Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is speaking in Naperville at North Central's Pfieffer Hall on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. This event is sponsored by Naperville Reads. Free tickets are available at Anderson's Bookshop and the Naperville Public Library. Get your free tickets and meet us for the talk and then drinks at Quigley's after the program. Naperville Reads is also sponsoring Anthony Horowitz on Tuesday, April 12. For more info: http://napervillereads.org/
April Book: Join us in reading The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman for our April book club. It is almost a collection of short stories, but they tie together because each one is connected to a small international newspaper published in Rome. We will meet at Cathy G's house on April 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Synopsis
"Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman’s wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it—and themselves—afloat.Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff’s personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family’s quirky newspaper.
As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper’s rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder’s intentions.
Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents." (Barnes and Noble)
Find out more about the book and the author at http://tomrachman.com/
Finished this book last night and I have to admit that I am not a fan. The style was intriguing the characters were pathetic. I hope that pointing out the apathy that can set in when one has a job, even if you are miserable, was the point of this collection of character sketches. I read it through with the hope that at least one of these people would have a story that was engaging, alas, no. Maybe almost 20 years in the corporate world and 4 in the teaching world make these characters all too real for me and that's the problem. I generally prefer a book that gives me a break from the realities of my life. It is has been a personally rough few weeks, so maybe it was just the wrong book for this moment in my life.
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