Book Review Tuesday

As you probably know by now, I am unable to physically walk by a Used Book Store without stopping to peruse the books. When we were in Jackson, we took a walk with my Mom and ended up at a store that was really lovely. Piled from floor to ceiling with books, books, and more books, Mom and I were in heaven. I picked up a couple books by David Sedaris, while Alex picked up Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim was the first of Sedaris' books that I read. It's basically a collection of short stories and essays that are great for anyone with very little time on their hands to read. I have read a few other of Sedaris' books and have thoroughly enjoyed them, at some points laughing out loud at the stories he tells. This book was not nearly as funny and I wonder if it's because his weirdo family and all the characters he's described before are making another appearance. This book is much more about his adult life, as opposed to the childhood memories that mostly composed Me Talk Pretty One Day. I did still laugh out loud at some of his stories, but I also felt that he wasn't trying to be funny in some of them. He was just trying to describe his life. For example, he writes a story about his husband (boyfriend? not sure) and how they get into fights in front of their guests all the time. He talks about how they had made a New Years Resolution not to do that anymore, but they still fight (more of a nitpicky fight, not really a fight - fight) in front of the guests. He describes how they will both go about cleaning up after the party without talking and how the first one to talk "loses" the argument, and the "fight game". This story so rings true on so many aspects of relationships and life. And mostly, it's funny because it's true, but it's not really that funny, know what I mean? His crazy neuroses also come to light, even more so than in his other books, which at times, drove me a little crazy. But a few pages later, the story would be over and it would resolve itself. Altogether, this book was neither phenomenal, but it wasn't bad. I think it was likely more honest that his previous books, as he's beginning to look a little bit more inward, instead of describing his crazy family and friends. There are some sweet and touching stories, some that make you laugh out loud and some that might make you cringe, but it was a pretty good read. The stories are short, you can put it down and walk away from it for a while and not lose your place, and it was pretty entertaining. A great read before bedtime.