NOW READING - Farther Shore by Matthew Eck

This hallucinatory first novel describes a mission by a small unit of American soldiers across a hostile landscape of an African country ruled by warlords. The mood of this book is tense and nightmarish, yet the story is grounded by realistic dialog in a distinctly American idiom. Though a page-turner, this book asks serious questions about personal responsibility and meaning when order disintegrates. Reminiscent both of Coetzee’s “Waiting for the Barbarians” and Tim O’Brien’s “Going after Cacciato”.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Alan Weisman on Jon Stewart via YouTube

World Without Us

Having just finished the new book The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, the words swimming through my head are brilliant, plastic, frightening, plastic, extinctionist and yet more plastic.

Reading how the earth would respond if man as a species suddenly disappeared and just how lasting our "finger prints" would be. From the decay and collapse of our homes to those of high rises and the man made monuments we expect to last forever, the destruction of roadways and the return of waterways and the next ice age are clearly realized by Mr. Weisman.

We as a species have graduated to being a force of nature with the amount of destruction and disaster we are creating.


Check out the website as well:
http://www.worldwithoutus.com

Matt on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11482038

Interview with Matt Richtel

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/13/022759.php

author dirty secret:

i love to fly. the cell phone doesn't ring, the email doesn't chirp. without interruption or guilt i can engage in two of my favorite pasttimes: napping and reading. i'm genuinely honored to be part of the mile high reading club, selected by the esteemed Compass Books. I'd be thrilled to have readers spend some of their quiet time with me at 25,000 feet. I hope those who pick it up get so caught up in the plot and characters that they consider booking another flight just to give them time to finish uninterrupted.(at the risk of stating the obvious, this probably is not a cost effective solution)
Happy reading
Matt

Welcome from Compass Books!

Hi and welcome. I am Jerry, the manager of Compass Books at San Francisco International Airport, and I want to thank you for visiting The Mile High Book Club. This month's selection is Matt Richtel's Hooked: A Thriller About Love and Other Addictions. This is Matt's first novel and we are excited to be bringing it to you as our second selection in our new book group. I encourage you to pick up a copy at any of our ten Books Inc. locations and drop us a few lines after the read--open up a discussion and share the love of words with the rest of us bilbliophiles!

We also invite the authors to join in the discussion, answer some questions and share the creative process with us.

And when you come through SFO be sure to stop by and say Hello (we are located in Terminal Number 3 on the United Airlines side).

Cheers & Happy Reading!
J.

Ian McEwan: Out of the Book

Our friends at Powell's Books in Portland Oregon (always a top destination when we visit the Northwest!) have started a new program called "Out of the Book." They call it "a groundbreaking series of compelling short films about authors... engaging portraits of writers and their work. More expansive than traditional readings, the project aims to generate spirited discussion about great new books and their impact on readers' lives."

Sounds pretty cool -- we do love discussions. The very first film happens to feature our current author, Ian McEwan. Here's a taste:



So what do you think?

Welcome to the Mile High Book Club!

We're travelers and bookaholics who shop at Compass Books, SFO and who definitely don't have time for a book club meeting. Our goal is to read one new book each month and exchange ideas and comments about the book on our blog.

We're hoping to get opinions from all over the world, so feel free to chime in!

Now reading: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

July 15-August 15 - Hooked: A Thriller About Love and Other Addictions by Matt Richtel

August 15 - September 15 - The World Without Us by Alan Weisman


Stay tuned to this space for our take on McEwan...