This book is weird. And weird is good! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Nikki Nasco has an average normal day, and wakes up the next day with no electricity, disappearing coffee, a talking coyote on her doorstep, and a green, nearly naked, man in the backyard. The television still works, though, and shows different episodes of various “Reality TV” shows, and, of course, “Oprah”. Things get stranger from there.

From there, Nikki and Amber (her best friend) are on a quest. Problem is, they don’t know what the quest is, what to do or where to go. They don’t even know why they are on this quest Why them? Hints and clues are given along the way that they have to figure out. Help comes from unexpected sources. There is a group of eccentric people who is trying to stop them. By the end, Nikki knows not only what she must do, but also how strong she really is.

I was impressed by how many little details Del Sesto wove into this story. I found this book to be exciting and laugh out loud funny. Fans of bizarre stories will enjoy this book, and so will people who enjoy the work of Douglas Adams. It’s that kind of humor.

I highly recommend going on the “long strange trip” this book will take you on.

Nicole Del Sesto was kind enough to do an interview for Bookwyrm U.S.. What follows is both my questions and her responses.

Jen Thorpe: I have never heard of the term “Bizzaro Fiction” before I picked up your book. I work in a bookstore, and no one has ever come in and asked me “Where’s your Bizzaro Section at?” What does it mean to be considered “Bizzaro Fiction”? Is this a brand new thing, or have just been unaware of this genre all this time? Is it a brand name, or specific publisher, or a grouping such as “Mystery” or “Romance”, or what, exactly?

Nicole Del Sesto:The Bizarro community is trying mightily to help Bizarro to become a sub-genre. Of what, I’m not quite sure. We tend to get grouped with Horror/Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It is a relatively new term, but not a new thing.

There’s a great article on Bizarro at Wikipedia Click Here

Basically, Bizarro is the genre of the weird. People like weird books. I’m one of them. But you can’t go into a bookstore and say, “where are your weird books?” Because you’d probably get a “weird” and confused look. By labeling the genre, we are trying to create a space for fans of the weird/surreal/absurd/cult type fiction.

P.S. If you build a Bizarro section in your bookstore, we will come!

Jen:Your book is filled with musical references. What music did you listen to when you were writing this book? Did any of those songs make it into the story?

Nicole:Yesterday I finished reading a book called Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, which was brilliant and also filled with musical references. It’s always surprised me that music hasn’t featured more prominently in books. I think it makes them more interesting.

All that aside, I don’t listen to music when I write. But I’m always thinking about music. I’m the kind of person who is constantly playing lyrical word association games in my head. You say, Good Morning and my brain starts singing “Good morning starshine, the world says hello.” When someone answers the phone, “Hello” my head goes, “Hellow, I love you won’t you tell me your name.” It’s very busy in here.

My book had four different titles before I settled on All Encompassing Trip. I was driving up to Lake Tahoe and decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to listen to my “desert island” CDs. While I was listening to No Code, the song Present Tense came on and as I listened to the words I thought “oh yes.” This is it. This is my book. This is my title.

The song starts:

do you see the way that tree bends?

does it inspire?

leaning out to catch the sun’s rays

a lesson to be applied

are you getting something out of this all encompassing trip?

It felt like my book. And it stuck. If I could have gotten copyright permissions, I would have printed the lyrics in the front of the book.

Jen: Just what are your Top 5 Desert Island CDs? Is it the same list you had before you wrote the book, or has something changed?

Nicole:Ironically, I never did finish my list. All I know for sure is that Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark and Pearl Jam’s No Code would be on the list. I’d definitely want a Doors disc as well. And probably Sublime’s 40oz to Freedom, but I wouldn’t have chosen an Alanis disc.

It’s just too hard to pick.

Jen:All the little pieces of this story, from the clues and hints to the eccentricities of the individual characters, to the details about specific places and time periods fit together so well! How did you keep track of it all while you were writing it?

Nicole:Editing.

It bothers me greatly when there are gaps in stories or continuity errors, so I was very cautious about this. I took a lot of notes for myself and tried to make sure that in the end, everything got explained.

Not surprisingly, there were a number of lists. Activities per day, songs per clue, that type of thing. But I didn’t create an outline until a literary agent asked me for one, which was long after the fact.

Jen: I can’t help but notice that your main character is named Nikki, and your name is Nicole. Are any parts of this book autobiographical? Did any of Nikki’s memories of her childhood happen in your actual childhood? I loved how vivid those memories were, especially the part about the french fries. Was Nikki and Kassen’s relationship based on real life events? Did you ever own any of the cars Nikki and Amber drive? Are any of the characters based on real people?

Nicole:This is a great question. And the answers to most of those questions are yes. The character of Amber is based on a real person. She was one of the main reasons I wanted to write the story to begin with, and in fact I had planned on the book being more about her character.

I found her to be a conundrum and inspiring simultaneously. I used the fiction to both unravel her mystery and hopefully pass along some of her magic. I do have to say though that we knew each other only briefly and our friendship was nothing like that of my characters. I named my character Nikki because “Amber” calls me “Nik” and I needed be able to hear her in my head in order to be able to write her. Not sure that makes sense, but that’s why I used the name Nikki.

Two weeks before the book came out “Amber” was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It’s heartbreaking, but she is a fighter and I know she can overcome this.

As far as the rest of the characters, the only truly based on real people are Amber, Nikki and Kassen and they are all fictionalized (and exaggerated) versions. Some of the others are from dreams (Luke, Howard and Biy-Em) some are purely made up (i.e. Lefty, Chuckie, Demi.)

The whole Fullerton thing is based on childhood memories or impressions, really, and sadly, the relationship with “Kassen” was much as described.

Shortly after our 10-year-anniversary, he went on to marry somebody else. In case you were dying to know how that all turned out.

That Datsun was, in fact, mine. I have no idea how it cruised into the story.

Jen: Let’s discuss for a minute your characters The Twins, (also known as Art and Lance). These two guys are what I would call “Star Wars Geeks”. There seems to be two camps in this world: “Star Wars Geeks” and “Star Trek Geeks”, and the two don’t tend to like each other very much. I have witnessed some rather heated debates on this subject! What made you decide that Art and Lance would prefer Star Wars to Star Trek?

Nicole: Personal geekiness? I’m in the Star Wars camp, and have a pretty extensive action figure collection. Though I tend to be more a fan and collector of McFarlane action figures, I have a fair number of Star Wars figures. Cataloged on a spreadsheet, in alphabetical order, in numbered boxes, cross-referenced on the spreadsheet with their approximate values. (The only Star Trek figure I have is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dressed as Spock.)

Jen: The places in your book that Amber and Nikki go to are so well described. You definitely got the parts describing the spontaneous delays at O’Hare Airport in Chicago correct. Have you been there? What about LAX? Disney Land?

Nicole:I have been to all the places. But Google is a dear friend when details are required, and I did research as well. Bottom line: an airport is an airport. One is much like another. All are annoying.

Jen: What do you think Oprah would have to say about all this if she reads your book? Have you sent Oprah a copy? Have you ever been in the audience for one of Oprah’s shows?

Nicole:Hmmm Faulker, McCarthy, Morrison, Angelou . Del Sesto? I don’t see it happening. Oprah’s book selections don’t seem to have much of a sense of humor. She’s literary high brow, I’ve got fart jokes. You know? Plus 41 f-bombs, and I make a lot of fun of people. So, I don’t see Oprah reading it.

I haven’t sent her a copy and I have not been in her audience. I think if I were that close to Oprah I’d piss myself.

Jen:I love that in your book all Nikki and Amber can watch on television is “Reality TV” (and, of course, Oprah). Survivor, Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Average Joe, I have watched them all. I even know who “Rob and Amber” are. What is your favorite “Reality TV” show, and which season of it did you enjoy the most?

Nicole:I am honestly not sure if I could pick a favorite. I love reality TV. I talk about Lauren Conrad of MTV’s the Hills as if we were friends. Amazing Race is a favorite, though this season is kind of boring. I hated that Rob and Amber were bumped so early. Survivor is a favorite, but again, boring this year. I love Rock Star. The first season of that is definitely memorable. And Big Brother All Stars was great. (I have a crush on Dr. Will.) (Oh , and I really did get hit in the head with a golf ball by Bill Rancic, but I don’t watch The Apprentice.)

Jen: What other projects have you got going on? Is there another book with some or all of the characters from this one? Something completely different, perhaps?

Nicole:Besides stalking my Amazon sales rankings? Yes, I have two projects in the works. And by in the works I mean sitting on my hard drive untouched. The first is about a blonde girl named Alex, who is nothing like me. The moon has a crush on her and she’s in therapy for a calendar addiction. That’s shaping up to be “Trip-like” in terms of tone, and general weirdness.

The second project is a collaboration with another author. Definitely mainstream. Tons of fun characters, and something we’d both like to see completed.

I left Trip open for a sequel, I’m not sure it’ll happen. If it does, it will focus on Amber. These books and ideas, they just tend to manifest. For me, writing is like a seed planted in my head. The ideas need time to germinate. When it no longer fits in my brain, it spills out onto the paper. It’s not writer’s block which has stalled these two projects, but rather that my seedlings are a little stunted right now.

I’m feeling growth though, especially on the Alex book, so I’m hoping that will poke through soon.

THANK YOU for such thought provoking questions.

Thank you for such a great interview.

Back once again to thwart the efforts of people who enjoy censorship, here is another book that has been banned, and why you should read it.

To read Banned Books Part One, click here.

(2)To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

What This Book Is About
This book is a fictional story told from the viewpoint of a little girl who goes by the name of Scout. She lives with her big brother Jeb, and her dad, (who both the children call Atticus), and a maid named Calpurnia. Atticus is a lawyer, and he has just been appointed to defend a “colored” man who has been accused of raping a white woman. The town is small and southern, and the story takes place right around just before WWII started. The town has a very hard time dealing with the possibility that this man could be innocent, and many people make life difficult for not only Atticus, but also his children. Scout is at an age where she is just trying to figure things out. What does rape mean? Why are people mad at Atticus for defending this man, when everybody knows he was assigned to the job? Why do women have to wear dresses and act “lady like”? Why can’t she just wear the overalls she likes better? Why do people treat others badly when they think they are different from themselves? She is a smart kid, and has a lot of spirit. Scout is also trying to figure out just what happened to their mysterious neighbor, and why no one sees him. What did he do? She, her brother, and a good friend spend a lot of time trying to get “Boo” Radley to come outside. They are too innocent to realize they might be bothering him. This book is about tolerance, and about having respect for other people. It is about standing up for what you know is right, even if it’s difficult or unpopular to do it.

Why This Book Gets Banned
People tend to ban this book specifically because the “n word” is used. Some feel the book is degrading towards African Americans. It has been claimed that this book encourages segregation, or, at least, suggests that different races are not equals. Others want to ban this book because it deals with the subject of rape, and also because it implies that the woman who was raped might also be a victim of domestic abuse, or even incest, from her father. Often, people site these reasons to prevent a school or teacher from using this book in a classroom situation.

Here is my source.

Why You Should Read This Book
This are so many good things in this book that you miss out on if you don’t read it. The main character is a strong, confident, powerful little girl, who stands up for what she believes in. Not too many books show strong girls, particularly when you think about books published in 1960, (when this book was first published). Atticus encourages both his children not only to read, but also to think. Schools today do promote literacy, but too few value children who can think for themselves, who can argue well, and who can use what they have read in their arguments. Its refreshing to have that viewpoint expressed. This book points out that it’s not what people look like that matters, it is the kind of person that they are that makes the difference. People deserve respect, but this is in relation to how they treat other people. Many examples of this concept are given through the book, and its woven into the story very well. This book doesn’t make its points in an overt “After School Special” or “dumbed down” kind of way. It is a book for people who like to think, and the ideas expressed are just as relevant today as when the book was first written. Don’t miss out on this one.

Few things are more tempting than those things deemed “verboten”. It has always made me angry when someone (or some group or organization), decided on my behalf that I needed to be protected from reading a particular book. When I was a kid, finding out that a book was banned somewhere was enough for me to decide I wanted to read it, just to spite the people who banned it. I have always felt that if you don’t like a book, for whatever reason, then don’t read it. Or, read it, and then tell others why you didn’t like it. But whatever you do, don’t actively decide for the world, (or, in most cases, for your kid’s school), that not one person should ever get the chance to read this particular book, and make their own decisions about it. Who made you the King of Books anyway?

So, in an effort to thwart those who want to become “Big Brother”, here is a book that tends to get banned, and why you should read it anyway. Knowledge is power, people.

(1)I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

What This Book Is About
This book is a biography. These events actually happened to a real person. Angelou starts her story when she is about three years old, and on a train with her brother on their way to their grandmother’s house, where they will grow up. I found this book to be really sad. Tragedy after tragedy happens, starting when she is still a child, and continuing until she reaches early adulthood. It’s about racism, and class-ism, and abuse of power. But it’s also about family, and love, and faith, and persevering.

Why This Book Gets Banned
Maya gets molested and then raped by a stepfather when she is still too young of a child to realize exactly what is going on. The book describes what happened from her point of view. It’s clear to the reader, even if it was unclear to Maya, exactly what happened. There is a court case that follows, and that again brings up details of the rape, and also Maya’s mixed emotions and confusion about it. It’s not an easy read. If you are an abuse or rape survivor, parts of this book might be especially difficult for you to read. Later on in the book, there are descriptions of some teenage characters having sex. It’s not very graphic, but it is still clear what the two teens who are underneath a makeshift tent in the woods are doing. People who want to ban this book, particularly if they want to ban it from a High School, use the label “mature content” or say the book is “too graphic” for teens to read and then discuss in a classroom setting.

Here Is My Source

Why You Should Read This Book
Despite the things that go wrong in Angelou’s life, (and there are many heartbreaking things that happened), there is still hope. To me, that was the point. No matter how bad life gets, there is still hope. You can’t simply give up and die when things look bleak. You just need to find the one sliver of good in a situation, and hold on tight to that. Belief in God helps, at least, for Angelou. In today’s world of instant gratification and over prescribed antidepressant medications, this is a message people may benefit from hearing. If your life right now is not going so well, you can read what Angelou went through, and maybe decide that things aren’t so bad for you after all in comparison. You can learn a new way to cope with your problems. If your life is going great, then you can read this book of tragedies, and count your blessings. If you ban the book because of the negative content, you never give someone the chance to hear the positive message. And that would truly be a tragedy.