A collection of humorous insights into important topics ranging from being targeted by annoying ads (“Nowhere to Hide”), to resorting to symbols when you’ve forgotten your words (“At a Loss for Words”), to figuring out what door that extra key opens (“My Extra Key”). Other essays examine how sitting is the new smoking (whatever that means), and why it is just so hard to focus when you have the … attention span of a gnat.
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I’m a fan of Barbara Venkataraman’s writing style, stories and characters. She’s written several humorous essays and the Jamie Quinn mystery series. In her latest release, another fun essay, A Smidge of Crazy, a short-n-quick read, Venkataraman gets a little personal covering some hysterical memoirs and happenings thus far in her life. Perhaps some are true, perhaps some are just ways to entertain us. Either case, they make you laugh from start to finish. From the thought of buying Depends undergarments to how many different people could possibly be related in her family, she brings a great wit and head shake to each story in the collection. Some are just a few paragraphs, others are two to three pages, but each has an insight that will make you go “oh, I’ve said/done/thought THAT before.” Maybe we’re not all that different in the end, right? Great mini-release to get me through until her next Jamie Quinn book… thank you!
Fun short stories that were well done. I enjoyed the essays and the take on different things. I especially liked the essay “Sitting is the New Smoking.” It made me laugh and so enjoyable. There were other essays like Try to Focus that were also so true to life. I enjoyed how they all kind of tied together and how things were handled on the story. Glad it was suggested for me to read this book.
Random ideas with giggles! I was smart enough to get the ebook for free and get the Whispersync for cheap, so I win hands down! I listened and laughed for an hour while I made beds and gathered dirty clothes. Totally loved it and will enjoy it again! Sara M. Sapp has just the right delivery as narrator!
This is a good selection of essays of things we all think and wonder about. Glad to know I’m not alone.
Barbara Venkataraman – A Smidge of Crazy – Quirky Essays for Quirky People – If You Would Have Listened to Me in the First Place – Reviewed 2/22/21 – Read 2/12-17/21
Humor is the cure-all for almost anything, and Ms. Venkataraman can give it as good as it gets!
A Smidge of Crazy
This is a collection of thoughts that sometimes drives people crazy… I mean have you ever looked down and seen a key on your keyring and thought to yourself, “What the heck does that go to?” Or do you get those ads on your cell or computer that you just cannot figure out how in the world you would get something like that sent to you? This and many other quirky things that people think about, but never talk about are discussed in this humorous collection of thoughts.
Quirky Essays for Quirky People
This is a collection of all her Quirky essays in one book. There are two in here that hit me in the heart. A Trip to the Hardware Store is about Barbara’s father and his handiness around the house. It reminded me of my father. My dad was a great person that could build a big rig, run a trucking company, have dozens of men working for him, remake the best toys from Christmas to Christmas, help with the pets especially the rabbits, take me hunting, riding and so many other things, but please do not ever hand him a hammer and nails! The other one was the sleep clinic. Mine was the birth of my second son. I knew that I was in labor and so off we went to the hospital. But when we got there, they told me that I was not even ready to be admitted. Rather than drive clean across town again, my mother and I decided that we would have lunch and just wait around and see what happens. Wouldn’t you know it, right in the middle of the best grill cheese sandwich I ever had, my son decided it was time…. You know when we went back, they still said it was too early. Well, my mom had had enough and for a little gal of under 5 foot, she proceeded to have me admitted, much to the staff’s dismay. Less than an hour later my son made his debut, to the amazement of the staff! You know I never did get to eat the rest of that darn grill cheese sandwich! LOL
If You’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place
This is all about Ella Boudreaux and how she became a bill collector. One of the funniest stories that I have read since I finished Quirky Essays. I loved this story! There were quite a few places that I could apply my own similar situations, but we will not go into that. I do not think anyone that I know would call me great at nagging…
What did I like? All three of these books had me in stitches! There were so many places that I could apply these circumstances to myself, as I am sure you will too. Barbara puts them in black and white and lets us laugh at ourselves. One of the things that I love about Barbara’s books is the way that she uses words to make us happy, but I never fail to learn something that I had never in my life thought I would ever use.
What will you like? Barbara loves words and laughter, maybe not in that order but she enjoys making people happy. Her love of writing has been a joy to the world, and you will find that you too will learn something, if not but the fact that you do have that belly laugh in you. Do not forget to check out her other books and her Flash Fiction on Holidays. They will keep the laughter rolling around all year long. In addition to her funny books, she also is the author of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series. Plus, her son, Josh, and Barbara wrote a book together, “Accidental Activist” which is certainly amazing. All about how a college assignment became a battle. Check them all out, you cannot go wrong, and you just might laugh along the way.
@ddeegott