At 8,000 words, this collection of humorous essays explores such quirky topics as: disastrous home repairs, (“A Trip to the Hardware Store”), an unfortunate dinner party (“Dinner is Served”), the truth about lazy people (“Lazy Bones”), the weird life of a debt collector (“Your Account is Past Due”) and obsessions with gadgets (“Gadget Girl”). Other essays examine how surreal the aging process is … is (“Where Did the Time Go?”), why you shouldn’t judge a person by their job (“Beyond Belief”), and how to complicate simple transactions (“High Finance”). Like the author’s first work, “I’m Not Talking About You, Of Course…,” these essays will give your spirit a lift and leave you smiling.
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I love quick, short stories that make me laugh. That is exactly what this book did. It is a super quick read with some fun, true life anecdotes. If you can’t relate to all of them I am sure you will relate to one or more of them.
Fun quick read.
Barbara Venkataraman’s “A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities” is an amusing collection of short tales that leave you with a breath of fresh, much-needed laughter. This is the second of her “Quirky Essays for Quirky People” collection, and a must-read for anyone looking to really connect with an author’s writing style. I’ve read several of her books at this point, and these little stories clearly offer a candid look into the author’s life, imagination and ability to create characters. While I don’t know how much of them are really about her, I will say that she calls herself out a few times which leads me to believe it’s 100% Barbara… and that works for me. From sisterly bonding, to a poor suffering Dad who just wants his family to tell him he did a good job, these stories ranging for 1 page to 5 pages are cute insights into all of our lives. My only question is “did this all happen to the same person?” and oh, well, then my second question (just deal with it, I meant 2 questions)… is this really Barbara because if so, I want to meet her.
A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities – I had so much fun reading these tidbits. This is not my first and hopefully not last book by this author. Ms. V writes well, has well thought out storylines and is entertaining with her humor and common sense approaches. The complete book didn’t take long to read and it’s perfectly suited for coffee breaks and a few minutes getaway time. Actually all her books are perfect for relaxation and entertainment. 4*
Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 1 – 3: I enjoyed these books by an author new to me. I had been collecting her books over the years and finally decided to read them. Entertaining and funny and good suspense are a few descriptors to pop into my head. The main characters are a perfect fit: two female lawyers (they’re likable); one Cajun PI; and a couple of love interests. With each story, most of these characters grew more likable and complex. The other main characters are added as the stories go along. Grace and Duke are the perfect characters to make this series full of interest and humor.
There are many stories being followed along with the main plot. A continuous series that doesn’t have any cliffhangers; just moves along a time line. The story lines hold the reader’s interest and there’s humor throughout the books. There’s no crazy situations, like that lovable Plum character, but realistic happenings. There’s no silly/stupid dialog or formulas, just plain entertainment. The writer’s style is laid back, almost as if you’re on the porch gossipin while sippin yur iced tea. Well written and quickly read, but still substantial enough to make reading these books worthwhile. Needs a little editing, but nothing that distracts from reading. 4*
Death by Didgeridoo #1 – This is my first read by this author and I like it. A good introduction to a few main characters of the series. Well written and easily read, fast paced and interesting; it was easy to sit down and finish quickly. All of the characters are likable, realistic and entertaining; think of Moonlighting for the humor and a male character. 4*
The Case of the Killer Divorce #2 – This story picks up about six months after where Didgeridoo finished. Well written with plenty of suspense, the reader can’t help but enjoy the story. The humor is good and the characters keep developing. 4*
Peril in the Park #3 – This story picks up about six months later from the ending of Killer Divorce. Boy, there’s a neat twist to one of on going the background stories! There’s also a fun surprise involving someone’s dad that makes the future books a must read; we know the ending to that story, but it’s the path taken that interesting. Plenty of humor and everyone has more added to their characters/stories. 4*
Engaged in Danger #4 – Another good addition to the Jamie Quinn series. Well written, funny and intriguing, this suspense filled book with its well thought out, multiple and continuous story lines keeps the reader glued to the pages. There’s a few kinks that the well developed, realistic characters handle, while their dialog is believable. The writing style is casual but entertaining. If you like Evanovich or Elmore, you’ll enjoy Ms. Venkataraman. 4*
Jeopardy in July #5 – The Jamie Quinn series is addicting. Sadly, I’ve reached the last book available at present, but I thoroughly enjoyed all five books. Again, this is a well written and intriguing story, with humor and multiple on going story lines. The main characters remain interesting with realistic dialog and behavior. You don’t realize it by the relaxed writing style, but Jeopardy is fast paced and intriguing with good suspense.
Reading these books in order keeps the fabric of the stories intact and understandable. The author does a good job in highlighting past events without doing a Gabaldon-style rewrite, so you can still understand what’s going on without having read the previous stories, but you miss so much. 4*