Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, by David Sedaris

            A while back, I read a novel that is chockfull of entertaining short stories called “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.”  Ranging from his childhood to his relationships and even to undergoing the process of purchasing real-estate, the author of the book, David Sedaris, consistently kept me interested in what would happen in each story next. Plus, after each short story, I was left wondering how things went after the event that he just ended the chapter with.  In the beginning of the novel, a couple humorous entries about Sedaris’ occasionally reckless youth that I particularly enjoyed.

In one chapter, Sedaris and his siblings are locked out of their house and their mother denies them passage, so they decide to get back at their mother.  After quick contemplation, they elect to go to a busy road and have one of them get hit by a car.  They legitimately decide to pull this crazy stunt, but fortunately the first car to drive up to Sedaris’ sister (who is, at the moment, laying down right in the middle road) turns out to be a family friend, so the kids are saved from their own foolishness in the end.  This short story entertained me quite a lot.  Sedaris mentions that he was thinking along the lines of “well, once she finds out one of us got sent to the hospital, she is surely going to feel bad then.”  I have a personal connection to this memory of Sedaris’.  Back when I was a foolish little boy myself, my friends and I always thought that we could sue anyone for doing something we didn’t like.  If a teacher talked to us with a rude attitude one day, at lunchtime we would discuss how we would go about suing her.  In retrospect, however, the majority of short stories in this novel have ideas that I could definitely find ways to connect to my life.  This book makes for a good read for anyone, and I additionally would recommend it to anyone who enjoys comparing stories from novels to their own lives.

Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

     One book that I have recently finished reading, Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, was a page-turner from the very beginning.  The novel starts off with Levitt and Dubner explaining different economic concepts, and then as the book progresses, amassing a plethora of stories, the co-authors exemplify how such concepts are naturally linked to the nature of the common man.  A very unique tactic that the authors utilized for the aforementioned examples is that of using outrageously random types of people in order to make a point.  

     One chapter in the book even discusses the similarities of the Ku Klux Klan and Real-Estate Agents, another comparing Schoolteachers to Sumo Wrestlers.   In one chapter of the book that sported the ridiculous-sounding name, “Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Moms?” an intrepid researcher by the name of Sudhir Venkatesh ventures into South Chicago, his objective being to study a crack-dealing gang of statistically the most violent neighborhood of the city.  During this trek of Venkatesh’s, one gangster, on the topic of why he is undergoing such a dangerous lifestyle, explained that “[they] ain’t got no choice, and if that means getting killed, well s**t, it’s what n****rs do around here to feed their family” (94).  This quote from Venkatesh’s total of six years of continuous ghetto research is particularly intriguing when considering all the various incentives in today’s world of economics.  There is no better reason to do something than to do it for the sake of your life, let alone for the sake of your family members’ lives.  The concept of incentives is thoroughly explored throughout the book by Levitt and Dubner, along with many other economic ideas and factors, although this makes for a great read for just about anyone who has interest in human nature—and of course economics.

"The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd: Eigth Grade Bites," by Heather Brewer

            One book that I read during this past summer is The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd: Eight Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer, and I had a great time with it.  There is a significantly shady mood throughout the book.  Whether a scene was about Vladimir Todd, the main character, spying on the local goth kids, or about Vlad uncovering secrets about his vampire father, there is definitely a whole dark feeling during most of the story.  It probably helps that Vlad himself is a teenage vampire also, in terms of adding to the gloom of the book.  Although the mood of the novel does not at all take away from the reading experience.  The story also revolves around the idea of being on the run, but the situation is eventually flipped, following the moment when Vlad decides to face the source of his worries and woes.  It is quite hard to discuss this book without spoiling the plot, but this is definitely worth reading, particularly if you are in eighth grade or high school, for the series goes on throughout high school in later books.

"Because of Winn-Dixie," by Kate DiCamillo

            This past summer, I read a book titled Because of Winn-Dixie, written by Kate DiCamillo, which features a story of a little girl named Opal Buloni and a dog who is dubbed the name Winn-Dixie.  Throughout the entire novel, this story shines with a theme of friendship, on account of Opal and her companion, Winn-Dixie, exhibiting a perfectly harmonizing relationship together.  Similar to many other camaraderies, Winn-Dixie cannot stand to be left alone without Opal at his side.  As straightforwardly narrated by Opal Buloni, “Winn-Dixie couldn’t stand to be left alone” (31), but Opal compromises for this inconvenient reality of dogs being emotionally glued to their owners.  After a while, “everywhere [she] went, [she] took Winn-Dixie.  Even to church” (32), and this adjustment to Winn-Dixie’s preferences additionally proves to be a challenge of quite difficult proportions.  This is because maintaining silence in an energetic dog in the middle of a disciplined church hall is extremely tough to do.  However, despite the negative events that occur with Winn-Dixie interrupting prayers, Opal continues to put her trust in Winn-Dixie as she always brings Winn-Dixie to church with her since the first day she does so.  Sacrificing for her friend like this is just one of many examples from the book that further unveil the strength of this friendship.  With this optimistic theme, Because of Winn-Dixie is quite a fun read for just about anyone who is looking for a positively toned novel to enjoy.