Review: The Bohemian Love Diaries by Slash Coleman

Title: The Bohemian Love Diaries
Author: Slash Coleman
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Lyons Press
Publish Date: July 16, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the publisher and author; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a non-fiction fan.
• You're a memoir fan.
• You enjoy essayists like David Sedaris.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Infused with southern charm, this irresistibly weird and wonderful story chronicles Slash Coleman’s upbringing in a warped but warm-hearted household of eccentric artists. Descended from a posse of off-beat immigrants--including a grandfather who danced at the Moulin Rouge--and raised near the capital of the Confederacy during the 1970s and ’80s, young Slash sets out to find true love. Unfortunately, he’s his own worst enemy. Obsessions with Evel Knievel, rock band KISS, and crisscrossing the country to find the girl of his dreams set his quest for happiness on a hapless course.

            Hilarious and profound, Coleman slowly comes to terms with his father, a genius sculptor and volatile alcoholic, and his mother, a Holocaust survivor who makes him promise never to reveal that he’s Jewish. A touching portrait emerges of a young artist whose passionate spirit refuses to be suppressed. A swift kick to the funny bone, The Bohemian Love Diaries and its laugh-out-loud perversity conjure Jonathan Ames and Augusten Burroughs with a tender edge, revealing what might have happened if John Hodgman raised Holden Caulfield in Chuck Palahniuk’s attic. It will leave you howling."

My Two Cents:

I have really been on a memoir kick as of late. I love reading about other people's lives! "The Bohemian Love Diaries" is definitely less serious than some of the other memoirs that I've been reading. While I don't mind super serious memoirs, it's always nice to read some funnier stories. This book was definitely refreshing!

Slash Coleman's book of essay-like memories opens on a hilarious tale of his super eccentric father trying to buy beer from a convenience store. And that's all I'm going to tell you because you should read this book yourself. Oh, and we get to find out how Slash got such an interesting name. Some of the stories are a little more serious than others but most of the stories are pretty good. Coleman is incredibly profound!

I flew through this book. Coleman is incredibly forthcoming and candid when telling these stories. It's that style that will really pull readers into the book. He's great at telling a story. One area where he is particularly good is creating a different "voice" for each person that appears in his book. I think voice can be really difficult in a book. In this book, you know exactly what Slash's dad sounds like. You know what his mom sounds like and so on and so forth. I thought that was a very cool part of the book for me.

Overall, those seeking some entertaining memoir stories will enjoy this book!