I Was Told There'd Be Cake

True-to-life essays really captivate me. It's my new favorite genre that I am just stumbling upon. After being fascinated by David Sedaris, Chuck Klosterman, and Augusten Burroughs, I am now fascinated with Sloane Crosley's new book of essays, similar to the aforementioned authors, called I Was Told There'd Be Cake.

I was interested in this book definitely because of the nature of the stories, but I was also into the fact that she's writing about her past and she's not too much older than I am. A lot of her stories deal with issues and pop-culture references that are totally my generation. And, I get her humor.

Crosley's essays are quite a range. She'll discuss items from her childhood and even creep up into present-day issues and matters. Essays range from the following topics: collecting My Little Ponies in "The Pony Problem," working for a witch in "The Ursula Cookie," losing her keys while moving out of a New York City apartment in "Fuck You, Columbus," being half Jewish half Catholic and her voyages at religious summer camp, volunteering at the butterfly exhibit at a museum in "Sign Language for Infidels," being nominated as a maid of honor for a distant high school friend in "You on a Stick," reminiscing back to old-school computer games like Oregon Trail in "Bring-Your-Machete-To-Work-Day," and dealing with crazy neighbors.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake was such an enjoyable read. Not only is Crosley entertaining, but she's wickedly funny. She makes some pretty incredible points on obscure topics while making you think all the same. The incidents portrayed are ones that we might get ourselves messed up in (like a horrible boss or being a maid of honor) while others are completely outlandish and strange. But, that's what I like about it. I could totally connect with certain essays while I was completely entertained with other stories that were so bizarre and out there from my life. She is an excellent and easy read.

I know essays can scare some people, but they're very fun to read. They're little disconnected pieces of life that are really quite memorable. I kept wanting to read more. I hope that Crosley is on the path to creating more works because this book was spectacular. This is a great read and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a light read or needs to laugh a bit.

But, I think I missed the boat on the name of the title or the cover of the book. Maybe there were some missing essays on the audio tape I listened to. I loved listening to the audio tape because Crosley read it herself. It just seems so much more personal, and it's interesting and fun to hear the author's inflections and how the author tells the story, literally. Try it if you have the opportunity. Can anyone fill me in on the title or the cover?

Read this book! So what do you think of I Was Told There'd Be Cake?