I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence Reviews

• 
  Jessica

  I initially misunderstand the intention of this book, which was probably why I was little disappointed by it. This book is not funny. I mean, there are funny things in it, but it's not joke book or a send-up of Martha Stewart or anything like that. Instead it's pretty straightforward guide to entertaining (the having-your-friends-over kind of entertaining, mostly, with a just little making-a-spectacle-of-yourself-to-amuse-others kind of entertaining thrown in here and there). As a guide to throwing parties, this is a pretty good book. It does an excellent job of reiterating what the point and the spirit of entertaining is all about, i.e., having your friends come over as guests and showing them all a good time, and has some practical advice about how to do it. I had my Lucky '07 New Years party right after reading this book, and some of the points she made were helpful in planning and execution (I either forgot to read or Amy forgot to write the part about not drinking too much, but I suppose that's really neither here nor there).
  
  As a person who likes throwing theme parties, I can't imagine actually using most of the ideas in here, since I'd rather come up with them on my own. In general, a lot of these food and decoration ideas were brilliant, but it'd be kind of weird to execute them yourself because people would show up at your Kentucky Derby/Orgy party and say, "Oh, you you made Amy Sedaris's Spanish Fly Mint Juleps (that's just a dumb example, I can't remember her actual party themes), I love the crocheted horses-humping-each-other coasters, just like the ones in the book, how cute" or whatever, and that would probably be embarrassing and not impressive like having come up with the idea on your own.
  
  Ultimately, this book just made me want to become friends with Amy Sedaris, so she'd invite me to her amazing parties. Since this is unlikely to happen, this book left me feeling a little left-out and cranky, but I guess that has more to do with me (and my friends who do not love crafts, baking, and devising ways to amuse me and introduce me to the most handsome and witty conversationalists they know) than with Amy Sedaris.
• 
  Jason Koivu

  Sarcastic, quirky and kooky, I Like You - this jokey book on being the hostess with the mostess - is perhaps the only kind of hospitality book I could take serious.
  
  Half of this is domestic, home-maker, party-planner, cookbook material. In fact it surprised me how much of I Like You is straight up serious. Some of it's funny as hell, but then you suddenly get a recipe thrown into the mix. It's as scatterbrained as its author's onscreen performances. Hit and miss.
  
  Amy Sedaris is generally a funny lady, but her brother David got the writer gene. She's more of a performer. That's fine if you listen to the audiobook, that way you at least get half of her talent. If this was a VIDEObook then you'd be in Amy Sedaris' wheelhouse!
  
  
  
• 
  Nathan

  Genius. Amy Sedaris is one of the most beautiful people on the planet. Get this book, then go make your Fuck It Bucket. It's filled with crafts and recipes for depressed stoners. The book, not the Fuck It Bucket. Different story. Regardless, read this book. Good times.
  
  NC
• 
  mike

  I stuck this book on my Christmas list. Nobody bit.
  
  I looked on Amazon. They used to say "popular in Cincinnati, OH and Montgomery, AL" -- no such information for this book. But something tells me I scared off my family with this one, with the cover being so garish and wacky. This is similar to the reaction I got when I asked for the Buffy musical episode for Christmas some years ago -- everyone just wanted to know, what the heck?
  
  Weeks passed before I remembered to start putting in library requests for the books I didn't get (luckily they didn't revoke my library privileges in the big city when I went expat). For this one I ended up something like 20th in the queue... for 45 copies citywide. That's simply unfathomable. I cleared the queue in a couple of weeks and lugged the book home (lugging large things on the train is becoming a recurring theme).
  
  Her book is well-written and funny... it has a fair number of drug references... and it has recipes that look like they just might work, but one is a little reluctant to commit a lot of time to recipes from someone who proclaims herself to have both a primary and a backup dealer.
  
  The bookstores really don't know where to file this -- some file it under Humor, some under Cooking, some just give up and stick it on a table in the middle of the store. During the book tour, Sedaris was at her most animated when railing against those who want to call it humor -- she takes the recipe and entertaining bit very seriously, in an ironic sort of way, and she wants people to take her book seriously. It's as if she truly believed she was the Betty Crocker for the new millennium, a burnt-out roach in the ashtray and a medicine cabinet full of Valium (and marbles).
  
  The library stuffed the book into Dewey classification 793, which maps to "Indoor recreation and amusements." If it were ever on a library shelf -- and it will be a while before it makes it to a shelf anywhere, as the hold queue is just as deep as it was when I entered it -- it would be wedged between books called "The Guest From Hell" and "Parties for Kids." A little to the left, wedding books; a little to the right, more books on kids' parties. So at the library, at least, Sedaris won the battle. She's in the party-throwing section.
  
  Do I dare try any of the recipes? I'm certainly steering clear of the crafts, because most of them rely on pantyhose, and even in SF, there are some things a guy just can't buy.
  
  [
  http://www.belle-aurore.com/mike/more...]
• 
  Margitte

  This book is candid camera funny and serious at the same time.
  
  Amy Sedaris really take us all on a hilarious journey of wacky evenings, irresponsible moments, such as a blind date at her home so that she can control the situation(what a delight she would have been for serial killers and stalkers); selling stuff to her guests-insisting on their support; and funny incidents, like when her sister slipped in her shower and encountered a fish hook in her lip. Amy's comment: The only good thing is, it plumped her thin lips for a while.
  
  About the blind date:

  The goal is to impress him when he is on my turf. I can put my skills to work: I can cast a spell. I don't like a lot of small talk, so I allow my home and homemaking abilities to speak for me. I'm guessing a stranger can get a pretty good idea as to who I am by observing the medical wax model of a canker sore I have hanging on a wall, or my antique correction shoe displayed on a bookshelf, or the fact that my place is organized primarily to accommodate my rabbit.

  What kind of hostess can you expect when she learnt her skills from her mom, and as a Girl Scouts and Junior Achievement, her second-grade teacher, her family, Aunt Joyce, the back of boxes, the lady who works at the post office, encyclopedias, the beach. Bartending school, grocery stores, airports, waiting on tables, Mrs. Enchandi, nurses, sitcoms, Hugh, listening to the radio. babysitting, rock concerts, summer school and the House Rabbit Society.
  
  Yes, she's sending up a few doyennes on the culinary stage with her wit and the reader is the beneficiary. It's clear from her recipes that's she's a serious cook with a big enough dollop of humor thrown into her writing only.
  
  Choosing guests is easy. If you have barnacle friends, invite a shipwreck which they can attach themselves to and make sure it is big party so that they can get lost in the crowd. Don't invite people who work in the same industry, because it won't be party then, it will be convention. For a shy guest you need to invite a show-off to entertain this guest. Besides, show-offs need an audience.
  
  Amy Sedaris's introduction on her author page states: Comedianne Amy Sedaris confronts vulgarity with a daring innocence to create her wickedly absurd characters. This explains this book perfectly, and this is what you should expect in reading it. Absurd and satirical. However, there's a kindness and caring character behind the madness. She is also the beloved sister of David Sedaris - the author. I loved it.
• 
  britt_brooke

  “Commit or decline. If you cannot come to the party, do not cancel at the last minute or give a message to a child to inform the host. And don’t bother explaining why you can’t attend because anything after “because” is bullshit.” 😆
  
  This was pretty fun on #audio. It’s a good mix of dark humor, which I love, and actual good tips. Plus, recipes. And I love that cover.
• 
  Kelly (and the Book Boar)

  Find all of my reviews at:
  http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
  
  Boy oh boy this one really left me in a quandary.
  
  
  
  
  I read this book a while ago . . . and it gave me a sad so I didn’t write a review. My love for Amy Sedaris goes back a long time. Before she was all cute on “Elf” or doing guests spots on my new fave T.V. show “Broad City”
  
  
  
  
  I loved her as Jeri Blank. Totally inappropriate, menopausal, high school student, Jeri Blank.
  
  
  
  
  I wasn’t prepared to not love this book. I had to take some time and come to terms with what I was feeling.
  
  
  
  
  I mean, Amy Sedaris is hilarious. Even without a series of her own or roles in movies, she’s always being invited on the late night talk shows. And you know why???? Because she does things like make treats that look like cat shit when she’s on Fallon:
  
  
  
  
  or allows Coco to bash her upside the head:
  
  
  
  
  For a solid 15 years of me being a fan, Amy has always been so uproariously funny – never taking herself seriously. Unfortunately her book kind of does. There are intro pages to the various types of dining occasions and some pages of random anecdotes and various craft projects that bring the ha-ha, but for the most part this is just a bad cookbook. A REALLY bad cookbook (and trust me when I say I don’t need any more help being a bad cook *ba-dum ching*). It was all just . . .
  
  
  
  
  So it is with heavy heart I write this review. Amy – please know I still love you (and your brother David). I will gladly wear you as a skin suit grovel at your feet and beg to be your BFF, should we ever meet.
  
• 
  Hayley

  Quite simply, I want to be Amy Sedaris when I grow up. I think it just might be possible too, considering that I also enjoy baking cupcakes, I have a wacky family, and on occasion I have been known to be arrestingly adorable (and yet bizarre at the same time).
  
  Maybe the Sedaris family can just adopt me. I feel like they need to balance out Rooster and the crazy sister with no furniture. Hmmm...
  
  In any case, I haven't tested out the recipes in here or attacked any of the craft projects, but I can't open this book without laughing my arse off. The photos are priceless, just like the author.
• 
  Julie Suzanne

  It may just be that I'm not cool enough for this book, but after I was bored and annoyed by the audibook, I checked out the hardcover copy to scan for recipes. I hated the book much more. I felt that most of her tips were obvious, useless, not as funny as she was trying to be, and overall just dumb. The pictures, although I'm sure there was some creative and artistic brilliance involved in making it just so, were offensively UGLY, making even the recipes I had thought I might like to try look disgusting.
  
  If you're interested in amazing recipes like, "The best rootbeer float: Add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in your favorite glass and fill with root beer. Serve with spoon and straw.", you'll perhaps just love this book.
• 
  Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

  Only $1.99 right now! I got this on sale because I've been reading her brother's (David Sedaris's) memoirs and it reminded me that she's an author too.
  
  This is actually a straightforward guide to throwing parties and being a hostess and now that I've started doing things over Zoom or socially distanced, I want some tips on how to entertain and show people a good time (not in a creepy way-- ew)
• 
  Bobby

  For the record, this review is for the audio book version; I may have rated it differently had I read the book. Also for the record, I was a good way into it when I realized that this book is NOT really geared towards heterosexual men such as myself (it was her giving advice on "vaginal cleansing" aka douching before I made this realization! Yeah, I know I'm slow.)
  
  I'm very familiar with (books by) Amy's brother, David Sedaris, and am a big fan. So I think I was hoping to find something just as funny and witty. Sadly this book is neither. To be sure, there are a few funny moments and quirky/interesting advice scattered here and there, but I found much of information useless. For instance, most of the recipes are meat-based. So being a vegetarian, they had no appeal at all for me. A few that are vegetarian are full of butter and cheese, and not very interesting. And frankly I don't a know a single health-care provider (and I know A LOT) who advocates douching (as it often causes chemical irritation to the vaginal mucosa and potentially increases risk of infection). Perhaps Amy Sedaris should be advising women to be more comfortable with their natural vaginal scent instead of trying to get them to smell like gardenias or whatever!
• 
  Rebecca

  I love this book. I no longer feel like a failure in entertaining my friends and acquaintances. I also acknowledge the universal truth that alcohol is a wonderful tool to feel better about yourself and make others feel better about themselves.
  Amy Sedaris clearly likes to party. And is creative. And has more friends (or is it acquaintances?) who will come to her parties. I cracked up at some the themes she comes up with and wondered, "If I use the tips in this book, will I become more popular? Or will it reveal the sad truth...that we are all just a quirky mess trying desperately to feel liked?"
  If you like her brother's writing style; get ready for some gut-bustin' good times!
• 
  Aura

  I started listening to this audio book this morning and finished it by the end of the day. Its short, funny and entertaining. Amy is the very funny sister of David Sedaris and like him they are crazy unique individuals. Their funny quirky stories make you laugh but there is always something relatable about them. Amy explains in I Like You how to throw the perfect party. She gives you recipes, decorating ideas and activities for your party. For example, if you are entertaining elderly people you may want to give them threaded needles as parting gifts? I liked this book. It had a lot of giggling and one or two laugh-at-loud moments.
• 
  Erin

  It's pretty clear that the name "Sedaris" is synonymous with "hilarious." Amy Sedaris is just as funny as her brother David Sedaris, which is excellent for those of us looking for reliable authors we can remember at bookstores. I love Amy's pairing of advice and humor and find her take on hospitality refreshing and honest. I plan to recommend this book to my friends and I think the audiobook will make an excellent gift come next Christmas.
• 
  Sarah

  Amy Sedaris's mind is always at work. Here are some of her party and hosting tips (in no particular order):
  
  *Don't bring your dog [actually, this is really good advice...]
  *Invite the barnacle in your life to parties only if there are a large number of people so he or she will be lost in the crowd.
  *If you are the guest: Don't arrive saying you have chiggers, scabies, ringworm or lice. Keep your parasites to yourself.
  *Change your medicine chest from herbal remedies to something that works - fast-acting, no-nonsense pharmaceuticals (i.e. amphetamines for ginseng).
  
  Amy really has a thing for pantyhose, but I stopped wearing those horrid things over a decade ago, so that advice was lost on me.
• 
  Bonnie Rue

  I want Amy Sedaris to move in next door to me.
  Universe - do you hear me?!
  I want Amy Sedaris to move in next door to me!
• 
  Mary Sue

  This is more of a coffee table book than a real instruction book. Open it anywhere and start laughing! Some of her suggestions are practical, some are hilarious, all are interesting. I doubt if I do any of the pantyhose crafts, but I might pick up a few ideas to really use. I bought this book when she was a guest speaker at a seminar series at the university. Enjoyed the evening and I recommend you do that too if you have the opportunity.
• 
  kelly

  I've been meaning to read this forever, mainly because of the photo on the cover. That look! It makes me feel like Amy Sedaris really does like me.
  
  And within that fabulous cover? Think one of those cheesy how-to craft books in the yarn aisles of an arts and crafts store. Now picture a witty hipster getting hold of one an revising it. Then a snarky, cheeky Betty Crocker throws in a bunch of her annotated recipes and '60s photos.
  
  I didn't actually read the whole book because I hate crafts and all the recipes look gross. But what I did read reminded me that Amy Sedaris is hilarious and now I follow her on Instagram.
• 
  Gillian Brownlee

  Someone gave me this audiobook right before I drove the 13 hours from my parents' house to home. Otherwise, I might've never known about it. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening, but it certainly wasn't Amy Sedaris's quick wit and humor combined with some pretty good hosting tips. She was hilarious! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a light read (or has a long drive ahead of them).
• 
  Christie

  I like you Amy Sedaris. Upon reading this book I quickly implemented the "Fuck It Bucket." A bucket of candy that when life gets you down just say "fuck it" and eat a piece of candy. Life's better with a Fuck It Bucket.
• 
  Eric Lawless

  I absolutely loved this book, Amy Sedaris is awesome to say the least! Part legitimate hospitality and party book, part parody of said books from the 1950s through the 1970s. A fun read and I'm pretty sure that after this, Amy Sedaris is my spirit animal!
• 
  Jessica

  This started out funny, but then parts of it were just plain wierd. I'm glad that it is over.
• 
  Naomi

  I like that you like me and I like you too.
• 
  d4

  I recently saw a tweet about the racism featured prominently in (at least) one of the recipes. I had a real "WTF" moment and tried Googling to find confirmation that the images are from this book. When I read this 12 years ago, it was a library rental. I am surprised that I could be so oblivious because wow, the illustrations are blatantly racist. Was I so desensitized that I didn't mind hipster ironic racism or did I simply skip over the recipes because of the whole being vegan (vegetarian at the time) thing? It's possible I only looked at the crafts because that's all I vaguely recall. Then again, there was a time when I thought Tucker Max was funny so I won't pretend that I haven't been different variations of horrible throughout my lifetime. 2008 is pre-University me. Dark times.
  
  I couldn't find confirmation so if you have a copy lying around and wanna find the "Korean Korner" recipe to confirm, I'd appreciate it. I even skimmed the one-star reviews, but no one mentions racism. They just don't like tampons jokes. It's not that I have any particular reason to doubt the tweet, but re-posting information online without fact-checking is far too common so I'm just trying not to do the same. There's no Amy Sedaris Snopes article though so it's probably true that this book is trash.
  
  I am removing my 3-star rating (not exactly a glowing 5 star rating to begin with) for the time being because there's a global pandemic so I'm not visiting the library or a bookstore to confirm. I have a suspicion that my initial impressions don't hold up over time. That's probably true of a lot of my reviews, but this one was brought to my attention so here I am.
• 
  Deb

  I love listening to David Sedaris' audiobooks and thought I would give his sister Amy's book a try. I found 'I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence' quirky, funny, a mixed bag of nuts, with some practical advise on hospitality. Amy, our eccentric hostess, even shares some of her favorite recipes such as: Zucchini Fritters, Southern Green Beans, Li'l Smokey Cheeseball and Smack Snacks for Rabbits (can't leave them out of the party).
  
  I really liked listening to Amy Sedaris read her book. She is much more upbeat than her brother and I thought almost as funny. I would recommend this to young people who are starting out on their own or those who just want to lighten up or liven up their normal cocktail/dinner parties.
  
  Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
  
  Bookcrossing.com
  
  
  
• 
  Jennifer Wardrip

  Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
  
  I LIKE YOU isn't a children's book. In fact, unless your parents say you can read it, or you're at least sixteen, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're a mature teenager who enjoys off-beat humor mixed in with recipes, entertaining tips, and a hodgepodge of other "homey" ideas, then this is the book for you.
  
  "Hello, and I like you." According to Ms. Sedaris, this is what you're saying every time you invite someone into your house. Unfortunately, I had originally thought that when I invited people into my house I was saying, "Hello, sorry my house looks like bohemian children with outrageous hobbies live here." But, whatever. Amy Sedaris, whom you might recognize from roles in School of Rock, Bewitched, Elf, and Strangers With Candy, has given us a slew of ideas, recipes, and helpful hints for entertaining those people we invite into our home.
  
  This over-sized tome is chock full of recipes, from the hors d'oeuvres to the main course to dessert. Mixed in, of course, are witty comments from Ms. Sedaris herself, hilarious photos, and tips on keeping that party spirit alive. If you want to give the perfect gift, for any occasion, to someone you love, show them you like them by handing them a copy of I LIKE YOU. Believe me, everyone will be happy.
• 
  Peacegal

  I generally enjoy Amy Sedaris’s sense of humor. The off-the-wall “guest favors” brought to mind the many art projects of my youth. I too, was once obsessed with plastic wiggly eyes and popsicle sticks. Thankfully for us, Sedaris hasn’t outgrown her devotion to making bizarre and useless knickknacks. She also has a knack for icing highly unusual greetings atop cakes.
  
  I can’t imagine ever hosting a dinner party, so I guess you won’t have to worry about me trying any of the tips or recipes offered in this book. That’s probably a good thing.
  
  I Like You yet again reminded me how far off I am from the Standard American Diet. If you want a clue about the contents of the dinner recipes inside, just take a look at the roast turkey on the cover. Meat, meat, and more meat. I in, fact, got rather sick of looking at all of the meat dishes throughout the book. Sedaris writes a touching story about adopting and caring for rabbits, then dives headlong into more meat recipes. Unfortunately, few readers will see the irony in this.
  
• 
  Madeline

  I expected this to be a joke cookbook, but there are real recipes in here, and most of them look pretty good. Sedaris's book also includes diferent party themes, complete with decorating and entertaiment ideas (one of the games for the children's party was called "Gypsy - blindfold the kids, drive them to the other side of town and leave them somewhere they've never been before. The goal is to find their way back) and general tips - she suggests filling your medicine cabinet with marbles because "nothing announces a nosy party guest quite like the sound of marbles striking a porcelain sink"
  Apparently Amy Sedaris appeared on the Martha Stewart show to promote this book. I am very, very angry that I missed seeing that.
• 
  Renetta

  I fell in love with Amy Sedaris the first I saw Strangers with Candy, when I saw she had a cookbook I had to have it!
  
  This book is filled with silly stories and funny pictures. It reminds me of my childhood, very nostalgic. Oh and there are some good recipes too! I've made a couple but somehow this book got buried on my regular bookshelf. Now that I moved it to the bookshelves in the kitchen I'll use it more often. :)