Suttree Arrives

Our good friend Daniel C. can now add Suttree to his McCarthy collection. In fact, he loves it so much he cleared his mantel of all family photos to make room for it!

The Gunslinger

Second in line this month was Stephen G. from Adelaide, South Australia. It would be a long way to send a book from the U.S., but luckily Stephen has a Kindle and this whole process went zippity-zip and in a matter of seconds there was a book there under the screen, waiting to be read.

The Gunslinger is the first book in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Stephen from Australia said:

After watching HBO's adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, I went back and read the books. Which only left me craving more solid epic fantasy stories. Coupled with this desire was to beat a TV show book adaptation, so I landed on The Dark Tower series. Which apparently is being made into a television series soon. Can't wait to start reading. Thanks, Breadline!

Suttree

Cormac McCarthy is becoming a popular pick around here, as Daniel C. of San Diego selected McCarthy's Suttree after jumping quickly to the front of the breadline.

Daniel said, "I chose Suttree because I recently read McCarthy's The Road, and I really enjoyed it. I have been looking into his other works, and I have heard great things about Suttree.

"People have said McCarthy will be one of the authors of our generation who is read 100 years from now. I want to read the best books by the best authors of our generation, and I think Suttree by McCarthy will fall into that list. Thanks again Breadline Books, you are fantastic. I can't wait till I can read it." 

September! Books!

If you have followed this blog at all, you are probably long used to the stopping and going that defines this book-giving business. It is not uncommon for the blog here to suddenly fall into a state of hibernation, leaving readers confused and disappointed. This is not on an intentional thing, although unfortunately it is real. For now.

But don't be sad! Funding here at Breadline Books has reached promising levels, and board members have given the go ahead to start production again. We are hopeful that everyone here can pick up where we left off back in March like nothing happened. Let's pretend this long, awkward silence didn't exist and move on!

So, how about we make a deal? Let's open the breadline right now, and give away two books in September. As in the past, the first two people in line will get a book. And in case anyone forgot, getting in line is super easy. Just email us with your book request and you're in line. Still confused? Read this.

Since it is already so late in the month, we will not have the monthly drawing. However, once October starts we will be in full swing again, with the end-of-the-month drawing and everything else going strong. Here we go!

After After Dark

This is the second time someone has won and chosen After Dark by Haruki Murakami, so I'll let Duncan J. of New Mexico take it away:

Duncan: My cat and I love Haruki Murakami for what I imagine to be the same reasons. From the very first novel of his we read, 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World' to his latest endeavor, '1Q84', we have been consistently if not surprisingly mesmerized by his eerily profound storytelling. Even for a long time after reading many of his works my cat and I had never been able to conceive the notion of a 'favorite author'.

Slowly, over time, and after continuing to read and reread Murakami's work we somewhat shamefully confessed to ourselves that we had been bested. That Murakami was and is our favorite author. That is why on April 8th, 2011 I requested my very first Breadline Book. Lost within hundreds of other entries I was overlooked for another whom I pray was truly meant to be chosen. Since that kneecap-shattering realization that with Breadline Books I would almost assuredly never be chosen, I went about my days as usual. Reading. Watching. Listening. Loving.

Then, out of nowhere, just days ago I was in my gmail account. I was notified that I had a new email and it was Breadline Books! A message to the masses, the ones proud enough to proclaim their subscription to the Breadline Books newsletter and what was more - the line was back open for business! I thought this was it. It's morning, I'm probably the only uncool person subscribed to this thing not nursing a hangover via screwdrivers and Netflix. I responded. And I won! And this is now wholly too long but THIS is why I received my FREE, BRAND NEW, BOOK FROM BREADLINE BOOKS!

Also, here's a picture of the cat I share with the love of my life.

In Line with Dan Chaon

That's right, we have an interview here with a big time writer. Dan Chaon is the bestselling author of novels Await Your Reply and You Remind Me of Me, as well as three short story collections. His latest book of stories is called Stay Awake, and was released in February. And oh yeah, he plays Skyrim.

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Breadline Books: A popular question seems to be When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer? Have you ever not wanted to write for a living?


Dan Chaon: I wanted to tell stories ever since I was a little kid. I really liked pretend games that I would make up. Being a writer is just one of the quasi-legitimate ways that allows you to do that as an adult. Of course, there are times when writing is frustrating and boring and you want to beat your skull open with a brick; but generally I've been happy that I got a chance to do it for a living.  

BB: When it comes to writing, what do you wish you were better at? How do you work to improve that skill?

DC: I think that writing scene and action is the hardest for me. Obviously the best way to improve is through practice, but also through reading. I'm always looking for people who do scene really well. That's one of the reasons I'm enjoying Josh Bazell's book Wild Thing.

BB: Everyone procrastinates. How have you been wasting your time recently?

DC: Playing Skyrim on my PC.

BB: Do you write in areas other than fiction, like essays or poetry?

DC: I write poetry sometimes, but don't really publish it; I've also been working on screenplays, and I'm interested in comics as a medium. I write essays when I'm asked to for various things, but it's not really my thing. I'm especially not interested in memoir.  

BB: What authors or books do you enjoy that are most unlike your own work?

DC: I really like children's fantasy and adventure books. Some of my recent favorites are the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix and the Bartimaeus books by Jonathan Stroud.  

BB: As a teacher of creative writing, what's the most important message you want to get across to your students?

DC: That learning is a spiral rather than a ladder. You're always circling around the same stuff, again and again. You don't ever "master" the craft.  

BB: You're working on a screenplay for Await Your Reply. Will we see it in theaters eventually?

DC: Ha ha. I hope so! I have been working really hard on it! But a lot of movie making is about money, and finding money, so I can't say for sure.  

BB: Aspiring writers look up to accomplished authors. Who do accomplished authors admire?

DC: There's always someone more accomplished than you, in one way or another. I admire people whose stories and characters take me somewhere I've never been before. That's the thing I want more than anything else--that feeling of being transported. If someone can do that for me, they are my hero.

BB: If you won a free book, what would you choose?

DC: I would probably choose Denis Johnson's book Jesus' Son, because the students are always stealing it from me and then I have to buy extra copies.

Blood Red Road

Congrats to Lacey K. of Charlotte, MI for winning the first book of March. She chose Blood Red Road by Moira Young, and in case you didn't notice, there's a picture of it right here.

"Blood Red Road sounds like it would be a great survival story that includes a quest," Lacey commented. "All books should include an epic quest, and for that matter all lives. What is my quest? I don't think I've figured that out yet, but while I wait I think I'll read a few more books for some pointers."