Book Review: Best State Ever

I should know to do more research into my audio book selections, but sometimes I just have a few moments to run into the library and find something (this was the case with this selection and I regret it). There were a few things about Best State Ever that pulled me in. I needed a short book because I intend to resume walking on the track where I can spend my walking time thinking long and hard about my writing tasks for Nanowrimo. This book was only four discs long. Having never really read anything by Dave Barry, I knew he was supposed to be a humorist. Plus, the book is a defense of the state of Florida, where my parents live. Interesting, no? No. Not really interesting or very funny. Too crude in spots. I shall simply say, I endured for the sake of brevity.

While Carl Hiassen may identify Barry as "the funniest damn writer in the whole country," I only chuckled occasionally. Dave Barry highlights the absurdity of Florida, including a Bigfoot-like character known as the "skunk ape," alligator wrestling, elderly villages where line-dancing reigns supreme, and long treks through Key West's drunken party scene. I think the only part I perked up at was his explanation of his visit to Lock and Load in Miami, a place where men can fire machine guns (living in a house full of males, I can bet this would be a highlight for them, should we ever visit Miami ... nowhere near my parent's humble Florida home). It did kill the time and keep my mind off the miles, but it wasn't nearly as enjoyable or humorous as I was anticipating. Alas, my book choices of late have been a wash.