Who knows you better than your spouse or significant other?  Doctor … Therapist … Pastor?  Maybe … But did you also consider that clerk at the video store?  You know … the one you never make eye contact with, especially when you’ve visited the back room.  Well, you may not know them, but they sure know you.  And they make mental notes.  And sometimes even discuss you and what you’ve rented amongst each other.

“True Porn Clerk Stories” is Ali Davis’s extremely funny and insightful memoir of working as a video store clerk and her accounts of dealing with the customers who seem to rent only from the backroom.  Despite her frustrations with some customers (especially the ones who are either rude or … well … leave an unfortunate surprise in the video box when the video has been returned), she’s not as judgmental as you might imagine.  She uses her experiences with the backroom customers as an opportunity to understand their relation to sexuality and relationships … and also get a little revenge on the ones who were jerks (relax, no real names are given!).  It’s also a requiem for a part of the entertainment industry that’s all but disappeared, as streaming and renting by mail have dominated home entertainment delivery.

If you have a strong stomach and great sense of humor, it’s a really fun and fast read.