What do You think about I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) (2004)?
Laurie Notaro may not love everybody, but I certainly love her. This book was funny. Really funny. Laugh out loud funny. The kind of book you should have on your shelf to read when you need to cheer yourself up funny. I Love Everbody (and Other Atrocious Lies) is a collection of funny essays written by Laurie about her take on life. Whether she's talking about her sister's SPAM addiction (as in the crappy emails), a trip to Disneyland, or her QVC addicted, Catholic mother or career day, Laurie had me laughing. One essay in particular, "The Sims" is reason enough to read this book- it's a hilarious take on what happens when Laurie creates her husband and herself in the Sims. For those of you who have played the game, you know the kind of hilarity that will ensue. I don't want to give it away- I highly recommend you read it.The thing is, I'd like to think in my own little way, Laurie and I have a similar writing style. Laurie's style is what I aspire to write like, she's honest and funny with the ability to throw in a run on sentence that will make you giggle. I really enjoyed this book- and it was the kind of thing I needed to be reading right now that provides the right humour relief after a stressful day. I'm currently reading another one of Nataro's books- and already last night I was sucked right in to the brilliant essays. I'm giving this book a 9/10- trust me on this one- ADD IT TO YOUR READING LISTS for a fun time.
—Jennifer Johnson
I bought this one on the strength of The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death. Sadly, it's not as good as that one - and Flaming Tantrum I got for free.Previously, my rule has been that if a book makes me laugh out loud, it gets four stars, period. I value laughter, and comedy is hard. This book made me change that rule, because it was such a weird blend of laughing and, well, cringing. While reading these essays, I found myself really, really hoping this was all an exaggeration, that she was claiming to have said things she only thought, that she didn't really act that way. And even though I mostly think that's true, some of these stories still hit a squick I didn't even know I had, some close kin to my embarrassment squick. "You're an adult!" I kept wanting to say. "You have a job and major debt and a husband! Stop acting like a junior varsity football player who has a really good steroids connection!" Still. I did laugh out loud from time to time, when I wasn't wincing away from the page. And I probably will buy another book by Notaro; her work is basically the print equivalent of cotton candy, which is, as it happens, exactly what I'm in the mood for right now.I just wish it was cotton candy that didn't make me flinch every other chapter, that's all.
—thefourthvine
I've said it before...I love Laurie Notaro! It's been a tough week and I wanted to read something uplifting. I knew that I could count on Notaro to pull though and make me laugh. In particular, I liked the "I Love Everybody" section, which included a very relatable trip to Cost-Co. There was also a great section on dealing with the abandonment of friends who have decided to have children. I feel her pain! I probably laughed the most on the section where she explains her grandmother's fascination with the Lifetime network. I also ended up sharing part of the book with my mom. She is basically in her last days and the book made her laugh. This was huge for me.
—Karen Germain
