The Abstinence Teacher

I'm on quasi-vacation this week -- posting from lovely Anna Maria Island -- and have been trying to make a dent in my non-work reading list. But it's a bit of a busman's holiday; I've been reading Tom Perrotta's excellent third fifth novel, "The Abstinence Teacher," which turns out, not surprisingly, to have a lot of themes that would resonate with anyone following this election: the place of Christianity in public life, the difference (or lack thereof) between religious beliefs and political beliefs, working moms, gay rights, "soccer parents" and, of course, masturbation.

An excerpt from the audiobook gives you a bit of the flavor of the work: dry, observant, real. Also hilarious.

UPDATE: Thanks for the fact/spell check, Jason! Also, the name is coincidence (and, if you're paying attention: NOT EXACTLY THE SAME).