A Career In Books

A modern ode to Rona Jaffe's seminal book on publishing, The Best of Everything, Kate Gavino's graphic novel, based on her own experiences in the publishing industry, features three Asian- American women trying to break through in the world of books with hilarious, incisive, and heartbreaking results.A CAREER IN BOOKS is the story of three young women - Nina, Shirin, and Silvia - who love books and reading, and begin entry-level jobs in book publishing, only to find it's not everything, or anything, that they expected. In Kate Gavino's first full-length graphic novel for adults, she tells their stories - all based on her own experiences in the industry - ultimately sharing and celebrating the joys of a career in books, but also the challenges, inequalities, and systemic racism all three women face. As the story progresses, we see Silvia find the strength to confront her past and write her first novel, Shirin find her purpose outside of corporate publishing, and Nina attempt to acquire and champion a long-loved, long out of print AAPI novelist, all with sometimes triumphant, but sometimes heartbreaking results. In the author's words, this is a book for "for everyone who's wanted to 'work with books' but had NO idea of what it really meant, and was surprised when they got the first paycheck. It's for those who want it even in the face of systemic racism, who deal with the unique challenges of coming from an immigrant family, and whose group chat is their lifeline." In a world and a time where books written by Asian-Americans remain important, A CAREER IN BOOKS provides a fascinating, often humorous, other times heartbreaking look into a world we all love but could all benefit from experiencing from a new perspective.