msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

A hilarious yet sad debut novel set in San Francisco, TDDNI, revolves around a series of murders and the life of recent MFA graduate Korean-American Philip Kim. When his baby boomer neighbor is shot, and turns out to be a semi-famous adult film star named "The Grey Beaver," he unwillingly gets caught up in the ensuing investigation, and becomes the target of a complicated, dangerous scheme. Underneath the light is an incredibly dark look at what it means to be Korean-American, especially in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings. If you live or have ever lived in San Francisco, where much of the early action takes place, you'll enjoy Kim's stinging yet delightfully comical portrayal of the city and all of the local references. Click here for a full review . Grade 12+

How will I resist staying home tomorrow and reading everything ever written by Jennifer Egan? AVFTGS is a mesmerizing collection of connected stories that uses Bennie Salazar, aging record executive, and his younger assistant, Sasha, as spider silk that keeps the story web spinning in this novel about the music industry, survival, and loneliness. One stand out chapter is written as power point; the soundtrack that accompanies said chapter is available on Ms. Egan's website . Don't miss the NY Times review or the Daily Beast interview with Ms. Egan .