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Kim Gruenenfelder lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son, and continues to avoid anything even remotely resembling a real job. In addition to her books--including A Total Waste of Makeup, Misery Loves Cabernet and There's Cake in My Future--she has written feature films, episodic teleplays and two stage plays. Her new book, Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink, will be published by St. Martin's Griffin on December 24, 2013.
On your nightstand now:
Ummm... that's kind of personal.... Wait, I'm hoping you mean books. Okay, I'm currently reading a book being optioned by a studio, but I don't think I'm allowed to name it. Also have Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding.
Favorite book when you were a child:
As a little kid, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Junior high: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain.
Your top five authors:
I will refrain from saying Joe Keenan, Quinn Cummings, Nancy Redd and Jennifer Coburn, as they are my friends (and therefore they are my favorites). Joe Keenan wrote three very funny P.G. Wodehouse type books before going on to win seven Emmys for Frasier, so he's on the list. But for your specific question, I will say Jonathan Franzen, Laurie Notaro, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare and Alton Brown. (There is no rhyme or reason here, I know.)
Book you've faked reading:
I have spent all day trying to come up with an answer, and can't think of a thing. But only because my experience is when someone loves a book, they don't have to pretend to have read it--they can't wait to rave about it. I have attempted Ulysses by James Joyce five times now. I know several people who say it's their favorite book, but maybe they fake-read it.
Book you're an evangelist for:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Stop groaning. Yes, it's Russian and it's long. But I firmly believe if you limit yourself to just 10 pages a day (15 tops), you have time each day to revel in the density, and you will love it. Just remember to get a good translation.
Book you've bought for the cover:
You Can't Drink All Day if You Don't Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark. She had me at the title. I've gone to read several other books of hers, and she's hysterically funny.
Book that changed your life:
A Total Waste of Makeup. (Yes, my first book.) Suddenly, people acted like I was smart or something. The Screenwriter's Workbook by Syd Field gave me a blueprint for screenwriting, and made it seem like an attainable goal. If I had never written screenplays, I'm not sure if I would have had the courage or discipline to try my hand at writing novels.
Favorite line from a book:
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts." --from Illusions by Richard Bach.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart and a variety of Daily Show writers. It is laugh-out-loud funny in places. I wish I could hear the jokes again for the first time.