24hourbookclub:
Last June, I got an email from Jack Cheng. He’d finished a new draft of his novel, These Days, and he was wondering—would I read it?
Would I read it? I devoured it. Soon afterward, Jack and I met for ramen at Minca. We sat slurping noodles and I told him everything: the parts that gripped me, the characters who didn’t yet feel fully drawn, the turns of phrase that pulled me in. He took thorough notes and then, as we waited for the check, we talked about his hopes for the book. Then, we said goodbye for the evening.
Now, almost a year later, Jack’s book is out there in the world. And my biggest hope is that everyone will read it. Because even in that early draft, Jack’s remarkable voice came through—not loud and clear but calmly; crystalline. If you know about the rest of Jack’s work, you’ll know exactly what I mean. It’s a voice that sticks with you—it’s a voice that’s stuck with me—and I would love nothing better than to spend a day listening closely to it with all of you.
Readers of Robin Sloan’s first novel, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore—our first 24-Hour Bookclub pick! will find a lot to love in These Days. Like Penumbra, These Days plays with the boundary between analog and digital. But where Penumbra is something of an adventure novel, These Days is much more introspective. It’s still rollicking, but the adventure takes place on a deeply personal level. For me, reading that early draft of These Days felt like holding a sheet of tinfoil up to the light: in its silvery, crinkled surface, I saw my own life reflected as I never had before.
On Sunday, June 9th, Elaine and Max and I will be reading These Days all in one go, together. With all our hearts, we hope you’ll join us.
ePub if you’re into Readmill.
Kindle if you’re into Kindles.
Paperback if you’re into paper.
I’m really excited to read These Days tomorrow - if you’re free, I hope you join us!
P.S. I redesigned the 24-Hour Bookclub website and moved everything over to Tumblr today. If you want to join us for some reading adventures, check out the new site.