Author Recommendations
IF YOU ENJOYED CASH OUT, consider these suggestions for more good times.
Read
Boonville by Robert Mailer Anderson
When I first read Anderson’s novel, I was delighted to see someone finally capture Northern California in all its diverse and off-the-wall glory. Touching, captivating, and hilarious, this book still sits on my top shelf ten years later.
Florida Roadkill by Tim Dorsey
I still remember where I was when I read Tim Dorsey’s first book (on a beach), and what I said to my wife after reading the first few pages: “This guy’s nuts.” Dorsey is sidesplittingly funny, wonderfully ungoverned, and afraid of nothing.
Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler
I have yet to read anything by Victor Gischler that I haven’t really admired. In Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse, he applies his wide range of talents to new heights. Inventive, funny, and off-balance in a wonderful way, Go-Go Girls seems to do whatever it wishes—without any negative consequences.
Music for Torching by A. M. Homes
This book took control of me and didn’t let go. The tale of a married couple who find themselves stuck in affluent suburbia had me engrossed, titillated, and ultimately stunned.
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
I hadn’t read Jess Walter until my editor, Cal Morgan, mentioned Financial Lives during a discussion about my own book. I soon got a dose of what I’d been missing all those years: insight, compassion, humor, and depth, served up with grace.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Among the funniest books I’ve read, this collection of essays is a pure joy. The highlight of the book for readers with my kind of sensibilities? Perhaps a small piece about one very “Big Boy.”
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
I inhale anything written by Huston, who happened to grow up a few miles from me and even attended the same college, although we never knew each other. He also happens to be one of the most talented authors, period. Cash Out readers also might be interested in another of Huston’s California tales, The Shotgun Rule, which is set in 1980s Livermore.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Four hundred and five pages of comic genius that eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Frank Sinatra in a Blender by Matthew McBride
McBride’s debut novel is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. I laughed hard—so hard, in fact, that I wept, tears rolling down my cheeks, my nose running. There’s also a pretty compelling story in there, centering on the wonderfully drawn Nick Valentine (think Bad Santa meets Hunter S. Thompson) and his hilarious little dog, Frank Sinatra. I couldn’t put it down.
Sabrina’s Window by Al Riske
The debut novel by one of my favorite authors tells the story of a woman who dares to break out of her normal life, and creates a town scandal along the way. Whimsical, touching, and uniquely unpredictable.
Green with Envy by Shira Boss
My lone nonfiction selection, Green with Envy touches on many of the themes I ended up exploring in Cash Out, including America’s battle with overindulgence and how it’s preventing so many people from living free. I could not put it down, and I still find myself revisiting its stories and insights.
Taste
Guacamole Gregorio
I get cocky about only one thing: my guacamole. Enjoyed with the right music and Mexican beer, great guac is more than just food; it’s a reminder of what’s great about California living. In the fictional world, my guac makes cameo appearances in two novels, including Cash Out. In real life, it has won a series of “guacamole showdowns.” In 2008, in a fit of philanthropy, I finally opened up my recipe for worldwide consumption. Visit gregbardsley.com and make your own batch today!
Listen
A stash of Latin jazz for the rest of us
In Cash Out, Crazy Larry gets his hands on Dan Jordan’s personal stash of authentic, old-school Latin jazz. This part of the story was inspired by a friend of mine who got his hands on 152 tracks of the real stuff, thanks to a Guatemalan connection. That connection is long gone, but there is a great resource streaming across the Web every Sunday afternoon, which is when Latin-jazz aficionado Jesse “Chuy” Varela airs his world-class radio program. Goes great with guacamole: kcsm.org/jazzprograms/latinjazz.php.
Connect
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