Were you one of the kids who read Matilda and became convinced that you might have magical powers? Because I was. And this book felt like the adult version of that. And I loved it. If you’ve never read an Augusten Burroughs book, you are seriously missing out on some amazing writing that is probably one of the most convincing things I’ve ever read. Which, given the stories about his life, is kind of incredible. His life was kind of insane. And, reading any of his memoirs, you’ll probably be aware that it’s crazy. But he will also make you believe that it’s completely normal. Of course a tree can have murderous tendencies. Why wouldn’t it?

As I’m sitting here, after having finished this book, I’m realizing that I genuinely didn’t think these stories were crazy. Which is a testament to Burroughs’s writing. Because this book is about things that are decidedly NOT normal to most people, and the only thing that felt shocking or crazy to me were his eating habits. This book had me laughing out loud (which is why I probably should stop reading at work), googling various trees and antique jewelry, and also believing that I maybe could be a witch (I’m still not totally convinced I’m not just a bad one).

I been a fan of Augusten Burroughs for over a decade. I love his memoirs and always have so much fun reading them. This one was no exception. And I think it might be my new favorite.

Literally yes to this whole book. Burroughs talks about how he doesn't believe in much, but he does believe in witches, and that's because he is one. This is in the first chapter and I knew immediately I'd love Toil & Trouble. Memories are like heroin to me. I can't stop reading them; I'm high the entire time I am reading them. And when they're over, I want to die, because I can't imagine my life without this amazing (and often times stressed out) person. Burroughs is one of those people. Years ago when I read Running with Scissors, I told my mom she couldn't read it because it was so graphic and I was protecting her. But really I was protecting myself, because I didn't want to experience that book with another single soul. And sometimes I still feel this way when I read a book. Like the author wrote it for me.

Am I crazy?

Let's move on.

Toil & Trouble is another wonderful creation and even though it's only been three years since the last memoir by Burroughs, it felt like a HUNDRED.

Do yourself a favor: Stop what you're doing. Preorder this delightful gem of literature. Sit on your couch, bed, picnic bench, and read it until you're done.

The end.

Toil & Trouble releases 10.1.19.

5/5 Stars

Augusten Burrough’s new memoir did not disappoint!! It was a fascinating read about Mr. Burrough’s life as a witch, and his quirky and genuine writing style made this book a pleasure to read. It was funny and quite enlightening, I’ve learned some new things about witches and the history of their existence, (or non-existence, whichever one believes, I guess). Augusten Burrough is an excellent storyteller, and from the first pages I was captivated by his writing. His genuine and unapologetic way of telling his life stories makes his memoirs so much more special. If you loved the author’s previous memoirs, this book is a perfect read for you.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was just too much of a reach for me and I couldn't finish reading it. I am just not interested in witchcraft or the author's beliefs that he has special powers. I have too many other good books to read to spend time on this one. The author's other books were much better, so I am not sure why this book was published.

I have always adored Augusten Burrough's stories and Toil and Trouble hit the spot! Perfect book to come out in the October/Halloween season.

I will say -- if I was recommending one of Augusten's books to a first-time reader, I'm not sure if I'd select this one. There are a lot of stories about his family, and without the context of his other books, I'm not sure they'd have the same impact.

Toil and Trouble was fun and quirky, with some absolutely hilarious one liners. Augusten can do no wrong in my eyes!

Augusten Burroughs is a witch, just ask him. He comes from a line of witches. If you enjoy Augusten Burroughs humor and wit, you will like this book. However, you might have to get over the concept of him being a witch at first. Once the story gets going, the whole witch thing makes more and more sense.

In his newest memoir, Augusten Burroughs admits that he is a witch. Honestly, I think it’s equally likely that he is 100% telling the truth or he is completely messing with all of us. And you know what? He tells the story so well, it really doesn’t matter.
Ever since I read Running with Scissors, I’ve returned to Burroughs writing to enjoy his wacky mind, crazy upbringing and fresh perspective. He runs towards weird people that the rest of us avoid, embraces every part of his dysfunctional childhood and waves his freak flag proudly. He’s just so totally endearing.
I definitely believe that there are people out there who are much more affected by the spirit world and the stories Burroughs tells are intriguing, the tiniest bit spooky and of course, hilarious. I’m also a believer that the more colorful one’s personality is, the more crazy things happen to them. Which of course makes me think it’s even more possible its all true.
Augusten Burroughs is a master story-teller. If you are a fan, check this one out. You won’t be sorry. Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advance e-galley in exchange for my honest review.
This one’s out October 1, 2019, just in time for the spookiest month of the year!

I have an on-again/off-again relationship with Augusten Burroughs books - I like his writing style, but because he's so good at drawing you into his words, but find that his painful history often means I can only handle the reading in small doses before feeling overwhelmed and too weary to continue... This is the first book of his that I was able to read straight through, without ever getting that sense of being weighed down. I thoroughly enjoyed his mixture of contemporary and historical experiences and thought he blended them in just the right measures. I sometimes find an officious tone in his writing - he admits to a certain degree of anxiety-derived superciliousness in this one, which I found refreshing and reinforcing! - and it can pull me out of his narratives to a distracting degree. There was none of that here - instead I found the writing wholly engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his take on magick, mystery, and life. I loved the exploits of moving to the country and the incredible cast of characters (from evil trees to witch realtors) he encountered there. This was a great read!

Augusten Burroughs is a witch. He has the ability to predict things and find more than coincidences in his everyday life. It doesn't change the way he goes about most things- he still argues over moving out of New York City with his husband, Christopher, and still suffers writers block. However, his magick ability tends to aid in situations where he is looking for certainty, and since he was young, he's been able to draw from wherever- within, the universe, etc- to get an answer. It's normal for him to be slightly not-normal.

So, Burroughs proceeds to recount his witchy background, and in doing so, relays many occurrences in which magick has appeared. To me, this was fascinating and interesting to learn about- how he grew up with the "Gift", as his family called it. His mother taught him traditional witchcraft that her family had passed down over generations, and then as Burroughs grew up, he shared what knowledge he gained that aided and expanded his magickal abilities. In doing so, he also delved into the historical context of these rituals.

Keep in mind though that this novel is a memoir. It's not strictly a study on witchcraft- it's Burroughs' life and witchcraft was just a piece of it. He recounts his childhood difficulties with his mother, and the struggles that his uncle had in accepting his "gift". Burroughs also shares his struggle with anxiety, his past alcoholism and current sobriety, and even about his struggle to give up smoking and candy. The memoir is not completely lighthearted, though Burroughs' humor and cleverness add buoyancy to the heavier subjects discussed. Yet much of this book is conversational, often describing events, people, and even animals with such fondness, you find yourself connecting to them just as much as Burroughs. I mean, I adore his dogs now, anyways- Eddie might take some getting used to in reality, though.

This is my first book by Burroughs, and though at times I felt his storytelling a little erratic, I absolutely loved how swept up I became in his tale. I devoured his book in two days. His revelations and how things interconnected from the beginning to the end were always beyond what I could have predicted or expected (I'm definitely not a witch here, lol). I feel like I not only learned a lot about the author, but I also learned a lot about witchcraft and the stigma surrounding it, which I feel the author dispelled. He's just a guy with a husband and four dogs and a old house in Connecticut who can understand things before everyone else. Not a big deal (but kind of a big deal.)

Overall, I highly recommend Toil and Trouble, and I'm eager to read more from Burroughs.

Thanks to NetGallery for this ARC. I’ve read several Augustan Maupin memoirs and found this my favorite. Toil and Trouble revolves around his belief that he is a witch, having inherited the “gift” from his maternal line. Every chapter contains evidence, although some seem just coincidental. Augustan seems to have a vivid imagination. He is a narcissist- the six-year old child variety, where not only does the world revolve around him, but he doesn’t even see the rest of the world. But he’s so darn amusing and naive that you make allowances. I enjoyed the latter part of the book most where he and Christopher move to the country.

'It takes extreme horror for me to feel better about my own life. Which, now that I think about it, is what people are always telling me that I do for them, so screw it.'

Augusten Burroughs has a innate cynicism that always makes me laugh or cringe and nod along with, yes- someone gets it. You don’t have to be a fan of witches, broomsticks and cauldrons bubbling to enjoy this memoir. You can be a fan of love or disaster, old beautiful houses that ‘want your blood’, and look haunted. Maybe it’s not ghosts, maybe it’s old trees that is a looming threat or repairs and gruff old handymen. There are a million things that can haunt our lives that are scarier than monsters and ghosts but sometimes the very things that make up our chaotic little lives get us to the place Augusten has arrived. But it’s been a journey. So carrying a secret love of witches or not, most of us can relate to the struggle of just being alive.

A witch, you say? Let him explain to you what he means before you get a knee jerk reaction of laughter or disbelief. Let him tell you about his family, and strange occurrences that feel like so much more than happenstance. Whose life isn’t full of the strange… the unexplained… and hell- why not? It’s hard to be taken seriously when you try to explain the weird patterns, the ‘coming into things’ that you foresaw, or conjured in your mind, heart. Aren’t mothers sometimes uncannily wicked in their predictions, about the future of their children, why not his mother before her illness consumed her? Lucky for you if it’s good stuff, the reverse can be true (trust me) for most people it’s a combination of both. I long to say, “you’re mad!” but in a good way, with a fat smile on my face. Maybe more than anything, he pays attention to the details of his life where so many people never see the synchronicity in their own.

Much of the novel is about the home he bought with his beloved, “We have purchased a mystery” and anyone who goes gaga for old houses will get a kick out of the reality making a home of one can be. It makes for funny and exasperating shared moments, all this talk of dreaming the home into being. Why not? If we can think it, we can create it, it’s how great works of art come into being, inventions, movements, revolutions- why not our own wants and desires?

I think this memoir is about Augusten Burroughs being Augusten Burroughs, this is me- take it or leave it. It’s intimate, honest, and peculiar, just like him. He seems to be at a point in his life where he has a solid grasp on who he is and want he wants, and sure life still presents moments where anxiety overwhelms him, he still confronts mental health fears with his family history, but you know what a great stabilizer is? Someone who loves you and grounds you, someone who takes you seriously when they need to and doesn’t always think ‘it is your crazy talking’ when you are adamant about a looming threat, even if it’s as ridiculous as a monster tree… when you know that tree is an evil force out to kill the two of you! Because maybe it actually is, maybe there is something to this natural instinct that has guided Augusten throughout the chaos of his life. Who are we to laugh at that? Who are we to demand proof of the things that pull someone through this ridiculous little journey we call life?

Whether you believe in magic or don’t, it’s still a fun read. It felt like sitting and talking with an old friend, someone I can tell spooky stories with beside candlelight or share the eerie, inexplicable things that have happened in my life (that others would call downright nonsense) stuff requiring a person to suspend disbelief, and have them say “No way, me too!” or “Get outta here, really?” Be it reading about a retired opera singer “The Soprano in the Woods” who is a little too close for comfort, or his response to PETA when it comes to Beavers (have you watched them attack), I was fully engaged. In fact, I am glad my husband and I never did find that beaver we were hoping to see in New Hampshire many summers ago- violent little creatures (cute though), who knew?

Take it with a grain of salt, or a circle of salt around your witchy self, your choice. Yes, read it!

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

St. Martin’s Press

As with most Augusten books, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get but you’ll always be informed on a new subject and you’ll always laugh at something. This one took on witchcraft and his admittance that he comes from a family of witches, stories of witchcraft that happens to him and from him and his life with His husband. I appreciated the explanations of witchcraft that were told in a way to inform gently and dispel preconceived notions of witches. Fantastic book!

Toil & Trouble by Augusten Burroughs is a fascinating memoir about Burroughs’ life is as a witch. Burroughs hails from a long line of witches, and his mother taught him everything she knew before she succumbed to mental illness.

Burroughs always knew he was different growing up. He could often see flashes of the future before events unfolded and simply knew things others didn’t. He had no idea he was a witch until his mother told him as a child, but it made a lot of sense. It was the perfect explanation for his uniqueness.

As an adult, Burroughs is comfortable with his witch side. So is his husband.

I loved reading Toil & Trouble by Augusten Burroughs. It was eye-opening, witty, and positively intriguing. I enjoyed reading about Burroughs’ childhood and the different ways his witch side has manifested over the years.

Do you believe in witches? I don’t know about you, but I typically associate witches with either Wicca or the stereotypical Halloween witch who dons a pointy hat and rides around on a broomstick. I had no idea that witches are very separate from Wicca and Pagan witchcraft. While this book doesn’t go deep into Burroughs’ brand of witchery, the details he provides were enlightening.

Burroughs has a wonderful way with words. If you’re a fan of his other memoirs, you’ll enjoy this one. His wit and subtle snobbery is on point. The memoir made me laugh on a number of occasions. While Burroughs can come off as judgement, his antics are entertaining to read.

While I’m still on the fence about what I believe regarding witches, there’s no denying that Augusten Burroughs’ life is an interesting one. If you’re a fan of memoirs, add Toil & Trouble by Augusten Burroughs to your shopping cart!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Burroughs is one of my favorite authors, and "Toil and Trouble" does not disappoint. What's not to love about a gay, nicotine-gum-addicted, recovering alcoholic...um...witch? Yes, a witch, and he has the spells, anecdotes, and results to prove it.

By his own account he is..." impulsive, destructive, prone to periods of paranoid, delusional, obsessively catastrophic thinking...afraid of the unknown and all that he cannot control," and he has "chosen to live according to the supernatural belief system indoctrinated in him by his severely mentally ill and benzodiazepine-addicted narcissistic and bipolar mother." It's a lot to wrap your mind around, but Burroughs is so adept at carrying you along while you read---always providing the necessary details, and answers to questions that continue to surface as you turn the pages.

I enjoyed every page, so much so that I almost read "Toil & Trouble" in one sitting. I was so taken in by his stories, I couldn't wait to get back to the book to finish it.

Mr. Burroughs is someone I get. I know that's an understatement, but I get it. Toil and trouble is different. I do understand dead. I try not to. But they are so intrusive. I kind of liked this book, and yet I was completely freaked out! I don't like dead. But, sometimes I have no choice in the matter.

I have very mixed feelings on this book. I have been a fan of Augustan Burroughs, and have read all his books to date before this, enjoying some more than others. Even with books I enjoy less, the author’s voice rings true and humorous so I keep reading.

In this book Augusten talks about being born a witch. From how he discovered it, to how he uses it each day, he also talks, at great great length about his home he shares in Connecticut with his husband. While the book’s focus is on all things witch, it feels like it is way too focused on the house. It comes into play with the witch theme, but it is a long coming payoff. I guess to put it in plain language, I heard enough about this house. Like, way more. Some other places are also described, in too much detail in my opinion.

With that out of the way, let’s address the witch in the room ( yep couldn’t resist a bad joke, sorry!) I don’t know how others will feel about this, obviously so I am going to to focus on my feelings. I don’t think Augusten is saying this for shock value, or to get more book sales. I do think there will be some talk of it when the book is released. I fear for what people may have to say about him. However, the author knows what it is like to be scrutinized in the media, and certainly will be prepared. He often mentions in the book that he knows most people won’t believe him. So is what happens to him a result of being a witch or is it coincidence? That is to be left up to the reader. I think it was an enjoyable story, just could use some trimming about the house.

I really wanted to love this one. I loved his other books, but this one I just had a hard time getting into. I think it might have been the wrong timing for reading this one for me.

God, I can remember reading books by Augusten way back in the day and the just tripped me out. I love his whit and just the way he can write a memoir is uncanny!

The whole family just blows me away with the way they are; a bunch of nutters you love or hate. I love them in their own little ways!

Now we have Augusten finding out he's from a lonnnngg line of witches. Yep, witches! I mean, his stories are comical, sad, snarky and down right around the bend and this book is no different.

All I can say is if you loved any of his other books, you will love this one too! It's just that simple!

**I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book!**

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

I can remember when Running with Scissors came out. Despite being a huge hit, I refused to read it due to my contrary nature having a tendency to avoid best-sellers & anything that's gushed over by the media. For some reason, however, this book caught my eye (probably that beautiful black & green cover, my favorite colors!) and I decided to apply for an ARC. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I won a copy, and even more surpassed by how engrossed I found myself in his tale. This was one of those books that once I started it, I didn't want to put it down, but I also didn't want it to end. As I read, I found myself wandering back to my late teenage/early college years, where the notion of witchcraft, spells, and rituals fascinated me. It was easy to get caught up in this masterful storytelling, but knowing that this is not a tall tale? Fully aware that this is autobiographical? I truly fell as though I rushed too quickly through this beautiful memoir & will need to go back, highlighter in hand to ensure that reach passage that hits close to my heart (and oh, there were many!) is noted carefully for future dissection.
And yes, I will be going back to read Running with Scissors (once my No Buy June challenge is complete!)

Witchy-Wonderful!!!

“There are three things you should know about witches.
1-“As long as there have been human beings there have been witch beings”
2- “Witches have always been misunderstood”.
3 - “Witches are real”.

“Witchcraft is not a religion. It’s the craftwork of a witch;
it’s the thing witches do”.

“Witches can possess any and all of these traits in greater or less or degree”.
[Augusten shared a partial list of things he doesn’t believe in]:
God,
The devil,
heaven,
hell,
Bigfoot,
ancient aliens,
past lives,
life after death,
vampires,
zombies,
Reiki,
homeopathy,
rolfing,
reflexology”.
“Note that ‘witches’ and ‘witchcraft’ are absent from the list”.
Augusten says:
“The thing is, I wouldn’t believe in them, and I would privately ridicule any idiot who did, except for one thing”:
**NEWS FLASH**.....
Augusten Burroughs is a witch!!!
YEP... Augusten is not joking! But he ‘is extremely funny!!
We know many things about Augusten Burroughs from past books: ( novels and memoirs)...
He is:
outrageously funny...self aware...wise..honest...gay,
entertaining...inspiring...
ingenious...had a past disaster personal life...raised in a very dysfunctional home...
suffered from alcohol addiction for many years...
overcame harrowing challenges...
he is smart...real...
personable...honest...
brilliant and lovable...etc. etc. etc.!!!!
[I feel like I’ve been growing up ‘with’ him].....
But this is his first memoir where we learn about his
unique spooky-magical abilities! ( with fabulous interesting coming of age stories).

WITCHIE-TALENTED Augusten outdid himself with this memoir!!!!
It’s awesome with tasteful humor and tasteful truth.

“Toil and Trouble”.... the title of this book comes from
Shakespeare.
“Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble”.... is one of the most famous lines in English literature. These lines are spoken in unison by three witches who predict Macbeth’s future throughout.

“Ghosts are real, trees can want to kill you, beavers are the spawn of satan, houses are alive, and in the end, love is the most powerful magic of all”.

This new Burroughs memoir was fascinating, exciting to read, quirky, genuine, and it completely warmed my heart!!!

Big thanks to St. Martins Publishing, 📚✍️📚
Netgalley, 👀
and
Augusten Burroughs!!!!🥳
I LOVE THIS NEW BOOK!!
Burroughs’ rocks my book-reading-thinking/feeling world!!