In the world of literature, there exists a certain kind of author who excels at one of the trickiest but most enjoyable genres: the memoirist. Keenly observant, unflinchingly honest and often sharply self-deprecating, memoirists turn the most fascinating moments of their lives into books that are, quite literally, stranger than fiction. But even within this unusual subgenre, there is another class of authors entirely: serial memoirists. And at the center of these repeat memoir-writers, sitting on a --- no doubt, jewel-encrusted --- throne and unexpectedly donning a witch’s hat, sits Augusten Burroughs, happily holding a copy of his latest work, TOIL & TROUBLE.

For years, Burroughs has reigned supreme over countless bestseller lists, with each of his memoirs (beginning with the mega-hit RUNNING WITH SCISSORS) having delighted, enthralled, grossed out and shocked readers worldwide. But through it all, he claims, he has kept only one secret close to his heart and away from his readers’ eyes: he is a practicing witch. Remarking on the absurdity of this claim, Burroughs plainly supplies us with a list of fantastic and paranormal things he doesn’t believe in, and explains that “witches” and “witchcraft” are noticeably absent. “The thing is,” he confesses, “I wouldn’t believe in them, and I would privately ridicule any idiot who did, except for one thing: I am a witch.” Well, who can argue with that logic?

Longtime readers of Burroughs’ works (this reviewer included) will know one thing going into TOIL & TROUBLE: Whether or not you immediately believe his claim, you undoubtedly will be gifted with a memorable work, populated by his witty insights into his own --- at times chaotic --- mind. What more can you ask for? Weaving together vignettes into his childhood with his troubled mother and more contemporary snapshots from his marriage, Burroughs crafts the perfect potion for an unputdownable read. The witch (warlock?) is in.

Beginning with a shocking scene in which a young Burroughs is riding the school bus and senses that something is wrong with his grandmother, only to find out that she has just been in a traumatic car accident, he delves into his rich history of witchcraft and sorcery. Upon learning that her son has the “gift,” his mother explains to him that he comes from a long line of witches and begins to instruct him on how to use his gift. Witches cannot, she tells him, make the impossible happen (so this means no flying), but they can focus their supernatural senses on a desired act so keenly and powerfully that they can set it into motion. In one particularly memorable scene, Burroughs envisions his school bully covered in hair, and when the boy returns to school the following fall, he has been diagnosed with precocious puberty. Coincidence, you may say --- but what would you call it, Burroughs asks, if you lived through one coincidence after another on a daily basis? That, he states, is witchcraft.

Exciting and spooky though it may seem, witchcraft is only half of TOIL & TROUBLE. The other half centers on Burroughs and his literary agent husband, Christopher, fleeing Manhattan for Connecticut, where they purchase a gorgeous old house and settle into a new phase in their marriage: homeownership. It is here in the glorious countryside that Burroughs’ paranoia and somewhat manic delight in buying things comes to life in humorous and outlandish ways --- so, basically, everything you want from an Augusten Burroughs memoir. Paired with his husband’s more pragmatic ways, Burroughs’ personality comes to life, highlighting an entirely new side to him (and no, I’m not even talking about the witchy side). A devoted husband, eager homeowner and hapless dog owner, Burroughs seems to have finally found the life he has always deserved. And whether it was witchcraft or sheer luck, it is wonderful to read.

Alternating between these domestic scenes and recounting various moments in his life when witchcraft has served him, Burroughs lets his wit and endless talent for crafting a scene carry him, even when the stories are less than believable. This is what is so great about Burroughs: your belief in him ultimately does not matter, because he believes in himself emphatically, and it is this confidence that elevates his works from trashy memoir to a satisfying book that feels universal, despite how very personal it is. Even when he is at his spookiest or most ridiculous, Burroughs has a unique talent to translate his anxiety, depression, addiction and love into both deeply personal and highly relatable experiences --- the bubbles on the cauldron are that he can actually write, and do it well.

I admit that the contemporary scenes in Connecticut were my favorite to read in TOIL & TROUBLE, and I delighted in the moments when they overlapped with Burroughs’ more supernatural side. Even if you are turned off by the claim that he has hidden something for so long (a fair fear, considering that his memoirs are often no-holds-barred), I can assure you that you will find everything you love about his work in this book. And who knows? You may just turn from a skeptic to a believer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve loved Augusten for a while now. His life is so interesting, but I guess it’s always interesting when someone other than you is facing grief and trauma. Not all of Augusten’s life has been sad, but he’s seen some shit.

I loved getting to learn about him being a witch, the way he can just know when things are going to happen, the spells he casts. He takes you through what it’s like to be an actual witch. It’s super interesting.

The story goes present to past and back again. We get to learn about him learning he’s a witch, the people who taught him how to harness his abilities. We get to see the present day life of he and his spouse, Christopher. We get to see how he uses his powers now. Honestly, I’m a little bit jealous.

I would 100% recommend! This is a perfect book for Halloween. Its such a fast read that pulls you in. I loved it!

Augusten Burroughs is a witch. After years of keeping this fact under wraps, he's finally ready to share this part of himself with his many loyal readers. Things that might seem like coincidences are actually examples of witchcraft, and you're going to read about just a few of them in this book. Will you be a believer by the time you finish reading??

I have been an Augusten Burroughs fan for many years, so I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press granted me the opportunity to read his newest book, Toil and Trouble. I was NOT disappointed! Burroughs has still got it, and I loved reading about all of the witchy happenings that have occurred throughout his life. This is a laugh-out-loud read that you'll enjoy even if you don't believe in witchcraft. Such a fun and festive October read!

When I was in sixth grade, my brother and I got off the school bus one afternoon, and walked to our front door. Suddenly, as I reached for the doorknob, I just *knew* that my grandfather had died. I told my brother, who thought I was crazy. We opened the door and my mother was crying at the kitchen table. I had been right.

I’ve always wondered about that moment—how I seemed to just *know.* And now, after reading this memoir, I’m wondering a new, more specific thought: Am I a witch?!? Burroughs *is* a witch, you see. It’s a secret he has kept his entire life. He comes from a family of witches, and possesses powers of knowing, and sometimes, even seems to possess the ability to alter the outcomes of both small and big events.

The story traces the role witchcraft has played throughout his life, focusing mainly on his purchase of a historic country home (a house he used his witchcraft skills to convince his husband to fall in love with!). There’s an eccentric cast of characters, and enough strange, funny, and amazing instances that you might just find yourself wanting to be a witch, too.

I love Burrough’s writing and really liked this memoir. It’s a great twist on the typical “Halloween” book, and is really just an absolute joy to read.

“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜. 𝙽𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎: 𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜.”

-𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚜, 𝚃𝚘𝚒𝚕 & 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎

I enjoyed Toil & Trouble so much, and appreciated how transparent that Augusten Burroughs appeared to be. He’s funny and charming but also honest and relatable.

The fact that witches are real, and happen to be living among you and me, makes for a very interesting memoir! Witches on broomsticks and pointy hats don’t make an appearance, but learning more about the craft and special abilities was very amusing and quite interesting.

*Thank you St Martin’s Press for this beautiful gifted copy for review. All opinions are my own

I hadn't read Augusten Burroughs before getting a galley of Toil & Trouble, and I ask myself, why did I wait so long? I LOVED this book! And now I want to read more of his life story.

Burroughs is a gifted story teller and word master who is hilarious and keenly observant. The fact that he is a witch, well, it's easy to believe by the end of the book. Even for readers who don't believe it, the book will cast a delightful spell them.

I'm a long-time Augusten Burroughs fan, and Toil & Trouble: A Memoir is the kind of engaging, funny, eccentric, likable book that I would expect from him.

Look, I'm not going to debate the existence of witches or witchcraft, but I found Toil & Trouble: A Memoir to be pretty compelling. His stories that involved his magical abilities were interesting, but it isn't his talent that made the stories so wonderful, but the way he told the stories. I could listen to some of those stories for hours, just read them or have someone read them to me over and over again, and I don't think I would ever get tired of them.

Unlike many of his previous books, Toil & Trouble: A Memoir doesn't have any sad components. Maybe some scenes were melancholy, but the rest of the book was just a fascinating tale of his move to rural Connecticut with his husband. And, yes, he made that a thousand times more interesting that it sounds when I type it out.

His skills in describing people are genius. I wanted to meet the characters in the story, and just be a fly on the wall for some of the interactions. I actually laughed out loud at times. The book isn't funny, but some of the scenes are so absurd that you have to laugh.

I found the whole thing to be charming and believable, even the witchy parts, and I just enjoyed myself the whole way through. I would read a chapter a day, almost as a palate-cleanser between other books, and it always made me feel good.

Go in with an open mind and you won't be disappointed.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I came across this at random while browsing NetGalley and recognized the author’s name but couldn’t think of what I knew him from. He’s written a bunch of best seller memoirs (I think “Running with Scissors” is the best known.) This one is woven around the phenomenon he’s experienced his whole life. His mother told him he was a witch, but to be honest it mostly sounds like what we know as intuition and the law of attraction. Whatever you want to label it, the book is filled with interesting stories of knowing things he couldn’t have known, willing things into happening, etc. Even more than that, it’s a memoir of he and his husband moving from NYC to an old house in Connecticut. Whether you buy into the magical aspect or not, it’s a fun read with good storytelling.

This is uncomfortable. Reviewing memoirs is difficult, and even more so when I didn't like anything about the book.

I was looking forward to a memoir from the perspective of someone who practices witchcraft. What I got was something else entirely. I'm just going to put my thoughts out there. Please know this is not meant as an attack on or judgment of the author's personal story; this is only my opinion on the book.

The writing is adequate. The content is jumbled and feels juvenile.

"Witchcraft," as the author sees it for himself, is occasional prescience or predictive feelings. Most of the associations he calls witchcraft are minor and mere coincidences being turned into something they probably are not. Other times it's him acting on what most of us call our "gut feeling." Maybe some view that as witchcraft, but I don't. Also, convincing your husband to move when you claim to know he doesn't want to is manipulative, but it's not witchcraft.

The author might want to reconsider telling everyone, in the same sentence, that both witches and mental illness run in his family. I couldn't help but make an association there, though I'm sure that wasn't his intention.

I know Burroughs had a string of bestsellers prior to this book. Some people have loved this one. You might. I didn't.

My love of biographies drew me to this offering from Augusten Burroughs (not the name he was born with, but one he fashioned for himself). He is a gay writer who formerly worked in marketing, who has been married to his literary agent Christopher for a couple of decades. Oh, and he's a witch. There are actually a lot of witches in his family, primarily his mother and grandmother, and his Uncle Mercer- who constantly fights against the notion of being one.

As the book begins, Augusten relates the story of being a pre-teen child riding along on his school bus and having a clear, sudden premonition that something bad happened to his grandmother. He jolted from the bus, on a tear to ask his mother about it. It was then that she had the heart to heart about Augusten's "gift" and the legacy of it running in the family.

Augusten clarifies the realities of what a witch can do, and how the gift actually operates in contrast to what one might surmise from a campy witch movie. He had a rough time during his childhood, being treated like an outcast. He had a penchant for dressing a lot differently than the other kids, in perhaps what would be considered a garish/flamboyant fashion. He also didn't get very far in school, but through sheer talent and gumption became successful in the marketing field. He also literally willed himself to succeed in writing, and you could call it a kind of magic that he did.

My favorite part of the book was when he convinced his husband to move from New York City (where Christopher had an apartment for decades) to an old, secluded house in Connecticut with lots of land around it. This new environment was fodder for many interesting stories involving an eccentric neighbor, a huge, ancient maple tree, supernatural events with paintings, etc. One unfortunate faux pas I encountered were some political slams, something that's been cropping up in a lot of autobiographies lately. Congratulations on isolating half of your audience. Otherwise, the writing quality was very good, and inflected with humor.

This is my first Augusten Burroughs memoir and I loved his voice. His writing style is right up my alley. The way Burroughs describes his use of his “gift” was quite fascinating and while I don’t know if I believe he’s genuinely a witch (or if there are any to begin with), I found his understanding of the layers of the conscious and subconscious was enlightening.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. However, this review is based on the published audiobook.

Just when I think I know all there is about Augusten Burroughs he surprises me with another book, and another memoir to boot! What a life he has led. This is absolutely my favorite one. It appealed to me on a personal level as well. Spellbinding & magickal, I even found myself cackling out loud a few times!

I've heard many good things about Augusten Burroughs' writing but this was my first time reading any of his work. From what I've gathered, this was a lighter piece compared to his past work. Burroughs explores being raised as a witch, descending from a long line of witches in his family. He provides some history on witches and their treatment from others in society. Burroughs reveals parts of his life with candor, including the good and the bad of his childhood, his current relationship, and moving from New York to a farm house. There were several laugh-out-loud moments throughout the book and some scenes were shocking. I feel that anyone who is a fan of Burroughs' past work will thoroughly enjoy his latest book. Having never read any of his past work, I can also recommend this book to anyone else who hasn't read his work, as it provides enough information for a new reader to follow along. However, he teased a few things that must have been discussed in his past work and now I want to read the other books too!

Always a wonderful storyteller, Mr. Burroughs latest memoir is about witches. Well, not as it sounds. Not Halloween witch, or the wicked witch of Oz stories. But his life identifying as a witch. While giving you a history of witches, he weaves in his remarkable and book worthy experiences. Go in with an open mind.....you may find out you have witchy ways also!

Do you believe in Magic? (Sorry if I just got a song stuck in your head.) I wouldn’t say I do...but I also wouldn’t say I don’t. I love hearing stories of things that seem too coincidental to just be a coincidence - I love thinking there could be something more.

If you are also intrigued by these situations - I highly recommend Toil & Trouble. This was an interesting and entertaining read. This is a book that had me laughing out loud multiple times. Augusten Burroughs shares that he is a witch from a long line of witches - and proceeds to tell stories throughout his life of times he used his powers.

The only other book I’ve read by Burroughs was Running With Scissors and that was a long time ago so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I absolutely love his style of storytelling - reminded me at times of David Sedaris who is one of my favorites.

This is a book you will want to read parts of out loud to your friends/family so you can laugh about the stories together. I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely need to read more of the author’s backlist.

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy.

This collection of essays takes the author and his husband from their lives in NYC to the Connecticut countryside, all with the help of the author's magick. Because, Augusten Burroughs is a witch.

He's not a witch with a pointy hat or a cauldron (although one is gifted to him with the house), but he can influence things and see things that haven't happened yet. And his magick has come from a long line of witches.

Anyone who has read Burroughs' other memoirs knows of his complicated history and relationship with his parents. He finally seems to come to grips with his feelings toward his mother, and I'm glad for him.

This is a series of vignettes that is perfect for fans of the author. I enjoyed reading about his ability and his happily ever after (so far) after such a difficult early life.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the wonderful team at St. Martin’s Press and from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though Augusten Burroughs is one of my favourite authors, I was a little bit skeptical going into this book, because I’ve never given much thought into the existence of witches. Fortunately, even though the main theme of this book is witches and witchcraft, it’s about so much more than that.

In this book, Augusten Burroughs talks about his experience of being a witch. He tells the story of when he first discovered this ability, what it was like growing up with it, and times that he’s used his ability in his adult life. These stories are mixed in with stories about buying the perfect house, being a dog owner, having strange neighbours, dealing with addiction, and a quirky handyman who makes excellent pies. These stories were addicting and entertaining, and I had a difficult time putting the book down.

One thing that I liked about this book is that it made me think about witches and witchcraft. Before this book, I didn’t consider myself a non-believer or a skeptic, because I just didn’t consider witches. Now witches are something that I might think about from time to time, and I don’t see any harm in believing that there might be people out there with some kind of magical ability.

Another reason why I enjoyed this book is that you can read it without being familiar with Burroughs’s other works. Burroughs does refer to things that he discusses in his older works, but he doesn’t leave you lost and confused. If anything, these references make the reader curious enough to go out and pick up his older works.

Overall, this book did not disappoint. It had its funny moments, it had its serious moments, and it was full of the quirky people you’d expect to find in a Burroughs’s book. The witchcraft made the book interesting, and I think this book would be an excellent choice for a book club because the themes could lead to some great discussions.

It's a fairly common misconception that your everyday witch has glowing green skin, a nose full of warts and a janky broomstick that cruises through the clouds. But did you know there are many that actually live among us? They could be your kids teachers! Your next door neighbor! The barista who always misspells your name at Starbucks! (Seriously, is 'Kate' really THAT hard?!)

Or they could also be a New York Times bestselling author.

Augusten Burroughs has always tackled some pretty astonishing autobiographical topics in his books including battling alcoholism and his looney tunes mother. And this one is no different. Delivered in his classic conversational and snarky voice, Toil & Trouble will have you in stitches. Because of witches.

He comes from a long line of witches in fact, and the occurrences that have happened throughout his life are a bit more intense than mere coincidences. A bit heavier than your average déjà vu. And definitely not your typical hoodwink trickery. This guy casts spells. And then things happen.

I always enjoy reading about people who have special abilities. And when it's combined with hilarious stories of serial killer trees, washed up opera singers, a plant hospital, rambunctious Great Dane puppies, and satanic beavers.... well, let's just say this book has me under it's spell.

Another Augusten Burroughs memoir and this time he tells us about how he is a witch who comes from a long line of witches. In this installment, Burroughs affirms himself as a witch by providing examples proving his magical abilities. Whether or not you believe him, it's Burroughs and still riveting to read.

Even with the descriptive title, I sure didn't see this one coming (witches...what?). But it's Augusten Burroughs, so what's not to like?