Journal Entry 1 by saram23 from Lowell, Massachusetts USA on Tuesday, March 29, 2005

read my notes 

Journal Entry 2 by ghir from Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Friday, April 08, 2005

Received today. Thank you very much for trading! Will read and pass on.

More in the bizarre world of David Sedaris. These essays are tighter than some of his previous works.

To Hellie, 10/8/05. 

Journal Entry 3 by Hellie from South Shields, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Friday, December 09, 2005

Looking forward to reading - thanks sooo much!

read this week. good selctrion of short stoories to dip and out of. Some entertaining, some I was left wondering what the point was. It all just kind of stopped too. As for the mouse - is there any need?
He is a weird individual I feel having read this book.... 

Journal Entry 4 by Hellie at Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Saturday, January 07, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (1/12/2006 UTC) at Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

coffee room usptairs at meet. 

Journal Entry 5 by bookwormnicky from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Saturday, January 14, 2006

Picked up at the January Newcastle book meet. 

Journal Entry 6 by bookwormnicky from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Monday, June 19, 2006

I had never heard of this author which explains why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this book. However, I can wholeheartedly say that I really enjoyed it. Sedaris writes bluntly with an amusing tone. I will be looking out for other books of his in the near future! 

Journal Entry 7 by bookwormnicky from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Monday, June 19, 2006

I noticed that this book is fairly high on the most wanted books list at Cliff1976.com. Therefore I have decided to send this book on as a bookray.

Here's the list:

Yinny - Neatherlands - Would prefer to ship within Europe
Piiku - Finland - Willing to ship internationally
awaywithfairies - Australia - Would prefer to ship within Oz or NZ but would ship internationally.
LilB - Japan - Willing to ship internationally.
cats-eye - UK - Willing to ship internationally.
Jazz-ee2- UK - Willing to ship internationally, would like to be near the end of the list.
Kali297 - USA - No shipping preferences. Would like to be near the end of the list.

Book Ray Guidelines.

*Journal the book when you get it.

*Please read the book asap. Don't leave it sitting on the shelf for months!

*Journal the book once you have read it.

*Message the next person on the list for their address and send the book on asap.

*If you do not hear a reply in a reasonable space of time then message the next person on the list.
 

Journal Entry 8 by bookwormnicky from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Thursday, July 13, 2006

Sent on the first leg of the bookray to Yinny this morning. Hope you all enjoy it! 

Journal Entry 9 by Yinny from Capelle aan den IJssel, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, July 19, 2006

And received it! I will read it asap. As I have more ringbooks with me, this book will be the third... 

Journal Entry 10 by Yinny from Capelle aan den IJssel, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Monday, August 07, 2006

Funny guy, David Sedaris! Some of the stories are hilarious, while others are just weird. Especially the part about the Dutch Santa Claus was very appealing to me, as a Dutch. Never thought about how foreigners would perceive "our" Sinterklaas!

The book will be send to Piiku today! 

Journal Entry 11 by Piiku from Parainen, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, August 22, 2006

The book is here!

I wonder how this week will turn out; it's Tuesday, and this is the 3rd bookring I've received... Anyway, I promise I will try to read this asap. 

Journal Entry 12 by Piiku from Parainen, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Sunday, August 27, 2006

I found the stories about the authos's childhood funny, but somehow he turned weird when growing up. I still enjoyed reading the book!

Sending to awaywithfairies tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 13 by awaywithfairies from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Journal Entry 14 by awaywithfairies from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Friday, September 15, 2006

Journal Entry 15 by awaywithfairies at Postal Release in Sydney, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, September 16, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (9/16/2006 UTC) at Postal Release in Sydney, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Journal Entry 16 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Friday, September 22, 2006

arrived safely this morning - I have 1 other bookring ahead of this, but I'll get to it ASAP! 

Journal Entry 17 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Sunday, October 15, 2006

I've been dipping in & out of this over the past couple weeks but can't seem to actually sit and read it straight through. Most of the stories are a bit odd, a few have been laugh-out-loud funny but I think I'm just not cut out to be a Sedaris fan. I will PM Jazz-ee2 for their address and get this in the post as soon as I hear back. Thank you for sharing this, bookwormnicky! 

Journal Entry 18 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 24, 2006

posted today to Jazz-ee2 - safe travels, little book! 

Journal Entry 19 by jazz-ee2 from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, October 27, 2006

This arrived safely yesterday. I have a couple of books ahead of it, but will get to it asap! 

Journal Entry 20 by jazz-ee2 from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 28, 2006

I read this book as soon as I got it - you know how it is, have a quick browse, get into it and can't put it down (but then forgot to journal it, obviously)! I really enjoyed this book. I loved Sedaris' dry wit, thought it very similar to Bill Bryson's style of observational humour. Saying that, I think I would rather spend an afternoon with Bryson than with Sedaris, as I feel it would be too much in large doses!
I haven't read any other books by Sedaris before this one, but will certainly look out for his earlier book 'Me talk pretty one day'.

Sending (probably surface mail) to kali297 

Journal Entry 21 by Kali297 from Greer, South Carolina USA on Sunday, December 17, 2006

I got this book within the last week or so but I was out of town and don't know exactly when. Anyway, I've already read the first chapter or two and I'm impressed. Thanks, Jazzee-2! 

Journal Entry 22 by AnonymousFinder on Thursday, February 08, 2007

I just finished the book. For the first half, I was very amused. He's so insightful, with little gems of humor on every page. Not one thing that unfolds in the author's world escapes his notice. But then I started feeling claustrophobic. He obsessively and repetitively dissects his little world, and I grew less amused and more alarmed at the prospect that this guy may be suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. He doesn't analyze everything in his path because he's fascinated, although I think he is. But it seemed to me that he did it because he was compelled to, God help him. He couldn't help himself.
Every memoir has to have good closure, a way to wrap up the story, as in fiction, so the reader feels like he/she has completed the journey and learned something along the way. I kept wondering what his would be. After finishing it, I think he failed at this. I was left with, as another reviewer said, "What's the point?" I have admiration for this gifted author who hasn't had an easy go at life, and he's found a niche in exploiting that, but he's a lazy writer. Maybe I'll read another of his books if he decides to stop playing at writing and goes to work. I think he still hasn't distanced himself enough from his pain to do that.
By the way, I'm the last on the list. This is a bookRAY, not a RING. I can't remember which is which, except that I think I remember a ray as just that. When we're finished, we beam it to the world and release it. If it's a ring, it makes a circle back to the BX'er who started it.
So let me know if I'm supposed to send this on to someone else. I'd rather do that than keep it.  

Journal Entry 23 by Kali297 from Greer, South Carolina USA on Thursday, February 08, 2007

Oh dear, in my rush, I forgot to sign in before reviewing this book and ended up as "Anonymous Finder" instead of kali297, the last person on the list.