Jul. 13: I read it: Stupid and Contagious

I’m reviewing chick lit again. What’s become of me?

This morning I finished reading Stupid and Contagious (2006), Caprice Crane’s first novel. Here are some things you should know about Caprice Crane:

• She is very, very funny. I follow her on twitter and you should too.
• She has written for numerous TV shows; most recently for the new versions of 90210 and Melrose Place.
• She’s, like, an authority on pop culture, one of the things that makes this book guilty-pleasure-fun to read.
• Her web site, www.capricecrane.com, is named “A Site For Sore Eyes.”
• Her second novel, Forget About It, is being made into a movie called Love, Wedding, Marriage.
• She has a lot of fellow writers for fans. Who comments about her book on its cover pages? Brian Doyle Murray. Anna Maxted. Isabel Rose. Karen Salmansohn. Erica Kennedy. Johanna Edwards. Liza Palmer. Pamela Ribon. Yes, THAT Pamela Ribon.

Things that are fun to know about Caprice Crane:

• Her mom is Tina Louise. You know who I’m talkin’ about. Her dad was Les Crane.
• On the acknowledgements page in Stupid and Contagious, Caprice thanks her parents (duh), and Danielle Brisebois.

I’ll be honest; when I first started reading this book it seemed a little fluffy. Sure, it was funny and the writing was good, but overall I just wasn’t too impressed. The book alternates between the two major characters’ voices, and it was around page 36 (of 320 pages) that it became obvious their stories would eventually overlap; that’s when it became more interesting. Heaven and Brady are both sarcastic and quirky, and the kinds of people I think I would love to have as real-life friends (save for Heaven’s habit of unapologetically stealing mail). The evolution of their friendship seems mostly real, although it’s crazy enough that I could easily picture it as a movie too.

The story takes place in New York City for most of the book, and near the end heads to Los Angeles and then Seattle. I liked the Seattle parts a lot because of my familiarity with the city, and the things that happened there were so funny I didn’t stop to think how implausible they were.

Celebrity encounters with Ben Stiller, Russell Simmons, John Ritter, Ron Jeremy, and others are especially amusing moments. Heaven’s waitressing experiences are hilarious. Brady’s “idea man” thoughts are silly, and yet I found myself cheerleading for his success.

The heart of this book is in its humor. There were “bummer” moments, sure, but nothing as deep and serious as what I’ve found (and love) in Pamela Ribon’s books. So yes, in that way, Stupid and Contagious was “light.” It was still very fun—perhaps the perfect follow-up read to a more serious or dramatic novel? Yes, I think so.

Amazon’s description of Stupid and Contagious:

Twenty-six-year-old Heaven Albright is a failed PR executive turned embittered waitress. Twenty-nine-year-old Brady Gilbert is a struggling independent music producer with no bands and a get-rich quick product idea: "Cinnamilk"--a delicious beverage derived from leaving cereal in the bowl too long. What do these two people have in common? Not much--except for a shared dislike for one another as neighbors. You see, Heaven has an annoying habit of opening Brady's mail. The tide turns, however, when she rescues Brady from an awkward encounter with his psycho ex-girlfriend, sparking an unlikely friendship and a united quest to pitch Cinnamilk to the founder of America's biggest coffee chain. But will Brady and Heaven's fortune-seeking adventures also brew romance?

Caprice Crane is also the author of Family Affair (2009) and Forget About It (2007). I’ll be reading those too, between my adventures with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Chris Bohjalian.