When I glanced at the cover of Melissa Febos' "Whip Smart," I thought it was a biography of Eddie Arcaro or one of the other jockeys who once competed on the track at Pimlico. Not exactly. Febos describes a life in New York City (where else?) as a dominatrix, a lucrative job that helped to finance a drug problem.

In just 10 years, she says she managed to graduate from The New School University, punch a clock for four years as a professional dominatrix, and receive an MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College -- all while feeding a drug habit. She must be Type A and an over-achiever. She says her memoir is about personal transformation, and "a kind of a love story."

But this is obviously not your typical book club selection, and judging from the first few pages, I wouldn't recommend reading it before breakfast. Still, if you're interested, you can hear more about the book in this interview with NPR's Terry Gross. Or you can read an excerpt on Amazon -- after you've had your Cheerios and coffee.