What to Read in the Rain

by Famous and Not-Yet-Famous Adult and Young Writers

826 Seattle is pleased to present their fifth anthology, What To Read in the Rain, 2012 . The stories in this book come to you from the Northwest corner of the United States, crafted by either a Pacific Northwest author or a to-be-renowned young author - with one exception; we offer a story by Dave Eggers, the founder of 826 National, of which 826 Seattle is a chapter. Dave lives in California. - Tales of travels, from our own Deception Pass or Boeing Field to real life in Mexico and Cuba. - Characters, real and imagined, springing forth from the verdant, moist landscape of Cascadia. - How frequently animals appear in these pages. - Bookend essays on writing from Northwest literary icon Tom Robbins. These stories are a good read anywhere - although we especially recommend the reading to be done from an overstuffed chair pushed up against a window onto which a steady rain is falling.

Genres: Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've frequently wondered what Royal Brougham was named after... I never would have guessed he was a famous Seattle PI sportswriter until reading Paul Hughes's essay in this book.

This collection of essays and short stories by and about Seattle authors is like a box of chocolates -- it's way too easy to keep popping the next one into my mouth.

Ironically my favorite was Jess Walter's 'Statistical Abstract for Spokane'. But I award honorable mentions to Po Bronson [best childhood episode], Lyall Bush [best party ambiance], and Lauren Weedman [funniest line].

I can't end this review without a word about the foreword by famous Seattle author Tom Robbins. It's actually very good. This surprised me, since my opinion of Robbins is that his prose is too cute and his plots too predictable.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a cute, quirky collection of stories, poems, recipes and other items from people in and around the Seattle area. What is really interesting is that this book was a project from a group called 826 Seattle. The826 Seattle is a non profit writing and tutoring group that matches youth with mentors. This book is a sampling of that work. The book was a fun read that I picked up while I was in Seattle, and yes I did read it in the rain. But my favorite part was knowing that the proceeds from the book went to further invest in the program.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book by the young authors and adult author friends of 826 Seattle.

Surprisingly, I tended to like the stories by the kids more than I liked the stories by the adults. Some of those kids are extremely talented.

[Bianca Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of 826 Seattle before receiving this book for Christmas. It's an amazing organization facilitating and teaching kids to write.

Each year they publish an anthology of writing by both students and adult writers. Some of the adults are known only locally, others have been publish and some are professional writers.

The stories range from pure fiction to biographies. All are short, some are really short. My favorites were written by the kids. Their personalities and passion shows through. These aren't kids who spend their after-school hours online stalking the Biebs; these stories are deep and reflective. I wish I was that wise as a young adult.

Hands down, my favorite is by 16 year old, Jean Iyisabwa, from Tanzania. Instead of an angst-filled documentary of immigrating to the US, he tells of the advantages and friends that comes from being bilingual (more quad-lingual, as he is).

Buy the book, support the organization and just write.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very eclectic collection of stories and writers ranging from well known to school kids with topics ranging from the geological history to fantasies about heling out the Foo Fighters.

All for a good cause...getting kids to write more and develop their communication skills.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I'm a little confused by the picture associated with this book.) Perfect book to read during my stay in Seattle.