zipping through the book and highly recommends it.


Keith skews more towards novel reading and lately he's really been into books by J.R. Ackerley. The last books he's read were Ackerley's My Dog Tulip and We Think the World of You - both of which are from the NYRB series AND are about the intimacies between a man and his dog.

When asked about his favourite book growing up he recalls a book that made a lasting impression on him. In the 4th grade he read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens on his own volition and remembers getting in trouble for it! His teacher saw that he was reading this and proceeded to call his parents, telling them that she felt the book was inappropriate for him at that age. "My parents weren't upset or anything. I just told them that I finished the book and there really wasn't anything they could do." Heck, if my child was reading that at a young age I would be proud! Granted, Keith admits that he didn't really fully understand everything that was going on in the novel but found it compelling and this left a lasting impression on him nonetheless. And from that moment on he was hooked on books!



Do you remember that book that got you hooked?

I would have to say it was Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf that did it for me. I read it in HS and although I read many books before then I feel I actually started to really pay attention to this one in particular. And it led me to re-read the book every few months for a handful of years along with other Woolf books peppered in between.

You are now free to move about the country

This past Saturday morning found me waking up at around 4:30ish in the morning to finish throwing a few more articles of clothing into my suitcase, shower, dress, and get into my car to dart to the FlyAway Bus station (a bus/shuttle that takes you to the airport...economical and convenient more or less.) I am expecting to be late for my flight to San Francisco to spend the Labour Day holiday weekend with my sister, Z, for some much needed kvetching (and more kvetching) about those who have left our hearts in slings. Lo and behold I have about an hour to spare before I board my Virgin America flight. Who woulda thunkit! I take this time to catch up on my own reading but get sidetracked when I spot Jane.

At the Virgin America terminal. Jane is reading a Chinese book whose title is loosely translated to "Strange Encounters". Alas, she does not know what the author's "English" name would be.

Jane explains that this is the 11th book in the series and she's read all of them so far. She compares the series to John Grisham novels but this series of books incorporates Chinese superstition, both from the past and peppers in some futuristic stylings.

Jane mostly reads books in Chinese, books that she acquires on trips to Hong Kong. And she mainly gets her hands on books like these - 'light' reads like the Harry Potter books but widely entertaining, she says. The last book she read? The previous book in the series. She's on a roll! What she likes about these books is that they're unpredictable and imaginative. There are also 2-3 recurring characters in the books and what's fascinating is that they go through different experiences through different cultures and adventures. You follow them through their changes.

Growing up Jane loved reading books by Charles Dickens, namely A Tale of Two Cities. She also read alot of 60s comic books. "I was a product of my era, what can I say."

Americans, what did you read this holiday weekend?

What is your favourite Charles Dickens book?