Since Anneke – the person whose room I’m currently residing in – and myself agreed that she could leave her books (and apparently most of her shoes, although I didn’t recall saying that) in the blue bookshelf next to the door, I don’t see the harm in “accidently” reading one. I’m not really a big reader, but most of Anneke’s English collection is either considered an English literature classic, or reads away really easily.
The nanny diaries by Emma McLaughling and Nicola Kraus is – obviously – one of the latter. But seriously: what a pleasant surprise reading that book was! It has a diaryish, bloggish feel to it, and to top it off, it reaches a level of funny I myself can only dream of on my own little journal… which you are reading right now. Some people might consider this book pulp, and it probably is, but nonetheless I have really enjoyed every single little page, because it is indeed (thus writes the book’s own publisher on the cover in a fancy one-sentence review, how’s that for objectivity) “diabolically funny”.
A little extract to get you people going:
She stares at me expectantly, ready for me to bring it on home. “I love children! I love little hands and little shoes and peanut butter sandwiches and peanut butter in my hair and Elmo -I love Elmo – and sand in my purse and the “Hokey Pokey” – can’t get enough of it! – and soy milk and blankies and the endless barrage of questions no one knows the answers to, I mean why is the sky blue? And Disney! Disney is my second language!” We can both hear “A whole new World” slowly swelling in the background as I earnestly convey that it would be more than a privilege to take care of her child – it would be an adventure.
I love how the irony, the sarcasm just flows off it. The entire book is written in this witty way, and I absolutely adore the style. Reminds me that I should read something Discworld-related someday… if anyone in Berlin also has someone who left sixty-something books in you room, and Discworld is amongst them… let me know!
P.S.: Elmo is pretty rad.
