A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun by Kate Gavino

A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun Reviews

• 
  Kate The Book Addict

  Thanks to Plume Books for my ARC of “A Career in Books” by Kate Gavino for an honest review. 📚 💕
  Do NOT sit down to read this fantastic book thinking you’re going to be able to put it down because before you know it, you’re hopelessly addicted to the goings-on of Nina, Silvia and Shirin. Author Kate Gavino delivers a beautiful yet raucous graphic novel that never stops gripping you as it slides from one adventure to the next. The subtitle “A novel about friends, money, and the occasional duck bun” only hints at all the fun you’re about to swim in with these down home girls as they live in the Big Apple and meet all kinds of international and local (and sometimes famous) characters. A definite summer 2022 MUST READ. Absolutely take this book to the beach or your secret cabin in the woods so everyone leaves you alone so you can cuddle up with this book and literally laugh out loud like you deserve.
• 
  Paul Secor

  My wife had just finished reading this and I decided that I'd give it a go before we returned it to the library. My first impression - about 30 pages in - was that it was fluff depicting three early 20's airheads who were just hired at their first jobs in the publishing world. I was ready to stop reading (and looking - this is a graphic novel, after all), but I kept on and things got better.
  The young women in question turned out not to be airheads, They were just young people trying to figure things out and find their way in the world. Along the way, they adopted a 92 year old woman writer and she, in turn, adopted them and both sides learned and experienced new aspects of life.
  There were any number of charming moments in this book. Just as importantly, there were many slang terms which I, being an old guy, had little sense of what they meant and had to Google. In a sense, I learned something from all of that, except, being an old guy, I'll never use those expressions. And, since this novel is set in 2011-12, they're no doubt out of date by now.
  Incidentally, the older novelist is said to have won the Booker Prize years before. That doesn't seem possible, because she's Vietnamese-American and I believe that Americans weren't considered for the Booker Prize until 2014. That didn't bother me all that much because this is fiction and fiction can be whatever the author and readers want it to be.
  What did bother me is the the three young women protagonists are shown reading books on the front cover. Inside, none of them read much of anything, with the exception of the Booker Prize winner's novels. That bothered me a lot.
  
  In the end, it's a charming and entertaining book, worth a 3 1/2 star rating from me. I'll give it 4. The three young women were generous in their friendship with each other and with the older writer, so I guess I can be generous with my rating for their book.
  
• 
  Susan Tunis

  I average about one graphic novel a year, because I am REALLY not into mixing words and pictures. I have a very hard time taking in info that way. So, my antipathy towards the format gives you an idea of just how much I liked the story.
  
  It's nothing groundbreaking. No wheels are reinvented. It's less a coming of age story than a coming of adulthood story of three young Asian-American women. They're best friends and roommates, all beginning entry-level jobs in publishing. Early in the novel they make the acquaintance of their downstairs neighbor, a nonagenarian with an extraordinary background, who becomes important to each of them.
  
  Being so inexperienced with graphic novels, it's hard for me to articulate what I liked so much about the book. I mean, the most obvious thing is the very well-drawn characters --which I mean metaphorically, but also literally, too, I guess. And I really liked that they were all Asian-American women, talking amongst themselves, as it were. I felt like a fly on the wall, hearing what they really thought of the "well-intentioned white women" with whom they had to contend. And, of course, I loved the setting in the publishing world!
  
  The pictures. There were so many details to take in. Where are your eyes supposed to go? This is not a criticism of the work, it's a criticism of my brain. The pictures were good, but just imagine how awesome it might have been with just words! Personal biases aside, I honestly can't imagine this story without the illustrations. It would have been a completely different work. I guess it's good to stretch my boundaries on rare occasions for extremely bookish books. At least, this time it was.
• 
  Cherlynn | cherreading

  4.5⭐️
  
  An absolute delight that I devoured all in one afternoon!
  
  I love how this book reads like a graphic memoir because everything portrayed here is so incredibly realistic, whether it's the lively cast and their experiences or the bustling backdrop. But you are telling me that Veronica Vo and her literary works are not real??? 😭😭😭
  
  This is a wonderful slice-of-life story that follows 3 friends as they navigate life in NYC and a budding literary career. I adored their friendship with one another and Veronica, as well as all four women's strength and pursuit of their dreams in spite of numerous obstacles.
  
  Not only has the author painted an immersive world that I completely lost myself in, she also explores very relatable themes such as mental health and racism while sharing a fascinating look into the publishing industry. The humor is on point too!
  
  I think the white-and-black artwork works well but would still love to see this book in full color. It just seems fitting for such a vibrant read.
  
  Thank you to Plume Books and Dutton Books for my beautiful hardcover!
• 
  Emily

  Three besties, all young Asian-American women, navigate entry level publishing jobs, and a cramped apartment in Greenpoint. I loved the dialogue, the humor and the warmth and realness of their three-way friendship. I also enjoyed the references to an urban landscape I know quite well. The drawing style didn't quite work for me (big heads, almost always facing forwards, tiny bodies), but I got used to it, so I'm not complaining .
  
  I gulped it down eagerly, and although I wasn't fully convinced by the nonagenarian character, briefly famous author Veronica Vo, who lives in the apartment downstairs*, I still feel an urge to abuse my goodreads librarian powers by creating fake goodreads entries for her books.
  
  * Doing the math, she seems a little too old to have been been a young thing hanging out at the Limelight in the 70s, and also she's weirdly fluent in Millennial, saying things like "too many of us associate advocating for ourselves with being selfish"
• 
  Rod Brown

  Three Asian American women in their twenties begin similar editorial assistant positions in the publishing industry at the same time, and we follow their progress for a year or two. It was a slow start and a dull middle, but I become invested in the characters by the end thanks to their ongoing interaction with a nonagenarian neighbor who is an award winning author whose books have fallen out of print.
  
  It's like The Bold Type (anyone else see that show?) without the sex, fun or glamorous fashion.
  
  It's very text heavy (but not enough to actually call itself a "novel" as it does on the cover -- it is a graphic novel) and the art barely ekes into the decent range. It took me several days of reluctant returns to get through it, but it was worthwhile despite all the drawbacks.
• 
  Nursebookie

  TITLE: A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun
  AUTHOR: Kate Gavino
  PUB DATE: 08.02.2022 Now Available
  
  A Career in Books is a graphic novel for everyone who's wanted to "work with books" and had NO idea what it entailed. It's for those who were taken aback by that first paycheck. It's for those who wanted a literary career even in the face of systemic racism, who dealt with the unique challenges of coming from an immigrant family, and whose group chat is their lifeline.
  
  REVIEW:
  
  As a reader, I only see the part of book publishing on the other end when everything is made nice and pretty - the finished side without being privy to the inner workings of the publishing world. However, I have always been intrigued by it. A CAREER IN BOOKS details in a black and white graphic novel, the lives of three Asian American women - Nina, Silvia and Shirin, who share an apartment in New York, and who are determined to break the mold - whether by force or fortune as they begin their careers. Great graphic illustration I enjoyed this one a lot!
• 
  Maria

  This book is basically one big giant hug
• 
  Jessica (Odd and Bookish)

  I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.
  
  What a heartwarming graphic novel!
  
  This tells the story of 3 Asian American friends who all get jobs working in publishing. It also details their friendship with their elderly neighbor who happens to be an author.
  
  I absolutely loved the friendship dynamic between the 3 friends. It felt realistic and I liked how supportive they were of each another. Their friendship with their neighbor was also well done. I liked how she became a mentor to the girls and how the girls also helped her out.
  
  As an Asian American (I’m Filipino), I loved seeing all the Asian representation. I loved that 2 out of the 3 friends (Shirin and Silvia) were Filipino. I always enjoy seeing Filipino culture in books. It makes my heart so happy.
  
  This is a graphic novel that feels more like a newspaper comic than a typical graphic novel. It’s entirely in black and white and is heavier on text than what you would typically see in a graphic novel. I thought the format worked well. I didn’t mind it being more text heavy because sometimes more explanation was needed to convey what was happening.
  
  Overall, I loved this glimpse into the world of publishing! I recommend this if you love books about books and books centering around female friendship.
• 
  Eilonwy

  Nina, Shirin, and Silvia met in a college writing class, bonded over being the only Asians, and became best friends for life. When they graduate, they move to New York together and seek the title promise. And while it's not necessarily what they were expecting or hoping for, interesting experiences are had by all.

  
  This is an oddly-shaped book, so instead of carrying it around, I made it my bedtime reading, with the result that I spent about three weeks living with these young women. And I really enjoyed it!
  
  This is pretty long compared to most of the graphic novels I read, with several plot threads running through it. The heroines deal with bad bosses, Asian pigeonholing, relationships, and mental health, and befriend a once-famous Vietnamese writer who is now in her 90's. And they do it with charm and humor that made every page of this book a delight to look at and read. I'm glad I picked this up.
• 
  Rachel Aranda

  4.5 star
  
  Such a good graphic novel with a variety of female characters to admire.
• 
  Katy O.

  This graphic novel was a treat! Centering on 3 young female New Yorkers working in publishing after college, it was a book that made me slow way down and actually experience the story. My eyes skim a lot when I read traditional print books but with graphic format I can’t do that. It’s all black and white which made my eyes work even harder. Again, a good lesson in slowing down and reading all the media on the page. Highly recommend to book lovers in general and graphic fans especially.
  
  (Library book)
• 
  Peacegal

  3.5 stars--As of this writing, I've never visited NYC, let alone lived or worked there, so a decent amount of the humor and references presented here went --whoosh!--right past me. That said, I ended up enjoying this funny, engaging graphic novel more than I thought I might. (Thankfully, I got some of the references, particularly to music and books, so I wasn't completely lost.)
  I especially liked the storyline involving the mysterious, elderly author the main characters befriend. I'd like to see her get her own, separate graphic novel, honestly.
  
• 
  Emily Byrne

  This book found me at the perfect time as I start my first job as an editorial assistant. I'm also so glad I'm not having the same experience these girls did. Thank you Michael, for finding this at the library for meeeee
• 
  Skye Kilaen

  I often bounce off graphic novels with this much text on each page, but I'm glad I didn't. This is a lovely, warm story about three Asian American friends stepping into adulthood (and adopting a 92-year-old novelist as a friend/mentor along the way). Gavino really got me to slow down and settle into the lives of Nina, Silvia, and Shirin, to learn about and appreciate each of them as individuals and also as a wonderful friend trio. This was a great way to start winding down my reading for the year.
• 
  Andrea

  I loved this! Oftentimes books about people in their early 20s cause me stress because they are so broke and so poor at making decisions but this one centered not only the friendship of the three younger women but ALSO a friendship with a neighbor in her 90s.
  
  There are tons of pop culture references to the early to mid-2000s and a solid description of the difference between Loft and Ann Taylor (Loft is for people who can't afford Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor is for people who can't afford J. Crew).
  
  This made me love and miss (some of) my roommates from the years when I was at my first out of college jobs
• 
  Esmée

  Office jobs can be the worst, but friends and good books are forever.
• 
  Steph

  I don't read many graphic novels (no idea why), but this one was great fun. It so wonderfully captures being in one's early twenties, when everything is either amazing or terrible, and even though you are still very much figuring things out, you are so in the dark about how much you still don't know about life (or yourself) that you somehow feel invincible and despite not having much money or much experience the one thing you do have is this infinite sense of optimism (which is only occasionally punctuated by bouts of nihilistic apathy and depression) that anything is possible and the world is your oyster. It's such a confusing time, when emotions are felt so keenly and acutely, and that is beautifully portrayed here.
  
  I loved the buoyant depiction of female friendship (at times this trio reminded me of the protagonists in the television show The Bold Type, but less of an exercise in wish fulfillment and more grounded in the harsh realities that is the grind of working entry-level positions in NYC). I definitely saw myself in them—particularly Nina—and their fierce devotion to each other and their bookish obsessions resonated with me. I also loved the insights into what it's like being young Asian women figuring things out and trying to be successful in America. By the time I was finished with this book, I felt like I was saying goodbye to a group of friends (even if their youthful shenanigans did at times make me feel increasingly like an old crone since I'm about 15+ years removed from that time of my life...), which is probably one of the highest compliments I can give.
  
  Not my usual fare, but I'm so glad I gave this one a go.
• 
  Natalie

  the way the story was told was a bit on the nose, with every character and action and intention described, and while that made it feel simplistic/lacking craft i also loved hearing all of it articulated. it almost felt like i was reading a persona and their user journey lmao. but it was very relateable, interesting, funny, and i read it in like a day. i liked it! i think this is one of the pieces of fiction where restaurants/establishments are namedropped so frequently that it helps me understand the characters better/it feels like it was written for me (theyre in NYC), but also feels a little lazy/inaccessible for people who those names mean nothing? i did like the format of little vignettes in chronological order, thought it was cut up in a cute way and made sense. made me want to befriend/at least say hello to my neighbors (which i have not done, and i do not know a single one after 1.5 years here)
• 
  Heather Stewart

  This book finally got there, but it took a while. I may have appreciated it more if my 20's were more like theirs when starting my career. I briefly thought about a career in publishing/editing and after reading this I'm glad I'm a librarian instead. Veronica is the BOMB - I want to be her.
  
  Read Last Night's Reading instead ..
• 
  Rachel Langton

  A lot of relatability with starting out in a new career and trying to figure it all out. The diverse characters and experiences of the three main girls kept it refreshing. Great details in the illustrations!
• 
  Stephanie

  Whenever I read a book set in New York City, I'm always grateful my life and career have never required me to live there, like the song "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" by LCD Soundsystem, only without the love.
• 
  Valerie HappiestWhileReading

  I really enjoyed the graphic novel A Career in Books written and illustrated by Kate Gavino. It's like Sex & the City, but make it with three 20-something Asian-American women who work in the publishing industry. The plot features Nina, Shirin, and Silvia as they work in their entry-level jobs and discover that reality is far from ideal, and that the NYC cost of living is brutal.
  
  The focus is on their jobs, but readers also get glimpses into their friendships, romantic relationships, and families. My favorite aspect of the story was the relationship the women develop with their elderly, reclusive neighbor who was a Booker Prize winner in her youth.
  
  This is an excellent title for anyone who's intrigued by the publishing industry and enjoys graphic novels or is 'graphic novel curious.' Reading this 288-page book felt like watching several episodes of a book-centered TV series.
• 
  Joanne

  Slow moving but cute, obviously experienced, and immersive glance at the felt or real struggles of a trio of Asian women trying to make it in the world of publishing.
• 
  Ashley Holstrom

  A Career in Books is a delightful comic about three besties—career-focused Nina, writer Silvia, and chaotic good Shirin—navigating the world of publishing while living in a shitty New York apartment and befriending a neighbor who just so happens to be a Booker Prize winner. It’s very slice-of-life-y and I loved it.
  
  ✨ From
  Enter the World of Publishing with These Books at Crooked Reads.
• 
  Ash

  God this was awful, I didn't enjoy any of it. The only reason I finished it was because it was an inter-library loan, and I know how much those cost - and apparently it was "good" enough to be nominated for a choice award.
  I think this author missed the point of "graphic" in graphic novel and just focused on the novel part. There were panels in this book that were just stuffed to the brim with text and it would happen every other page. There was so much telling and so much useless information that felt like the author was including because it made the characters seem "deep" but really added very little. We would getting little tidbits and references to in jokes that would appear once, to tell a mini story, and would never appear again in this 300 page graphic novel.
  I walked away knowing nothing about these women, and hardly any of them were distinctive enough for me to know who was who. Furthermore the art style did no favour's to this book. A graphic novel doesn't not need to have gorgeous art to be good - there are plenty of them with great art and an awful story, and vice versa. But to have not good art and not a good story just made an awful combination.
  I know the author writes for newspapers and does comics there and it really shows. I don't think I've ever disliked a graphic novel as much as I disliked this one. After this one and some of the other mediocre choices for the choice awards in graphic novels, I'm sort of glad goodreads got rid of that category if this is one of the 'best' graphic novels they could come up with for 2022.
  Oh yeah, it really felt like this author couldn't keep her timeline straight, like sometimes things felt really old, and sometimes too new. It was supposed to take place in 2011-2012, but sometimes it felt ten years forward or ten years back.
• 
  Cedricsmom

  I totally enjoyed A Career in Books, my first graphic novel in several years. This New York story about a trio of Asian American sisters in arms is smart, hilarious, and relevant for anyone who works to earn a living.
  
  Nina, Shirin, and Silvia are all 20somethings living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and pursuing careers in publishing. With varying degrees of commitment, ambition, and salary, these 3 young women face the disappointments and challenges of the industry. They have one another's backs in any situation, whether it's job stuff, boyfriend stuff, or family. I also love the little episodes of fantasy quittings and confrontations when it gets rough at work. I'm not the only one who does that!
  
  I also like the way they don't mess around wasting time when they aren't content. They manage to strike a balance between going for what they want (even when they aren't really sure what that is), making the rent, and not putting up with what they can't take anymore. With 2 best friends each and a wise crone who's been there and done all that long before, it looks a little easier. They're all dealing with the high cost of living in the city and the low pay of working in publishing, so we're not talking trust fund kids here.
  
  You don't have to be in your 20s to enjoy this book, but if you need a reality check about work, this is a great place to look. I wish I'd had some of this wisdom when I was new to the daily grind.
• 
  Janine

  This was a book I needed in my 20s. It does such a great job of capturing that uncertain time in your early to mid-twenties when you're freshly out of college, looking for your first real adult job, and have no idea what the hell you're doing.
  
  The friends who star in this graphic novel are so well-drawn. Both as individuals, and as friends. The way they interact with one another, and each of their individual journeys and fears felt so real and relatable. Nina, the driven one, Shirin the sort of aimless one, and Sylvia the aspiring writer that's willing to work, but has different dreams (and also limits to what she'll tolerate). Their friendship with their neighbor was also fun to watch bloom - the ways she supports them, and vice versa. Added to all of the complexity in both story and character, is another layer of the struggles each of these characters faces as Asian women in the publishing industry. Both the overt and the subversive ways they are discriminated against, or made to feel less than.
  
  This was a really unique and enjoyable story, and the characters really wormed their way into my heart by the end.
• 
  D. H.

  - A graphic novel about friends and life after uni.
  
  - Aggressively unappealing art.
  
  - I like the still life pictures with tags and arrows explaining the objects.
  
  - All dialogue is white text on black, and I'm not a fan of the effect the color has on the design of each page.
  
  - When I was younger, Marvel comics often had these voice over boxes that set the scene and told readers how to feel. As a whole the superhero genre has moved away from them because they lack immediacy and they probably knew readers like myself would often skip them. This graphic novel went the other way. Every page is a voice over, and it reads like the outline for a novel.
  
  - Nancy whiskey anyone? (This is either a code or one of the most awesome typos ever.)
  
  - I don't like the last part of the title ("and the Occasional Duck Bun"). I feel like they (I'm assuming the publisher not the author came up with it) could've done better. How about "and the Publishing Industry from Both Sides Now"? Or how about "and the Tribalism You Choose"? No wait. How about "and Chasing that Amy Tan Level Fame"?