As I promised a month ago, I'm here to offer my thoughts on (Dad Gone Mad) Danny Evans' first book, Rage Against the Meshugenah, and (Baby on Bored) Stefanie Wilder-Taylor's latest book, It’s Not Me, It’s You, after reading them both in the past few weeks.
RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts
I wholeheartedly agree with every other reader I've heard from that this book is a must-read for anyone who knows someone (especially a man, or a generally reserved woman) who might be depressed.This includes, of course, pretty much everyone, and I can't decide who would get more out of it-- people who know they know someone who's depressed, or people who haven't yet put all the signs together.
The tone of the book is not all dark and depressing, which would kind of defeat the purpose, nor is it all wisecracking superficiality. It's the same blend of both aspects (and others) that you get in the most rewarding, memorable conversations you have with good friends.
I know I'm not saying anything everyone who's listening hasn't already heard before, but I felt compelled (as someone who has faced a lot of the same struggles as Danny) to build on my preview post to confirm that yes, you really, really should read this book, one way or another.
IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman
As much as I enjoyed Stefanie's first two books, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Naptime Is the New Happy Hour, I appreciated those on a much more superficial level, as a parent laughing at how ridiculous children and their parents can be sometimes.Stefanie's new book is different, in that it's a straightforward, self-assured comic memoir, which is a genre (led by David Sedaris) that I particularly enjoy.
To keep you invested in her biography without getting caught up in a weepy tell-all, Stefanie sprinkles in just the right amount of references to the deeper drama and conflicts in her life that led to the amusing and occasionally bizarre stories that are the star of this book.
The result is a fast-reading collection of essays that can be taken all together in order, or separately and at random, without missing information that would keep you from appreciating her humor or storytelling abilities. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes humorous memoirs or personal essays.
In unrelated news (about which I'm sure you'll see, hear, and read a great many more stirring tributes and remembrances than I can muster), today is of course the 8th anniversary of the hijackings of 9/11/01, for which I'm almost totally sure you can hold these two folks entirely blameless. How's that for an endorsement??
10 comments:
What if I'm the depressed guy? I've struggled with it for the better part of 15 years now. I've had a couple friends tell me that I HAVE to read this book... maybe a trip to Amazon is in the works for me.
Danny's book was amazing. I just finished it earlier this week and immediately put in on Hubby's nightstand so he could read it, too.
"people who know they know someone who's depressed, or people who haven't yet put all the signs together"
Yes.
Adding both to my Amazon cart right now. I've been meaning to read Danny's for a while but now I need both!
Have a great weekend!
Danny's book is on its way to my house right now!
Like how I didn't use an apostrophe for that possessive pronoun? You're welcome.
Muskrat, you know me so well, it's like you're in my brain!
Or, in common parlance, "its like your in my brian!"
That's actually painful to type... so, so painful. I feel like the misused words should be underlined in green, or something, as my browser's attempt to protect me from such glaring errors normally missed by spelling and grammar checkers.
Incidentally, if any of you readers are intimidated by what you feel would be my disdain at reading your errors (people have mentioned this fear before), rest assured that at this point in my life, I'm very much used to them in other people, and I won't think less of you for them.
Worst-case scenario, I'll mentally categorize you with the teeming hordes of people who just don't care about such things, and whose aptitude lies elsewhere, possibly somewhere I'm completely inept myself. Just ask my mechanic.
Okay, I'll support these guys too. But when does Literal Dan's book come out?
Danny's book was a huge comfort to me (& yeah, I wrote a big review singing it's praises too) and now my wife's reading it to understand the issue from a man's perspective.
The other book has now gone on my request/hold list at the library.
I praise Danny for bringing the word Meshugenah back into everyday language. Yiddish words are so expressive.
Yes, but 9/11 is partially responsible for Danny's book. Hmmm ...
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