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!