The Skinny
(aka Back of the Book Summary in a Sentence)
Follow A. J. Jacobs’ real-life journey as he tries to build the biggest family tree in history.
Nutritional Value
(aka What’s Good)
I actually laughed out loud. I didn’t just breathe extra air out my nose or make an approving grunt in my throat. I literally LOL’ed over Jacobs’ recounting of the email that started his three-year family-finding adventure. Jacobs has a knack of turning real-life mundane situations into comedy gold. And the best part is he’s not afraid to make fun of himself or his relatives, especially his smug brother-in-law.
Freezer Burn
(aka What’s Bad)
This chapter is only a few pages long. There’s nothing inherently bad about that kind of length. It’s just that I’m used to longer chapters. This was so short my ADHD didn’t even have a chance to kick in.
Lingering Aftertaste
(aka My Prediction)
I’m pretty sure Jacobs is going to find a bunch of celebrities in his extended family tree and meet up with as many of them as he can in the wackiest way he can. The back of the book summary says that part of his adventure includes having a beer with a U.S. president. My money is on that president being Obama, since Obama is currently one of the only living presidents young and hip enough to grab drinks with a comedy writer.
Taste Test Verdict
(aka Would I Read More?)
Charlie Chaplin once said that a day without laughter is a day wasted. Well, I don’t want to waste any of my days, so I’m definitely going to read more of this extremely humorous book.
Memorable Morsel
(aka Quotable Quote)
The coolest thing that ever happened at my cousin’s wedding was the surf and turf option for the entrée.
I’m thinking of my cousin David, who, for his wedding, hired a little person dressed as a leprechaun to pop out from under his bride’s dress and twerk with the guests.
What fun stories do you have about your cousins? Share them in the comments below!
Get It’s All Relative
Gwen thinks that it’s as close to magic as humans can get when a blank Word document is filled with groups of letters, and those groups of letters turn into lines, and those lines turn into a whole new world.
When Gwen isn’t reading or writing, she’s drinking boba milk tea and singing along to Steven Universe. You should sing along with her.
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