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mandyc1977's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book. I laughed (like out loud...A LOT). I cried. I sighed big sighs as I thought about my own crazy family.
I loved how Rouse set up the book by telling stories through the calendar year. The Halloween costume his mom made him? I had tears running down my face from laughing.
I remember as a kid discovering Erma Bombeck books in my grandparents basement and laughing while I read them. This book reminded me of those stories.
Rouse writes with humor, tenderness and a great love for the people in his life. His writing is honest and not overly sentimental. He is self-aware and doesn't sugarcoat any of the realities of his growing up or life. Highly recommend this book to any reader.
I loved how Rouse set up the book by telling stories through the calendar year. The Halloween costume his mom made him? I had tears running down my face from laughing.
I remember as a kid discovering Erma Bombeck books in my grandparents basement and laughing while I read them. This book reminded me of those stories.
Rouse writes with humor, tenderness and a great love for the people in his life. His writing is honest and not overly sentimental. He is self-aware and doesn't sugarcoat any of the realities of his growing up or life. Highly recommend this book to any reader.
maryfrances_odea's review against another edition
5.0
I was a bit distressed to find this in the "humor" section, because while I laughed hysterically at a lot of the parts of the book, there were some tear-jerker moments as well.
Wade's family bears NO resemblance to mine and yet, I could relate to his and his partner's families page after page of this book. Dis-function and horrid holidays lead to wonderful heartfelt life lessons and a sweet tribute to the good, bad and the ugly of families and family holidays.
Wade's family bears NO resemblance to mine and yet, I could relate to his and his partner's families page after page of this book. Dis-function and horrid holidays lead to wonderful heartfelt life lessons and a sweet tribute to the good, bad and the ugly of families and family holidays.
wmatamoros's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty great one liners. And referring to a person as "the torso" kind of made my day.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
4.0
Funny take on the holidays in chronological order throughout the year from a gay man.
alecrigdon's review against another edition
3.0
It's All Relative was actually a backup for another of Rouse's books that I was seeking. This one proved to be a pleasant and warm read all the same. His collection of dysfunctional family tall tales makes you feel like part of the gang. There are a few problems I have with his outlook and perception of what it means to be a gay man and even a Midwesterner, but beyond that this was a fun read.
thfishie's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a nice quick read. I find Wade humorous. Some stories started funny and ended a little sad. Some were just heart touching. Overall, I enjoyed them all. This is the first book of his that I’ve read. I would probably read other books of his.
lutheranjulia's review
5.0
This book was wonderful on so many levels. I laughed out loud and I wept. This is my second Rouse and I enjoyed it both the pacing and the voice of the stories. This is a fun read, but not necessarily light. The list of people I would like to read this book is too long, but I'm definitely recommending this now to people I know will appreciate it.
satyridae's review
3.0
I enjoyed these essays very much. Some more than others, of course. Several of them made me cry, a few of them made me roll my eyes. I like Rouse's writing a lot, and I'm happy to see that there are still a few of his books yet to read.
His tone is just right, I think- he's not exactly arch and not exactly sentimental but somehow touches both of these extremes and is blessedly, hilariously human. Recommended.
His tone is just right, I think- he's not exactly arch and not exactly sentimental but somehow touches both of these extremes and is blessedly, hilariously human. Recommended.
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