Today on the Rainy Day Ramblings, I am pleased to welcome author Jay Clark. His book The Edumacation of Jay Baker is a witty book that takes you through the pangs of being a teenager.
Jay is here today to share a list with as to why you have never heard of his book. I admit after reading one of Mr. Clark's ridiculous posts on another blog I laughed my butt off and knew I just had to find out more.
I hope you enjoy his posts as much as do!
Please stick around at the end of the post for a giveaway and my review of his book.
Now without further delay, I give you Jay Clark and his list:
Top ten reasons you're drawing a blank when someone mentions The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
10. You don't live within the Ohio-shaped circumference that extends out from my parents' houses, both of whom could make an excellent living selling twelve-packs of snake oil on Craigscrap.
9. Word-of-mouth is a problem because even vocal readers have a hard time saying "I just took The Edumacation of Jay Baker straight to the face!" and being serious about it. Maybe it's my wording.
8. You're too busy getting biznasty with Fifty Shades of Skank. That quilted-flowers book jacket isn't fooling anyone, you saucy little minx, you. And you over there with the creepy half-smile on your face—you may want to close your mouth and change the LARGE FONT size on your iPad. #inappropriatenesswithhandcuffs
7. My author website looks like someone took a graphic design dump and halfway through the delivery process said, "You know what? F this ****!" Then forgot to wipe.
6. You're not into authors with long hair and a toothy grin vaguely reminiscent of a trying-too-hard-as-usual Ryan Seacrest. Even though, yes, I will go to prom with you. (Thought you'd never ask; this is going to be awesome; what time should I pick you up?)
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers have yet to discover that they are now represented in the literary world by none other than Jay Baker. Or maybe they're aware but would rather wait for Katniss or Bella to get a partial colonoscopy. Either/or.
4. You're just not a good person.
3. You're not visiting sweet-*** blogs like this one nearly enough. And no, I didn't get paid an affiliate fee to say that. I said it out of the kindness of my…zzzzzzz, sorry, where am I? Oh, nah, nah, what's my name?
2. You don't enjoy laughing. Yeah, you've just never really been a laugher. You prefer reading books that suck all of the serotonin from your brain with a look of constipation consternation on your face, because the physical strain emphasizes the height of your cheekbones. And what lovely cheekbones they are. You're actually quite good-looking when you smile, and I'm not just saying that to boost my Amazon ranking. Except that I am, and I apologize.
1. You didn't realize that Edumacation is a quadruple threat. That's right, in addition to being read, Edumacation can also be used as a quicker-picker-upper coaster, a "What the hell?"-type gag gift, and/or a crappy furniture evener-outer.
Thanks Jay, for an entertaining read. Now to bribe you all into following him and hopefully buying his book, we are throwing a giveaway. Yep! What to know what is up for grabs? For U.S. residents a hard back copy of The Edumacation of Jay Baker. Now now, I don't want to leave out my international followers so Mr. Clark is offering an ebook copy for one of you (hopefully he can figure out how to get it to you). All you have to do is check out the Contest Policies (I know boring blah blah blah) and fill out the Rafflecopter. Good Luck! Make sure check out my review of this book.
The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
A few "sexy" bullet points about Jay: - He is in love with a cheerleader named Cameo "Appearance" Parnell - He is forever losing "Love-15" to tennis-playing goddess Caroline Richardson - He rocks a touche array of pop-culture references, jokes, and puns - His family-life cookie is about to crumble. Live vicariously through Jay as he faces off against his mortal enemy, gets awkward around his dream girl(s), loses his marbles in a Bermudian love triangle, watches his parents' relationship implode, and, finally, learns to get real and be himself(ish).Hardcover, 272 pagesPublished January 31st 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Jay is a freshman dealing with the typical angst that plagues teenage boys. Raging hormones, unrequited feelings for his best friend, bully problems, and all the awkwardness that comes with being a teenager. His burdens become heavier when his parents announce they are separating on a trial basis. His dad is a workaholic and not home much. Consequently, his mother started up an affair with a low life, who just happens to be the father of one of his friends. Things go from bad to worse as Jay grapples with his family being torn apart, his arch nemesis, Mike, continues his ruthless taunts, Cameo, his best friend and love interest starts dating another dirt bag and he fails miserably in the debate for class president. There is a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. A new girl, Caroline, comes to town and he forms a fast relationship with her. Will Jay somehow survive his unpleasant and geeky teenage years?
Three and a half stars: A witty tale of a teenage boy coping with teenage and adult drama.
What I Liked:
- This is one of those books you grab when you are in the mood for a mindless, funny read. It is a novel full of everything you expect when following a somewhat nerdy teenage boy: bathroom humor, loads of sexual references, awkwardness and plenty of hilarious antics. This is a book you can pick up and put down because the plot is simplistic and perfect for days when your mind is tired.
- I loved being in Jay's head. There are so many funny and witty comments in this book that will have you snorting and laughing out loud (seriously the type where you really do laugh, none of that fake LOL crap when you don't mean it). For whatever reason I enjoy following the ridiculous thought process of a teenage boy. Be prepared for loads of crude bathroom references (Jay suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and non stop thoughts on sex as well as self deprecating type remarks. This book will introduce you to many new sexual euphemisms and innuendos. If you are not the type that appreciates teenage boy humor, this book is not for you.
- While on the surface this book is billed as a humorous book I appreciate that it dealt with some very real issues. There are three characters, Jay, Cameo and Caroline, who have parents with some major problems. Jay and his sister Abby are dealing with the break up of their family due to their mother's infidelity. I liked watching how each of the siblings grappled with the situation differently and how they experienced a gamut of emotions. Especially for Jay the feelings he has regarding the issue are interesting. At the end I applauded his mature decision when new allegations come to light. The way he confronts his mother and deals with the problem show a marked growth and new found maturity.
- I loved the relationship between Jay and his sister Abby. Abby as a senior,of course,is obsessed with her boyfriend, popularity and cell phone, and her brother is the least of her concerns. As the events unfurl, the two bond and rediscover the importance of sibling relationships. The way Abby nonchalantly looks out for her little brother is adorable. I loved the late night floor sleep overs and the phone texts that Jay uses to get his sister's attention and most of all the way she fiercely protects him, but don't tell her friends that. This was my favorite aspect of the story.
- I liked how on the chapters are a play on real song titles which the author lists at the end of the book. You get such gems as: “Dad Likes Her Butt And He Cannot Lie”, “I Just Called To Say I’m Pooping”, “Give Me One Reason Not To Shoot Myself In The Face.” These are: “Baby Got Back”, Sir Mix A Lot, “I Just Called To Say I Love You”, Stevie Wonder and “Give Me One Reason”, Tracy Chapman.
- Finally, I mentioned in some of my previous reviews that coming of age books where characters deal with some major issues and at the end exhibit marked growth are some of my favorite reads. I thoroughly enjoyed the steps toward maturity that Jay takes and the way he comes to terms with the issues surrounding his family. Also I admired how he reconciles his feelings regarding Caroline and Cameo, and the resolution of his ongoing feud with Mike where he discovers they might have more in common than they realized. At the end you can chart his progress and see he is on his way to becoming a more mature adult... well he is trying, I doubt he will give up his bathroom/sex jokes.
And The Not So Much:
- One of my big issues in this book was that it is kind of all over. There is no clear plot line. You get a bunch of random scenes that flicker all over the map. It does not follow a neat, cohesive story line. The humor spices it up and keeps you entertained but more than a few times the jokes went over my head because they felt more like inside jokes and they were often lost on me.
- I wish Jay's father was more involved. In the beginning he has a main role but as the story progresses he is absent, a background character. Jay's mother is a strong presence and you get to see her viewpoint which I liked, I wish his father's perspective was shown. I would have liked to know his father's reaction to his mother's final revelation.
- I wanted a bit more resolution of the parental issues that Caroline and Cameo faced. Both girls dealt with difficult situations and I would like to see how they settled out; especially for Cameo, her home life was a mess.
The Miseducmacation of Jay Baker is an entertaining read that explores the angst and drama in an average teenage boy's life. It is ridiculous and full of crude humor and sexual references. It is not all fun and games, though. This book depicts a young man learning that his parents aren’t the models of perfection he always believe them to be. They are human and fallible just like everyone else. If you are not the type (a deviant like me) that appreciates this type of humor then this is not a book for you. If you want something light, funny but also a book with mature changes pick this one up.
Favorite Quotations:
“Eyebrows raised, Dad was looking might surprised by my sudden rebellious streak. Normally such a square peg, I’d gone and dug myself a round grave.”
“Even a confident, accomplished career man like Jim Baker could be shattered by his wife checking out a copy of another guy’s Moby Dick.”
“Ah, fart jokes. A common denominator bringing everyone closer together since Adam let forth the first one in front of Eve.”
“I’m a parent, Jay,” she replied. “I have guilt that goes on for miles. The pollution of my life.”
“The least Keith could have done was driven a different vehicle. His rust-bucket van wasn’t fit to take a dump in, and the last thing our family needed was for it to be parked outside Mom’s---flashing a sign to the world that he was Magna-Doodling her on a regular basis.”
