Fifty Shames of Earl Grey: A Parody by Fanny Merkin (aka Andrew Shaffer) (audio)

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Young, arrogant tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?

My thoughts:
 I did not care for 50 Shades of Grey.  It took me forever to be talked into giving book two a try and I have yet to try book three.  A lot of the reasons I had issues with the book were parodied in this book.  I found it to be funny and snarky in a good way, poking fun at holes in the story and making fun of how Grey throws his money around so much.  Shaffer wove in both the 50 Shades books and parts of Twilight and that saga as well as the movie actors.  While I think anyone could find this book interesting and engaging, it probably helps if you have some background knowledge or have read 50 Shades of Grey and the Twilight series(even seeing the Twilight movies would do the trick!). 

Anna has made it through college without email or any kind of physical contact with the opposite sex.  Her friend Jin is obsessed, with both Anna and My Little Ponies, her parents are divorced and her roommate has issues.  From helicopters to car crashes, to Starbucks and Walmart Anna and her friends visit it all.  What comes through most of all is, as with 50 Shades of Grey, how ashamed you are of the things you like and spend you time on is a reflection of how you think others see you, instead of just being happy with yourself and not worrying what everyone else thinks.

I listened to this book and found myself laughing along with the narrator on multiple occasions.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780306821998
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 7/31/2012
• Pages: 224

Meet the Author

Fanny Merkin (aka Andrew Shaffer) is known for causing trouble via his Twitter alter egos, @evilwylie, @andrewtshaffer, and @EmperorFranzen. He reviews romance, erotica, and women’s fiction for RT Book Reviews magazine; his own writing has appeared in many publications including Mental Floss and Maxim. Shaffer is the founder and creative director of Order of St. Nick greeting cards.

50shames.com