Here are the 2 most memorable books I read in 2009.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN in keeping with my city-crush with King's County, NY. This copy I spray painted and embellished with some sharpie to give as a gift to my first girlfriend. The main character reminded me of her (and every other cool girl I know). The OldGirl also turned me onto Love in the Time of Cholera back in the day which is reminiscent of ATGNBrooklyn in terms of the plot's epic span across the course of the main characters lives and the touching, dreamy portrayal of those events as they unfold. I really like this book. I told some of my friends after I finished it that its the best book I've read. Superlatives like that don't usually last long but I was being truthful when I said it.
DISHWASHER: one man's quest to wash dishes in all 50 states. As recommended to me by the cool staff of Quimby's bookstore in Chicago, the byline pretty much tells you all you need to know about this one. A self-professed slacker, Pete Jordan left the school system looking for work with the least amount of responsibility. He found cleaning plates as the lowlest man in the restaurant totem pole to be straightforward enough for him and fulfilling, for just as long as he needed it be. The moment a manager or an uppity coworker or customer tried to give him any kind of shit, he would say 'fuck you' and split leaving with money in his pockets to hit the road and a sink full of dishes behind him for somebody else to fuss with. Such is the freedom of working a job that is available most everywhere. 'Don't piss off the little man because he's making it run' is one of the messages that comes across in this book. Another is the freedom in not being tied down to a career. With no qualms for getting his hands wet he manages to travel from Alaska to New Orleans to New York and a hundred places in between. This book actually started as a little zine when Pete began writing down his different experiences busting suds across the country. It grew more and more popular over time to the point that he was printing several thousand copies, getting invited to come work by his readers, and even appear on the David Letterman Show (he had his friend take his place secretly). Pretty cool for a guy with no ambition working a seemingly shitty job. Just goes to show you its all about attitude. I highly recommend this for all people graduating school, filled with fear about how to get by in the "real work world". Pete Jordan blazes a bright path for slackers everywhere.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN in keeping with my city-crush with King's County, NY. This copy I spray painted and embellished with some sharpie to give as a gift to my first girlfriend. The main character reminded me of her (and every other cool girl I know). The OldGirl also turned me onto Love in the Time of Cholera back in the day which is reminiscent of ATGNBrooklyn in terms of the plot's epic span across the course of the main characters lives and the touching, dreamy portrayal of those events as they unfold. I really like this book. I told some of my friends after I finished it that its the best book I've read. Superlatives like that don't usually last long but I was being truthful when I said it.
DISHWASHER: one man's quest to wash dishes in all 50 states. As recommended to me by the cool staff of Quimby's bookstore in Chicago, the byline pretty much tells you all you need to know about this one. A self-professed slacker, Pete Jordan left the school system looking for work with the least amount of responsibility. He found cleaning plates as the lowlest man in the restaurant totem pole to be straightforward enough for him and fulfilling, for just as long as he needed it be. The moment a manager or an uppity coworker or customer tried to give him any kind of shit, he would say 'fuck you' and split leaving with money in his pockets to hit the road and a sink full of dishes behind him for somebody else to fuss with. Such is the freedom of working a job that is available most everywhere. 'Don't piss off the little man because he's making it run' is one of the messages that comes across in this book. Another is the freedom in not being tied down to a career. With no qualms for getting his hands wet he manages to travel from Alaska to New Orleans to New York and a hundred places in between. This book actually started as a little zine when Pete began writing down his different experiences busting suds across the country. It grew more and more popular over time to the point that he was printing several thousand copies, getting invited to come work by his readers, and even appear on the David Letterman Show (he had his friend take his place secretly). Pretty cool for a guy with no ambition working a seemingly shitty job. Just goes to show you its all about attitude. I highly recommend this for all people graduating school, filled with fear about how to get by in the "real work world". Pete Jordan blazes a bright path for slackers everywhere.
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