One messed-Up Thanksgiving dinner

Strangers at the Feast: A Novel
by Jennifer Vanderbes

I have not read Jennifer Vanderbes first novel, Easter Island, but now I will, having just finished her entertaining second book, Strangers at the Feast. In this book, Vanderbes writes about three generations of the Olson family, as they celebrate Thanksgiving dinner in Connecticut. Each character in the story is described with humorous undertones without obscuring the very real problems that each is suffering with. The book comes across as if a social anthropologist wrote a charming novel about an American Thanksgiving dinner. Themes of feminism, emasculated manhood, mistreatment of the lower class, and ruthless building development, each have a seat at the dining room table. The novel moves along quickly with plenty of surprises.

BOOK THE FIRST: David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Well, I came to find out that JFK has a remarkably small choice of books for a city that apparently prides itself in its book-learning. However, I took the opportunity to finally read a book by this David Sedaris guy that everyone seems so excited about, so my first book in my year of magical reading was David Sedaris' Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.

After reading this book, I can tell why so many people are so into David Sedaris. His stories are hilarious, but without losing substance and he has a way of occasionally slipping something heart-wrenching in between his jokes. His stories also have an honesty to them that makes them very relateable. In fact, the honesty is taken to a level that often led me to the conclusion that David Sedaris is kind of a dick...

I believe the true value of this book will appear later when I start to notice and remember all the quippy observations and whatnot later in my life. I also have a new favorite name for my future summer home.

Overall, on a scale of 1-10. 10 being a plate of fresh-baked cookies and 1 being a poke in the eye, I'll give this book a 7. It was really fun to read and I laughed out loud several times, but it doesn't have the substance that would make it equal a plate of warm, gooey, delicious cookies.