Nobody Eats Parsley: And other things I learned from my family

by David Oakley

Nobody Eats And other things I learned from my family

Sit down, grab a beer, and let me tell you some stories about my family. They're so ridiculous you may think they're fiction. Like the time I went to a drive-in X-rated movie without realizing my parents were in the next car. Or the time I let my kid throw a rock through our living room window. There's the time I bought a camouflage thong in a bait shop and the time I ruined a kid's birthday party. And the other time I ruined a kid's birthday party. I can't guarantee that these stories will make you laugh, but I can guarantee that I didn't make them up.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2020

About the author

DAVID OAKLEY has been telling brand stories at BooneOakley for years. He has won many prestigious honors, including the Kaopectate Award in the eighth grade for having diarrhea of the mouth. His first book, Why Is Your Name Upside Down?, is full of stories from his life in advertising. Despite this, he was recently inducted into the North Carolina Advertising Hall of Fame. He lives with his wife, Claire, and their dog, Walter, in Charlotte, where they raised Sydney and Lucas. He loves his family very much and hopes they still love him after reading his latest book, Nobody Eats Parsley.

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobody Eats Parsley was definitely entertaining from start to finish. I liked getting to know David and his family. Each short story kind of made it feel like you were there. I've never been to Vegas before, but I've been with family when they were gambling. It was a nice reminder. Then when we get the Chick-Fil-A chapter, I just laughed.

The stories were either relatable or hilarious in my mind. I never felt like I was bored while reading this and they flowed so well into one another. I'm a little sad that I never knew this book existed until recently, but I'm happy that I finally dove into it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from HiddenGems, and this is a voluntary and honest review.

This book is full of humorous short stories, covering a large variety of topics. It presents itself very much like a stand-up comedian would perform a stage act. Because there is really no connection between each of the topics, the book can be picked up and put down at will, so it would be ideal for a doctor's waiting room, bus commute etc. The book does have an adult warning on the book title page, so if you're offended by the f-word, then don't buy it and complain later.

Some of the humour may have been lost to me because I am not American, and didn't connect with some names and places. As a result, I'd probably give it a 3.5 stars.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick and fun read, which was exactly what I needed after yet another long day of homeschooling, masks, and social distancing. The vignettes don’t require a lot of mental gymnastics to keep the people involved straight in your head, many of the underlying themes are very relatable, and the writing itself is well-paced and descriptive without being too florid or slow. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for the others by this author.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tracey Renee Wilson-forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Davids book through a giveaway and when I got it in the mail I couldnt put it down.I dont like very many books and its hard to keep me interested in one.However this book is sooooo good and I love it..I will for sure be looking into his other books ...Well done David...Well done!!!!!

[Dan Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny Because It Reflects Reality

Oakley has recounted real life events from his life, using family and friends as the sources! He portays what we all have done or would like to do! I enjoyed it and if you can read this without laughing out loud, see a therapist!

[Melissiocity · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally like memoir/essay books. This was boring. The stories were not funny or touching. These sound like the kind of stories that your elderly neighbor would tell you as you try to slowly back into your house without being impolite.

[Lynda Bouchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Nobody Eats Parsley' is hilarious fun and should be required reading for everyone on the planet.
Non-put-downable laughs from cover to cover.

Each short chapter is a vignette from David Oakley's life as a family man, friend, and more. The chapter, 'Starlite Drive-in' was one of my favorites. But they all are standouts. David is that enviable writer who combines an easy-breezy effortless style with searing insights into human nature.

Seemingly ordinary events unfold into crazy oddball, yet relatable, situations in Oakley's orbit. I would love to be a member of his family! There's something for everyone in this book. If you like Country Music as I do, go straight to the chapter, 'Losing My Head.' What about Chik-Fil-A? Thumb over to 'My Pleasure.' Craving Southern nostalgia? 'Growing Up' will take care of it.

David is a nuanced writer. He deftly balances the high wire act of writing side-splitting revelations about himself and those he loves with equal parts self-reflection and awareness.

I highly recommend David's book. It's great to read in long lines at the DMV and the Post Office. I am always the only person laughing in these places. Just sayin'.

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you need a good laugh, mixed in with some interesting life lessons, then this book is for you. The author shares his journal which chronicles different moments over the course of time. He goes from moments of causing chaos for his parents to the harder moments of tragedy and sadness. The way it's written makes you reflect on similar moments you've had personally and connect on another level with the words. The combination of levity and thoughtfulness is so refreshing! A beautifully written story. <3

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from HiddenGemsBooks.com and the author to read and review.

This is a great collection of short stories, all based on David Oakley's family and their wild life together. Quite a few of the stories had me laughing along with them, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my reading! David is great at telling a story succinctly without making it so minimal that all of the joy of it gets lost. He also has an amazingly fun family that sounds like a blast to spend time with. The fact that his mother was insistent on hearing "My Neck, My Back" said almost everything that needed to be said about her! What a spirited woman, and what an amazing gift of a family.

Clearly, I need to look into David's other writings! I've been missing out!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won Nobody Eats Parsley as part of a giveaway. Oakley's stories will make you laugh so hard you'll cry. His stories are about himself and his family. Reading about Oakley's family will make you feel good. It's guaranteed that you no longer have the craziest family on the block. Thank you David for writing this book. It's a must read for anyone who thinks their family is weird.

[lmd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Fun

While reading this book I felt a kinship with David even though I am an old lady and he is a younger man with hair longer than mine. :-) It's good to laugh after 2020. Thanks, David, for the laughs.

[Kindle Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing anecdotes

This book us vert likeable. Every chapter is an amusing anecdote about the author's family. It would make a great book to have laying around when you have just a few minutes to read.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very funny book about the authors family and the funny things that happened in his childhood.

[Taryn Brenner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

It was ok. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t good. I mean some of the stories were funny, some were bad but most were just ok.

[Diann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and quick read of sometimes-humorous essays, great when the Internet goes down for half a day due to snow and satellites not mixing all that well. Some pieces are MUCH better than others.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5. The stories in here are hilarious and heartwarming, filled with family drama and little anecdotes about life.

[Boycottbooneoakley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blatant advertising about an advertiser written by the advertiser and then self published. Somebody could probably blow smoke up your butt for free

[Stacy Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was the funniest book I had read in a while.

[Bobbie Garner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was … dumb. I skimmed through it and tried to like it, sadly I could not.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, humorous stories about the author's life.

[Lesa Parnham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were funny, some not so much. Trying for David Sedaris wit. I would read another book from this author

[Deb Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok stories. The author is a little full of himself but not a bad read. I would not go out off my way to read it.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun collection of anecdotes and stories about the random (mis)adventures of the author and his family. Many are quite short and it's easy to read in fits and starts - in other words, if you too have a family... Oakley's storytelling style is very conversational. Reading this (and listening to it, as my husband worked his way through the audiobook version, narrated very well by the author) is like sitting in the backyard or your corner bar over beer and nachos. It's a fun way to while away the time, laughing and smiling at the antics described which feel relevant and relatable no matter the topic.

Thanks to the author and Author Marketing Experts for my obligation-free review copy of both the paperback and audiobook.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going into this book I was convinced it was going to be like Marley and Me… but, you know, sans the dog. And I was absolutely right! Well, for the most part, there was one story about the author’s dog, Walter.

The first thing I enjoyed about this book is that the author and I come from the same area, Charlotte NC. So, when he’s talking about certain places, I’m like “I’ve been there!”. And it’s very easy for me to spot the local culture (the Panthers must be mentioned, even though they’re a disappointment at times; Chick-fil-A is a must). It also made me wonder if the author and I have ever crossed paths. I do know that when I’m home for the holidays now I’ll be keeping an eye out so I can old fashioned ask for his autograph.

Overall, this book is just plain fun. And it makes you realize, “My family isn’t the only bat shit crazy family out there!”. Personally, that was a nice little realization to get. But the other important thing is, is that the Oakleys support each other through the crazy moments. Sure they might not let someone live something down, but hey, that’s what family is for.

The one thing that might have made the book better, and I’m not even sure if it would do much, would’ve been to have things a bit more in chronological order. Things seemed to jump around a bit, though at times there did seem to be some continuity as jokes from previous stories would flawlessly work their way into following ones. I did also notice that at points it was hard to tell if the author was talking about something that happened actually yesterday or if he’s exaggerating.

I laughed reading this book, and I think there are jokes in there for everyone. The book does warn about explicit language, but realistically its pretty tame. I personally thought that the explicit language was used artfully and only when needed.

So this is the second book Oakley has written and I absolutely need the first book!

[P.J. Colando · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comic reality of family life - the author's - spools out in this anthology-like book. It helps one to know for certain that one's family wasn't the only one with quirks!