Book Recommendation: HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

I'm a library person. I typically check out at least one book a week, and often it's more like two or three. When you're a book addict, after all, libraries allow for a much cheaper fix than Barnes and Noble or even Amazon. But sometimes a library book just isn't enough; sometimes, after you've devoured the library's copy, you just know you have to have your own. And that's how I felt about HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET.

Jamie Ford's debut novel is a study in contrasts. Its story is sweeping and yet intimate, its characters bold but still believable. It is the tale of Chinese American boy meets Japanese American girl. In Seattle. At the start of World War II.

The book's backdrop, then, is replete with inherent conflict, but the tension within the relationships provides the story's real substance. Stripped down to essentials, HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET is a poignant sketch of how a boy becomes a man and how a son becomes a father.

Definitely check out this book. And if you're a writer, take a look at his agent, the indomitable Kristin Nelson, at her website and her blog--and hope that she reps whatever it is you're writing:)