I’ve been a daily book reader my entire life, but for some reason (*gestures wildly at the world*), I’m no longer able to concentrate on the printed word. It’s been a bit hard to focus lately. I mentioned that to my friend Kelly this week when we were at Amanda Eyre Ward’s new book party, and she said, “But I thought you were always reading.”
“Mostly I just read texts now,” I said. “Sometimes the Costco Connection. But I am willing and able to discuss, at length, every streaming show about scammers, liars, cheaters, and disgraced tech giants if you like.”
As evidenced by WeCrashed, The Dropout, Inventing Anna, Tinder Swindler, Bad Vegan, and probably 50% of our lawmakers, it’s a good time to be a bad person. I tweeted yesterday that at this point I really don’t see the downside of being a scammer. You live it up for a few years, fly to exotic places in your PJ, and maybe do a little light jail time after you’re caught. Or not. Then a famous actor plays you in the streaming show and you’re welcome to continue bilking suckers out of their life savings. Morally wrong and completely criminal, yes, but it also seems like a way better retirement plan than my current one of stealing neglected purses out of shopping carts at the grocery store.
Anyway, please Venmo me 20K as soon as possible. It’s for secret reasons. (@wendi-aarons).
The best part about Inventing Anna was definitely all of the voice messages in her accent that I left for lucky friends. MAH GAWDS.
OTHER THINGS:
Florida. A monkey sanctuary. Mysterious rituals. This is the book you need to pre-order now. "Florida Woman" by Deb Rogers is a great, fun, engrossing read, and not just because she somehow got it blurbed by Joe Exotic. This held my focus from cover to cover.
My middle-grade book GINGER MANCINO, KID COMEDIAN will be out June 21st! I’m relieved and thrilled that it’s getting rave reviews from early readers. Pre-orders start any day now, so be sure you sign up at GingerMancino.com to get the latest news.
I’ll be in Fort Worth at the end of this month for the Texas Librarians Association conference, so please let me know if you’ll be there, too. I’m a bit terrified by librarians because I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I really hope I don’t get shushed and/or panic and start using my Anna Delvey accent.
Speaking of librarians, a lot of them are dealing with asinine book banning right now, so here’s a list of Other Books That Might Make Children Uncomfortable that my talented nutjob friend Johanna and I wrote for The New Yorker.
Finally, and I’m quite impressed that this is kind of a linear list of other things now that I read it back, Jonathan Morris recently opened a boutique hotel in Fort Worth called Hotel Dryce. It’s in an old dry ice warehouse. Genius name. I highly recommend his Lobby Playlist on Spotify for great ambient music.
And I was serious about that Venmo.
—Wendi
Books and Scams
Hm… Now considering the advantages of paying attention to unattended purses. Please do not do the Anna Delvey accent. Fingernails on a blackboard. I read an article recently about Catharine O'Hara's fabulous Schitt's Creek accent. Do that. My mom was a children's librarian, and my older sister was a reference librarian. I'd like to tell you they are not scary, but it would not be the truth. My ability to read has diminished as my book stack has risen. I used to read constantly. I have multiple long-term injuries from reading. There was the time in Chicago I kicked my foot into a floor humidifier in the dark as I read on my way to get a glass of water. I had to get a zillion stitches (twice, the ER guy was a newbie), and still have a Harry Potter-style scar on my foot. And there was the time I ran the fiction section of a Palo Alto bookstore and fell down the stairs while continuing to read after my break was over. I tore my ankle ligaments and was in a series of casts for months. Reading is a dangerous hobby. My current read is Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont from a Bowalla box. If you don't know of Boxwalla boxes, you need them. The owners, Lavanya and Sandeep, are wizards of film, skincare, makeup, and books. It's all next level. I'm also reading Maud Newton's Ancestor Trouble, have Olga Tocarczuk's The Books of Jacob, translated by Jennifer Croft, in the queue (from Boxwalla; I wish I had a book group for it), and Emily St. John Mandel's latest, Sea of Tranquility, waiting for me at my Indie. Recently, I read all of Mandel in chronological order as part of my attempt to get my reading habit back. I'm a work in progress. I'm in awe of all you're doing, Ms. Aarons, and await your books. I also appreciate your humor amidst the life we are living now.