Sunday, December 03, 2006

Idiot Girl Fever

It was at this time last year that people started worrying about me. The long delays in my responses, the unfocused eyes, the inappropriate bursts of laughter.

Yep, pretty out-of-character for me--even for the holiday season. But alas, it wasn’t spiked eggnog or holiday blues or anything worrisome. It was simply my worst case ever of Idiot Girl Fever. For Santa Amazon had brought me Laurie Notaro’s An Idiot Girl's Christmas as an early gift.


The Miami Herald has said that Laurie Notaro “may be the funniest writer in the solar system”. And if you go in for offbeat, self-deprecating humor, you might just agree. A former newspaper columnist who chronicled her dysfunctional adventures, Laurie got her columns published into a series of books, all bearing the name, Idiot Girl. She’s gone on to add new adventures, as well, and next spring, has her first fiction book coming out.

In An Idiot Girl’s Christmas, she puts her irreverent spin on the holidays. In the chapter called, “What I Really Want for Christmas”, she creates a tongue-in-cheek want list to offset another disappointing Christmas where she gets only bargain basement or re-used gifts from her family.

And her Christmas Eve journey to a Super KMart is not to be missed, where she deals with everything from the excesses of the holiday season to feminine hygiene protection to rude jerks.

Next time you’re in a bookstore, look up Laurie Notaro’s books. See if she grabs you. Although if she does, my apologies ahead of time. Symptoms of Idiot Girl Fever may include: goony smiles, laughing hysterically in public places, and chasing people around, reading passages aloud.

Worst yet, while Idiot Girl Fever does eventually subside, it’ll leave its mark forever, rendering you, too, an Idiot Girl.

Join the club! Or maybe you already have???

Tina

Top Ten Uses for An Unworn Prom Dress, March, 2007
How to Hook a Hottie, Spring 2008

11 comments:

Simone Elkeles said...

Sounds like a funny book! My friend is selling wreaths as a fundraiser for her daughter's school and I wanted to support her so I bought one. (I'm Jewish, my husband is Israeli) Do you think I can convince my husband that the wreath is a new Hanukkah symbol???

~Simone Elkeles
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation in bookstores NOW!

TinaFerraro said...

Thanks, Simone--the book *is* a riot. But as far as convincing (aka tricking) males? Hmmm...if you can pull that off, I know the rest of us would love to know your secrets! :)

Tina

Marley Gibson said...

LOL, Simone!!

Great post, Tina. I hadn't heard of this book, but I'll have to pick it up. Thanks for the head's up.

Marley = )
http://www.marleygibson.com

Anonymous said...

Sounds like something I'd love to read. Next time I'm in the bookstore I'm going to buy it.

Thanks for the tip.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

I love her books!

TinaFerraro said...

Thanks, Marley and Janie, and a-ha, Manic Mom, we already have another fan among us, huh?

I'm really excited about her fiction release in May...

TinA

Anonymous said...

u sed perms r out? i just got 1 last week. itz ok but now i 1-der

Simone Elkeles said...

I hereby take back my comment about perms, so many people have told me they've gotten them since my post I'm convinced I'm out of the loop on this one!

~Simone

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

Sounds like my kind of book, Tina! I'll add it to my list. =D -Kel

stephhale said...

Tina~
I think Laurie shares the same agent as tLC and I, the uber-fabulous Jenny Bent. I've always meant to pick up at least one of her books, but keep forgetting. This one sounds great, I'm not going to forget it.
xo,
Steph
www.stephaniehale.com

TinaFerraro said...

Kelly, yeah, you'll love it.

And Steph, yes, Laurie mentions JB in one of the book acknowledgements, I think. Fun! Hey, maybe you could introduce me sometime (I promise to behave myself).

Tina