Free Downloads Housebroken: Admissions Of An Untidy Life
#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Notaro isn’t exactly a domestic goddess—unless that means she fully embraces her genetic hoarding predisposition, sneaks peeks at her husband’s daily journal, or has made a list of the people she wants on her Apocalypse Survival team (her husband’s not on it). Notaro chronicles her chronic misfortune in the domestic arts, including cooking, cleaning, and putting on Spanx while sweaty (which should technically qualify as an Olympic sport). Housebroken is a rollicking new collection of essays showcasing her irreverent wit and inability to feel shame. From defying nature in the quest to make her own Twinkies, to begging her new neighbors not to become urban livestock keepers, to teaching her eight-year-old nephew about hoboes, Notaro recounts her best efforts—and hilarious failures—in keeping a household inches away from being condemned. After all, home wasn’t built in a day. Praise for Laurie Notaro “Notaro is a scream, the freak-magnet of a girlfriend you can’t wait to meet for a drink to hear her latest story.”—The Plain Dealer “If Laurie Notaro’s books don’t inspire pants-wetting fits of laughter, then please consult your physician, because, clearly, your funny bone is broken.”—Jen Lancaster, author of I Regret Nothing “Hilarious, fabulously improper, and completely relatable, Notaro is the queen of funny.”—Celia Rivenbark, author of Rude Bitches Make Me Tired“Notaro is direct and self-deprecating, and her disastrous attempts to sew a dress and make jerky treats for her dog are relatable and funny.”—Library Journal
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 12, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1101886080
ISBN-13: 978-1101886083
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #28,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #8 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Theories of Humor #10 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Genres & Styles > Humor #137 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory
Laurie Notaro is a wonderful writer. This book covers a lot of ground: it isn't only about housekeeping. I learned about Laurie taking up sewing, the tree falling on her house and about her infertility. I especially loved the final chapter, which is a letter to her younger self. A really, really good book.
I laughed until I cried with this book. I have read other Laurie Notaro books and all of them are funny. However, I really loved this one due to the lack of tidiness and her attempt at being a domestic goddess. I think everyone can relate in some crazy way to the life of Laurie Notaro. I loved, loved, loved the chapter about her "second head." I made my daughter read it after me and she was laughing so hard. I made the mistake of reading this while in a doctor's waiting room and I was laughing out loud that other patients must have thought I was disturbed. My daughter read a chapter to me while I was driving and I had to pull over because tears were coming down my face and I couldn't see the road. The chapter Housebroken had me rolling since I am reading the Spark of Joy now trying to keep only things that spark joy and let me tell you, I can relate that because after a while you think everything sparks joy lol and the fact that you might need it someday lol. Her regular doctors thinks she needs a therapist, her mother thinks Laurie wants to live like an animal (read the rental home chapter), and she is trying out bold parenting moves on her nephew Nick. While I do not have a Waffle House near me, I can definitely envision her vivid descriptions of events and was able to laugh at the education Nick received. I did find it interesting and unique that Laurie who comes from a very Italian family included recipes for the right way to make cheese, gravy, and other recipes. I never saw that in any other humorous books. All I can say is that I highly recommend this book but a word of caution: Do not read it in public or people will think that you are deranged and never have it read to you while you are driving since you will have to pull over. Oh and one additional piece of information, never park near her house when it is time for "The Pile."
I love Laurie Notaro's work and when I started finding her columns online, I devoured them. If you have followed her on social media, you know bits and pieces of these works but now you can get the full inside scoop! Notaro is now living in Oregon and instead of a couch in her yard, she has a homeless guy in her alley but the neighbors are infinitely nicer. Learning the ins and outs of the hippy-dippy Northwest just doesn't seem natural to Notaro. She now has to deal with "weather". I almost died laughing reading about her dealing with nature, from leaf piles (who knew there is a city service that removes them?) to the dead tree next door falling on her house.I now want to learn how to cook and sew. I am so glad that she didn't actually cover cleaning anything since I am not ready for that. I never knew you could hoard fabric, but I am willing to be a collector of that once I get a sewing machine. I even have a fabric room picked out in my house. The family recipes are worth the price of this book alone. You will be starving and ready to try any of the easy ones right away. Notaro makes you feel like you can accomplish anything with her attitude of "if I can do it, anyone can". This is one book I am not loaning EVER, but I will buy copies as gifts.
Grrrrr I can't believe I read the whole thing in two days ! I promised myself that I was going to stretch it out and only read one essay a day.Her books always make me laugh out loud, spoiler, ( Shoe glued to the carpet ) and I feel so much happier when I laugh. Now I guess I will pull out some of her first books and re-read those again.
How have I missed this author before now? The essays about her life in Eugene, Oregon are marvelously well-written and vivid. Her exploration of why she is messy (or more accurately her husband's demonstration of why she is messy) was so on-point with my messy teen that we achieved something like understanding. I have railed against The Tidying Book myself for many of the author's reasons, but never so well as she does here. Other highlights include a take-down of raising urban chickens (I live in a college town that is more restrictive than Eugene, but not by much) and an absolutely perfect essay on fat-shaming at the doctor's office. I did not chuckle when I read these, I laughed out loud. Not all the essays are funny -- her letter to her younger self is one of the exceptions -- but all are excellent. Perhaps the best testimony is that I had to call my sister to share some of the funniest bits with her and she-who-hates-being-read-to listened without interruption and laughed just as much as I did (and took down info so she could buy her own copy).There were also some essays on cooking that include heirloom Italian recipes and descriptions on how to make cheese. I love to cook, so this unexpected bonus is a real gift.
I am into reading books that make me laugh. So I'm strange, not only is this book funny, it has areas that I can relate to in a strange sort of way. Just shouldn't have read it in the doctors office I think I disturbed people in the waiting room.
Sassy, smart, and self-deprecating, this collection of essays is also hilarious. Notaro takes us with her to cheese class, speaks out against the Tidying fad, and shares her weirdest family episodes (I assume). Each essay is well written, entertaining, and short enough to read during your coffee break.The "laugh with me about my screwups" domestic confessional genre is fairly crowded, but Notaro is not only an excellent writer but also stuffs a lot of big ideas into her madcap stories.So I think this is the book you should carry with you in your briefcase or bag so you can not only have entertaining little reads when you have time to kill, but you can also read pithy witticisms aloud to other people and start fascinating conversations.
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