When You Are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed in Flames written and read by David Sedaris, 323 pages, 9 hours on audio

This is one of Sedaris' many collections of personal essays, and like the others, this one is filled with his wry sense of humor. When You Are Engulfed in Flames covers a variety of topics, but includes a lengthy discussion of Sedaris' journey to quit smoking (done, in large part, because he could no longer stay in the nice hotels when he went on book tours). There are also essays focused on his bizarre obsession with somewhat macabre news stories, stories of the random people he sits next to on airplanes, and a particularly hilarious little tale about the human skeleton he bought his boyfriend for his birthday.

I highly recommend the audiobook of this collection, though I don't recommend listening to it while working out, as I did. (Laughing while running doesn't work so well.) But anywhere else, definitely. For those who have heard Sedaris on NPR will recognize his sarcastic, nasal voice, even if they're just reading the words in the book.