Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, by John Waters, 336 pages

 Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, by John Waters, 336 pages

John Waters is one of my favorite people, simply put- I was soooo envious when I heard on NPR a couple of years ago that he had been spotted hitchhiking.  Can you even imagine?  He could tell me stories about shoplifting with Divine and I could die happy.  What I did not realize when I started listening to this book was that it was 3 parts- the first was a novella comprised of the best possible scenarios he could imagine happening; the second the worst possible scenarios; and the third was what actually happened.  The best and worst scenarios were infinitely more interesting- especially the bad ones.  I mean, he is the king of filth, after all.  This was a fun read if you like JW- although you will hear some of the same old stories if you are familiar with his stand-up or talking head commentary.  I'm just glad to see him working. :)

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

 We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, 400 pages

This was an absolutely brilliant work of fiction.  The subject matter is uncomfortable, the characters are all pretty reprehensible, but it is so totally honest and raw- it was kind of like reading a work of horror fiction.  Eva is writing letters explaining how her son, Kevin, committed a school-mass-murder, and events leading up to it.  It's a fascinating look into reluctant motherhood, among many other topics.  This was recommended as one of John Waters' favorite books, and as usual, he was right.