kaje_harper's review against another edition
5.0
If you could use a laugh that still has heart, or a story with honesty that catches in your chest but still makes you smile... or if you need to just take a moment away from your day and remind yourself of how wonderful and unique people can be, read this.
In the interest of disclosure, I know Edmond Manning, although we didn't really meet until after he'd blown me away with how good his first novel, [b:King Perry|13459864|King Perry (The Lost and Founds, #1)|Edmond Manning|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328755934s/13459864.jpg|18990245], was. This book is a series of anecdotes and thoughts about his life, from his love of practical jokes, and stickers, and strange, creepy monkey figures, to his loving but not accepting Catholic family.
Although you might wonder if someone can really be this funny, this serious, curious, tentative, thoughtful, silly, brave, and full of his love for words and for people, I'm here to say, "Yeah. That's Edmond." I saw his DMV picture with the shoe-blacked hair that said more "convict" than "magic". He emailed me from his trip to New York, where he went to find the heart of that unfamiliar city, for his next book. He's the guy who hugged an almost stranger, with kindness and compassion, when my first GRL conference almost got the better of me in a public hallway. That guy.
Edmond writes about funny moments, like finding out what his home post office really thought of his sticker-covered packages back to his mom. He writes of hard times, like the death of his father, or the moment when his sister told him his sexuality could be healed by belief in God. But every story seems to cradle within it more than one emotion. In the middle of a tender reminiscence, there's a moment you'll laugh out loud. In the midst of humor, his reflection on the human heart will make you sigh. In a sad slide into loss, there is affirmation of love.
These stories were taken from his blog posts, so they may be familiar to his loyal followers. I was glad to reread them, and savor the new ones. Each story stands alone, making this the perfect book for those short waits, and breakfast pick-me-ups, and last thing before bed. They will make you smile, and sigh, and think. And I count myself lucky in being among those who sometimes get to hang out with Edmond and hear his tales first hand.
In the interest of disclosure, I know Edmond Manning, although we didn't really meet until after he'd blown me away with how good his first novel, [b:King Perry|13459864|King Perry (The Lost and Founds, #1)|Edmond Manning|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328755934s/13459864.jpg|18990245], was. This book is a series of anecdotes and thoughts about his life, from his love of practical jokes, and stickers, and strange, creepy monkey figures, to his loving but not accepting Catholic family.
Although you might wonder if someone can really be this funny, this serious, curious, tentative, thoughtful, silly, brave, and full of his love for words and for people, I'm here to say, "Yeah. That's Edmond." I saw his DMV picture with the shoe-blacked hair that said more "convict" than "magic". He emailed me from his trip to New York, where he went to find the heart of that unfamiliar city, for his next book. He's the guy who hugged an almost stranger, with kindness and compassion, when my first GRL conference almost got the better of me in a public hallway. That guy.
Edmond writes about funny moments, like finding out what his home post office really thought of his sticker-covered packages back to his mom. He writes of hard times, like the death of his father, or the moment when his sister told him his sexuality could be healed by belief in God. But every story seems to cradle within it more than one emotion. In the middle of a tender reminiscence, there's a moment you'll laugh out loud. In the midst of humor, his reflection on the human heart will make you sigh. In a sad slide into loss, there is affirmation of love.
These stories were taken from his blog posts, so they may be familiar to his loyal followers. I was glad to reread them, and savor the new ones. Each story stands alone, making this the perfect book for those short waits, and breakfast pick-me-ups, and last thing before bed. They will make you smile, and sigh, and think. And I count myself lucky in being among those who sometimes get to hang out with Edmond and hear his tales first hand.
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