Now, I worked with a lot of great people at the bookstore, and one of the best things about it was that they were all huge book nerds too. Though I don't miss the many hours of boredom, I do miss the conversations with my coworkers that would fill up some of the time. What a group of smart, interesting people. We would get talking about books and be able to show each other the ones we were talking about, having virtually anything we could want at our disposal. I heard about a lot of great books this way. I'm lucky because I will read almost anything, or maybe I should say I will read anything; anything that catches my interest. I mean as opposed to a lot of people I've met who tend to prefer to stick to a particular genre. But because I have such a wide range, talking with all the different people I worked with and being shown books from every genre imaginable just diversified my reading; having me dip into areas I'd never have come across on my own.
All that is somewhat besides the point. I just wanted to say that it was through one of these book-talks with a great girl I worked with that I picked up this book for the first time. Emily was reading it and told me enough that I was very intrigued and mentally added it to my 'to-read' list, which I hadn't actually started yet. Later, just before I left the store, I saw the book again and actually wrote it down. Last week, I went to the local used bookstore (which I just recently discovered, and is amazing, but I'll have to write about that later) because I got gift certificates for Christmas (yay!! more on that later too) and they were burning a hole in my pocket (as my dad would say). It was there that I broke my rule about buying only books that I'd read because I found a beautiful hardcover copy of Blackout. I want to digress for a minute and add that the price was $9.00 - originally it would have been $32.00, and it was in perfect shape. Before I read it you wouldn't have been able to tell I hadn't bought it right from an Indigo. This is why I love used book stores.
Anyway, I saw it, reflected on how much my friend was loving it when she first showed it to me so long ago, and got it for myself as a Christmas treat. Everything else in my pile that day was something I had already read. So I got to crack this open a few days ago after finishing Out, and hoped it would be able to follow up to that book, as it was particularly awesome.
It certainly did. This is an alternative history, which I haven't read in a while, and a large part of the book takes place during the Blitz of London early on in World War II. After just reading the Postmistress, I had that satisfying feeling of information overlapping and complementing each other; of going back to a place I had seen something of. However, it does have the added interest of time travel, which I love. I loved this book from the first to last page; was so into it I was reading it when I came back from the club New Year's Eve and was too spinny to lay down and sleep. It was good company. Such a stellar concept - I will definitely be reading more Connie Willis in the future.
Her narrative alternates between following several different historians who have traveled from the year 2060 to observe certain events in the past as part of their 'assignments.' Before they travel to the past they are equipped at their school with period costume, money, identity papers and anything else they might need during their stay, which can be days, weeks, months or even years. While they are visiting the past they hold jobs or pretend to be anyone they need to be in order to get close to the people/events they want to observe. I thought that was a really cool concept; these historians being able to go into the past undercover like spies; armed with their knowledge of the future.
As I passed the middle of the book and got closer and closer to the final pages, I had that panicky feeling as it dawns on you that there is no effing way the authour can finish the story gracefully in the amount of time left. Indeed, it seemed as if the plot were twisting even more, which of course it was. What Emily hadn't mentioned when she showed me Blackout and I hadn't realized at all is that Blackout is one of two books. There is a sequel. I was so relieved when I read the last paragraph and saw that the sequel is already out. I hate having to wait for the next part of the book (although in this case it is understandable, as the story is 491 packed pages and there's no relief for the characters in sight). This is one of those novels that gets you all concerned for the characters - I was saying to my boyfriend 'I'm so afraid for them! I don't know what's going to happen to them!' (to which he rolls his eyes, not being a reader) - and I was very glad to find that not only does my library have a copy of the sequel, All Clear; it is available.
And soon to be devoured by me.
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