11/15/2013
This collection of Roach's (Gulp) columns for Reader's Digest is a series of fun diversions; each story lasts only a few minutes. Roach writes both humorously and self-deprecatingly of the joys and frustrations of everyday life. Topics include a quagmire journey of the corporate phone tree; the inexplicable need to buy nonfunctional, nonsensical, and possibly malevolent gadgets; and doing battle with the passenger behind you in an airplane, followed by the inevitable defeat. Angela Dawe narrates with appropriate comic timing. VERDICT This quick collection is perfect for public libraries where material such as "Best of NPR" stories circulates well.—Tristan M. Boyd, Westbank Community Lib., Austin, TX

The author made her name writing pieces for Reader’s Digest and penning her own books, which take a lighthearted and funny view of her world. This collection includes the best of her articles, and they’re amusing and insightful. The problem is that narrator Angela Dawe performs as if she were on stage, not narrating a book. She speaks in a loud upper register that doesn’t have much range, making much of the book an exercise in differentiating the material while the voice remains the same. In short, there’s no nuance or layering to Dawe’s voice, just a freight train barreling down the tracks. A funny freight train, mind you, but a train nonetheless. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine