"Theft by Finding" by David Sedaris

When Jeff and I went to North Carolina on vacation in June, I took with me only one book. This is a first for me, as I typically bring at least two hard cover books on any trip, as well as additional books on my ipad mini, and audio books on my phone. However, on this trip I only took one book, and while risky, I had complete faith in my selection because David Sedaris wrote it. This is his ninth book and it is perhaps the finest one yet. I have, of course, read all of the other ones and can still remember laughing out loud at each one. But reading this book is like spending days on end with David Sedaris in your head. Every sentence, every paragraph sounds like his true and unique voice. The book is a compilation of diary entries from 1977-2002, a time period during which so much happened not only in David’s life, but also in the world. He is an intense observer of things close and far away. When we meet him in 1977, he is traveling and eventually settles in North Carolina. He smokes, drinks, does drugs and is beyond poor. But he finds the humor in nearly every situation, no matter how grim his circumstances. In an entry from 1982 he wrote, “My phone has been disconnected, so I called Southern Bell… The woman at the phone company addressed me as “Mrs. Sedaris” until I couldn’t stand it any more and corrected her. This always happens. They think I’m a woman—a woman named David.” Eventually he moves to Chicago to study art and becomes a teacher, and colors every class, every student and every experience in different shades of laughter. And then, finally, in the last chapters of the book he moves to New York, gets sober, writes an essay about being one of Santa’s elves at Macy’s, sells it to NPR and the rest is history. This book ends in 2002 when he is on a book tour, flying around first class, and eating in restaurants that serve “Baby Pasta Ears Listening to Artichoke” and “Grilled Prawns Frolicking on Polenta.” I can’t think of a better book to take on vacation, or to just read sitting in your kitchen in your pajamas. David Sedaris is just one of the funniest writers of our time, or any time. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.