"Perfect for your summer trip to the beach" (O, The Oprah Magazine), Kathi Kamen Goldmark's hilarious novel of musicians, love, family, sex, and success is now in paperback. Follow Sarah Jean Pixlie as she catapults from struggling back-up singer to blazing star on the country music scene. Along the way, she pours out her savvy soul in the humorous lyrics from more than two dozen original songs, including "Put Me on the Guest List (To Your Heart)," "Hell on Heels," and "My Baby Used to Hold Me (Now He's Putting Me on Hold)." "Funny, authentic, and moving," raves Dave Barry about this first novel, which Scott Turow says is "the best thing to happen to country music since the broken heart."
I've been playing in Country Bars and Polka Bars and Blues Bars most of my musical life and when I read this book I felt like I could smell the beer and cigarettes. Good Job.
A Good Summer Read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This is a great beach read--more intelligent than what people are calling "chick-lit," this story was fun for this guy to read. It also had the greatest pregnant sex scene I've ever read (and the only one).
Completely unique, and a great deal of fun
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
Music is compelling for almost all of us, but the lives of people who make it are too rarely written about in equally compelling human dimension. Oh, there is no shortage of burnout life on the road epics, a few of which are important -- such as "Crazy Heart" by Thomas Cobb. But if you haven't met Sara Jean Pixlie yet, you're missing out on something truly special. She has known the road, the back up singing, the big time, and the number of vividly colorful characters whom you are likely to meet along that way. But she is fairly young, fully human, and nowhere near burnt out. Kathi Kamen Goldmark writes about music, musicians and the special world they live in with an impressive authenticity. She's been there on the stage, and in the small clubs where everybody hopes to find out who they are. And she also does it in a way which will make absolutely anybody enjoy it. Her story also made me laugh til I cried more times than I can count. I found this book in the library, by the way, in Lake County CA where much of it was set. I've been looking for the club she wrote about ever since.Kathi, was there ever such a place? Please write another book. Maybe the idea will catch on.
Delightful novel -- Great Read!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
In the past few years, there have been only two books that have kept me awake all night to finish them. This is one of them. (The other was by Daniel Hecht.)I stumbled across this book at the library, and checked it out, not even sure if I wanted to read it. By the next morning, I had finished it! It's an extremely readable story, but at the same time has a remarkable depth. The author writes very honestly and with great caring about her characters. The result is a sweet, funny, sexy, sensitive page-turner of a book.I'm not sure what to say about the plot without spoiling the story. It's about a female country singer who suddenly and surprisingly hits it big, and yet doesn't at the same time. I was enthralled with the whole story (I keep saying that, don't I?) which surprised me since I have zero interest in country music.When I finished the book, I felt lonely--I wasn't ready for it to end, despite it being 2:30 in the morning. I came here, hoping very much that the author had other books published, and was very disappointed to see that she does not.Kathi, please write another one!
WITTY & WONDERFUL
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I can still hear the lonely twang of a guitar in the background as I write this. This book is an absolute riot . . . fun, FUNNY, and as sweet and charming as Sarah Jean herself. Worth it for the song lyrics alone. I read it from cover to cover on one lazy beach vacation. It is one of those books that is tailor-made for some good quality time curled up in a chair, like having coffee with your best friend. I can't recommend it enough!
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