Another collection of classic Wodehouse. He really did specialize in stories about people telling stories! I found this book much stronger at the starAnother collection of classic Wodehouse. He really did specialize in stories about people telling stories! I found this book much stronger at the start; 'The Crime Wave at Blandings' is delightful, as is 'Buried Treasure' with its mustache mayhem. I didn't enjoy the other tales as much. The portrayals of the women in the gold-oriented stories was rather cringe-worthy, and the repeated characters of Wimbledon Commons just didn't appeal....more
I hadn't read Wodehouse before (I know, I know) and this title proved to be a pleasant introduction to his wit. The book collects pub tales told by MrI hadn't read Wodehouse before (I know, I know) and this title proved to be a pleasant introduction to his wit. The book collects pub tales told by Mr. Milliner regarding his oddball family, most often how they came to meet their mates (but not always!). I laughed aloud more than once. I especially enjoyed the last story with an unusual take on a haunting....more
This book came to my attention when the author sold the media rights to the book. I can see why--this is the I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
This book came to my attention when the author sold the media rights to the book. I can see why--this is the very definition of a whimsical high concept: a human hero, reincarnated hundreds of times over in a fantasy world, gives up on saving the world and resolves to become the Dark Lord instead. Davi remembers little of Earth except for pop culture; really, the book is loaded with Gen X references that will make readers of a certain age sputter or guffaw throughout.
I won't delve much into the story because the concept really sets it up nicely. Expect tributes to many of the major fantasy tropes. Wexler knows the conventions well and twists them in fun ways.
Now, there are a few things that will make some readers pause. There is the whole Dark Lord bit. Expect moral ambiguity, and some blatant evilness, especially as Davi commits to this new path. It can make for difficult reading. There's also a lot of sex, as Wexler subverts expectations for a female protagonist. Davi is pansexual and horny; this can be humorous sometimes, and feel overdone at others.
I overall enjoyed how this book twisted around genre conventions. I hope that it does end up being produced, and most importantly, that they do justice to the raunchy material....more
This book is a hoot! I love Maureen Johnson's gone-viral story on this subject a few years ago, and the concept works incredibly well as an illustrateThis book is a hoot! I love Maureen Johnson's gone-viral story on this subject a few years ago, and the concept works incredibly well as an illustrated hardcover book. Anyone who loves reading or watching British mysteries will cackle and grin their way through this quick read. The illustrations by Jay Cooper have an Edward Gorey-esque vibe, being black and white with bold red accents.
The wit is fabulous. You learn about the major sights of the village. "The Churchyard. ... Technically, you're supposed to be dead before you end up here, but the villagers aren't strict about this." You meet the villagers. "The Vicar. ... When you see the vicar, run. If you are not dead yet, the vicar is obliged to kill you." There's an entire section on the manor, and the people, sights, and perilous events to be found there. A few quizzes are in the book, too, to make certain that the reader is absorbing the given advice as readily as a poison....more
I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The title sums up the book: it features a few hundred pages of Google autocompletes, many oI received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The title sums up the book: it features a few hundred pages of Google autocompletes, many of which make you worry about the very nature of humanity. (I only know there are 224 pages because the online data says so; for some odd reason, the book lacks pages numbers, which annoyed me when I wanted to make note of some pages to share with my husband.)
The humor very much falls under the category of, "Well, that escalated quickly." I found this to be a book best read in small bursts to brighten the day, otherwise the content blurred together. This is also a book that I don't think will age well--many of the references are very late 2019--but it'll be sure to induce some smiles and chuckles for a few years yet....more
I 'discovered' the Marx Brothers at age 12 and tried to see as many of their movies as I could after that. My fondness for their humor hasn't faded, aI 'discovered' the Marx Brothers at age 12 and tried to see as many of their movies as I could after that. My fondness for their humor hasn't faded, and now that I've read this insightful book, I feel a need to see their work for the first time in ages. Groucho's knack for wordplay always appealed to me most of all, and this book highlights his wit--and the wit of his fellow correspondents, often other writers of the day. There's something especially joyful about seeing Groucho go into fanboy mode as he writes to E.B. White, and reading how he became such a fan of these new guys Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner that he sends their comedy album out to a few of his other writer-friends abroad.
I do wish this book was annotated. A few of the people had asterisks by their names accompanied by brief explanations about who the person is, but since it was originally published in the late 1960s, there is an assumption that the reader will know recognize other names or get other cultural references. I picked up a lot, sure, but wanted to know more. More context around Groucho's life would have helped, too. The letters are not in chronological order, but grouped by theme and correspondent, and sometimes the back and forth flow in time is confusing--he's married to one woman then another, then single, then married to the first woman again.
That said, much of the humor is still gold. I laughed out loud throughout and smiled much of the time I read. Sure, a few jokes went a bit far, but even Groucho at his raciest is downright mild compared to modern comedians....more
I continue to be amused by the series. Each book transforms a Shakespearan play into very modern form through text messages and social media posts. ThI continue to be amused by the series. Each book transforms a Shakespearan play into very modern form through text messages and social media posts. The pages even reflect this format. It works surprisingly well--the gist comes across, and it's outright funny. This book on Hamlet is no exception....more
While I didn't find this as laugh-out-loud funny as Macbeth #killingit, I continue to be amused by the entire concept of retelling Shakespeare in textWhile I didn't find this as laugh-out-loud funny as Macbeth #killingit, I continue to be amused by the entire concept of retelling Shakespeare in text message format, with emojis, acronyms, and all. In the case of YOLO Juliet, that makes the young voices of the leads come across as especially modern and genuine. This is a great way to get kids (and adults) to read a synopsized version that's a lot more fun than Cliff's Notes....more
Bill Bryson explores the United Kingdom with a curmudgeonly attitude in The Road to Little Dribbling. I have not read his previous book on the isle, bBill Bryson explores the United Kingdom with a curmudgeonly attitude in The Road to Little Dribbling. I have not read his previous book on the isle, but I enjoyed this one a great deal. It was written only a few years ago so it still feels current. Bryson is American, but has lived in Britain for 40 years. He looks on the place with shifting measures of adoration and exasperation. The book isn't a purely humorous travelogue--indeed, he sometimes drifts into despair as he discusses rail transit and how many beach towns have died terrible deaths--but his dry humor helps to balance the darkness.
Some of my favorite lines include: "Since that day, I have never assumed that anything is fun just because it looks like the English are enjoying themselves doing it, and mostly I have been right."
"It is often suggested that the British do these things for the pleasure of confusing foreigners, but that is quite wrong. The British don’t give a s*** about foreigners. They do it to confuse themselves."
"It is like rigor mortis with scenery."
"Butlin had invented the prisoner-of-war camp as holiday, and, this being Britain, people loved it."
"An information board from the National Trust informed me that an eccentric eighteenth-century owner named Joseph Pocklington held a regatta every year “where he challenged the people of Keswick to attack the island while he shot at them with his cannons.� They certainly know how to have a good time in the Lake District, it seems."...more
Jenny Lawson has an frenetic, anxiety-prone perspective of the world, one I can eerily relate to. While I related to her other book Furiously Happy a Jenny Lawson has an frenetic, anxiety-prone perspective of the world, one I can eerily relate to. While I related to her other book Furiously Happy a bit more (it delves deeper into subjects like depression), this is still a fun read, full of crazy family anecdotes, wacky household incidents, and animals both living and dead. It made me smile and laugh throughout, though I do wish it'd been lighter on the profanity....more
So a rogue, a bard, a warrior, a wizard, and a goat set off on a quest... and things happen. Weird, wacI received a galley of this book via Netgalley.
So a rogue, a bard, a warrior, a wizard, and a goat set off on a quest... and things happen. Weird, wacky things. Note that the titular farm boy isn't mentioned in that list. That's because he does pretty early on in a tragic way. Co-authors Kevin Hearne and Delilah Dawson subvert fantasy tropes in many amusing ways--I was pretty fond of the Dark Lord wizard who is best at creating rains of bread--though like all humor, it can be pretty subjective and hit-or-miss. I wearied of poop jokes pretty early on, but I did enjoy the book's great reverence for the glories of cheese....more
Wacky, funny, and blunt, Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) discusses everything from her Australia trip to her passion for unusual taxidermy in this booWacky, funny, and blunt, Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) discusses everything from her Australia trip to her passion for unusual taxidermy in this book. I deeply appreciate how she lays everything out there about mental illness. Her definition of depression is one of the best I have ever encountered: "Depression is like . . . when you don't want to eat cheese anymore. Even though it's cheese."
A particular bit about a taxidermy bear for her 18th anniversary caused me to hand the book over to my husband, as our own 18th anniversary is coming up. He immediately started laughing then looked up. "Wow, she gets attacked by inanimate objects just like you!" To which I said, "Yeah, um, I might I have some things in common with the author." I will be encouraging him to read the full book next....more
I adore Squirrel Girl. The art is fun and the stories make me smile. This collection gave a lot more page time to Doreen's cat-loving friend Nancy, whI adore Squirrel Girl. The art is fun and the stories make me smile. This collection gave a lot more page time to Doreen's cat-loving friend Nancy, who is awesome--and her creation Cat-Thor even came to life thanks to Loki. The flashbacks to the old Squirrel Girl were the one off-note for me, as for some reason I find the old art (even redone in modern style) kinda creepy....more
One of my sisters-in-law gifted me with this new Squirrel Girl book for my birthday. My to-read pile be darned! I had to read this book next.
I giftedOne of my sisters-in-law gifted me with this new Squirrel Girl book for my birthday. My to-read pile be darned! I had to read this book next.
I gifted my son with a Squirrel Girl graphic novel for Christmas, and I read it first and thought it was a delight. This new stand-alone volume obviously jumps forward in the timeline--there were new characters I hadn't met yet--but it was very easy to get into the book. Squirrel Girl is such a fun, relatable superhero--she's curvy, devoted to her friends, and defeats a lot of big bad guys through kindness and compromise. Here, though, Squirrel Girl is duplicated by a nefarious machine, and with a wink and a nod to old tropes, her double ends up going super-villain. It's a fun read. Almost every page has fine print at the bottom with some commentary from her squirrel Tippy. The art is fantastic, and the Deadpool hero/villain cards cracked me up. This book only reaffirms that I'm a Squirrel Girl fan girl....more
This book is a geeky mash-up of noir detective novels and fandom culture. It's zany, sometimes outright ludicrous, and laugh-out-loud funny with its lThis book is a geeky mash-up of noir detective novels and fandom culture. It's zany, sometimes outright ludicrous, and laugh-out-loud funny with its loving riffs on Pokemon, World of Warcraft-like culture, and cosplay. Heroine Dahlia is a hapless loser who has gone to job interview to job interview to no avail. When a guy shows up and offers her a load of money to play private detective for him and retrieve a stolen spear, she takes the job out of utter bewilderment. But when said dude ends up dead, things end up considerably more complicated.
It's not a "serious mystery." There are goofy coincidences and convenient plot elements, but with the zany mood, it's easy to forgive such things and go with the flow. I adored the book and I'll be on the look out for more by this author....more
I was provided a copy of the book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
This is a small, hardcover book, the kind of unusual format that seI was provided a copy of the book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
This is a small, hardcover book, the kind of unusual format that sets it aside as a gift book. Indeed it is, though for a particular niche of geek. The title is pretty up front in establishing that the book is absolutely useless. It begins with a discussion of mnemonics that are used in school, like HOMES to remember the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) or FACE for reading music. Then it gets into the heart of the book, the memory tricks to remember total garbage. Woodyard also creates a kind of wacky narrative through his explanation of mnemonics, exploring a rather lackluster progression from college student to work to wacky neighbors to a final bit about a disastrous class reunion.
Most of the mnemonics are quite long, but as an example: Britney Spears poops solid gold. mnemonic to remember the Spice Girls: Baby, Sporty, Posh, Scary, Ginger
I didn't find the book laugh-out-loud. As a joke, it got old to me quite fast, but it's still an amusing concept....more
This very droll humor book describes how to contain or take advantage of the fairy menace within one's home, garden, or countryside ambles. It's told This very droll humor book describes how to contain or take advantage of the fairy menace within one's home, garden, or countryside ambles. It's told through the persona of Reginald Bakeley, a very proper British gentleman who enjoys a properly cooked leg of leprechaun and milk straight from the teat of a fae cow. He breaks it down into techniques, worst case scenarios, and sprinkles throughout stories of his own encounters--and through those, you get a greater sense of the "author." It's amusing, albeit quite dark. The ending even includes addresses for shops in Britain where one can find appropriate supplies, just as you'd find in a real handbook of this sort.
As a writer, I can see this book as an inspiration in my own writing about fairy kind. I also know I want to lend this book to my mom, because I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it....more
With things as they are, I felt it was time to grab a humor book off the to-read shelf, and Hyperbole and a Half fit the bill. Over the years, I've reWith things as they are, I felt it was time to grab a humor book off the to-read shelf, and Hyperbole and a Half fit the bill. Over the years, I've read a number of their stories online, but all of them in the book seemed new to me. It's amusing and comforting to read the perspective of someone who is neurotic like me --I feel the same way when I read the Bloggess's work. My favorite tales in this book were about the Goose (oh wow, the goose) and the incredibly honest portrayals of depression in all its weirdness....more
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