Pulp Fiction
Mothra Faulkner Book Club
A book club for people who like books, but not those bullshit ‘book club’ books.
The MFBC Credo: “Read or get off the Pot”
Why a book club, Juice? Well, its lovely of you to ask! First, its because I love getting book recommendations from smart, glamorous people who read (“You”). Second, drought. While I was writing my book, I stopped reading others’ work almost entirely. I was afraid I would either find someone who already told a similar story, had a similar voice, or who would influence me in some way. And I sure didn’t want to find out someone out there was a better, more successful version of me.
Turns out my reading sabbatical was probably for naught. There just aren’t that many profane, sassy, single, vodka tequila swilling relatively successful yet dissatisfied attorneys out there with published memoirs books telling tales out of school and letting everyone know how sublimely horrible the practice of law can be when left in the hands of the wrong people. As far as I can discern, there aren’t any such memoirs, novels, NFN or other published book on just that topic.
Now that I am done writing, I am ready to make up for lost time, but heartbroken to learn that Oprah has abandoned us. Ok not really- I was not such a fan of her selctions. I want a well written, gritty, sassy, factually correct, funny, heartbreaking, thought provoking book.
You know, something I can really pour over while sitting on the pot.
What? Like you don’t read on the toilet. And if you aren’t reading something what are you doing all that time? Making toilet paper origami pterodactyls? Just sitting there enjoying the scent of your own brand? So what makes a good book in my esteem? My book buying is a two step, completely scientific process honed from years of reading, uh, books:
Step 1. “I Know it When I See it Test”, which amounts to the book’s ability to attract me like a crow to a shiny piece of plastic in the road or a tweeker to pornography; exhibited by how long I can stand to read a book on a Borders Table/Shelf before I:
a. Roll my eyes and glaze over/vurp/throw the book across the room, or
b. Forget where I am and sit on the floor until Lance finds me and leads me to the register. Typically, more than 4 pages or 15-20 minutes of in-store reading are the gold standard; and
Step 2. “Skip-to-my-Loo Test”. Once home with new book that has passed the IKWISI Test, the question becomes “Can I put it down long enough to go to the john?” If not, it’s a keeper. If a book makes multiple trips to the loo, you know it’s the good stuff.
What make a book worth a trip to the dumper for you, fair reader of books?
I see you over there at the NYT Best Seller table @ Borders, thumbing through LOLcats: Bathtime Edition and Kitten Wars, Vol. 14. Stop! Put the kittehs down and back away from the LOLS. Read something wonderful! Please?
Mothra Faulkner Book Club Recommendations.
2011-2013
The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. The most heartbreaking and important book I have read since The First Folio.
Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin. A fantastically well written book with awesome hollyweird dirt and a little heartbreak.
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman. So well written and so funny.
Publish this Book by Stephen Markley (Read my review here.)
Gunn’s Golden Rules (for making it work) by Tim Gunn (My personal hero.)
Alex and Me by Dr. Irene Pepperberg (So wonderful and important!)
Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien
29 Palms or Mustang by Deanne Stillman (A brilliant writer with an eye and perspective that made Hunter S. Thompson bow in her presence)
Why Yes, it does appear that I am on a bit of an animal intelligence kick. You would be too after reading these depressing but amazing books:
The Big Short by Michael Lewis (plus, Moneyball is one of my all time favorites.)
Too Big to Fail by Andrew Sorkin
And the not-so depressing, each reviewed at amazon.com:
Steel Goddesses by Ann Brandt (This is a friend of mine whom I adore and Steel Goddesses, her first thriller novel, set in the 1980′s hair band scene, is an absolute must read!)
Kikki Kill me: by Vesta Vayne who also wrote this GEM: Human Resources, martinis and other bad things.
And More Fun- Things go wrong for me by Rodney LaCroix
