david sedaris Archives -

Summer is *almost* over. I know! We hate to say it too, but at least I waited until August 22nd. I’m not one of those August firsters who starts weeping and listing off all the things they didn’t get to do this summer. Nope. I’m a firm believer that summer ends when you want it to or when the weather gets cooler, which doesn’t happen here in North Carolina for another six weeks. So summer, this is it, our final few weeks, which means there’s still time for one more book! If you’re hoping to squeeze another read in, Calypso by David Sedaris it is.

First though, let me remind you of all the books we covered this year, here’s a list. There’s also a rundown at the bottom of this post. Also, I want to openly admit that I am a quitter when it comes to reading. I will pick up a few books at once, set some down, and not pick some of them up ever again. There are also books I plow through just because I know I can read it quickly enough even if I’m not loving it. This is me telling you, ‘IT’S OKAY TO QUIT!’ Reading should be fun and enjoyable, if you can’t get into it or you just don’t like it, move on as quickly as possible!

“Memory aside, the negative just makes for a better story,” Calypso like most other books by David Sedaris, is a series of short stories, mostly about mundane life events. Somehow Sedaris describes each moment its own specific cynical, dark, bleak, weird, and yet absolutely hilarious way. Using no more words than necessary, each page of Calypso will have you shaking your head in empathy and wiping away tears of laughter.

Calypso is a great end of summer read because:

Calypso can be read in short bursts, fitting in a few pages a day or a couple chapters each weekend.

Calypso recounts past summer vacations and the buying of a vacation home on the shores of North Carolina.

Calypso reconfirms the slight irritation mixed with adoration we all feel for our families, especially when sharing a vacation house.

End of summer road trip? Listen to Calypso instead! David Sedaris has a distinct voice that causes me to giggle uncontrollably.

You’ll Enjoy Calypso:

You need to laugh.
You enjoy wit and self-deprecating humor.
You enjoy short stories about life.
You’re an aspiring writer.
You have short time stints to read – this book is perfect for that because it’s a bunch of essays that are related, but not necessarily linear.
You are familiar with other books by David Sedaris.
You live in North Carolina.
You are middle-aged.
You have a bunch of siblings.
You love your Fitbit. (One of my favorite chapters is about his obsessive nature in regards to his Fitbit)

A few storylines + quotes from Calypso :

When writing about political differences between family and friends… “Even my father, who laughs appreciatively at such bumper stickers as DON’T BLAME ME, I VOTED FOR THE AMERICAN, draws the line at carrying a pistol into a place where lattes are being served.”

When writing about benign tumors… “I felt betrayed, the way you do when you discover that your cat has a secret secondary life and is being fed by neighbors who call him something stupid like Calypso.”

When writing about long-held beliefs, changes of heart, and not taking life too seriously… “It occurred to me while standing there, cars whizzing by, that the day I marry is the day I’ll get hit and killed, probably by some driver who’s texting or, likelier still, sexting.”

When writing about growing up in a household full of kids…

“If there was a silence in the car, I’d break it by making one of my sisters cry.”

“For a while, when I was eleven or so, I used to drop the empty cardboard toilet rolls into the john. They would take a while to disappear, five or six flushes usually, but I was in no hurry.”