Boonville (Robert Mailer Anderson) 5

"As for the hippies in the county who may be upset at the depiction of hippies, I say, 'Tough shit, hippie.' Anyone willing to identify themselves as a hippie here in the 21st century has their head up their ass and gets what they deserve."

I kind of knew I was going to like this book when I read the preceding quote in the author's forward. Boonville tells the story of a young guy who leaves his comfortable life in Miami to move to little Northern California town called Boonville. Boonville is a mix of hippy burn-outs, rednecks, and folks that are just trying to get out, and is just about the opposite end of the cultural universe from Miami. The book is made by Boonville's characters - some of whom are so wacky and over the top, if I didn't live in Northern California I wouldn't have believed them.

Anderson writes very, very well, and he writes with an edge. Boonville is worth a read.