David Sedaris Reading Order

12 books (2001–2014)

This completed anthology series edited by David Sedaris spans 12 volumes published between 2001 and 2014, collecting diverse creative nonfiction, essays, and short stories from various contributors. The series encompasses thematic collections ranging from children's literature and humor to contemporary creative writing and holiday-themed selections. Each book should be read in publication order, beginning with Strange Stories for Strange Kids and concluding with By the Book. Readers interested in contemporary essay writing and diverse voices in nonfiction will find this series a comprehensive survey of work curated during the early 2000s.

Start with Strange Stories for Strange Kids, the first of 12 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Strange Stories for Strange Kids 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	40 Model Essays 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Scoot Over, Skinny: The Fat Nonfiction Anthology 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Best American Essays 2005 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Big Fat Little Lit 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Best American Erotica 2006 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	NPR Holiday Favorites 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Flight Patterns: A Century of Stories about Flying 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	My Ideal Bookshelf 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	By the Book 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2001–2001)

2 books (2015–2021)

David Sedaris's Diaries series consists of two books collecting entries from the acclaimed humorist's personal journals. Theft by Finding was published in 2015, followed by A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020 in 2021. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Theft by Finding.

Start with Theft by Finding and read in order.

#	Title
1	Theft by Finding 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2013–2026)

David Sedaris's non-fiction collection spans six books published between 2013 and 2026, with the series still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls and continuing through David Sedaris Diaries, Calypso, Themes and Variations, Happy-Go-Lucky, and The Land and its People. Each entry offers Sedaris's characteristic wit and observational humor applied to essays and personal reflections.

Start with Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, the first of 6 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	David Sedaris Diaries 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Calypso 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Themes and Variations 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Happy-Go-Lucky 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Land and its People 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (1992–2020)

David Sedaris's Short Story Collections series comprises eleven books published between 1992 and 2020, presenting a complete collection of the author's humorous and autobiographical work. These volumes should be read in publication order, beginning with Origins Of The Underclass and concluding with The Best of Me, to experience Sedaris's evolving voice and perspective across nearly three decades of writing.

Start with Origins Of The Underclass, the first of 11 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	Origins Of The Underclass 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Barrel Fever 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Holidays on Ice 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Naked 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Barrel Fever and Other Stories 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	When You Are Engulfed in Flames 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Best of Me 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1998–2002)

David Sedaris's standalone plays collection contains two complete works published between 1998 and 2002. These performance pieces should be read in publication order, beginning with The SantaLand Diaries and Season's Greetings, followed by The Book of Liz - Acting Edition. The series is now complete and each play can be experienced independently as a standalone theatrical work.

Start with The SantaLand Diaries and Season's Greetings and read in order.

#	Title
1	The SantaLand Diaries and Season's Greetings 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Book of Liz - Acting Edition 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible