Friday, February 12, 2010



Everybody into the Pool: true tales

by Beth Lisick

I really loved this author's 2008 book, Helping Me Help Myself, because I really connected with her sense of humor. Published in 2005, this one is, I think, her first book, and it just isn't as good. Not totally disappointing, but not as many laugh-out-loud moments for me. It's more of a Sedaris-style collection of stories/essays/recollections of family and social life, whereas the other has a unifying theme of trying out different self-help regimens — but I don't think that's the pivotal difference. The 2008 book probably had better editing, and even a few years can do a lot to polish a writer's voice. Also, maybe she just works better with some structure.

Not a bad book, but not super. Easy and quick enough to read, though, and good enough to recommend to people who are really into the Sedarises, Chelsea Handler, etc., and that sort of snarky and sarcastic observational humor.