In April, I spent a month in Istanbul, and that city was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. It was modern and historic, beautiful and creative, and that blend of Asian and European is something that can actually be seen. Put aside its physical beauty, and Istanbul is seriously one of the most interesting and fascinating places. And during my last week there, I took myself to the Museum of Innocence, even though I’ve never read Orhan Pamuk’s famed book of the […]
She’s a working girl/She’s single and free
All right, I haven’t reviewed in ages, so I’m just gonna jump right into it. I read Factory Girls months ago – in April, to be exact – and it has just been stuck in my craw. The book is the work of Leslie Chang, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was based in China, and spent years following the lives of women working in factories in Guangdong province. As Westerners, much of what we know about these factories come from stories about exploitation in […]
A hilarious book about two people working as a Times Square concierge and the ridiculous conversations they have
Ever worked in the service industry? If the answer is yes, then you are probably aware of the magnitude of stupidity and rudeness that the general population possess. It doesn’t matter if you have waited tables, worked in retail, dealt with customer service phone calls, worked in a hotel – there is something about being in these “How may I help you?” positions that somehow elicit some of the worst behavior from people who are typically nice in their everyday lives. In my six years […]
A quick, creepy read that was just a bit sobering for me
Another day, another Mitchell! I bought Slade House not long after I finished The Bone Clocks because I didn’t want to stop living in Mitchell’s world. It ended up being the perfect accompaniment to Bone Clocks, almost like a side note into the world of Atemporals, souls who are able to live on for centuries in different bodies. Described as a “haunted house” book, Mitchell exercises his horror writing skills in describing Slade House, which is hidden behind a small black iron door down a narrow, winding alley. Nathan Bishop, […]