SFist Reads
A good friend of ours recently moved to San Diego, and has found herself an unintended housewife. Complaining about the bordom of such an exsistence, (while jokingly acknowledging that some folks would kill for such problems), we agreed that "at least (she) has a library card." But it's totally true that the library has gotten us through boring times both long (chronic illness) and short (the N Judah -- wait, that's long, too). The SFPL's online reserve system has helped us prepare for any book needs, and our fine local independent bookstores keep us covered for any permanent-ownership demands that might arise.
SFist Jackson spent the last few days laid up with a cold reading Carl Hiaasen's Stormy Weather. He liked it even more than he liked Striptease (especially since there wasn't that "OMFG, they made that terrible movie from this" moment). It takes place during the aftermath of a devastating Florida hurricane, and effortlessly threads together the narratives of the motley crew of characters, from a one-eyed former governor to a building inspector who practices santeria. The satire of corruption and greed in Dade County is funny, but also eye-opening in the wake of Katrina.
SFist Matt's been disgustedly engrossed in The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and the Flu, a book by Allison Janse that's half-instruction-manual and half-guilt-trip. Even if you're far too mod for the gosh-darn, down-home tone (it's the same publisher as the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), there's plenty of good advice, like which buffet foods to avoid (sausage, because you can't taste when it's gone bad) and which airport bathrooms feature the fewest hand-washers in the country (SFO's women's room, eek). Readers as highly attuned to the perils of germiness as SFist Matt will sigh contentedly behind their SARS masks; readers of a less fastidious nature can content themselves to foolishly scoff at the weekly disinfecting schedule advised for loofahs.