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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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https://www.kategavino.com/

A CAREER IN BOOKS

Kate Gavino

A Graphic Novel abut Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun

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.

Kate Gavino is the author and illustrator of Last Night's Reading (Penguin, 2015) and the YA graphic novel Sanpaku (Archaia/BOOM, 2018). Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Believer, Longreads, Catapult, and more. She was named one of Brooklyn Magazine's 30 Under 30 and illustrated a shirt sold by the Brooklyn Public Library. She lives in Paris, France, and yes, she knows you're super jealous.
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Published 2022-08-23 by Plume

Comments

...the writing is sharp and funny, the trials and tribulations real and rewarding. For anyone who has a romantic notion of working in publishing, this book provides an antidote... Read more...

Episode 120: Interview with author/illustrator Kate Gavino Read more...

To celebrate A Career in Books' release on August 2, Gavino chatted with Nerdist about showing love to New York, friendship between Asian women, and the challenges of navigating an industry dominated by white voices... Read more...

A love of books radiates throughout writer-illustrator Kate Gavino's new graphic novel... A well-told story about friendship and the importance of fighting for your space and for what you want, A Career In Books may especially appeal to those who have led that assistant life, who always read the acknowledgments, and who don't need to google Binky Urban. Read more...

...quill-sharp narration and spot-on details... delightful graphic novel... savvy line drawings... Specificity is the fire that fuels this witty social satire, in which fairness doesn't always triumph, but friendship does. Read more...

... Charming, wry, and with fantastic black-and-white illustrations, A Career in Books is a modern ode to Rona Jaffe's The Best of Everything, and perfect for fans of Good Talk, Younger, and The Bold Type, as readers chart the paths of three Asian-American women trying to break through the world of books with hilarious, incisive, and heartbreaking results. Read more...

A Career In Books is one of those books I would have loved to work on as an editorial assistant, and we all know those books are few and far between. It's a charming ode to idealism and realism, and what happens when the two inevitably intersect.

Kate Gavino's A Career in Books is a funny, deeply engaging nostalgia trip back to the days when you were broke on an entry-level salary, living in the big city with roommates, and anxious about whether your career would work out. Her eye for detail is astounding, from the late 2000s pop culture references (remember the Marie Antoinette soundtrack?) to the inner workings of female friendship (calling each other inside joke nicknames like "beb"). With witty dialogue and delightful illustration, A Career in Books is charming, edgy, and a joy to read.

Kate Gavino has created a welcome jolt of a book - a hilarious, addictive read that just happens to reclaim Asian American history while illuminating our present. And it's fun to read. Whew, we needed this one.