FINALLY

Dave Eggers is one of my favorite authors. And I didn’t know that he put out a new book, after What is the What? So when I was innocently browsing Amazon, I was beside myself to discover this:

And I ran to get it as quickly as possible and read it within a few days and I am quite pleased. It’s the true account, based on personal interviews, of a man who stayed in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, after which he traveled around town in his canoe to check on and aid anyone in distress.

I don’t have anything very valuable to say about this book, honestly. This isn’t a review or anything otherwise reflective about the book. I just wanted to say… Eggers is a good writer and such a good story teller. Every once in while I find a book that is so well written, with a story so perfectly told, that there is little else I want to do but consume the book entirely. And I’m not saying this is the only good book or good writing I’ve come across recently. I’ve actually had a very solid lineup lately of writers I love and have come to love (see the sidebar: Tolkien and Krakauer, to name a couple). But it was so nice to come across the surprise of a new Dave Eggers book, and to find it easily at the library (it’s usually pretty easy to find books at the library here, unless you’re looking for romantic Christian fiction or useful research materials, a hot, rarely available item and nonexistent resource, respectively).

And of course… Sadly… All of this makes me more and more disappointed that most jobs in the "real world" don’t have Spring Breaks, during which I could devote my time exclusively to appreciating the art of the written word and experimenting with recipes I’ve found lately and dusting off my camera and my dear bike, neither of which have been outdoors in far too long.

Sidenote: Jeremy and I have decided to combine our efforts and attempt an apartment garden. He used to grow tomatoes there and maybe something else? But he's talked about expanding, and he’s allowing me to use his balcony for some herbs and peppers, which he will add to with plants of his own. Small scale? Yes, very. But this is another thing I’d be spending my spring break on, if I had one.

I am thankful for my job, though, despite its stinginess with days off. It was hard-won and I would hate to find myself taking it for granted.