Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Me Like Book

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris had me laughing out loud.  This book is just plain funny.  It is not a book with an intriguing plot; it has no plot at all. But the characters sure are memorable, starting with David.  This book comprises essays of David’s life beginning with his lisp to qualms about his IQ.  He tells us about his analytical father and introduces us to his beautiful sister, who likes to wear disguises including the bottom half of a fat suit. If you are sensitive to the “F” word, you may want to skip the chapter about his brother, but I think you’d be missing out.  It was f%#@*ing  hilarious. One of the funniest parts of the book is when he moves to France with his boyfriend Hugh.  There he takes French lessons from a woman with a nasty, almost sadistic disposition.  At one point she tells David, “Every day spent with you is like having a cesarean section.”  Nice teacher.  Each chapter delivers laughter on varying topics.  The comparison of David’s life to Hugh’s upbringing in Africa, was side-splitting. So was his encounter with Americans on a train in France.   If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, then pick up this book. 

Other laugh out-loud books: Click on blue titles to read reviews.

700 Sundays by Billy Crystal pays homage to Billy’s father who died when the now well-known actor was just fifteen. In the book he tells not only of his music-loving father, but also allows us glimpses of other sometimes quirky family members who touched his life.  Funny and touching.

The $64 Tomato by William Alexander is a humorous account of a gardener battling to start and maintain a whopping, über-sized 2,000 square foot kitchen garden. A funny warning to ambitious amateur gardeners.

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey is a memoir about an eccentric but loving father in the early 1900s.  Funny with a nostalgic touch.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is a witty and sarcastic memoir of chef Anthony Bourdain’s humble beginnings to the journey of renown chef. Funny with a side of eye-popping reality.

Life with Father by Clarence Day, Jr is funny memoir about a persnickety, opinionated father in the Victorian age of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Funny with vintage grumpiness.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen is memoir about returning to her quirky Mennonite family after her husband of fifteen years left her (for another man). Funny with honesty and affection. 

The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian by Phil Doran is a funny memoir about this comedy writer moving to Italy with his wife. Funny with foreign warmth and quirkiness.

The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran is a ridiculously funny memoir about two sitcom writers racing each other around the world.

Roughing It by Mark Twain. A weaver of wit, sarcasm, and astute observation, this memoir of Twain’s life is a trip through Nevada, California, and the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii in the mid 1800s. Funny with classic Twain humor.

Stuffed by Patricia Volk - Recounts Patricia’s crazy, loving, restaurant family. The affection she had for her relatives was obvious, and the descriptions of her family members made me laugh. Charming, light reading.

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is a humorous account of a British couple who moves to an old farmhouse in Southern France. Funny interspersed with mouth-watering food descriptions.

Happy reading,

Annette