January 25, 2019, Friday evening -- Reading John Carreyrou

Near Union Square, walking while reading. Some people have mad skills like that.

She is reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou. She said the book is about Elizabeth Holmes, founder and C.E.O. of Theranos, a medical technology company. A movie is being made about it staring Jennifer Lawrence.
Her favorite books are The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown and The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, both related to art. Her minor in college was Art History.

January 20, 2019, Sunday afternoon -- Reading Jack London

At a laundromat in the Mission District

He is reading White Fang, by Jack London. He had the book when he was a kid. He has a resolution this year to read more books and from different genres. When he was a kid, he said he read lots of books but recently hasn't been reading as much. In keeping with his resolution, before this he read Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut and Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac. Next up is I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, by Michelle McNamara and Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes.

His favorite book is the Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, which he likes for the build up and long, drawn-out revenge.

One good thing, he said, about having a broken washing machine (or was it dryer?) is that sitting in a laundromat is good for reading.

December 26, 2018, Wednesday afternoon -- Reading Colson Whitehead

On (or next to)  the Thai island, Koh Lipe

She is reading The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead. She picked it up because of the subject matter, it won a Pulitzer Prize, and Barack Obama said it was "terrific." Her favorite author is John Grisham. She just finished reading The Partner. She loves how crazy detailed Grisham's writing is, which makes her feel like she's watching a movie. Her favorite Danish author (she's Danish, but usually reads in English) is Jussi Adler-Olsen. He also writes thrillers, but she said, Grisham is better.

Two years ago I also visited this island. On this visit I happened to look up and, sitting under a tiki bar (with a book) was someone I'd photographed two years ago. 

December 19, 2018, Wednesday afternoon -- Reading Ilya Ehrenberg

At Adobe Bookstore in the Mission District, looking at Meditation for Beginners, by Jack Kornfield, a book that he just purchased for the store.

What he is actually reading right now is The Fall of Paris, by Ilya Ehrenberg. It's about why the French republic fell to Nazi invasion. They were horrified by World War I and didn't want to become a battleground.
He reads a lot of history. I asked him who his favorite author is and he said he sees so many books he doesn't know what to fall in love with. He said he likes Willa Cather, and his favorite book of hers is My Ántonia.
While I sat talking to Andrew so many people came in and out of the store and a few people bought things, including The Hidden Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, and a book on tiki art. Bookstores are not dead.