09 December 2014

A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities

BARBARA VENKATARAMAN

Synopsis from Goodreads: At 8,000 words, this collection of humorous essays explores such quirky topics as: disastrous home repairs, ("A Trip to the Hardware Store"), an unfortunate dinner party (“Dinner is Served"), the truth about lazy people ("Lazy Bones"), the weird life of a debt collector ("Your Account is Past Due") and obsessions with gadgets ("Gadget Girl"). Other essays examine how surreal the aging process is (“Where Did the Time Go?"), why you shouldn't judge a person by their job (“Beyond Belief”), and how to complicate simple transactions (“High Finance”). Like the author's first work, "I'm Not Talking About You, Of Course…," these essays will give your spirit a lift and leave you smiling.

Stats for my copy: Pdf received from the author for review.

First line: He always gave it his best when it came to home repairs, but my dad was in way over his head. 


My thoughts: I've just moved from a three bedroom house to a two bedroom duplex, and life has been very hectic the past week as I settle in and try to figure out where to put all my stuff. This collection of short essays was the perfect remedy for my tired brain at the end of the day. It took me longer than it should have to read, but I sometimes picked it up and reread a few pages before moving on. The author's sense of humor shines through, and I particularly enjoyed "Your Account Is Past Due", about her experiences as a debt collector, and "Beyond Belief", about her experiences as a waitress. If you're a fan of Erma Bombeck (and who isn't?), you'll enjoy these amusing slice of life stories. My only complaint is the book was too short.