Books to Bury Me With: Kellie Scott-Reed

The book I’d want to take with me to the grave:

East of Eden, John Steinbeck. I know it’s old fashioned and a little over the top, but still. It’s beautifully written. 

 

The first book that hit me like a ton of bricks:

Carrie, Stephen King. I read it when I was ten. It blew me away and I’ve been a creepy weirdo atheist ever since. 

 

The book that’s seen more of my tears, coffee stains, and cigarette burns:

The Kitchen God’s Wife, Amy Tan. I don’t smoke.. but I cry and drink coffee and I am a woman from an immigrant family. Need I say more?

 

The book that shook my world like a goddamn hurricane:

Wind of Change: The Scorpions Story, Martin Popof. I’ve never read it but you worded the question this way and I had to. Wisassery is just one of the many services I provide.

 

The book I wish I’d discovered when my liver was still intact:

Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole. My uncle gave it to me cause he said I would love it. I was 16. I loved it. Rest in Power Uncle Mark. 

 

The book I’d shove into everyone’s hands if I were king of the world:

Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart: An Anthology of Poems for Men. I’d give it to every man and tell them to figure themselves out, it’s all there. And tell every woman to read it because this poetry is for everyone. 

 

The book that nearly drove me to madness:

War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy. I had to read the book for English class. Too many words and details for my ADHD mind. I understand that it’s a fault of mine alone and not the book. 

 

The book I can’t keep my hands off of, no matter how many times I’ve read it:

Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris. I mean, come on! I actually read this often just to hear his voice in my head while reading it. 

 

The book I’d hide in the back of my closet, pretending I’m too highbrow for it:

Flowers in the Attic, VC Andrews (if that’s their REAL name)  It’s deviant smut. I read it as a middle schooler, which was way too young. I couldn’t wait to be locked away by an evil grandmother. 

 

The book that left a scar I wish I could forget:

I don’t have one to reference. I have a soul of teflon. Nothing sticks to me in a painful way. 

 

The author who made me think, "Now that’s a soul in torment":

The Color Purple, Alice Walker. While inspirational and absolutely gorgeous, I can’t get around the rage I feel for Celie when reading it. By the end, the soul in the book is far less tortmented than mine. 

 

The book I’d get a tattoo of if I had the nerve:

Cujo, Stephen King. I like dogs a lot

 

The book that made me question everything I thought I knew:

A New Earth, Eckart Tolle. It can be viewed as pop psychology but isn’t it all pop these days? Also, ego sucks and ruins things worse than a three year old on a sugar high. I am so much more of a human after reading it. 

 

The book that’s so damn good I’d never loan it out:

I love to loan and nothing is permanent. They are all up for grabs. 

 

The book that’s been my companion through the darkest nights:

Crackpot, John Waters. So silly and trashy. It makes me laugh through the most starless, puke-filled nights. 

 

The book I’d throw in someone’s face during a heated argument:

The Bible. I mean it’s big and clunky and not worth a damn. Just like the recipient of the face smashing, most likely. But I do abhor violence. 

 

The book that reminds me of a lost love or regret:

Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez. It’s about all that but has a great ending. It’s the most amazing book about aging, love and death I’ve ever read.

 

The book I wish I could have written, but know I never could:

Memoirs of a Beatnik, Diane di Prima. It’s a life I would have liked but was born too late, and in an era of rampant capitalism. I want to have those experiences, but alas, I wasn’t born at the right time. 

 

The book that makes me want to drink myself into oblivion:

My copy of the screenplay Bar Fly, Charles Bukowski. When in Rome, ya know?

 

The book that’s been my refuge from the world’s cruelty:

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Amy Sedaris. It’s absolutely kitchy and ridiculous. I laugh out loud and when a little disillusioned, I will try one of the recipes or crafts. It is always a disaster and always exactly what the doctor ordered.