A Smidge of Crazy

More Quirky Essays for Quirky People

By: Barbara Venkataraman

Narrated by: Sara M. Sapp

A collection of humorous insights into important topics ranging from being targeted by annoying ads ("Nowhere to Hide"), to resorting to symbols when you've forgotten your words ("At a Loss for Words"), to figuring out what door that extra key opens ("My Extra Key").

Other essays examine how sitting is the new smoking (whatever that means) and why it is just so hard to focus when you have the attention span of a gnat.

©2018 Barbara Venkataraman (P)2019 Barbara Venkataraman

Collection of Essays

A small collection of essays or short stories by the author that cover topics from Data Mined advertising on the internet, that extra key we all have on our key rings and don’t know where it goes, to a logophile (which is a lover of words).

“Of all the mysteries in my life, the one I someday hope to solve is the mystery of my extra key.”

“The stranger stared into my eyes so deeply it felt like he was looking into my soul. The staring went on for so long I was starting to feel uncomfortable when he finally spoke.
“You have presbyopia.”
“Oh my God,” I said, “Is that serious? It sounds like a tropical disease.”
The ophthalmologist laughed. “No, it means you have old eyes. You also have a touch of astigmatism.”
I rubbed my blurry, traitorous eyes. “What’s the cure, doc?”
He shrugged. “Longer arms so you can read a menu. Glasses, of course.”

A great, short read, very funny and extremely enjoyable. These stories are so relatable, things that we are all going through and thinking on a daily basis but Barbara has put them on paper for us to read and laugh about together. I literally laughed out loud on a few. For someone who is an attorney and an English major, you expect her writing to be stiff and full of words that most of us would have to look up but that is not the case at all. It’s written for everyone not just other logophiles to enjoy.

These are just fun well written essays

I was given a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Barbara’s essays. They are just so much fun. I feel like getting too specific about what I liked would give away minor spoilers which I hate doing.

They are fun, cute and funny. They are well worth reading. Just buy them and enjoy!

Fun, quick, and relatable

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I’ve listened to several of Barbara Venkataraman’s books, and I always enjoy them. A Smidge of Crazy is one of my favorites. It contains 15 essays about things that are funny and that we can all relate to. Who doesn’t have that extra key that opens…something? Or how about getting sidetracked when you’re trying to accomplish a task and end up starting several tasks but finishing none of them?

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who’s just a little bit crazy and able to laugh at myself. I appreciate that the author has the talent to put it all on paper, and I hope she writes more essays of this type in the future.

Funny and light stories

This is the second volume of a collection of humorous essays inspired by Barbara Venkataraman’s own life and circumstances. If you enjoyed the first book, you will also like this one. The stories are a mix of humorous and bitter but they are always told using a light tone, irony, and the indispensable final punch.

They are 15 very short stories, ideal for a light and quick listen. I think I especially enjoyed ‘My Extra Key’, ‘Mental Health Day, ‘Try to Focus’, and ‘What is your Thunder’. I found easy to relate to Barbara’s stories, and I laughed out loud at her down to earth recollections.

It was the first time I listened to Sara M. Sapp, but her narration was very similar to Carrie Lee Martz’s in the first book, employing a light and sometimes snarky tone, a style that perfectly matched the stories.

If you enjoy funny and light short stories, this book is for you. It will also make you think about how important can be the simple things in life.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Very Relatable

I enjoyed listening to these essays. I got a good chuckle about the mystery key, since I think we all have them. I really found the whole collection very easy to relate to. Well, except for the cake decorating. You see, my mom used to teach those classes, so I got to learn from a young age. Anyway, this was a fun read, and I really loved the narrator.

Fun!

Random ideas with giggles! I was smart enough to get the ebook for free and get the Whispersync for cheap, so I win hands down! I listened and laughed for an hour while I made beds and gathered dirty clothes. Totally loved it and will enjoy it again! Sara M. Sapp has just the right delivery as narrator!

okay

an okay listen, narration was good but while the essays found were cute for the most part, I thought overall the collection felt forced. Funny but not FUNNY.

this book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.