The Bottom Line
Pros
- I Like You is a send-up of a traditional guide to hostessing full of glossy photos and trite tips.
- If you can ignore the unappetizing photos, the recipes sound appealing
- The book is full of visual gags, including a Cindy Sherman-esque collection of photos of Sedaris.
Cons
- Drug references and some nudity might turn off some readers and are inappropriate for children.
- Sedaris’ sense of humor has won her a cult following, but it won’t appeal to everyone.
Description
- One part humor book, one part cookbook, I Like You manages to be both absurd and useful.
- Sedaris’ twisted wit prevails; she describes something as “soft as a baby’s skull.”
- There are contributions from Sedaris’ previous collaborators, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert.
Guide Review - I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris - Book Review
Chapters include one on entertaining for lumberjacks ("Like a brown bear fresh from hibernation, they can become confused and easily agitated when not fed quickly"). For several of the recipes, the first step of instructions is "Wake up." Sedaris also provides advice for houseguests, including the wise admonition: "Don’t show up with a pet you need to bury."
I Like You includes a few references to Jerri Blank, Sedaris’ character from Strangers with Candy. Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, co-creators of that series, also pop up as contributors to I Like You. Readers who are already fans of Sedaris’ previous projects will definitely be drawn to this book, and even those who aren’t might be persuaded by the inside of the dust jacket, which doubles as a surprise centerfold.
