Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

Most of us (for very good reasons) keep our families’ wackiness secret, but David Sedaris has the ability to let it all hang out and make us realize that we are not alone. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim was his follow-up to his bestselling Me Talk Pretty One Day. His stories are mined (somewhat to his siblings’ discomfort) from his family life growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina and on into his young adulthood. The stories are odd, sometimes sad, but mostly funny.

In “Let it Snow” the children had the joy of a rare snow day. They found themselves kicked out of the house when they disrupted their mother’s “secret life she led while we were at school“.  There is something instantly relate-able in his stories.  Sometimes the stories are painful reminders of the awkward moments all our parents have put us through.  Sedaris, in “Consider the Stars”, tells of how his father marched him over to the popular kid’s house, following a rock throwing incident, to demand that his parents pay for Sedaris’ dental work. He envisioned his father refusing to leave their home. “While the rest of the world moved on, my increasingly filthy and bearded father would continue to occupy the rumpus-room sofa. Christmas would come, friends would visit, and the Popes would bitterly direct them toward the easy chairs. “Just ignore him,” they’d say, “He’ll go home sooner or later.“”.

Fans of Sedaris’ self-deprecating tone and his ability to blend the tragic and the comic might also enjoy:

I Like You: hospitality under the influence  by Amy Sedaris – “Are you lacking direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks? A dinner party for white-collar workers? A festive gathering for the grieving? Don’t despair. Take a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. No matter the style or size of the gathering-from the straightforward to the bizarre-I LIKE YOU provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with Amy‘s blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair. You don’t even need to be a host or hostess to benefit-Amy offers tips for guests, too! (Number one: don’t be fifteen minutes early.) Readers will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics (Broiled Frozen Chicken Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful children’s party (a half-hour time limit, games included), plus a whole appendix chock-full of arts and crafts ideas (from a mini-pantyhose plant-hanger to a do-it-yourself calf stretcher), and much, much more” – publisher

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley – “Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory. From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions-or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character that’s aiming for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There’d Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life.” – publisher