Me Talk Pretty One Day

Just finished this book--I thought it was hilarious! David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers. He has a great funny/sarcastic tone. His books are kind of a collections of short stories from his life, but they are very funny and even a little crazy at times. I will say this--he is very gay, and while he never graphically talks about anything, he does mention his partner quite a bit. If you are offended by this, I wouldn't read his books. However, if you don't care, it really is not extensive, or in your face. I think it is part of what makes him hilarious.

If you read this book, skip the chapter "You Can't Kill the Rooster." It is a story about his brother, who swears quite a bit. You can skip it without any problem, and there is very little swearing in the rest of the book--there are handful throughout though, so beware if you are sensitive to that.

With those warnings in mind, I think his writing style is brilliant. I laugh out loud every now and then, which I rarely do with books. If you are not easily offended, check this one out for sure, along with some of his others. I would rate it PG-13.

I am Not a Serial Killer

This book was very interesting from a psychological standpoint. It follows the story of a fifteen year old boy who realizes that he has an unnatural obsession with death and serial killers, along with many emotional and physical signs of becoming a serial killer himself. He seems predisposed to become something evil. However, he knows that it is wrong, and makes the conscious choice to not let himself go down that path. He sets a series a rigid rules for himself, to keep his mind from engaging in dangerous behaviors that could lead to unleashing "the monster," as he calls it.

When a serial killer begins to murder people in his own hometown, he must battle the morbid curiosity he has about this person and the murders, while trying to protect the people he loves, and keeping "the monster" at bay. It may prove to be too much for him to handle....The story is pretty interesting, and a quick read. The author is actually from Orem, Utah, and this is his first book--kind of fun.

I would rate this a PG, due to some graphic descriptions about the embalming process (his mother is a mortician) and descriptions of the murdered bodies. Other than that, no bad language and no sex.

Elsewhere

I just finished this book, and I absolutely fell in love with it. It is not very long, and a pretty quick read. It is the very interesting story of a girl who dies at age 15, which is where the book begins. She transitions into the next life, which is not at all what she expected. This book is not religious at all, nor does it contain any traditional ideas about "heaven." Yet it is a completely fascinating, creative take on what comes next. It is basically a new life starting over, complete with family, friends, jobs, houses, and pets. However, the catch is: everyone ages backwards from the age they were when they died.

Liz (the main character) has to accept the fact that she will never get to turn 16. She struggles with the transition, but goes through a very sweet and interesting metamorphosis. She even takes a job helping deceased pets transition into Elsewhere--very sweet, and funny.

Great for a quick, clean read. I would rate it PG.