Ep. 171: Rufi Thorpe (Author of Margo's Got Money Troubles) + Book Recommendations

Sarah's Bookshelves Live

In Episode 171, Rufi Thorpe she joins me to discuss her latest novel, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and her career arc in general. Rufi talks about her inspiration for Margo and the quirky elements she uses to explore deeper topics like loneliness, motherhood, untraditional family dynamics, money, and art — all with a great sense of humor. We also go behind-the-scenes of marketing the book, including cover design, titles, and comparison titles. Plus, Rufi shares her book recommendations!

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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights

• A spoiler-free overview of Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
• Rufi talks about the inspiration for bringing together pro wrestling, OnlyFans, motherhood, a father-daughter story, and the challenges of making ends meet.
• How Wonder Woman (2017) played a role in creating Margo.
• Her thoughts on Margo’s Got Money Troubles possibly being her breakout book.
• The challenges of marketing such a complex book, including designing the cover.
• Rufi’s got title troubles: the working titles for a couple of her books!
• The big questions Rufi addresses in all her work.
• Some scenes that were cut from earlier versions book.
• A theme she’s exploring in her next book is gossip (which also contains time-travel and thriller elements).
• The way Rufi and her publisher handles comps for her hard-to-pin-down books.
• What she learned from an unpublished book she wrote between Dear Fang, With Love and The Knockout Queen.

Rufi’s Book Recommendations [39:30]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:45]
• Ordinary Love and Good Will by Jane Smiley | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:45]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• Oye by Melissa Mogollon | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:35]
• Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:25]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain [50:36]

One Book She DIDN’T Love

• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:56]

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

• Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker (Sept 3, 2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:09]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Godshot by Chelsea Bieker [52:23]

Last 5-Star Book Rufi Read

• Come and Get It by Kiley Reid | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:07]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid [54:24]

Other Books Mentioned

• Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe [1:57]
• The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe [2:12]
• The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe [13:49]
• The Cider House Rules by John Irving [19:53]
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara [30:32]
• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong [30:48]
• The Pisces by Melissa Broder [31:36]
• Milk Fed by Melissa Broder [31:38]
• Victim by Andrew Boryga [38:36]

About Rufi Thorpe

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Rufi Thorpe received her MFA from the University of Virginia in 2009. Rufi is the author of The Knockout Queen, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, Dear Fang, With Love, and her first novel, The Girls from Corona del Mar, which was long-listed for the 2014 International Dylan Thomas Prize and for the 2014 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. A California native, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and sons.