Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls
by David Sedaris (Little, Brown, $27)
David Sedaris can get away with almost anything, said Heather Havrilesky in the Los Angeles Times. Now a rich man thanks to his seven previous collections of short, comic essays, Sedaris here mixes poignantly funny snapshots of his youth with tales about more recent misadventures—like buying property in England and having a laptop stolen in Hawaii. But instead of sounding obnoxiously privileged, Sedaris “pulls it off”—mostly by “adhering closely to the emotional heart of each tale.”
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Dad Is Fat
by Jim Gaffigan (Crown, $25)
Comedian Jim Gaffigan is “typically self-effacing” in his new memoir on fatherhood, said Bill Brownstein in the Montreal Gazette. That’s evident from the first words: “Jim Gaffigan wrote a book? Isn’t he the Hot Pockets guy? I guess that’s funny to some people.” Gaffigan also cunningly adopts a shell-shocked tone while writing about his efforts with his wife to raise five young children in a two-room Manhattan apartment. The results prove “hilarious and, dare we say, instructive.”
Screw Everyone
by Ophira Eisenberg (Seal Press, $16)
Ophira Eisenberg “is clearly not just a great comedian; she’s a great writer,” said Liz Colville in the San Francisco Chronicle. The stand-up performer and NPR host has turned the story of her early adulthood into a parade of “tumultuous, disappointing, and hilarious romantic escapades.” Eisenberg seems to have encountered “her fair share of weirdos,” but she doesn’t appear to exaggerate for effect. She’s written “a celebration of female sexual freedom” that’s both funny and emotionally honest.
Snapper
by Brian Kimberling (Pantheon, $25)
The protagonist of this “tender and acerbic” debut novel is decidedly less than enamored of his home state, said Edward Hart in
The protagonist of this “tender and acerbic” debut novel is decidedly less than enamored of his home state, said Edward Hart in The Kansas City Star. In Indiana, says unmotivated birdwatcher Nathan Lochmueller, “Everything’s flat, everyone’s fat, and you can’t buy beer on Sunday.” Author Brian Kimberling never does make Nathan’s love interest seem fully human. But Kimberling has established himself with Snapper as “a remarkably funny and profound voice in contemporary fiction.”
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Why the world is going mad about Taylor Swift's weddingThe pop star unveiled diamond ring in cosy snaps with fiancé Travis Kelce earlier this week
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Hostage: Netflix's 'fun, fast and brash potboiler'The Week Recommends Suranne Jones is 'relentlessly defiant' as prime minister Abigail Dalton
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France political crisis: what does Bayrou's gamble mean for Macron?The French president could see his authority damaged beyond repair should another of his governments fail
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Also of interest...in picture books for grown-upsfeature How About Never—Is Never Good for You?; The Undertaking of Lily Chen; Meanwhile, in San Francisco; The Portlandia Activity Book
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Author of the week: Karen Russell
feature Karen Russell could use a rest.
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The Double Life of Paul de Man by Evelyn Barish
feature Evelyn Barish “has an amazing tale to tell” about the Belgian-born intellectual who enthralled a generation of students and academic colleagues.
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Book of the week: Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
feature Michael Lewis's description of how high-frequency traders use lightning-fast computers to their advantage is “guaranteed to make blood boil.”
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Also of interest...in creative rebellion
feature A Man Called Destruction; Rebel Music; American Fun; The Scarlet Sisters
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Author of the week: Susanna Kaysen
feature For a famous memoirist, Susanna Kaysen is highly ambivalent about sharing details about her life.
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You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood’s Golden Age by Robert Wagner
feature Robert Wagner “seems to have known anybody who was anybody in Hollywood.”
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Book of the week: Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire by Peter Stark
feature The tale of Astoria’s rise and fall turns out to be “as exciting as anything in American history.”