Wonderful new book
I love hearing your book recommendations, so I thought I'd share one of my own. Right now I'm reading the fantastic new graphic memoir, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? Roz Chast, a New Yorker cartoonist and only child, writes about watching her parents age into their nineties and die.
It sounds dark, but the book is actually hilarious and full of love. Chast tries to talk to her parents about their future plans, but they always manage to change the subject. (Because if you don't ever think about death, it will never happen, right?)
She combines her drawings with family photos, and the way she brings her Brooklyn-based parents to life—her nervous, neurotic father, and her opinionated, hard-charging mother—is extraordinary. My heart ached for her family, but I also laughed out loud constantly. Chast has such a gift for getting candid observations just right.
You end up feeling like their child, too: They're completely batshit and drive you insane, but you just love them so much. I'd highly, highly recommend it if you're looking for a new book. Have you read anything good lately? I'd love to hear...
