It's All Relative

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It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine (A Memoir) by Wade Rouse popped up as a suggested book to read on my Kindle. Who am I to decline? The books I want to borrow for my Kindle never seem to be available when I want them so when one that seems interesting enough is ready for me, I snap it up!

Good Reads' Synopsis: "Wade Rouse attempts to answer that question in his blisteringly funny new memoir by looking at the yearly celebrations that unite us all and bring out the very best and worst in our nearest and dearest.
   Family is truly the only gift that keeps on giving—namely, the gifts of dysfunction and eccentricity—
and Wade Rouse’s family has been especially charitable: His chatty yet loving mother dresses her son
as a Ubangi tribesman, in blackface, for Halloween in the rural Ozarks; his unconventional engineer of
a father buries his children’s Easter eggs; his marvelously
Martha Stewart–esque partner believes Barbie is his baby; his garage-sale obsessed set of in-laws are
convinced they can earn more than Warren Buffett by selling their broken lamps and Nehru jackets; his
mutt Marge speaks her own language; and his oddball collection of relatives includes a tipsy Santa Claus
with an affinity for showing off his jingle balls. In the end, though, the Rouse House gifted Wade with love,
laughter, understanding, superb comic timing, and a humbling appreciation for humiliation. 
   Whether Wade dates a mime on his birthday to overcome his phobia of clowns or outruns a chubchasing boss on Secretary’s Day, he captures our holidays with his trademark self-deprecating humor and acerbic wit. He paints a funny, sad, poignant, and
outlandish portrait of an an all-too-typical family that will have you appreciating—or bemoaning—your
own and shrieking in laughter"

What I Thought: I am always looking for humorists and Rouse is one to add to my list. He has a couple other memoirs I'd like to pick as well. While not quite on the same level as David Sedaris, I did find myself chuckling out loud several times through this fast read. He offers a glimpse into his crazy family and their holiday celebrations that I appreciated. I wouldn't go out of my way to read this but if the Kindle library says it's available, then by all means!

Rating: * * 1/2