JUNK Digging Through America's Love Affair with Stuff

Journalist Alison Stewart's audiobook is less a how-to than a travelogue of often funny observations that put our overstuffed homes in an American context. It will sound familiar and strangely reassuring to anyone who finds comfort in never throwing anything out. The fast-paced narrative visits hoarders, creative junk-processing teams, and regular people who have let their possessions take over their living spaces. The author's otherwise clear reading sounds too frenetic, though there are moments of normal pacing when the pathos in her vignettes calls for restraint. But overall, her in-your-face authenticity and wit make this fun audio a comforting reminder that accumulating junk is the common cold of American life. In her own energetic way, she ultimately convinces us that with courage, a method, and a resolute attitude, it can be treated. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2016]