Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories - A Collection of Humorous & Relatable Life Experiences | Perfect for Book Clubs, Commute Reading & Late-Night Entertainment

Let me start by saying that I would classify myself with the multitudes of people who call themselves "Mike Birbiglia's biggest fan." I mean, I've seen all his specials multiple times, I've tuned into to all his appearances on This American Life, I've been to his show (the one in Royal Oak, Michigan where the lights exploded above him and started a fire), and coincidentally, I just happen to be wearing my "BIRBIGS" hoodie as I'm typing this.I didn't plan it this way, it is currently just my go-to hoodie.All this today, I am a fan. I enjoy Birbiglia's story-telling. I relate to the way he perceives life, as much as a ex-high school teacher mother of two from the Midwest can relate to the son of a doctor-lawyer hybrid from the East Coast can do so. And I was all but salivating when I heard he had written a book.So I bought. And, I read it.And, I was a little disappointed.I felt like anyone who follows Birbiglia's career as closely as I have would have to be as well. The book was way too familiar. I found myself predicting the punchlines on page after page because the book was basically a re-telling of some of Mike's hottest recorded material. I already knew about Joey Bagadonuts. I had already been introduced to "Tinkles." I was aware of his misadventures on the carnival ride, "The Scrambler." The fact that all these stories, and others taken from his stand-up routines, were included in the book felt almost insulting to his real fans. The people most likely to buy this book are ALREADY his fans, and we were hoping that this book would be the sequel to all he's shared with us so far about his life - not a re-run. What is worse is that without Mike's impeccable delivery, most of the punchlines lay flat on the page. He's a story-teller much better than a story-writer. He is meant to be seen and heard. And if you haven't ever heard him, it's hard to "get" his humor on a page full of jokes about sexy pizza and baseball tickets in your bladder.However...I am glad that I stuck with the book through until the end, because from the chapter "The Promise of Sleep" on, the material felt fresher to me. Perhaps it wasn't and it was all taken from the one Comedy Central special I may have missed, but the last part of the book made it worth the price of the hardcover copy. I loved what Mike shared about the late Mitch Hedberg (who really is the only contemporary comedian better than Birbiglia). However, it what how Mike detailed his relationship with Abbie- the depth of how he fell in love, the awkwardness of life as a women's studies student, and the vulnerability of the break-up that brought me from laughter, to tears, to tears of laughter.I know Birbiglia is the kind of celebrity who Googles himself a lot. I know this because he mentions it several times in his book. So, if I were writing this for him to read, I would want to end on an encouraging note-you're still on my list of "celebrities" ;) I'd like to have over for dinner. If you wrote another book, I would still buy it, but I'd probably get the audio version instead. Thanks for not listening to your dad when he said not to tell anyone.