This book is candid camera funny and serious at the same time.

Amy Sedaris really take us all on a hilarious journey of wacky evenings, irresponsible moments, such as a blind date at her home so that she can control the situation(what a delight she would have been for serial killers and stalkers); selling stuff to her guests-insisting on their support; and funny incidents, like when her sister slipped in her shower and encountered a fish hook in her lip. Amy's comment: The only good thing is, it plumped her thin lips for a while.

About the blind date:

n  The goal is to impress him when he is on my turf. I can put my skills to work: I can cast a spell. I don't like a lot of small talk, so I allow my home and homemaking abilities to speak for me. I'm guessing a stranger can get a pretty good idea as to who I am by observing the medical wax model of a canker sore I have hanging on a wall, or my antique correction shoe displayed on a bookshelf, or the fact that my place is organized primarily to accommodate my rabbit.n

What kind of hostess can you expect when she learnt her skills from her mom, and as a Girl Scouts and Junior Achievement, her second-grade teacher, her family, Aunt Joyce, the back of boxes, the lady who works at the post office, encyclopedias, the beach. Bartending school, grocery stores, airports, waiting on tables, Mrs. Enchandi, nurses, sitcoms, Hugh, listening to the radio. babysitting, rock concerts, summer school and the House Rabbit Society.

Yes, she's sending up a few doyennes on the culinary stage with her wit and the reader is the beneficiary. It's clear from her recipes that's she's a serious cook with a big enough dollop of humor thrown into her writing only.

Choosing guests is easy. If you have barnacle friends, invite a shipwreck which they can attach themselves to and make sure it is big party so that they can get lost in the crowd. Don't invite people who work in the same industry, because it won't be party then, it will be convention. For a shy guest you need to invite a show-off to entertain this guest. Besides, show-offs need an audience.

Amy Sedaris's introduction on her author page states: Comedianne Amy Sedaris confronts vulgarity with a daring innocence to create her wickedly absurd characters. This explains this book perfectly, and this is what you should expect in reading it. Absurd and satirical. However, there's a kindness and caring character behind the madness. She is also the beloved sister of David Sedaris - the author. I loved it.

To be quite honest, I never knew that a book like this existed.

I ended up reading this after a series of strange events. You see, my mom enjoys buying cookbooks. She picked up I Like You when she had bought 3 other cookbooks on sale, which entitled her to a free book from a book pile (Which I think consisted of unsold, unpopular books). She said she picked I Like You 'cause it looked...interesting.

All I can say is, THANK YOU STRANGE EVENTS.

It is the most eccentric cookbook-hospitality-arts-and-crafts book I've ever read. Well, it's also the only one. Who else can pull off the zany party advice alongside random arts and crafts projects (which make use of pantyhose and other weird things)and recipes for each and every occasion listed there? Hilarity and wackiness aside, the advice for entertaining guests is quite good and socially acceptable and the recipes show great promise. I promise nothing about the arts and crafts projects.

All in all, the wackiness has a ton of substance to it, so go ahead and read it.

P.S. The hardbound version has a little surprise on the inner flap and behind the dust jacket. Yes, it's worth it.

Oh, the good ol’ days…remember when throwing a party meant wearing fancy pearls, finding aprons that matched the meal you were serving and decorating your apartment with the theme of the party? Well, as society and technology move us forward, the need for comfort and friends is pushing us back to a time when “entertaining” meant “charmingly old-fashioned courtship”…and who better to lead the way than Amy Sedaris?



I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence is a side-splitting guide to good ol’ fashion entertaining. A great gift for the hostess with the mostess, this gem of a book is filled with Amy’s favorite recipes, hints and tips, party theme ideas, and proper party hosting/attending etiquette.

Her spot on advice is both practical and hilarious and even the most advanced of party entertainers are bound to benefit from Amy’s suggestions on how to remove a vomit stain, how to deal with the pesky drunks, and how to entertain kids and out of town guests.

One of my personal favorites was Amy’s suggestion for an indoor garage sale. Whenever you have a party, fill a table with knickknacks you don’t want anymore. They can be anything from ugly statues to half-filled shampoo bottles. Put a jar marked $0.25 and sell your junk to your friends! I mean, who’s going to turn down shampoo for a quarter? Brilliance. Plus, your friends walk away with unique party favors that they like, you end up making a few dollars entertaining your friends and family, and you clean your apartment in no time.

Filled with adorable illustrations and photos, I Like You is a treat for anyone who loves entertaining, cooking, or is looking to become the next “Hostess with the Most-ess”.

Read more at: http://thehobbeehive.wordpress.com

Looking for something to enjoy and pass on - maybe to a fun hostess or someone heading to their first apartment? It's a cookbook with lots of text, large pictures (demonstrating the goofiness of Sedaris and various dishes), and the juxtaposition of both recipes & life wit. There's plenty from the Southern front and the Greek side, showcasing Amy's childhood spent in NC and her family's Greek heritage, as well as contributions from other friends (i.e. Stephen Colbert) and family (Rooster and David).
The mac & cheese is great, but I haven't tried a lot of the other recipes - it almost seems a shame that the book's so tall that it's unwieldy to wrangle it and a pan in the kitchen. But I like looking through it on my coffeetable, and mentally listing all the folks I would gift it to when I'm fully done with it.

Overall, there are better recipe books, but Sedaris covers a lot of bases - from kitchen basics to etiquette (being a guest, being a host, etc). She even has a section on cooking for one, which is a great addition to any cookbook, in my opinion, although the majority of her recipes will feed a crowd.

If you're planning on gifting - there's some language, some drug references and photos, some sex talk; kind of a pg-13 film in cookbook/entertaining book form. But a fun reading adventure, and lots of charming Sedaris-esque photos.

Only $1.99 right now! I got this on sale because I've been reading her brother's (David Sedaris's) memoirs and it reminded me that she's an author too.

This is actually a straightforward guide to throwing parties and being a hostess and now that I've started doing things over Zoom or socially distanced, I want some tips on how to entertain and show people a good time (not in a creepy way-- ew)

I like this book.

Dear Amy –

I like your book. No, I love it. No, wait, I totally *heart* it, in fact. It is way awesome. Much like you. I bet you throw the craziest parties. Will you kindly invite me sometime? I know I’m one of those annoying vegans who will totally muck up your dinner menu, but I promise to make it up to you by bringing plenty of booze.

Anyway, back to your book. Why do I *heart* it so? Well, the pictures totally kick it; it takes a special lady to pull off the bottomless-but-for-pantyhose look. Your gourmet masterpieces look yummy despite the animal ingredients. And your diy décor is do-able even for the not-so-crafty among us. Googley eyes on peanuts! Who woulda thunkit? And you’re so retro, too, Amy! Like a Fiona Apple video, or those ‘70s douche ads that all us hairy-legged feminist bloggers like to pass around on the internets. I LIKE YOU is, like, the perfect coffee table book for people who think people who have coffee table books are kinda sorta pretentious jerks. For reals.

But wait! There’s more! Your book also has words! And they make me laugh, and laugh, and laugh. And then chortle and guffaw. And then some more lolz. Your sections on entertaining the elderly, babycakes (sorry, “children”), ladies’ nights and “when you get to play nurse” (not as fun and/or dirt-ay as it sounds) are especially amusing. Even the book flap provides several minutes of enjoyment.

In sum, Amy, you give this misanthrope hope! Plus, you taught me how to locate my vagina with a hand mirror. I will always remember you for that. With much fondness and warmth. Make of that what you will.

hugs & kisses

- k

PS – Did you by chance ever go by the name of Charlene, maybe in the early ‘80s? Because you totally remind me of Dr. Stephen Colbert, DFA’s ex-lover of the same name. No? Whatevs, nm.

PPS – I know it’s you.

PPPS – I am eagerly awaiting my dinner party invite.

This was one kooky book-- but what else would one expect from Amy Sedaris (have you seen Strangers With Candy? Ya know the really weird chick? That's her)?
Chock full of recipes-- most sound tasty-- party themes, decorating ideas, gift ideas, lots of information about rabbits, and plenty of drug references. Plus lessons on Ms Sedaris' own brand of etiquette.
AND! i love that she decorates lighters. I have been decorating every lighter since high school!
I really appreciate the work that went into the photos, illustrations, letters, handwritten recipe cards, etc-- made it very interactive and entertaining to read.
Loved the FUCK IT bucket(a bucket full of candy that says "fuck it"-- when you're having a bad day you just say "eh fuck it i'm gonna have some candy") and note that went along with it.
This would be a fun book to own, yet i would have a hard time forking over $30 bucks for it. $12 or 15 on a sale rack? Probably.

I stuck this book on my Christmas list. Nobody bit.

I looked on Amazon. They used to say "popular in Cincinnati, OH and Montgomery, AL" -- no such information for this book. But something tells me I scared off my family with this one, with the cover being so garish and wacky. This is similar to the reaction I got when I asked for the Buffy musical episode for Christmas some years ago -- everyone just wanted to know, what the heck?

Weeks passed before I remembered to start putting in library requests for the books I didn't get (luckily they didn't revoke my library privileges in the big city when I went expat). For this one I ended up something like 20th in the queue... for 45 copies citywide. That's simply unfathomable. I cleared the queue in a couple of weeks and lugged the book home (lugging large things on the train is becoming a recurring theme).

Her book is well-written and funny... it has a fair number of drug references... and it has recipes that look like they just might work, but one is a little reluctant to commit a lot of time to recipes from someone who proclaims herself to have both a primary and a backup dealer.

The bookstores really don't know where to file this -- some file it under Humor, some under Cooking, some just give up and stick it on a table in the middle of the store. During the book tour, Sedaris was at her most animated when railing against those who want to call it humor -- she takes the recipe and entertaining bit very seriously, in an ironic sort of way, and she wants people to take her book seriously. It's as if she truly believed she was the Betty Crocker for the new millennium, a burnt-out roach in the ashtray and a medicine cabinet full of Valium (and marbles).

The library stuffed the book into Dewey classification 793, which maps to "Indoor recreation and amusements." If it were ever on a library shelf -- and it will be a while before it makes it to a shelf anywhere, as the hold queue is just as deep as it was when I entered it -- it would be wedged between books called "The Guest From Hell" and "Parties for Kids." A little to the left, wedding books; a little to the right, more books on kids' parties. So at the library, at least, Sedaris won the battle. She's in the party-throwing section.

Do I dare try any of the recipes? I'm certainly steering clear of the crafts, because most of them rely on pantyhose, and even in SF, there are some things a guy just can't buy.

[http://www.belle-aurore.com/mike/more...]

Lauren and Julie gave me this book and boy, am I grateful.

Amy's cheese ball recipe is kick-ass party food (thrice tested by me). There are plenty of interesting Greek-style recipes and old school stuff presented in a more entertaining manner than say, anything Betty Crocker or The Joy of Cooking. Ms. Amy gives some truly thoughtful tips such as don't bring flowers as a hostess gift because then the busy hostess actually has to stop hostessing and find somewhere to put the damn flowers. So inconvenient.

Funny, but also surprisingly practical. Bonus: awesome pics of Amy in various stages of awkward undress.

Who knew learning how to put on panty hose and entertain the senile could be SO MUCH FUN!?!?!?

I like the idea of Amy Seders sending up Martha Stewart much better than the reality. Don't get me wrong, so of this book is very funny. But I found myself out of sync with her sense of humor on more than one occasion. Despite that, I would give anything to be a guest at one of her parties. It wouldn't be boring

Quite simply, I want to be Amy Sedaris when I grow up. I think it just might be possible too, considering that I also enjoy baking cupcakes, I have a wacky family, and on occasion I have been known to be arrestingly adorable (and yet bizarre at the same time).

Maybe the Sedaris family can just adopt me. I feel like they need to balance out Rooster and the crazy sister with no furniture. Hmmm...

In any case, I haven't tested out the recipes in here or attacked any of the craft projects, but I can't open this book without laughing my arse off. The photos are priceless, just like the author.