ReadingGroupGuides.com - Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane

Stupid and Contagious
by Caprice Crane

List Price: $12.95
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0446695726
Publisher: 5 Spot

Caprice Crane knows the Hollywood scene. Her mother is the renowned film, television and stage actress Tina Louise, perhaps best known as Ginger Grant from the enduring sitcom "Gilligan’s Island." And her father is former talk show host and Grammy winner Les Crane. Caprice herself was a head writer with MTV Networks, producing and writing an array of comedy, dramedy, news, reviews, and rock-star biographies. She also served as a music supervisor for film and TV, and founded her own record label.

Now Caprice brings her finely-honed knowledge of pop culture and music to the literary world with her debut Stupid and Contagious (May 2006; 5 Spot, an imprint of Warner Books; Trade Paperback Original; $12.95), a highly original, zany romantic comedy novel with a winning sense of humor. Excitingly, film rights have already been snatched up by New Line Cinema for Crane’s second novel, Forget About It, with Scarlett Johansson set to star.
In Stupid and Contagious, twenty-six-year-old Heaven Albright is a failed PR-executive turned attitude-challenged waitress who can’t seem to keep her customers happy. Twenty-nine-year old Brady Gilbert is a struggling independent music producer with no bands. But he does have dreams of striking it rich with his product idea, “Cinnamilk” --- the delicious beverage that results from leaving Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in the bowl too long.

What do these people have in common? Not much - in fact, as neighbors in Manhattan, the two of them start out hating each other. But when Heaven comes to Brady’s rescue after an encounter with his psycho ex-girlfriend, the tide turns, and Brady and Heaven soon become an unlikely pair of friends. With Heaven’s dog Strummer, the two go to Los Angeles, then Seattle, and home again on their quest to pitch Cinnamilk to Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks.

Stupid and Contagious is told from the he said/she said perspective of the male and female protagonists in alternating chapters, which Crane masterfully navigates. Anna Maxted calls it, “A truly exceptional book --- funny, twisted, clever, mean, and always brilliant.” Erica Kennedy, author of Bling, describes it as “insanely funny and outrageous,” Karen Salmansohn, author of How to be Happy, Dammit, hails it as “milk-snorting funny and playfully intriguing,” Brian Doyle Murray says it’s “bursting with humor that is smart and infectious,” and Johanna Edwards, bestselling author of The Next Big Thing and Your Big Break calls it “sharp, original, and wickedly funny, this is a must read.”

top of the page

"Crane's giddy, playful prose feels fresh...likely to entertain legions of (gum popping) readers."
—Publishers Weekly

"...witty, romantic comedy debut..."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Winning romantic comedy... Crane makes light comedy, usually so difficult to create and sustain, look effortless."
—Booklist
“Crane’s debut is filled with one hilarious and clever surprise after the next.”
—Romantic Times (4 ½ stars)

“A truly exceptional book—funny, twisted, clever, mean, and always brilliant.”
—Anna Maxted, author of Getting Over It

“Heaven Albright, the irrepressible and sexy heroine of Stupid and Contagious , is bursting with humor that is smart and infectious.”
—Brian Doyle Murray, co-writer of Caddyshack and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live and SCTV

“Stupid and Contagious is anything but stupid and completely contagious. Infectious, riotous, and hip beyond belief, it’s a great read.”
—Isabel Rose, author of The J.A.P. Chronicles

“Smart and feisty! Milk-snorting funny and playfully intriguing! Love it!”
—Karen Salmansohn, author of How to Be Happy, Dammit

“Insanely funny and outrageous, Stupid and Contagious effortlessly captures the glorious awkwardness of becoming who you are, finding that special someone who drives you crazy, and ultimately following your dreams wherever they may take you.”
—Erica Kennedy, author of Bling

“Caprice Crane rocks! This is the best book I’ve read in a long, long time. Sharp, original, and wickedly funny, this is a must-read. I absolutely loved it.”
—Johanna Edwards, bestselling author of The Next Big Thing and Your Big Break

“Caprice Crane’s writing is so cool I feel like the geek girl stalking her locker, trying to slide a mix CD through the slats before she spots me. Stupid and Contagious is hilarious and insightful. A book with its own soundtrack, this is one not to miss.”
—Pamela Ribon, author of Why Girls Are Weird

“Caprice Crane brings her respect for music and all of its universal sentiment into her stylish, page-turning, sharp-tongued debut novel.”
—Liza Palmer, author of Conversations with the Fat Girl