Silent sustained reading is a bit hard when you’re trying not to laugh out loud. Five pages in and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman was a hit.

Just as it caught your attention, the title of this book is what brought me to read it. Not for the shock value of such a “non-pg” title but because it struck me as such a good title. I don’t know what it is about me but if a book has a good title I’m happy. I believe it takes a special spark or the most average thought to come up with a title as great. But onto the book…

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is a collection of essays. They encompass Klosterman’s attitude and feeling about pop culture and it’s connection to reality. People seem to have some kind of negative connotation of the word “essay” in their minds. All they can think of is some big, serious, and boring assignment, but Klosterman puts together his thoughts in a well-written and humorous form.

After the captivating title, the first page really secured the catch. The very first sentence is “No woman will ever satisfy me.” This caught me off guard, (how could a book do such a thing? I swooned) and now I really wanted to keep reading. I was soon caught up in a dialogue I thought was so similar to that of my own mind. In no time, I was suppressing laughter. Klosterman goes on to rant (who doesn’t love a good rant?) about his old love life while taking jabs at various rock bands.

The following essays explain how The Sims or reality TV shows are actually pretty reflective of our own lives. Klosterman dives deep into these subjects and gets pretty philosophical at times. Leaving no subject untouched, he analyzes what his generation is, through but not limited to, sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs (yum). There were MANY references that I did not get, but because it’s a collection of many different essays, there’s basically something for everyone. Nonetheless, the chapters that don’t make much sense are still pretty good. For example, his comparisons of reality stars are connections we can all understand, even if we don’t personally know the actual characters.

If you’re looking for a casual read that doesn’t need a serious commitment or strong memory, this is the book for you. I could probably say that about any essay book, but I this one stands out. The comedy really had me laughing out loud or foolishly smiling. At only 243 pages, this book is a relaxing breeze. Also, if you ever need a patsy, blame John Cusack.