TWS Book Club: Introduction

Welcome Everyone! I am excited to announce a new, hopefully long lasting, segment here at Trainwreck’d Society. We are getting into books, People! Now, we have done a few book reviews in the past, but my own count, we have only talked about one single book since the summer of 2014. I almost forgot the importance of reading, quite honestly. I have been purchasing and barely reading so many damn books over the last few years that it is starting to weigh on my emotionally. So I figured, why not talk about it here, and let you fine readers join in on the fun.

It’s a simple process really, and one that has truly stood the test of time. Once a month, on the third Thursday of every month starting  February 21st, 2019, we will showcase one book that I believe you are all going to love. We will then introduce the next month’s book at the end of the review. And we will continue this trend until I simply forget or manage to retreat to a non-literary filled existence that is sad and heartbreaking. But, let’s see if we can prevent that, shall we?

I invite you all to join in! Each month I will share exactly where you can pick up the book, unless it’s a major publishing, then you’re probably safe with looking for it on Amazon. If we are discussing a book that is indie in nature, or even simply self-released, I would definitely encourage everyone to try to purchase the book directly from the author or small press. I know that Amazon is convenient, but Jeff Bezos is a psychopath and we have to support the artists, you know?

Note: Yes, the first book we are talking about is indeed one that could be reasonably purchased on Amazon, especially since we are giving you such short notice. But in the future, this may not be the case!

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The book we will be discussing on February 21st 2019 will be Kanye West Owes Me $300 & Other True Stories From A White Rapper Who Almost Made It Big by Jensen Karp.

Cover design by Christopher Brand

On the back (paperback edition): 

When 12-year old Jensen Karp got his first taste of rapping for crowds at his friend’s bar mitzvah in 1991, little did he know that he was taking his first step on a crazy journey—one that would end with a failed million-dollar recording and publishing deal with Interscope Records when he was only 19. Now, in Kanye West Owes Me $300, Karp finally tells the true story of his wild ride as “Hot Karl,” the most famous white rapper you’ve never heard of.

Full of rollicking stories from his close brush with fame, Karp’s hilarious memoir is the ultimate fish-out-of-water story about a guy who follows an unlikely passion—trying to crack the rap game—despite what everyone else says. It’s 30 Rock for the rap set; 8 Mile for the suburbs; and quite the journey for a white kid from the valley.

Selected praise for the book:

“The funniest person I follow on Twitter finally got smart and wrote about his unlikely-and hilarious-odyssey as teenage rapper Hot Karl. Karp’s sharp wit and gossipy giggles keep you turning pages, but what lingers is the story of a survivor. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who has ever wanted to be famous.” – Kevin Smith, writer/filmmaker, Yoga Hosers

” If I had kids, I’d read them passages from this to them at night. Rap careers definitely haven’t been explored from this perspective, and I’m excited to see the ripples. Jensen’s gonna make some enemies, though. I’ve been on television.” – Hannibal Buress, comedian, name soon to be carved with anger on a wall in SCI Phoenix.

About the author:

(back of the book) Jensen Karp is an LA-based writer and comedian who has written and produced for Funny or Die, MTV, Rolling Stone, the Grammy’s VH1, Comedy Central and the ESPYs. He’s currently an executive producer, writer, and coach on TBS’s Drop the Mic.

(not on the back of the book, but should be) But more notably, Karp appeared on Episode 48 of the podcast All Fantasy Everything where they drafted One Word Movie Titles, and it was fucking hilarious. He’s also gonna have a kid or something. So that’s cool.

Where to get it:

Paperback edition was published by Three Rivers Press (Crown Publishing Group) and is also available as an ebook and on audio from Penguin Random House.

Find it on Amazon via jensonkarp.com