Magical Thinking : True Stories

by Augusten Burroughs | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 0312315945 Global Overview for this book
Registered by tuff517 of Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on 12/13/2004
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11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Monday, December 13, 2004
"A contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady. The execution of a rodent carried out with military precision and utter horror. Telemarketing revenge. A different kind of 'roof work.' Dating an undertaker who drive a mini-van. This is the fabric of Augusten Burroughs's life."

Journal Entry 2 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Tuesday, February 1, 2005
It seems that every book I read of Augusten Burroughs is better than the last. The last one I read was Dry, and I liked that better than Running With Scissors, and now this one has moved to the top. Reading his books is both shocking and hilarious. It's funny to laugh at the misfortune of others, right?? Others being the key word there.

These stories are insightful, thoughtful, funny and sad. Just what I've come to expect. I'll be sending this to qweenoftheworld.

Journal Entry 3 by qweenoftheworld from Los Osos, California USA on Monday, February 14, 2005
tbr

Journal Entry 4 by qweenoftheworld from Los Osos, California USA on Wednesday, March 9, 2005
excellent book. i just mailed back to the lady who loaned it to me.

Journal Entry 5 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Thursday, March 17, 2005
Received this back today, thanks!

Journal Entry 6 by tuff517 from Elk Grove Village, Illinois USA on Thursday, May 5, 2005
Starting a bookring!

Shelly-Sparkles - Australia
robert-walker - England
BoosterJ28 - Florida, US
Lpree - Nebraska, US
rangerfan - Oklahoma, US (US only)
CheriePie - Massachusetts, US
mysteryfan03 - Missouri, US
Heading to: sarahbear - Australia
miss-gonewest - Australia
Back to me!

Heading out to Shelly-Sparkles 5/10/05!

I hereby declare this ring dead, as the book is taking all eternity to travel to Australia. I've replaced it with another copy and will continue the ring. Farewell good book, I knew ye well. 4-5-06

Journal Entry 7 by Shelly-Sparkles from Toogoolawah, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Sent to me from Tuff517.....I have read the first 3 stories and like the way Augusten tells his tales ;) Still reading

Journal Entry 8 by Shelly-Sparkles from Toogoolawah, Queensland Australia on Wednesday, June 15, 2005
I found this book scatty. I feel that to know this author maybe reading some of his earlier bio works may have given me a better intsight into his character.
I found the stories going in all sorts of directions and for me not hitting the nail on the head.
It was a interesting read but I feel he story telling abilities on paper are not that great. At an office party of perhaps stand up comedy he would be more fun??
I will try another of his books to give him a chance.

Journal Entry 9 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 5, 2005
This book arrived this morning along with a beautiful postcard of Townsville in Australia, i must visit this place. Will finish the book i'm reading and then i will read this one.

Journal Entry 10 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 19, 2005
I guess this picks up where running with scissors left off. Again it's a real page turner although i do find the details of his sexual exploits a little off-putting. I especially liked Debby the cleaning lady, she was a real psycho, a rich one at that.

I will be mailing this to the next reader in the next copule of days

Journal Entry 11 by JillyEnFuego from Coconut Creek, Florida USA on Friday, August 5, 2005
I received this earlier this week, but because I have been away from my computer, this has been my first chance to journal it. It came the night after I finished the book I was reading, so great timing...I started reading it immediately.

Journal Entry 12 by JillyEnFuego from Coconut Creek, Florida USA on Friday, August 12, 2005
I just finished this the other night.
What a bizarrely twisted yet oddly comforting collection of stories.

Just PM'd Lpree for her address.

Journal Entry 13 by JillyEnFuego from Coconut Creek, Florida USA on Saturday, August 20, 2005
Mailed to Lpree!

Journal Entry 14 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, August 26, 2005
This arrived a couple of days ago. It looks like there is some water damage to the front and a tiny bit on the bottom of the first pages. I'm not sure if it was always like this or if it happened en route to my house, so wanted to mention it just in case.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading it! I had read the excerpt on amazon.com and found it pretty funny.

I'm headed out of town tomorrow so I will read it while I'm gone and will either mail it on while i'm out of town or once I return in a couple of weeks.

Thanks!

Journal Entry 15 by JillyEnFuego from Coconut Creek, Florida USA on Monday, August 29, 2005
I noticed the water damage when I received the book. I wonder if it happened on its Trans-Atlantic trip to me?

I treated it with Lysol to prevent any mold from growing.

Enjoy!

Journal Entry 16 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, September 15, 2005
I read this while on vacation. I thought it was a great book. I do agree that I wish I had read some of his earlier works before this one. But parts of this shocked me and quite a few sections made me laugh out loud. I was forever pointing out particularly hilarious lines to my husband, who ended up reading the book after me.

Thanks very much for sharing this book - I'll get it moving again soon!

Journal Entry 17 by BC20090206001 on Thursday, October 6, 2005
Came today from Lpree, thanks

I have the end of one book to finsh, then on to this. Sounds great.

Journal Entry 18 by BC20090206001 on Monday, October 17, 2005
Finished this. Some of the stories were very funny. Going to have to find some more by this author.

Will mail out to CheriePie after she comes back from vacation.

Journal Entry 19 by BC20090206001 at Mailing in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Oklahoma USA on Saturday, October 29, 2005

Released 18 yrs ago (10/29/2005 UTC) at Mailing in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Oklahoma USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

mailed to CheriePie

Journal Entry 20 by CheriePie from Campbell, California USA on Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Got this one today, along with a huge pile of accumulated mail from my post office while I was on vacation. (My Key West vacation of 10/18 - 10/25 was rescheduled to 11/1 - 11/8 due to Hurricane Wilma. Though we did spend the 18th and 19th in Key West before being sent home.)

I haven't read any of Burroughs' previous books so I'm looking forward to starting my foray into his work with this one seeing as from the comments most who've read some of his other stuff liked this book better than Running with Scissors or Dry. I've got just one other ring to get to ahead of this so I should be able to get started on it shortly.

Journal Entry 21 by CheriePie from Campbell, California USA on Friday, November 18, 2005
I found this collection of short stories about the author's life somewhat amusing, though I don't think I got quite the shock value Burroughs intended. Some of the stories had me chuckling, but others I found myself simply saying so what. I found him to be extremely vain and shallow, and fortunately he sees himself with these qualities too so he wasn't deluding himself which made me feel better about him. (I really dislike shallow people but I suppose I can stand them a bit more when at least they realize how shallow they are.)

His story about magical thinking really rang true though. There are no coincidences, and if you put enough energy into your thoughts and desires, you can affect change in the world around you. It's one of the premises of many earth-based religions. Though he approached the subject as if everyone thought he was crazy because he believed it. His exact beliefs about baby Jesus and a cow though, that was pretty cute. But again, each of us is entitled to envision divinity in our own manner, like different facets of a diamond, all paths to the same thing, and all that...

I remember also thinking, while I was reading this, that though he had a fucked-up life, and did some wacky things, my own life would probably be just as comedic and shocking were I to put all my past experiences into a book. I had my own strange oral surgery experience, a somewhat similar rodent/rat incident, and my own way of dealing with door-to-door Jehovah Witnesses that seems to come up at every party I attend. But this journal entry isn't about my own experiences; I bring it up only to make the point that a lot of these stories didn't strike me as strange as they may have others possibly because I've had just as strange experiences in my own life.

That said, though I found the book interesting enough to continue reading all the way through, I think it was about half way that I began to find them getting a bit more dull. Again, most likely just the way they affected me personally.

I have mysteryfan03's address and will get this off to her in the next couple of days. (I'm going away for the weekend so most likely will not have time to get it out until Monday.) I'll update this journal entry with the exact day I get it out when I do. Thanks for sharing it with us tuff517!

UPDATE 22-NOV-2005: Mailed to mysteryfan03 in Missouri on 23-Nov-2005 via Media Mail.

Journal Entry 22 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Recieved this today! There has been quite a lot of damage and mold on the cover and inside cover of this book. It looks like the mold (?) has been stopped, but there are lots of black spots on the book cover and inside the front of the book.

I have a couple of bookrings in front of it and then will journal and sent it on its way.

Journal Entry 23 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Obviously, the AF entry was me! I am so used to not signing in, that I did not realize that I wasn't!

Journal Entry 24 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Saturday, December 24, 2005
I really had a hard time getting anything out of this book! I gave up about halfway through. Thanks for sharing this and letting me try it. I will send it on after the holidays!

Journal Entry 25 by sarahbear from St Helens, Tasmania Australia on Monday, April 10, 2006
OMG OMG OMG this book finally arrived! Unfortunately it is in terrible condition. The cover is covered in mould and in general its smelly. I will wait to hear from the owner what to do next.

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