About David Wright

Librarian

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  What Seattle 2nd-hand bookstores stock 1970s paperback The Shadow pulp novel reprints?

  1 0 Wow, that's a toughy. I would certainly try Seattle Mystery Bookshop: they have a wealth of vintage paperbacks, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had these. I can't think of a likelier spot, anyway. 587-5737 staff@seattlemystery.com David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 3 months ago Answer and comment »

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  Recommend a book (novel) about or taking place in NYC

  1 0 Gosh - so many wonderful books to choose from, though picking things that foreground the city itself does narrow the vast field somewhat. Although it is a bit longish from some book groups, Emily Barton's excellent historical novel "Brookland" might work well - a really fine novel and crammed with interesting detail about early 19th century New York and Brooklyn. Kevin Baker's historical novels are also filled with interesting stuff about historic NYC - I might steer clear of "Dreamland," but "Paradise Alley" or "Striver's Row" maybe? Also historical, a couple of Doctorow's work - "The Waterworks" or "World's Fair." "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is kind of begging to be read by them. Paule Marshall's "Brown Girl, Brownstones." Oh - and Paul Auster's "Brooklyn Follies" would be excellent for this. Are they only doing fiction? If not, Jan Morris' "Manhattan '45" would be good, as would Pete Hamill's "Downtown: My Manhattan." Pete Hamill's fiction or memoir work for this as well - "Forever," "North River,"or "Tabloid City" are all vivid NYC in various periods. David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 4 months ago Answer, comment & read 10 more answers »

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  What are the best Time Travel stories/books?

  0 0 Second Connie Willis's "Doomsday Book" - terrific. The new Stephen King might well be of interest, and it seems to have been inspired somewhat by Jack Finney's classic "From Time to Time," (on audio) which is a totally charming time travel story drenched in period details and with a nice love story on the side. (The sequel, "Time and Again," is good - not quite as good as the first though). There is also a collection of Jack Finney's time-travel related short stories called "About Time," but if stories are an option I'd go for the anthology "The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century," which runs the gamut from adventure to mind-bending metaphysics. From, say, Michael Crichton's rip-roaring adventure "Timeline," (on audio) to Octavia Butler's realization of race's indelible place in America, "Kindred." (on audio) One obscure mind-bending title that many readers will tell you is one of the best Time Travel books around is David Gerrold's "The Man Who Folded Himself." Felix Palma's recent "The Map of Time" would work well, esp in tandem w/ H.G. Wells' book: Wells is a character. Hard to miss w/ Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry series (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road). David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  Any book recommendations?

  0 0 A whole year, huh? I think you might like: Home Land, by Sam Lipsyte. When the Nines Roll Over, by David Benioff. Sick City, by Tony O'Neill. Crooked Little Vein, by Warren Ellis. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, by Nick Flynn. Chinese Takeout, by Arthur Nersesian. Waylaid, by Ed Lin. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Mathilda Savitch, by Victor Lodato. Citrus County, by John Brandon. The Buddha of Suburbia, by Hanif Kureshi. A Common Pornography, by Kevin Sampsell. In Persuasion Nation, by George Saunders. Rumble, Young Man, Rumble by Benjamin Cavell. Your Body is Changing, by Jack Pendarvis. Punkzilla, by Adam Rapp. What We Are, by Peter Malae. The Mulching of America, by Harry Crews. Girlfriend in a Coma, by Douglas Coupland. Less than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis. Jesus' Son, by Denis Johnson. ...though I suspect you'll probably want some more variety than that, but... David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• Comment on David Wright's answer…

  0 0 It was marketed as adult, but that was 15 years ago, so who knows how it might have been packaged today. Of course there is huge crossover in the worlds of speculative fiction, but I'm not aware of Tepper having written anything for the young adult or children's market, and issue-driven feminist SF isn't the very first thing that leaps to mind when suggesting books to younger kids, anyway. But hey - who knows? My favorite childhood books were usually not those written for children. David Wright commented 5 months ago

• Comment on David Wright's answer…

  0 0 http://goo.gl/iEZdi sorry - seem to no longer be able to embed links here, so... David Wright commented 5 months ago

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  Looking for a book I once read

  1 0 I believe this might be The Family Tree by Sheri S. Tepper: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64701.The_Family_Tree David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 5 months ago Answer and comment »

• Comment on David Wright's answer…

  0 0 PPS: that's not quite fair, actually - Left Bank has a nice general fiction section right up front that should be good for a quick gift. David Wright commented 5 months ago

• Comment on David Wright's answer…

  0 0 Ooh, and you said you were in a hurry, sorry: Arundel books is about a block or two from the tunnel and has many lovely used books. Unless your giftee is a.) an anarchist b.) a mystery buff or c.) a manga fan - I suspect it is your best bet. David Wright commented 5 months ago

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  What are some independent bookstores within walking distance of the downtown Seattle bus tunnel?

  0 0 Check out the handy Indie Bookstore Finder on the Indiebound website (for some reason - Windows 7? - I'm no longer able to embed links, so: http://goo.gl/kbLju ) They list a bunch, including the charming Arundel Books, the ever awesome radical Left Bank Books and flanking it to the south Revolution Books, the fantastic-if-you're-into-that Seattle Mystery Bookshop and Kinokuniya stores. A transfer to the SLUT will get you to Inner Chapters, though otherwise the downtown core is sadly empty of the fantastic bookstores that once graced the bus tunnel corridor - Beatty's, Shorey's, Elliot Bay - I'm afraid you have to head up the hill, or out towards Seattle Center. Pioneer Square still has Wessell & Lieberman, and Globe, I believe. Of course the biggest pile of books in the whole city is right in the middle of all that, but you might not like it: we don't charge any money or make you buy anything, but you do have to bring stuff back. I wonder if anyone has ever given library books as wrapped presents. "I know you'll just love this - I waited on the reserves list for 3 MONTHS to get it! - oh, and it is due a week from Wednesday, so don't procrastinate." David Wright answered in General Book Discussion 5 months ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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