worms

I'm back! I'll post pics from my travels soon enough! In the meantime...


I used to enroll in English courses to scope out good books. It never really occurred to me to just check out the online syllabus. Anyway, this eventually led me to declaring a second minor in English. Fast forward to today, and (story of my life) there really isn’t much free time to do recreational reading. When I do have time to catch my breath I usually …sleep…or get irresponsibly drunk. So, on my to-do list this summer is a list of books that I am very intent on reading.

I know many people out there are looking for good reads, so I’ll share my current list:



I’m only halfway through this list so I can’t give complete reviews on all of them.

1. The Complete Saki by Saki. As you can probably see from the pic above, I didn't get a chance to browse this one yet. But apparently, Saki is a classical genius. He’s really good at making fun of pretentious folks and I have no qualms about that.

2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. The first thing this author did correct? He’s from New Orleans. The second thing he got right? He set the novel in New Orleans and detailed quirks about the city are dispersed throughout. Don't you love it already? This novel is comical! It kind of reminds me of Voltaire’s Candide. The main character is obnoxiously eccentric and is totally reminiscent of the type of people you might come across in New Orleans today. There’s actually a statue on Canal St at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel modeled after the character, Ignatius. Because of the novel’s frequent mention of Lucky Dogs, Jerry Strahan, a manager of Lucky Dogs for 20 years, wrote a semi-autobiographical book entitled Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in New Orleans, which takes a good look at ridiculous characters employed by Lucky Dogs who are undoubtedly New Orleans in nature (like the fictitious character of Ignatius). And yes, I do realize I just reviewed a book by also recommending another book. LOL.

3. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. David Sedaris is my absolute favorite modern satirist ever! His short stories are autobiographical and hilarious. This isn’t my first Sedaris book and it will definitely not be my last. The first time I experienced the pee-in-your-pants work of Sedaris was with his debut book Me Talk Pretty One Day (If there is only one book you read at my recommendation, please read Me Talk Pretty One Day.). It’s still my favorite book of all time. This man writes the way I only wish I could write. He has an insanely witty and dry sense of humor and can turn mundane, everyday situations into laugh-out-loud fests! Honest to God, I lay in bed reading his stories and laugh out loud by myself with every chapter. He is a genius and this book, although not as good as his previous ones, does not disappoint if you’re looking for smart, ironic humor. I adore him and hope he keeps cranking out tell-alls about his crazy family.

4. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl. This is the literary alternative to watching Top Chef, Food Network, or the Travel Channel. Ruth Reichl was the Restaurant Critic for The New York Times. Her resume is an extensive list that dabbles in all the prestigious words/brands/names that could be associated with world class cuisine. This novel follows her in her New York Times gig where she must undergo transformations and disguises to anonymously critique some of the most notorious and not so well known restaurants of New York. She describes food with so much attention to detail and with so much passion it really gives you an appreciation of what it takes to really break down the essence of a dish and its flavor profiles. The extreme costumes and identities she has to take on to maintain anonymity is the icing on the cake for both food and fashion lovers. I love this book and can’t wait until I have more time to sink my teeth in more novels in this genre.

5. Naked by David Sedaris. Yes, It’s Mr. Sedaris again. I can’t help it. The man is hilarious and I’m trying to read everything he has pumped out. I’m serious. He’s my idol. I see myself in his internalizations except, in his head and in my head, he’s way cooler and way funnier, and as much as I attempt, I’ll never be able to crank out even one sentence as comical as his. And did I mention he's gay? He needs to be my gay guy best friend. on the real.