3 out of 5 Stars

So, this was my Gingerbread Man for my December Holiday Reading Challenge (A book from a male point of view)

Told from the point of view of Billy Ridgeway a struggling, would be, writer who’s life is about to change in many very weird ways… I had such a hard time rating this book. I wanted to like it, but every time I read something I liked I would turn the page and go “…huh??” the story was all over the place. It felt like it was trying to be strange in a fun way (almost a feeling of “John Dies at the End” by David Wong) but it was almost trying TOO hard to the point where, just when you think you have the story figured out, it falls apart.

Some of the conversation made me laugh

“Take a look at this.”

“A banana,” Anil says.

“Right, but, where did it come from?”

Anil blinks.

“I mean, yes,” Billy says. “It’s a banana. We get bananas from, what, from the bodega.”

“Sure,” Anil says, patiently. He sips his Scotch. “Like a lottery ticket. Or cigarettes.”

“Well, sure,” Billy says. “Except a banana isn’t like a lottery ticket or cigarettes. I mean-it has to grow.”

“Cigarettes grow,” Anil says.

“Yeah, but-hear me out.”

“I’m hearing you out.”

“We live in Brooklyn.” Billy tries. “It’s the middle of November. And yet we can go into any corner store and buy a banana. Where do they come from? Who grew them? I mean, I go into the store to hit the ATM, and I see these bananas sitting there, and I just stand there for a second, in the store, looking at them, and I’m thinking about, like, Costa Rica or Ecuador or some shit and it’s just-I’m sorry, but it’s just blowing my mind a little.

“This took twenty minutes?” Anil says.

“I thought you, of all people, would appreciate the fundamental weirdness of the whole thing.”

“You left me here for twenty-two minutes,” Anil says. “Are you asking me to believe that you spent a significant portion of those twenty-two minutes staring at a banana in some kind of a trance? Forcing  the better-adjusted members of our fair city to steer around you to complete their own humble transactions?”

Billy frowns. “Admit that it’s weird.”

I feel like Billy views the world like I do, which made me really want to like the rest of the book… then The Judeo-Christian Devil shows up with his power point presentation and his great coffee and tries to make a deal… and the roller-coaster begins. Memory wipes, a Neko (Lucky Cat) that will destroy the world and magic sex ritual Hell Wolves. I will recommend this book because I did still enjoy it, and I really hope someone else will read it and tell ME if I like it or not! Ha Ha!

The Weirdness is best Served with

The Devil’s Margarita

This drink was perfect for this book because it references the Devil AND it’s just Weird!! red wine in a margarita?? By the way… red wine in a margarita is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Oz Tequila Blanco
• 3/4 Oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 Oz Simple Syrup
• Red Wine (such as a Cabernet or Carmenere)

Instructions

In a shaker filled with ice, pour in tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup.
Shake until chilled and pour into glass of choice.
Set a spoon at a 45 degree angle barely placed inside of the margarita. The back of the spoon should be facing the ceiling.
Pinch the top of the wine bottle with your finger and slowly pour red wine onto the back of the spoon and let it drizzle on the surface of the margarita.
Pour until you have about 1/4 inch of red wine in the glass.
Congratulations! You’ve made a really cool looking layered drink!