There’s a heaving pile of unread books by my bed, and it’s constantly a surprise to see what literary atrocities I forgot that I ever purchased.
Here’s the problem. Around ten years ago, I rediscovered how awesome books were. The idiotic problem I created for myself was that I was accumulating new books at five times the rate I was reading them. I stopped buying new books in 2002 and I’m still trying to catch up – I generally haven’t bought any new books since then.
It’s going to take me another five years to get through all this rubbish. Therein lies the problem: I’m resentfully plowing my way through books I bought as many as 10 years ago. My tastes over the last 10 years have changed quite a bit. Some books I can’t fathom that I picked up in the first place.
For example, this book recently ended up at the top of the reading pile. LOOK AT THIS FUCKING COVER!
Is this, or is this not, the most 90′s book cover you have EVER SEEN?
If you made it past the dizzying drag queen-inspired colour scheme on the cover, wait until you reach the blurb:
“Stassy,” he said, “let’s go for a ride in my car. And let’s get stoned and drunk and just step off the end of the world.”
Wogs. Westies. Girlfriends. At school. Livin’ large.
Wow, it sounds like the unwritten sequel to Pugwall where the band goes completely off the rails! Note how it took THREE FREAKING AUTHORS to weave this piece of literary genius together. Then again, when you’re all busy getting stoned and drunk and stepping off the edge of the world, it probably does take three people.
I’ll be honest, I’m tempted to read it for the dialogue alone. After flipping open the book to a random chapter, I was greeted with the following introduction:
So the three of us all got fucked by our boyfriends at the same time at the party on Saturday night.
Classy! Do I dare explore the world of 1994 wogs, westies and girlfriends at school livin’ large? Hmm.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t read it! Just say no! Life’s too short. And if you put it down halfway through because it’s awful, Lady Gargy will guilt you into finishing it. You don’t want that.
Haha, the first thing I noticed were the woggy names. So 90s. It fascinates me that chapters of our lives are now becoming retro.
Reminds me of that revelation we had watching Cool as Ice.. the whole black woman in hot pants going HEEEEYYYAYYEEAAAH thing.
now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and catch up on episodes of Pugwall. Well, I might do it later – i was worried about someone erasing my copy, but it’s okay because I popped the little plastic tab off the side of the video, so nobody will be able to tape over it
Do it! DOOOOO IIIIIT! If only because I want to live vicariously through what sounds like tragically bad YA lit, rather than having to read it myself.
Also, the outfit on the girl on the right is hilarious.
Read, laugh, then place into vacumn sealed container for 20 years, then read again, but to you nephews and nieces, before you auction it on eBay for twenty thousand bucks
I know you said your tastes had changed and all but dude seriously, the hell went through your mind buying that book.
I’d be worried that there’s remnants of that chain of thought still in me. That’s the kind of personality trait you take out to a secluded forest, shoot and bury with a shovel; never to be heard from again.
You painted a nice mental image, three girls getting plowed by three hunks, and no, I am not a str8 guy fancier. Read it for the juice.
Sounds like it’d be a touch too biographical for my likes – pick one of my friends at random, or even me and voila… teenage day all over again.
How much did you pay for it??? (Presuming it wasn’t ‘gifted’ to you by a ‘friend’).
On that note of gifting unwanted presents, my boyfriend once gave this sort-of friend (he didn’t like much), a copy of the DVD – The Time Machine with Guy Pearce. He didn’t like it, although i suppose it was sort of okay, but this girl never gave any inclination that she was remotely into The Time Machine, let alone Sci Fi in general. I think she figured it out too, coz she brought it back to University one day and asked us all what would have posessed him to give it to her…
I think my lame response was: “Well you like Anime right, and that’s got like, CGI in it…and stuff…”
I’ve got to apologise to everyone in advance: I’m actually leaning towards reading this sucker.
One of my absolute favourites!!! Did you know that Sorrel Wilby from Getaway took the cover picture? True.
It’s totally worth the read. DO IT.
I see multiple copies of this at Savers and Scout’s book fairs ALL THE TIME.
Definitely read it & post a review, please! Oh. I just noticed this post was written in March. I hope you were enriched by this literary gem.