Customer Reviews

Life is Ridiculous

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

First things first, I suggest a slight modification to the cover of Life is Ridiculous by Valerie Fausone. It needs to come with a "Don't be Drinking A Beverage While Reading This Book" advisory. Trust me, if you pick up a copy of this book, which you really should, don't be drinking anything while you read it. Or at least pause your reading, take a sip, swallow, and then go back to reading. Trust me on this, things will be less messy if you follow those simple steps. Ignore this warning at your own peril, and don't come crying to me when Mr. Pibb comes rocketing out of your nose, hosing down your favorite reading spot. I warned you.

This is a damn funny book. It made me laugh out loud several times while reading it, causing a few strangers to nervously edge closer to the laundromat's exit, and more than one co-worker to peek into my work area, checking to see if I'd finally gone completely daffy. No, I was just reading an excellent book that entertained me greatly.

The book is a series of short essays on various, fairly every-day topics. However, the way that Valerie writes about them in such an entertaining way, that you really can't help but laugh like crazy. The section that probably made me laugh out loud the most was a section about stupid laws in various states around the country. I really wish that I had known that it was illegal in NJ to get drunk and annoy others in your home, because if I'd known that a few years ago, I can tell you that there a couple of exes of mine that would now have disturbingly long arrest records. Of course, I probably would too, so perhaps it's just as well.

The essays in this book are all fairly short, so if you have the attention span of a goldfish, you'll still get plenty of enjoyment out of this book. Of course, I also found that because of that, it was extremely tempting to polish this book off in one sitting like a box of Thin Mints, but even if you do sucumb to that temptation, Life is Ridiculous is far less fattening. But it is still great with a cold glass of milk.

Other reviewers have compared Valerie Fausone to Dave Barry, Erma Bombeck, and Sarah Vowell, and deservedly so. However, she's got a voice of her own that is just as entertaining and fun to read. Plus, she's tried to get her kids into listening to Led Zepplin, and anyone that does that is cool in my book.

So order this book, put down that beverage, read and enjoy. You won't be sorry that you did. The only problem is that after reading it, you'll be impatient for the next installment of Life is Ridiculous. I know I am. However, at the same time, my nostrils are greatful that she hasn't finished the second installment yet, because that means that it will be a little while before they have to have Cherry Coke shooting through them at high velocity.

I told you this book should come with a warning.

Valerie Fausone is a hard-working, often-published author, but she isn't a household name, at least not yet. But this book puts her well on the way to fame. The slightly twisted sense of humor she brings to this book of hilarious writing compares to the likes of Dave Barry, Sarah Vowell, and David Sedaris, but the power-packed prose is completely her own free-wheeling style. There really isn't anyone like her.

She's an admitted specialist in writing brief essays, perfect for those with short attention spans. Although it's tempting to read it all in one sitting, the scores of short essays make this perfect reading for the morning train, airport waiting lounges, and (dare I admit it) the little library on top of the toilet tank. The juicy words seemingly just pour out of Valerie, forming loopy sentences that pull the reader into her very silly world. There's a manic sensibility to it... it makes perfect sense, if you squint really hard.

And Valerie takes no prisoners. Whether she's frightening the other moms at a baby shower by informing them that she's buying a handgun; vengefully throwing ice water on her unsuspecting husband; or trying to turn her kids on to Led Zeppellin, Valerie turns every odd little thing she does into a blast.

Don't miss out on this massively entertaining book. It left me waiting impatiently for the next installment of "Life is Ridiculous".

This book cracked me up!! When I started reading it I wondered what it would be like - would it just be gobs of humor thrown into the book or would it be randomly placed here and there? It was great! Beyond what I expected.

I found myself laughing outloud while reading this and also thinking "hey I'm not alone in my wacky thinking".

Thank you Valerie - I look forward to more books from you!!

Where real life meets with the silly, amusing observations about the random things most of us take for granted or quietly grumble about under our collective breaths; these are the things that Valerie Fausone notices AND writes about.

It all begins innocently enough; advising the reader to "Just Be Cool". Solid enough advice, but she makes it look so easy! Step by step she draws you into what ultimately becomes a true "laugh out loud" (alternatively known as don't read this book while drinking a beverage) collection of tales.

As a somewhat regular woman who enjoys reading, I first viewed it as "just another book" that was "probably" worth reading. I hereby declare my mistake with humility as this is without a doubt the funniest book I have read since the last publishing by anything "Erma Bombeck" or "Dave Barry". I am humbled by the unique humor and satire that can really not be compared to any other author on the planet, perhaps in the galaxy.

My favorite excerpt from the book is this one:

"Kids cannot be convinced that strawberry syrup is not a fruit and are able to make a pretty good argument that a Snickers bar works as a breakfast choice on account of the peanuts. If there are no candy bars available, possible suggestions will be Cookie Donut cereal, or beef jerky with grape Jello on the side. This makes perfect sense in the mind of a small growing person. Attempts to guide them in the direction of granola will fail. Kids have their own idea about what is good. When they finally get to college, they'll drink beer for breakfast, so why get bent out of shape over their food choices now?"

I spent most of my time laughing, but underneath the laughter was something deeper; the feeling that I wasn't alone in all of this muck. It gave me fodder to launch at all the ridiculous but sometimes irritating or painful things in my life. That's a wonderful thing to get from simply reading a book, at least I think so.

But it's not all about kids, parenting or things that appeal to me. I honestly think that there is something in there for everyone. I don't gush often and I most certainly will not enthusiastically advocate something if I don't believe in it. I honestly believe that this book is one of the funniest things I have ever had the privilege of reading.

In fact I think I will go read it again...

Buy the book, laugh your collective butts off. You won't be sorry you did and you don't even have to thank me for pointing it out to you.

Loved illustrating the cover, it was one of my first! The book is great.
If you're interested in viewing more of my work go to: [...]
Keep up the creativity!
Taillefer

Before I read this book, I knew Valerie had a great sense of humor, but I was not prepared for what was to come. This book contains short essays on politically charged topics such as public school, global warming, race relations, and the space program, balanced with discussions of Godzilla, fireworks, step-parenting, vacationing, and fashion.

My favorite selection, "Sports Dissident," had me nodding my head hard enough to make myself dizzy and wanting to give Valerie high-fives.

If I ever meet Valerie in person, I'll try not to throw up on her shoes, because she is astronomically cooler than I am. She's so cool I think she should have her name on giant pink #1 fingers.

Life is ridiculous, the truth is absurd, and Valerie delivers it to her readers in short, concise bursts of total hilarity.

This is a great collection of short essays by our author. I am personally a new mom with very little free time, and I love being able to sit down and read an essay or two without having to remember a long storyline.

The book is funny and endearing. I would absolutely gift it to my friends and family.

"Life is Ridiculous" is a humorous take on the life of Valerie Fausone, publicist and Dog-Mommy extraordinaire. She shares her life candidly with the reader, so that a gloomy, rainy day could have a little sunshine. Her anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek viewpoints don't always go for the belly-laugh but the quiet chuckle to yourself when you've stumbled upon an inside joke.

This is perfect reading in bed material when you've wrapped up in your favorite blanket with a mug of warm milk and cookies, to get over a really stressful day!

Through a series of short, humorous essays, Valerie Fausone holds up a funhouse mirror that allows us to see our lives more clearly. She points out the funny, twisted little ways we (or she, sometimes) sees things, in a way that untwists them and makes us go "Oh! Well, I never thought about it that way!" You may not always agree with her (I don't) but you will appreciate her point of view, and her way of expressing it.

Subjects tackled range from feminism to dieting to credit cards to race relations. Definitely great for times when you don't have long to read, bad for times when drinking beverages, and even worse for times when out-loud bursts of laughter might garner funny looks.

A genuinely laugh out loud funny collection of essays, Life is Ridiculous is the first work by Valerie Fausone, and clearly establishes her as one of the most brilliant emerging humorists of our age. A sharp, cynical wit rides side by side with self-depreciation: you need look no further than "Looking Like Keith Richards" for evidence of this.

Like Erma Bombeck, Fausone draws her life from everyday material. Her gift is finding the humor in the baby showers, the unexpected drawbacks of caller ID, and carpet cleaning. She's hip -- too hip for her neighborhood, apparently -- with strong opinions on music, step-parenting, and the home design. Some essays also examine popular culture: you have to admire a humorist who can address Enron and Spongebob Squarepants within the covers of a single volume. Strongly recommended!