Is it a good quality or a bad quality that I imagine all of my reviews to be terrible? Is one more narcissistic than the other?

If you’ve been around more than a minute you are well aware that my love for David Sedaris has no end. And while all of his collections are obviously non-fiction, being able to climb inside his brain and roll around for a bit via these diaries just hits different. All the Stars. He’s my darling.

Favorite entry hands down . . .

I went to bed at three and shortly afterward Hugh woke up, and we talked for a while. He’d dreamed that he was walking past a house and saw a man on the front porch reading a book called Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I got up and wrote the name in my notebook. If it’s not too late, his dream will be a prophecy. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I think that’s a great title for my new book.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

No one, no storyteller, no humorist, no writer, no one ever compares to Sedaris. He is a national treasure. As I always do with every work from David Sedaris, I loved A CARNIVAL OF SNACKERY! He never fails to entertain me, make me giggle and return to his signature snark in my head long after I've set a book down. Very bummed that his book tour is not bringing him to Phoenix this time, fingers crossed for the next!

3.5 stars. David Sedaris almost never disappoints. But I am partial to his short story and essay collections (my favorite by a mile is Naked) over diaries and he's had a lot in this format. I didn't get too much out of it, but a reminder that he travels extensively and lives in Europe and loves making fun of americans (we deserve it though :D) . And many are "ba dump bump" entries, like stand up. Like all his other books--get the audio, especially if he is reading it. His storytelling can and always packs a stadium.

I love this second peek into Sedaris’ journals. This was a great follow-up to Theft By Finding. It’s interesting to see the entries that become bigger themes in his essay collections

I’ve now read both this and Theft of Finding, and listened to parts of both. I really enjoyed both these novels, if only because I’m a huge Sedaris fan and loved the almost behind-the-scenes look. It was especially exciting when I’d get to an entry I know he turned into an essay later on.

I will say each book is LONG and it some parts, particularly in his early life, the sections drag. That’s a big reason I preferred Carnival. Sedaris voice is a lot maturer in the later entries, but don’t get me wrong - watching him evolve as a writer was fascinating and such a cool perspective to get! I’d say if you are a fan of Sedaris at all, you will love these books!

Thank you to Little, Brown, and Company and Netgalley for the ARC

While his books have always been on my TBR list, A Carnival of Snackery was the first book I read by David Sedaris. This was an assemblage of his diary entries from 2003-2020 and it was a fascinating journey through time. Most entries are short, bite-sized snippets of his history, from significant news events down to the mundane trivialities of life, but turning them into funny anecdotes, with the occasional dash of sentimentality. It isn't often that I laugh out loud while reading, but the witty, wry humour in these pages made it happen. It's a big lengthy, but I would read a passage or two each night and it didn't take long to get through it. It made me want to read his other books!

As much as I've enjoyed David Sedaris' previous books--and I have--I didn't finish A Carnival of Snackery. I know my opinion is in the minority, but much of this book felt both intimate (and it did come from his diary entries) and bitter. I'm sorry I can't give it higher marks, because like all his work, it's thoughtful and well-written. Many of his observations are insightful and true and important. But this time, I just didn't find most of them enjoyable.

Dear Diary--
Today I was reading David Sedaris' diary and I laughed so hard my belt snapped, my trousers fell, I tripped over the cuffs and landed face down in the lap of a very surprised nun who exclaimed "My Lord!", stood up and dumped me onto the wooden floor where my incisor pierced the linoleum. And still I couldn't stop laughing. The Carnival is performed by the entries penned by Sedaris from 2002-2020 and let's just say that this is not Bridget Jones. Find yourself a safe place to sit when reading this. Or a kindly nun.

I usually enjoy David Sedaris books. But something about this one in particular just didn't appeal to me and I can't quite put my finger on it. I found the tone whiny instead of comedic.

There is an art to writing memoirs which Sedaris has mastered for his other works, but memoirs are not what this novel is entitled; it is a diary. Books should be for both the author and reader, but "A Carnival" is only interesting to those that have experienced what Sedaris is describing. As he openly admits, there is no story arc to this collection of short paragraphs describing interactions with characters that don’t matter and that won’t have any relevance later on. Additionally, the almost-racist remarks didn’t help.

I will never discount Sedaris as a humorous author - "Me Talk Pretty" remains a favorite for cheering me up on a bad day. "A Carnival" simply isn’t to the same standard so if you’re looking for your next Sedaris read, I don’t recommend this one.

I LOVE David Sedaris, and yes it did warrant all caps. I read Sedaris' last book of diary entries collection, and loved it, and this was no different. I realize that David Sedaris is not for everyone. He is not always PC, and I have to say I love that about him. Some of the things he says can be problematic. But, he is one of my favorite humorists, I love his life stories, and makes me feel normal. I have always wanted to be the female David Sedaris. I started Toastmasters with that being my goal.

I loved A Carnival of Snackery, because it is exactly as it sounds. Little snacks and tidbits of thoughts and insights from his diaries. I love his opinions, even if it is on something as simple as a random thought on the most mundane thing. I loved hearing his little antidotes, quotes that some people might find strange (but I would want for my own using), and even times when he may go off on some tangent that has nothing to do with what he started talking about.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sedaris fans, rejoice! A Carnival of Snackery is a collection of journal entries from 2003-2020, written in Sedaris' trademark voice. The stories are well curated and easily read in one sitting or spread out over weeks. I, personally, found this to be the perfect reprieve in between meetings, at the airport, or wherever I needed a quick world to dive into. Thank you, @netgalley and @littlebrown, for an ARC of this book. A Carnival of Snakcery is now in bookstores!

Mr. Sedaris' diary entries are a treasure and we are blessed that he allows us into his world this way.

I was initially intimidated by the amount of pages, but this turned out to be a very fast read for me. He doesn't share each day's diary entry, but crafts an over-arching narrative that draws you into his life. From his love of wild animals around his house (RIP Carol) to what it was like to be in New York City when Trump was defeated and Biden won the 2020 election, these stories lay bare the author's thoughts and feelings - and it's a magical ride.

Another entertaining glimpse into David Sedaris's mind. I always enjoy his stories of family and touring, and this one is no exception. This batch of journal entries starts off in 2006 and it was fun to see what we were talking about and experiencing back then. It progresses through 2021 and it is interesting to read about his experiences with early COVID while living in NYC and traveling back and forth to London.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. However, due to general life procrastination, I read the finished, hardcover version.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book since I finished reading Theft by Finding in 2017. David Sedaris is one of my favourite authors, and I enjoyed reading his diary entries in Theft by Finding and reading about him finding himself and all of his strange observations over the years. A Carnival of Snackery is the next volume of his diaries, and while it was still an enjoyable read, it, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

A Carnival of Snackery is a selection of David Sedaris’ diary entries from 2003 to 2020. By this point, David Sedaris has made a name for himself and has found himself. This collection of diary entries features lots of book tours and world travel, time spent at his various properties, and strange anecdotes and observations that he’s made.

Similar to Theft by Finding, this book was kind of cool because a diary is an interesting way to look back on the past. There were moments that were talked about that I had completely forgotten about, and other moments where I was like, “oh! that!” It’s also neat to read observations written at the time an event was happening.

My favourite diary entries were the ones where he was travelling around the world. As someone who will likely not do very much travelling, I love travelling vicariously through books and other people. I liked hearing about the people he met, the things he observed, and the places he dined while travelling around the world on book tours. I also enjoyed the entries that featured animals, specifically the ones that featured Carol the Fox.

Anyone who has followed David Sedaris knows that he has quite a big ego, and his ego shines through in this book. Some moments were a little bit cringy because he’s a little bit too into himself, but at the same time, these are his diary entries. There are also some jokes and observations in this book that didn’t age very well, and reading them was almost like politely suffering through Thanksgiving dinner while the drunk Uncle keeps making inappropriate comments.

Overall, if you’re a fan of David Sedaris, I recommend picking up this book because it’s David Sedaris, and you know what you’re getting into. However, if you haven’t read David Sedaris before, do not start with this book. Instead, start with one of his collections of essays like Calypso or Me Talk Pretty One Day and see if his sense of humour is something that you can get into first.

David Sedaris has honed his reputation with his finely observed looks at his fellow mankind. In this volume of his diaries he does not disappoint us. With many more observations that lead the reader the make her own exclamations it is hard to tear oneself away from the pages. From the hilarious to the poignant this is a perfect read for those of us who benefit a respite from our own thoughts and observations!

David Sedaris does it again with another brilliant collection of quirky tales and stories from his own life. I truly hope he never runs out of anecdotes; the world needs him and his lovably bizarre brain.

Beware of where you are reading this book. If you are reading it in the employee 's bathroom you might get some odd looks after you have literally laughed so loud that anyone within 20 feet will have heard you. Likewise reading it in bed after your bedmate has fallen asleep. Sedaris looks for and delights in the odd and bizarre and if he cannot find enough in his many travels he will generate it himself. Who doesn't love someone whose hobby is picking up roadside trash and who does it with such joy that his community names a garbage truck after him?

3.5 stars
I went back and forth with my opinion on this one. On one hand, reading these journal entries feels like I’m getting an unfiltered look at DS’s thoughts, and if that’s what it really is, I admire his honesty and willingness to show his vulnerable and sometimes unpleasant sides. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily want to be privy to so many of his thoughts, and I’m starting to think I prefer the format of the majority of his books, which is a little less raw.
But I still sure like him, especially when he’s writing about his family and Hugh, and it was interesting to read such recent entries, with the way the past two years have gone. I also love that he tries to learn so many different languages when he’s traveling, and his stories about cultural and linguistic exchanges are also very funny. I wouldn’t have minded if he had related fewer of the jokes people told him at signings, or the messed up things some of them have said to him.

Uniquely Sedaris, whip smart and edgy. A gifted storyteller with endless anecdotes, this is a perfect gift for anyone and a well-needed indulgence of humor for everyone.