How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley

Hey! Look at me everyone! I read a book before everyone else in the free world has read it! Usually the book has been on the bestseller lists for years before I get around to reading it. But I've been anticipating the arrival of this book for some time so I bought it as soon as it hit bookstore shelves.

Sloane Crosley is the author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake which I read probably a year ago and loved. When describing Crosley's work to friends, I always say she's the "female David Sedaris" and we all know how I feel about David Sedaris.

How Did You Get This Number is Crosley's second book of essays. Each essay is a little snapshot of some funny event in her life. From "Take A Stab At It" which chronicles her search for the perfect New York roommate and instead ends up with Nell, the "closet anorexic and casual kleptomaniac", to "Off The Back Of A Truck", an out-of-character touching and poignant, yet still funny, look at a breakup with a boyfriend. All are hilarious yet insightful.

The thing that intrigues me most about Crosley is her ability to laugh at herself. I'm a big fan of self-deprecating humor. It lets us, the readers, know the author isn't taking him or herself too serious. Crosley appears, at first glance, to be the typical cosmopolitan New York It-Girl. Beautiful, stylish and put together. That is until you read her essays. It immediately becomes apparent that Crosley is just like the rest of us getting locked out of her apartment, kicked out of Notre Dame in Paris and hiding in bathroom stalls from childhood bullies. It's a cliche but she really everywoman and that appeals to me.

How Did You Get This Number is a fast read, as most books of essays are, so it would make for great poolside or beach reading. I laughed out loud at nearly every essay. And for this reason I am going to give it an unprecedented five bows!Congratulations Sloane Crosley! You received Iowa Bookworm's first five bow rating! Like she cares...

Up next is Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett. This book is freakin' 973 pages long so it might take me awhile. Until then, I'll try to keep blogging on past books I've read or book related news pieces I come across.

Happy reading everyone!

On My Continued Stalking of David Sedaris

A few weeks ago I learned one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris, was going to be making another swing through central Iowa on a speaking tour. Obviously, I was thrilled and immediately began texting my besties to line up a date or two for the show.

This will be my third time hearing Sedaris speak. My husband, Rusty, claims I am stalking him. This may be so. Especially since last time he was in Des Moines, I may have made some comments that would have justified a restraining order being placed on me.

He was speaking at the Civic Center of Des Moines reading from and promoting his new book at the time, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. My friend Jamie Lou and I went for drinks before hand but upon arriving at the Civic Center we found a recently vacated autograph table. Devastated, I tried to sweet talk the guard into letting me in to meet him since I had a first edition copy and was dying for a signature. Rent-a-cop was having none of it. But he was most helpful in informing us that Mr. Sedaris would be signing autographs after the show too.

Jamie and I slipped out quick after the show and ran down the stairs to beat all the other Sedaris fans to the line. When I reached the front of the line, I handed him my first edition copy of Flames. Summoning all my courage, I asked David Sedaris...to sign my boobs. Yep, I did. I was that chick. Now don't forget Mr. Sedaris is gay and quite reserved. He became quite flustered and politely declined, immediately making me ashamed for having embarrassed him so. That is until I read his inscription in my first edition:



It reads: Shannon, Your story has touched your breasts. -David Sedaris. God, I love that man. This book is now one of my most prized possessions.

This time around, Sedaris will be coming to C.Y. Stephens in Ames and my friend Reeney will be joining me for the show. Reeney was also with me the first time I heard him speak quite a few years ago at Hoyt Sherman. Tickets went on sale this morning at 10:00 and I jumped on Ticketmaster at precisely 10:00 AM. I snagged us 10th row seats. Not bad in my opinion, especially for Stephens. He will be promoting his forthcoming book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. From the sounds of it, this book will be amazing. A collection of anthropomorphic animal stories. I will be first in line when the book hits shelves in October.

I have decided, however, I will be on my best behavior this time. I have serious literary questions to ask him. I don't need to be the juvenile court jester all the time, cracking jokes and acting silly. Well, maybe on second thought I'll ask him to fake make out with me for a picture.

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

A few weeks ago, Rusty and I came upon A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt on Encore. The movie is one of my favorites - it's visually stunning not only in the Montana scenery but in the 1920's period clothes. This unexpected movie viewing reminded me that I have been meaning to read the book the movie was based on for some time. So I ran out to Barnes and Noble and got it.

I was a bit hesitant to read this book. As I mentioned, the movie is a favorite and I was worried the book would not live up to my expectations. Not long ago, I purchased Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison. This movie is also a favorite. I hated the book. Imagine those gay movie reviewers from In Living Color with their sing-song voices when I say I hated it. (Just don't imagine me wearing a teeny tiny bowler hat, please.) The book was awful. So, since I consider River and Legends to be the same genre (Montana based, family conflict, outdoor activities, Brad Pitt starring) despite their different authors, I was nervous.

*Disclaimer* Once again, please remember I am reviewing the book here, not the movie. There were differences.

River is a short autobiographical novella about Norman Maclean and his brother Paul. It's 1938 and Norman is newly married to Jessie Burns (see differences) and living with her family. Paul is a journalist for a local Helena, Montana newspaper. Norman and Paul are the only children of a Scottish Presbyterian minister. They spent their childhoods on the banks of the Big Blackfoot river near Missoula, Montana fly fishing.

Norman's wife and mother-in-law assign him the task of looking after Jessie's visiting alcoholic brother, Neal. Norman and Paul are to take Neal fishing and by extension, help him with his alcoholism...somehow. Norman has bigger fish to fry, however. (Tee hee! Get it? Bigger fish to fry. It's a book about fishing.) Ahem. Anyway, Norman is worried that Paul may be drinking a little too much himself. But more troublesome, he seems to have gotten himself behind in a shady and dangerous poker game. And as the local police sergeant explains, "It's not healthy to get behind in that poker game."

Just about every major scene in the book takes place on the river. And each theme and concept is given metaphorically in fly fishing terms. Maclean has a very lyrical, almost poetic, voice that is beautiful and mesmerizing. When describing the slow appearance of a big fish in the river water, Maclean says, "Out of the lifeless and hopeless depths, life appeared. He came so slowly it seemed as if he and history were being made on the way." Beautiful, simply beautiful.

Despite the above quote, the fly fishing jargon got a little tedious at times. And a bit technical. I mean, he really gets into the nuts and bolts of fly fishing. But just because I don't understand, doesn't diminish the book in my opinion. I know fly fisher-people are maniacally devoted to the craft so I wasn't surprised the book was so in depth.

Overall, I give A River Runs Through It four bows . It's a short, quick read set against a majestically beautiful landscape. Not exactly identical to the movie but the differences make the book new and interesting. And just like the movie, the book makes me want to move to the Montana area. Someday, maybe.

Happy reading, everyone! And as an aside, drop me a line and let me know what's on all your summer reading lists.