Amy Sedaris

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
$15.99
I have this book and it is hysterical! Amy Sedaris is a creative genius! I sent a copy to a friend who has been fighting a sickness for some time. She said it was SUCH a source of laughter for her! She loved it - and you know what they say? Laughter is the best medicine!

Holidays on Ice: Stories
$8.99
One of the funniest and most entertaining stories Sedaris has ever written is the first story in this book, "SantaLand Diaries," his story about working as an elf in a department store Christmas display. It turns out that it is actually borrowed from one of his other books, Barrel Fever. The second best story I would say is "Dinah, the Christmas Whore," which is borrowed from his book Naked. It's a story about an unfortunate woman who is friends with David's sister Lisa. Those are the only two nonfiction stories in this collection.

The other four stories are all fiction, and while they are creatively written I don't find them as interesting as Sedaris' true accounts of his own life. The fiction stories are over-the-top ridiculous. They're not bad, just not what I'm used to and not what I expected.

Here are the stories:
"SantaLand Diaries" (from Barrel Fever)
"Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!"
"Dinah, the Christmas Whore" (from Naked)
"Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol"
"Based Upon a True Story"
"Christmas Means Giving"

"Season's Greetings" is a seasonal letter written to friends and family, telling of the crazy events of the last year. "Front Row" is about attending childrens' Christmas plays, giving reviews of the actors, etc. "Based Upon a True Story" is about a man giving a Christmas speech from the pulpit, with an ulterior motive. "Christmas Means Giving" is about competitive and materialistic neighbors.

If you want to read something really unusual from Sedaris, namely fiction, then check out this book, otherwise buy one of his other books for his more typical fare.

Barrel Fever and Other Stories
$24.98
I picked up on Sedaris later than the 'in' crowd and began reading his books chronologically backwards- from 'Engulfed in Flames' to 'Barrel Fever' and can't say enough about this book. Usually when you start readig most works by an author some pale in comparison to others and by the end of the adventure you realize most authors have 'hits' and 'misses' and you should vet a bit more carefully before buying someone's entire collected works. This was the last Sedaris book I had left to finish reading his entire body of work and it was just as funny as anything else I read of his. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of Sedaris or dark comedy in general pick this up.

Home Studio Home: Providence, RI (Place Space)
$19.95
The second of four titles in a continuing series of books by Todd Oldham that highlight remarkable people places and spaces, features and essay by artist/director Cindy Sherman.