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23rd out of 66 books
—
58 voters
It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine (A Memoir)
by
Wade Rouse
How come the only thing my family tree ever grows is nuts?”
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 Rous...more
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 Rous...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
February 1st 2011
by Crown
(first published January 23rd 2011)
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I haven't read any of Wade Rouse's other memoirs, but "It's All Relative" showed up in my recommendations, so I thought I would investigate by going to the author page where I ended up amused by the promotion video. Wade Rouse's humor is wickedly funny even biting at times, but he is always completely honest about himself and his faults. A memoir can be a platform for self-aggrandizement, but for each spotlight cast on his family's eccentricities or partner Gary's idiosyncrasies there remains a...more
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Wade Rouse is the cure. A writer from the SW Missouri area himself, he has got to be one of the funniest writers I have ever read. It's All Relative is a collection of stories about Wade's holiday experiences. His tales range from hunting (make that digging for) Easter eggs as a kid to his first Thanksgiving with the "In-Laws" but NOTHING is funnier than his tale of his first Valentine's Day with his partner, Gary. I swear to God I nearly wet myself.
I neve...more
Wade Rouse is the cure. A writer from the SW Missouri area himself, he has got to be one of the funniest writers I have ever read. It's All Relative is a collection of stories about Wade's holiday experiences. His tales range from hunting (make that digging for) Easter eggs as a kid to his first Thanksgiving with the "In-Laws" but NOTHING is funnier than his tale of his first Valentine's Day with his partner, Gary. I swear to God I nearly wet myself.
I neve...more
If you love to laugh, you need to read “It’s All Relative Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine (A Memoir)” by Wade Rouse. It was released on February 1st by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. It is a compilation of hilarious essays that will have you ROTFYAO.
In his fourth book, Wade tackles family life and holidays and brings out the best in his dysfunctional and eccentric relatives. We all have them, right? Wade says that “Family is the gift that kee...more
In his fourth book, Wade tackles family life and holidays and brings out the best in his dysfunctional and eccentric relatives. We all have them, right? Wade says that “Family is the gift that kee...more
At first I wasn't sure what to make of this book. At the beginning the memoir book seemed a 'it's my parents fault in whatever wrong in my life' which is a complete turn off for me. But I continued to read because it started to become funny, in fact hilarious as he told of living with a dysfunctional family (and who doesn't have one of those) and tolerating the quirks of his partner's family writing about a memory of each and every holiday. I was able to relate with what he was going through dea...more
Some people are comparing Wade Rouse to David Sedaris -- and I don't think that's really fair. Yes, they're both gay men who write funny memoirs, but they're very different. Both good. :)
Wade Rouse isn't LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, but there are definitely many moments in this book where I was chuckling. & I even got teary-eyed a couple times too.
Each story always seems to have a moral or a lesson to it, big or small, that he took away. I love how Wade talks about his partner, Gary, throughout the...more
Wade Rouse isn't LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, but there are definitely many moments in this book where I was chuckling. & I even got teary-eyed a couple times too.
Each story always seems to have a moral or a lesson to it, big or small, that he took away. I love how Wade talks about his partner, Gary, throughout the...more
Blisteringly funny? No ... not even close. More like "very humorous" at its peak moments, and "who the hell lives like that?" when he falls into stereotypical-gay-guy mode. What redeems the book from a two-star "meh!" read were the more serious memoir aspects, reminding me why I found his first book America's Boy: A Memoir such a success.
He's a talented essayist, with a great future, although he runs the risk of being pigeonholed as a "gay" writer if he doesn't make an effort to make it easier...more
He's a talented essayist, with a great future, although he runs the risk of being pigeonholed as a "gay" writer if he doesn't make an effort to make it easier...more
This was my favorite of Wade Rouse's Memoirs, but mostly because I had read the other books. If you have at least read American Boy you will enjoy this one immensely. Wade uses the calendar months and holiday's to share stories throughout his life. Each chapter has a story. The stories do not go in chronological order, not even during the month sections sometimes, but that does not hurt change the quality of the book or writing. As I have said before I love Wade's writing. I laughed out loud and...more
A Jen Lancaster rec, it has to be good... and it was wonderful! A perfect combination of snarkasm and heartwarming family goodness. If you're a fan of Sedaris or Jen Lancaster you will enjoy this book. If your family has strange traditions and you don't really know why, you will enjoy this book.
I loved that it was broken up into months of the year rather than separated by time. The mix of child and adult stories made it much more enjoyable.
I look forward to picking up Wade Rouse's earlier works...more
I loved that it was broken up into months of the year rather than separated by time. The mix of child and adult stories made it much more enjoyable.
I look forward to picking up Wade Rouse's earlier works...more
The stories are quite funny, but too many of them end with Icky Heartwarming Morals. A lot of the reviews here compare him to Sedaris, but Sedaris would never end his essays with, "In the end, even after she shamed me in front of the whole third-grade, I realized that my mom really loved me," or "And even though I completely screwed up the anniversary party, my boyfriend ate those rancid meatballs and gave me a big kiss." Easy on the life lessons, is all I'm saying.
I enjoyed these essays very much. Some more than others, of course. Several of them made me cry, a few of them made me roll my eyes. I like Rouse's writing a lot, and I'm happy to see that there are still a few of his books yet to read.
His tone is just right, I think- he's not exactly arch and not exactly sentimental but somehow touches both of these extremes and is blessedly, hilariously human. Recommended.
His tone is just right, I think- he's not exactly arch and not exactly sentimental but somehow touches both of these extremes and is blessedly, hilariously human. Recommended.
I thought this was a pretty funny book. Structured around the various holidays throughout the year, the author recounts stories of his family celebrations from the past growing up in the Ozarks, as well as stories from the present with his partner Gary and their families and friends. It was one of those books that could make me laugh out loud one page and fight back tears the next.
This book was very sweet and sad and fun at the same time. The memoir centers around holidays in the narrators life. These include some major ones and some not so major. The book is divided into months and has a few
Short stories in each. The writing reminded me of Laurie Notaro and David Sedaris. I'd read another one of his books.
Short stories in each. The writing reminded me of Laurie Notaro and David Sedaris. I'd read another one of his books.
Wade Rouse is one of my favorite writers. I love recommending him to my friends who are fans of David Sedaris. This will surely be the book that makes him a household name. It's hilarious, poignant, and true. Makes me laugh and makes me appreciate the lovable quirks of my own family.
In a style similar to David Sedaris, Wade Rouse writes of his family in this memoir that loosely is centered around his and his partner's holidays and traditions. I really enjoyed this book; I previously read Prep School Mommy Handler and plan on picking up his other two books.
It's a good solid book, but a little hard to take when one chapter is making you laugh hysterically (Swedish Day), and the next has you bawling (National Prevent Animal Cruelty Month). I haven't read his other books, but this makes me want to look into them.
I couldn't put this book down. It made me laugh out loud from beginning to end. The stories of his holiday experiences both as a child and an adult are entertaining and heartwarming because whose family isn't a little crazy?
This combines two of my favorite things, stories about families and holidays. Sweet and heartfelt. I love people who love their families, even as they recognize how crazy that family is.
Another winner; not just funny, also very sentimental and I like that in a book. The story about his grandmother just killed me along with the puppy shower; just want to hug him and Gary.
If there was ever any question, this book confirmed it for me: I LOVE Wade Rouse. Some of the best memoir writing I've ever read (and I've read a Lot of it). Absolutely fabulous!
Great book that I just finished reading. A year of holidays with the author's and partner's families. Really applies to all families. Recommend. Made me laugh and cry.
I laughed out loud in practically every chapter. Everyone thinks their family is dysfunctional. His point of view and quick wit make this book an enjoyable adult read. I definitely recommend it.
To paraphrase a line from the book - it is also a completely self-absorbed and self-indulgent endeavor, wrapped in a hypocritical shell of compassion.
Boring and self indulgent, although funny at times. Its a shame too, because the theme seemed cool, but it was just so loosely held together.
Interesting way to write a book- an autobiography in holidays. Was intersting enough that I went and read more of his work.
I enjoyed this book. It's nice to realize that every family is crazy in one way or another....and that's okay. Fun read!!
This was my first Wade Rouse book and I loved it. I have now read all but one of his books. His sense of humor grabbed me, and his stories are
priceless.
priceless.
Hilarious and poignant. Rouse captures 75% of the universal BS and universal joy wrapped up in holidays.
Fun, but I was expecting more laugh out loud humor. Very touching in parts, read with a tissue close!
I enjoyed reading this memoir. It's a collection of 34 little stories from various holidays, arranged as they would fall during a calendar year, January through December. Through these essays, you glimpse a little of the lives of the author, his partner, and their families. I enjoyed reading this book, to wit: I smiled and chuckled a lot, occasionally laughed out loud, and cried a couple of times.
The reviews here have the inevitable comparisons to Sedaris, and I'll add my own. This was not as fu...more
The reviews here have the inevitable comparisons to Sedaris, and I'll add my own. This was not as fu...more
Shallow. I didn't appreciate lines like "Gary's not Chinese. I mean, I've seen his egg roll."
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In this memoir showcasing the ugly side of the affluent mothers of the pseudonymous Tate Academy, among the country's most prestigious prep schools, Rouse, the school's director of public relations, explains that his job is that of the Mommy Handler-keeping the families and benefactors of the institution happy. In particular, he works closely with a woman he calls Kitsy, the head of the parent and...more
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“We're human. We all occasionally wet ourselves. No one is really better than anyone else. We're just all trying to make it through the year as best we can. We screw up sometimes. We succeed sometimes. We laugh. We cry. We go on.
Those are the things we should really share with each other this holiday season, right, if we dare send a letter? We should share the truth. We should share the insanity.”
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Those are the things we should really share with each other this holiday season, right, if we dare send a letter? We should share the truth. We should share the insanity.”
