Candy Girl, by Diablo Cody

(hb; 2006: memoir)

From the inside flap:

"Diablo Cody was twenty-four years old when she had a revelation -- surely, there had to be more to life than typing copy at an ad agency. On a whim, she signed up for amateur night at Minneapolis's seedy Skyway Lounge. While she didn't win a prize that night, Diablo discovered a rush she had never felt before, and an experience she couldn't forget. Although she didn't quite fit the ordinary profile of a stripper -- with a supportive boyfriend, equal parts brainpower and beauty, from a good family, and out to do a little soul searching -- she soon immersed herself in this enticing life full time.

"But don't be misled -- this is not the story of a girl gone wrong who finds herself stripping just to scrape by while living life on the wild side. Far from it. It's the captivating fish-out-of-water story of a young woman who tried something outrageously new, providing a behinds-the-scene look at this dark world where one keeps her wits -- and wit -- about her. . ."

Review:

Funny, smart, charming and honest account of a nerdish young woman's one-year gig as a stripper (or "showgirl," as most club owners call them) at various, often wildly-different clubs in Minnesota: the same sensibility that infused Cody's Academy Award-winning screenplay for Juno is on display here, though the subject matter of Candy Girl is more adult in nature.

Cody's prose flies sleaze-free and fast, enhanced by snarky side-bar lists (e.g., "Ten Worst Songs To Strip To") with a refreshing, no-regrets attitude.

Check this out, if you're open-minded and looking for something to make you chuckle. It's well worth your time.