Book them

As of this afternoon, my dad is visiting for about a week. He’ll be helping me set up the apartment, doing all those things that are beyond my skill set, like hanging up my danglies and building a special shelf for the microwave. We’ll also be hitting up his favorite eateries, every computer store in Manhattan, and I hope, the musical “In the Heights.”

I’m scrambling around to get my apartment ready and have secured some lemonade and clean towels. The “Daddy do” list has been up for a few days. Now I just need some time to do everything else, including finding cans of Dr. Pepper, the beverage of apartment decorating/furniture assembling champions. I haven’t seen my dad since Christmas! I’m excited.

If I weren’t so busy with houseguest preparations, I’d be reading. Here are some books of late worth mentioning:

1) When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: The latest essay collection dropped Wednesday and within hours, was a bestseller. I went to a reading and barely snagged a seat. Hundreds of people were there, and Sedaris was charming as always. Maybe it’s because he was so late to fame - he got his first piece published at 36 - but Sedaris still seems genuinely humble and surprised that so many people love his writing. I’ve started the book and chuckled at this one recollection of when Sedaris was passively propositioned by a hitchhiker-friendly truck driver. Overall, though, I don’t think this is going to be as hilarious as his early work. How could it?

2) Play With Your Food by Joost Elffers and Saxon Freymann: The woman beside me and I started reading this glossy picture book on the subway. It showcases a zoo of fruit and vegetable animals and includes sections teaching people how to see fruits and vegetables in a creative way and how to transform say, a potato into a mouse. Some of the creations are amazing. Too bad you should eat them after, because I love fruit but am not a vegetable fan. When I visit home, I’m making a point of creating some critters with my mom and sister.

3) Subwayland by Randy Kennedy: I saw this on TBID’s bookshelf and had to borrow it. Kennedy writes a regular column for The New York Times, and I was up for digesting nuggets on subway life during my daily commutes. I hated when I reached my stops each day. I wanted to keep reading about the art, people, and stories of NYC transit. The book is highly entertaining and informative. Two subway poles up.

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