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Microthrills: True Stories from a Life of Small Highs Audiobook
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(3.04) - 265 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Raised in Manhattan by her overprotective sex-therapist mother (who wore “nine inches of shoulder pads”), Wendy Spero has always sought excitement in microthrills, the small, strange highs that give her life meaning—from finding a strip tease video of her grandmother to selling knives door-to-door. As a little girl, Spero passed the time sniffing fruit-scented markers and breaking up arguments between her imaginary friends. As an adult, in her first office job, she formed an unusual relationship with her boss that involved as much marijuana-smoking as it did mentoring. Called “a profoundly funny human being” by Time Out New York, Spero is now a comedian living in L.A., grappling with such grown-up issues as trying to kick her addiction to eating candy in bed and learning how to drive.
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"Definitely not laugh-out-loud funny (I think I only laughed out loud once near the end), but humorous in a quirky way. I probably would have felt more sympathy for her had she not grown up in upper Manhattan, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't looking for sympathy anyway. Some pieces were more amusing than others; the stuffed animal obsession, for example, was quite good. And the stories progressed, more or less, chronologically, which also was helpful."
— Paula (4 out of 5 stars)
Microthrills Listener Reviews
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" entertaining and quick read. She's pretty quirky and funky and has a weird/awesome life to tell about. "
— Andrew, 2/18/2014 -
" Glad I only paid .49 for the hardback. Not my cup of tea. "
— Laurie, 1/31/2014 -
" One of the funniest books I've ever read "
— Heather, 1/31/2014 -
" This was whiny, poorly written and not that funny. The main narrator and her mother were both obnoxious. I must have wanted to torture myself by reading this. "
— Martin, 1/27/2014 -
" Well written and laugh out loud funny. Maybe it's because we have the same birthday or maybe it's because we're both nuts, but despite growing up as far apart and in totally separate worlds, I could relate to everything in her book. She loves pop culture as much as I do and recognizes that freakiness is something most people strive for and never achieve. Bravo girlfriend. "
— Npaw, 1/6/2014 -
" I just started this last night. I can't believe I'd never heard of Wendy Spero before!!! She is a total scream. The chapter on her stuffed animals alone is enough to endear her to me forever. "
— Kim, 12/21/2013 -
" I actually listened to this on tape...but I would suggest it to anyone that needs to laugh, she is great reader!!! Book or tape this book is sooo funny! The author is a great story teller and great at highlighting the quarky things that make life oh so wonderful! "
— Maria, 11/25/2013 -
" Quirky and maybe a tad self-indulgent. Not bad though. "
— Mike, 11/23/2013 -
" "You know who you remind me of?" he asked. "You remind me of that small, animated paper clip on Microsoft Word. You bounce around and try to be helpful...but just end up being kinda annoying." I took this as a compliment. "
— Kate, 11/18/2013 -
" Funny,Funny, amusing,and touching book about a Jewish girl growing up in Manhattan with her widowed sex therapist mother. "
— Joanne, 10/21/2013 -
" Hilarious. I identified strongly with several aspects of the author's personality & memories, especially the OCD-ness and the worry that adults would not believe her (me!) if she saw an alien (or ghost, in my case) that they themselves couldn't see. She blames ET, I blame Wait til Helen Comes. "
— Sara, 10/15/2013 -
" There were a few laugh out loud moments, and I jumped back in time a little when she mentioned Units -- remember that store? Ah... the 80's. It wasn't mindblowingly hilarious, but it WAS a very quick satisfying read. Take it on your next plane flight! "
— Tina, 10/12/2013 -
" One of the blurbs says "David Sedaris, watch out" - well not quite. It humorous, but not incredibly funny. There are some sweet parts too. (February 12, 2007) "
— Cindy, 9/1/2013 -
" A darling little book, also available as an audio book. In the "Seinfeld Show" genre. Interesting and comedic observations of daily life. If Wendy Spero is looking for a new best friend, just have her give me a ring! "
— Irene, 7/20/2013 -
" Microthrills is the perfect way to brighten up my day... I only wish it were longer. "
— Megan, 4/21/2013 -
" Sometimes funny, but not as good as Laurie Notaro. "
— Meg, 2/6/2013 -
" If you like Sedaris you would like this one. "
— Adam, 7/1/2012 -
" Good stories of the "I'm so crazy but in a funny way" variety, but they never quite take off. And if you happen to be crazier than the author, they just don't seem as impressive as they ought. "
— Greg, 5/17/2012 -
" I think I'd rather read a whole memoir. I did laugh out loud once though, and it was an easy read. "
— Dave, 3/15/2012 -
" This was a funny book, however, I removed it from my favorites after finding the author on YouTube and thinking she was SO annoying "
— Megan, 12/19/2011 -
" I have a question: What's a "headband skirt"? "
— John, 6/9/2011 -
" Entertained us on a drive to and from Bay Area. "
— C, 4/3/2011 -
" If you like Sedaris you would like this one. "
— Adam, 2/2/2011 -
" Glad I only paid .49 for the hardback. Not my cup of tea. "
— Laurie, 2/2/2011