Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby — March 2018 giveaway

*** Winner selected! Congratulations to Steven in Brooklyn, NY! ***

Move to the big city. Take weird risks. Fuck up. That, in short, is the plot of a lot of my favorite novels — the latest among the Hermione Hoby’s debut novel, Neon In Daylight.

This is a New York coming of age story in the age of Facebook, where you can “friend” anyone you happen to run across — and online stalk their whereabouts aimlessly. Because what else are you going to do if you’re new to the Big Apple and know pretty much no one? Why not obsess about a random teen who bums a smoke off of you on the street, a handsome semi-celeb you meet at an art gallery, a friend of a friend you know from back home but don’t actually want to hang out with —

The novel follows Kate, a slightly lost twenty-something British girl who moves to NYC for no real purpose, killing time while getting some space from her uptight upper-crust boyfriend back home. She meets a teenager who seems  older and wiser and more worldly — who introduces Kate to drugs and party people and really expensive six-inch designer heels. She then meets a hot, jaded, older famous writer who seems immature in many ways — who introduces Kate to rarebit and literary readings that actually draw a crowd and biodynamic wine.

Trouble ensues because, you know, the older famous writer is the precocious teen’s dad.

And there are more complications in the novel:  Strange Craigslist gigs offered by creepy rich people. A wild Halloween party thrown by a dying man. Period sex.

And there are lines like these:

It’s never love, as soon as you feel the next love. Because isn’t that a prerequisite of the condition? That you tell yourself everything that came before wasn’t really it.

It makes you wonder if you’ve ever been in love, or if you might be wildly in love now —

I think you might fall in love with this coming-of-age story. I’m giving away  a copy of  Neon in Daylight to one of my readers! All current email subscribers will be automatically entered to win the copy. Subscribe now if you’re not yet getting my occasional newsletters.

For a second chance to win, comment on this post below, naming your favorite coming-of-age story. The giveaway closes March 31, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. US addresses only.

Come back mid-month to read an interview with Hermione Hoby.

Boxwalla’s Lavanya Krishnan on the politics of our pleasure reading picks

Every month, I interview an author I admire on his literary firsts–except this month, I’m interviewing a book subscription box creator.

There’s something strangely enticing about book subscription boxes. Sure, you can buy the books on your own, but you won’t get all the pleasures of having someone buy them for you — the expected yet unexpected package in the mailbox, the joy of unboxing a prettily-wrapped gift, the discovery of books you didn’t pick out for yourself.

With Boxwalla Book Box, you get all that plus the chance to expand your literary horizons by discovering writers from around the globe. Each book box comes with two international reads that’ll put you in touch with cultures foreign to you and human emotions that feel intimately familiar.

I got a chance to interview, Lavanya Krishnan, cofounder of Boxwalla, who revealed her tips for successfully recommending books and her perspective on many Americans’ insular reading choices.
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Siel: What inspired you to start a subscription book box?

Lavanya: As immigrants ourselves, we were surprised to discover that the readers, of a nation of immigrants, do not engage with literature from the rest of the world.

In the U.S, unlike in other parts of the world, readers are obsessed with their own literature. This is possibly a good thing, but only to an extent. The lack of curiosity, about literature from outside of the U.S., is actually quite disturbing. Most people in the U.S. do not read writers from outside the U.S., and they do not read translated literature. And this is reflected in the fact that only 0.7% of all the books published in the U.S. comprises translated fiction and poetry.

The Boxwalla Book Box is our attempt to change that, since there are amazing books being written all over the world, that American readers are largely unaware of, or even resistant to. And so we decided to scour the literary landscape, so to speak, to bring the best books from all over the world, to whoever wanted to read them.

One of the things we have observed, is how the insular reading choices of even the more erudite American reader, is actually symptomatic of events that manifest itself outside the literary landscape.

Let me illustrate this point. When Trump emerged as the President, he was portrayed as being representative of a particularly conservative segment of American society, something that most erudite American readers believe they have nothing in common with. But as it happens, the process of democracy always throws up a leader who accurately represents a very unique characteristic of that society. A characteristic that represents the entire society, even if the society fails to recognize it as such at the time. In this case, Trump represents the self obsession, the indifference and the disinterestedness in deeply engaging with the rest of the world, that is a very peculiar characteristic of the American society, regardless of people’s political affiliations. And this indifference is reflected, among other things, in the reading choices of even the more well-read American readers.

So, if you step back and think about it, the serious American literary reader actually has quite a bit in common with President Donald Trump. We would rather not have that be the case. Hence our valiant attempts. 🙂

How do you go about selecting the books for your box? What comes first — the theme or the books? Is there a specific process you go through for each box?

The books definitely come first. We have a list of books that we’ve read and that we think deserve to be read. The theme is based on which books we decide to pair together, The pairings depend on which books might work well when read in a sequence (both within a box and across boxes), or might complement each other in some way (without being tediously similar).

I’m curious what your own reading habits are like. Does your reading list resemble the selections you make for Boxwalla — or does it range more widely?

Initially, when we started the Boxwalla Book Box, we focused on living writers, so the list was a subset of what we read. But recently, we’ve switched to showcasing both dead and living writers, so as to be able to showcase both forgotten greats as well as contemporary greats who aren’t as well known as they deserve to be. So now it is a closer reflection of what we read.

Of course, there are several well known writers, whom we love as well, who may not feature in our box, but only because our subscribers have probably already read them (Flaubert, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Faulkner, Pamuk, George Eliot come to mind). But our selections for Boxwalla do reflect our tastes, as well as our personal attempts at reading outside our comfort zone (but still within the realm of great literature).

Any tips or best practices for how best to convince friends and strangers to read a book you’ve read and loved?

Ah – that’s the tricky thing to achieve – to convince someone to read a book you’ve loved.

We have found that people are very particular whom they will take reading advice from. Everybody has limited time to read, so for somebody to read something you recommend, requires a certain leap of faith, or a recognition of kinship in terms of reading tastes. So something like, ‘oh, I see you loved Book A. I loved it too. If you loved Book A, I think you will love Book B’, could work.

It becomes easier once somebody takes that leap of faith and likes something you’ve recommended. Then they are more likely to be convinced to read that second book you recommend…. 🙂

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Enter to win a Boxwalla Book Box by signing up for my newsletter. Already joined up? Then you’re already entered. Good luck!

Earlier:

Boxwalla: A Book box for world literature lovers
The TNB Book Club: Get literary gems delivered to your door for under $10
* The Book Drop: Handpicked reads delivered from an indie bookstore

LA Lit Fic: A new monthly book club party at The Last Bookstore

LA Lit Fic with Siel Ju book club at The Last Bookstore

LA Lit Fic with Siel Ju book club at The Last Bookstore

After blogging about all the great book clubs in L.A., I’m now taking the only logical next step. I’ve teamed up with The Last Bookstore to start a brand new book club on L.A. fiction!

Called LA Lit Fic, this book club will read novels by L.A. writers, or from L.A. presses, or featuring L.A. in a big way. The goal is to get L.A. people reading L.A. fiction — and meeting L.A. writers too!

At each monthly book club party, I hope to have the author her or himself drop at the end to answer burning questions, sign books, and hang out with the fans. Yes, I said book club party (not meeting). There will be wine and an equally festive non-alcoholic drink, plus cheese, crackers, cookies, and crudite.

Get your ticket now! Your $35.95 party ticket includes the month’s book, party eats and libations, entree to a cool off-limits nook of The Last Book Store, a chance to meet the author and get your book signed — plus good times with fellow L.A. book lovers, including me!

Edan Lepucki Woman No 17We’ll kick off our inaugural book club party with Edan Lepucki’s Woman No. 17 — a fun, snarky, and emotionally-charged read starring a recently-separated memoir writer and her nanny — who’s really a performance artist playing the part of a nanny. There’s intrigue, illicit romance, estranged mothers, and lots of SoCal sun — basically all the things you might look for in a good L.A. novel.
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LA Lit Fic with Siel Ju
(Facebook event page)
Our March read: Edan Lepucki’s Woman No. 17
Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30 pm – 9 pm (Edan arrives 8:30 pm)
The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles
Tickets: $35.95 (includes a copy of the book, party, and more)
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I hope to see you there! Feel free to email or tweet me with any questions. And if you’re an L.A. novelist with a book that’s just out or about to come out — and you’re game for a future book club party — get in touch with me.

Earlier:
* 6 best book clubs in Los Angeles
* 11 best bookstores in Los Angeles for writers

See you at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery 3/1 (or in Mexico / La Verne)

I’ve never been to Mexico, but that’s about to change. Next week, I’m heading south to San Miguel de Allende for the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and Literary Festival. The event features literary luminaries like Sandra Cisneros and Rita Dove — plus a workshop by me!

Will you be there? If so, I hope to see you at the workshop I’m teaching:

Writing Creatively in the Second Person
Sunday, Feb. 18, 9 am to 10:30 am
Hotel Real de Minas, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

Can’t make it that far? Then drive just an hour or so to my FREE reading at the University of La Verne:

Cake Time: A Reading at University of La Verne
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, 5 pm
University of La Verne, 1950 3rd St, La Verne, Calif.

Or just stay in L.A. and wait for me to read a true story next month. I’m really psyched to be part of the March lineup for a new monthly hit storytelling, literary series in Los Angeles called The Secret Society of The Sisterhood!

Come to The Masonic Lodge in Hollywood Forever Cemetery and join this “secret society” for women on the full moon. I’ll be one of six women who’ll share a personal story. Here’s what the Los Angeles Times wrote about the first show.

This month’s topic: “I thought I was going to die!” I’ll be on stage with Pamela Des Barres, Nicole Byer, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Michelle Tea, Venus and The Moon, and the event producer and host, Trish Nelson.

The Secret Society of The Sisterhood
The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
Thu., March 1, 2018, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Proceeds donated to Planned Parenthood.

Hope to see you IRL soon —

Boxwalla Book Box — Feb 2018 giveaway

*** Winner selected! Congratulations to Christian in Portland, Ore.! ***

If your 2018 goal was to get out of a reading rut, you’re in luck. This month’s giveaway is a Boxwalla Book Box that’ll introduce you to new, unexpected, international reads!

In case you missed my previous rave about Boxwalla Book Box: This subscription box service promises to send you two new reads at a time — featuring writers from all over the world. Boxwalla’s picks are pretty idiosyncratic — “All of them are must-read but not as widely read as they deserve to be,” claims the website — and each box has a theme. Some of my favorite Boxwalla finds so far:

  • Zareh Vorpouni’s The Candidate, which follows a young Armenian expat in 1929 Paris, reeling from the sudden suicide of his friend. The poetic work covers a lot of ground — the Armenian diaspora, racism, writerly ambition, poverty. It made personal the international aftereffects of the Armenian genocide and combined it with the beautiful listlessness of artistic life in 1920s Paris. It came in the August’s box, themed “Language and Identity.”
  • The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini, a sumptuous read following the deaf and mute Marianna in early 18th century Sicily as she discovers the truth of her past and starts to determine her own future. The descriptions of her wealthy, tradition-bound, complicated aristocratic life is rich and sensuous and vivid. This one was part of the October box, themed “Turkey & Italy.”

Though called a Book Box, there is rarely an actual box. Usually, the two books are simply slipped into a drawstring bag, along with a letter insert with an intro to the month’s theme, authors, and the books. Overall I’m touched with Boxwalla’s mission to highlight books that deserve more attention. Each month’s selection takes you to a new place, so I imagine longer-term subscribers would become much more aware of world history and cultures over time.

A subscription costs $29.95 a shipment, and you can sign up now to get the February box — or try your luck in this month’s giveaway! I’m excited to be partnering with Boxwalla to give away a February Box to one of my readers! All current email subscribers will be automatically entered to win one copy. Subscribe now if you’re not yet getting my occasional newsletters.

For a second chance to win, comment on this post below with the title of the last book you read. The giveaway closes February, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. US addresses only.

Come back mid-month to read an interview with Boxwalla’s founders.

January book reviews: Fire & other dangers

Brief reviews of books by contemporary authors I read this month — along with photos of what I ate while reading. The list is ordered by the level of my enjoyment:

Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro (Grove Press, 2018)

“I admit that unless something is forbidden I cannot want it with any intensity.”
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On the surface Fire Sermon is about a married woman who has a few brief assignations with a man married to someone else. Beneath that plot is a gorgeous work about desire and longing and obsession and writing and memory and sin and sublimation and time. Loved this book — reminded me a bit of Lydia Davis’ The End of the Story and Elizabeth Ellen’s Person(a). In fact I sent a copy to Elizabeth because I thought she’d like it too. The book just came out Jan. 9 — Thanks to Grove Press for the review copy.

Triumph of the Heart: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World by Megan Feldman Bettencourt (Avery, 2015)

“When you trust people, they often disappoint you, but that doesn’t mean love is hopeless.”
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Forgiveness is a topic that’s been on my mind a lot lately — so I felt lucky to come across this book that delves into the science and research (vs a lot of books on forgiveness that are primarily religious) of the benefits of forgiveness, as well as the true, remarkable stories of people who’ve forgiven atrocities — their son’s murderer, their own rapist, etc. Of course, many of the stories are more everyday — The author Megan begins at a place where she’s unable to forgive an ex. I especially found Megan’s definition of forgiveness helpful — thinking about it as just a letting go of resentment to find a sense of peace and freedom — a letting go that doesn’t necessarily require reconciliation or excusing damaging behavior or foregoing legal justice. In the end the book went beyond just forgiveness to make me think about how I wanted to think, how I wanted to live. A highly recommended read.

Neon in Daylight< by Hermione Hoby (Catapult, 2018)

“It’s never love, as soon as you feel the next love. Because isn’t that a prerequisite of the condition? That you tell yourself everything that came before wasn’t really it.” 💔
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Slightly lost British girl moves to NYC, gets super short haircut, meets hot jaded older famous writer whose daughter makes money doing strange favors for men on Craigslist. Neon in Daylight started slow for me but got more interesting as the plot lines started to intersect. It came out Jan 9 — Thanks Catapult for the review copy of Hermione’s debut novel ☕️

The Show House by Dan Lopez (Unnamed Press, 2016)

“Overhead stars shine in a patchwork of clouds. Across the lake the blue lights of the airport glow uninterrupted.”
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I finally got to read my writing workshop friend Dan’s novel — and especially loved his descriptions of urban nights. The Show House is a bit of everything: a thriller with a serial killer, a family drama,a battle against natural forces. Glad I got to read this and that I get to read pages of Dan’s new novel in progress every month!

Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang (Anchor; Translated to English 2014, originally published 1948)

“Happy memories quickly turn vague, while unpleasant incidents … rise up again for no reason we can find.”
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Half a Lifelong Romance tells the story of starcrossed lovers kept apart by tradition, familial expectations, sense of duty, and the mean machinations of selfish people around them. Melodramatic, yes, but richly drawn — a poignant picture of 1930s Shanghai. Thanks to Boxwalla for this introduction to Eileen Chang’s work! 💙

This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff (Harper, 2018)

This was a strange novel. It’s supposed to be a heartwarming story about a group of employees at a corporation who end up really being there for each other as lifelong friends — but the cliched characters really got to me. Sample inner dialogue of a single woman: “Please, God, I promise not to ask for anything else if I can be with a man next New Year’s.” Seriously? The book’s overall message seems to be that your day job can give you much-needed purpose and structure in life if you commit to it and make it your life, even if it’s not work you find particularly interesting — a thesis I also found strange and slightly troubling. I felt obligated to finish this one because the publisher had sent a review copy —

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