2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion
. Week 8: Funny Book
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Week 8: Progress Post
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What did you read this week?
The Invisible Library
Was the book as funny as you expected?
I'm not a "laugh out loud" reader, you can at the most expect me to chuckle or smile. With this one, I laughed 5 times on the 1st chapters and chuckled several times after that. So it was what I expected and as comedy is not my genre, it was nice to read fantasy :)
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
Yes! The story was interesting, there is mystery and the characters were compelling. The writing was light enough, so it was an easy reading and I've plenty of time to discover other books.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes, but the main problem is it seems to be part of a series (sequels are not currently announced). As a standalone, too many questions about the characters and the library are unanswered. You can read it anyway, but it could be a little frustrating.
The Invisible Library
Was the book as funny as you expected?
I'm not a "laugh out loud" reader, you can at the most expect me to chuckle or smile. With this one, I laughed 5 times on the 1st chapters and chuckled several times after that. So it was what I expected and as comedy is not my genre, it was nice to read fantasy :)
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
Yes! The story was interesting, there is mystery and the characters were compelling. The writing was light enough, so it was an easy reading and I've plenty of time to discover other books.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes, but the main problem is it seems to be part of a series (sequels are not currently announced). As a standalone, too many questions about the characters and the library are unanswered. You can read it anyway, but it could be a little frustrating.

Catherine, Called Birdy
Was the book as funny as you expected?
I've read this book several times, so I wasn't expecting to find anything worthy of chuckling for. I was surprised! I giggled and smiled quite a few times.
Did you enjoy the book?
Yes. As I said before, this was a reread, but I am confident that this book will always be a favorite of mine. It IS a kid's book, but... well, you know how you can get attached to books? And how you'll read it to feel warm and cozy inside? This is one of those books.
Here's my review: /review/show...
Would you recommend this title?
MY GOD. Everyone should read this book. It's such a quick, light read, and the heroine is really realistic and funny.

The Spellman Files
Was the book as funny as you expected?
Basically, yes. I did chuckle a couple times, but it was more the sort of book that keeps you amused rather than keeps you laughing out loud. Parts of the story were actually a little sad, and that I did not expect.
Did you enjoy the book?
I did once I let go of my preconceptions. It wasn't what I expected, which was more of a conventional mystery sprinkled with screwball comedy. Instead, it was 30 years of a nutty family's history...and that's where the screwball comes in, because they really are crazy in a way I can't accurately describe without spoilers. I intend to continue the series, and that's probably the best indicator of how much I liked it.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by by Jon Scieszka
Was the book as funny as you expected?
Yes! It did not disappoint. I actually read this as an audio-book, and the voice really helped.
Did you enjoy the book?
I did. This was funny! It's short and sweet, but it keeps the wolf a carnivore, which I liked. It's a nice, light read. I rated it 4 stars.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes!

Was the book as funny as you expected? hysterical
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review) Love it, especially living in Louisiana... but I did struggle because there is no plot or element of suspense. I had to take a beak and started another challenge book in the meantime
Would you recommend this title? yes


Was the book as funny as you expected? Yes and no. It had its funny parts, but was also very serious at time.
Did you enjoy the book? Yes.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, but not necessarily as a funny book.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Yes, if anything it was funnier than I was expecting because I figured with it being older certain jokes might not have aged too well.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review) I really did. It was very short and in a play format so it made for a very quick read. I managed to read it between waking up at 6:30am and leaving for work at 8:30am on Thursday morning. As I said above, it was very funny and there were loads of fantastic quotes. I read it on my Kindle and ended up highlighting something on virtually every page.
Would you recommend this title? I really would. It was fantastic and I think it would appeal to a range or people, particularly those who are interested in those traditional romance stories, because it sort of plays around with them.

Was the book as funny as you expected? No, I expected more of a book full of funny stories. However, I think I enjoyed it more than I would have if it had been what I expected!
Did you enjoy the book? I did. It was a story of a year-long journey of a group of singles in a Lutheran Church. There were definitely funny stories included, but also many heartwarming stories and stories of growth.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, for a quick, light read.

I read The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.
Was the book as funny as you expected?
No, not really. It was actually kind of disappointing in that sense. It is funny, but it's not hilarious and it certainly wasn't as funny as everyone around me said it is.
Did you enjoy the book?
Yes, I did in the end, though it could get rather boring at times. It got better towards the end, but the pace was not stable and the story didn't flow as smoothly as it could have. But it was enjoyable and I had quite a good time reading it.
Would you recommend this title?
Probably, yes. Although it reminds me of a lot of other books I would recommend first (like The Good Soldier Å vejk, I Served the King of England or Forrest Gump) it was a moderately funny book with an interesting story and a humorous outlook on many historical events of the 20th century.

Was the book as funny as you expected?
Yes Please! - :( Not really :( And it pains me to say this as I adore her.
Bossypants - Absolutely - exceeded my expectations.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
Yes Please! - Although I didn't find it as funny as I hoped, I did enjoy it. There were several parts (in particular one describing Amy's ideal birthing/labor experience) that made the book worthwhile but I was so put off by the random organization of the book. Meh.
Bossypants - Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes Please!- Yep! Absolutely if you are a huge fan (especially of her earlier years with the UCB). Not so much if you are easily annoyed by weird writing quirks (such as confusing layout)
Bossypants - Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Yes, maybe even more so!
Did you enjoy the book? I did.
Would you recommend this title? Absolutely!

Was the book as funny as you expected? I wasn't expecting it to be uproariously funny the whole way, but there were times where I couldn't stop the giggles from happening, so I think it was funnier than I anticipated :D
Did you enjoy the book? Yes, very much so. I am glad I got it for free essentially, as it is not a book that I would have bought for myself.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, but only if you have a slightly morbid humor and random references to things that come *slightly* out of nowhere. Example:
"NOTE: In the rare situation a megatsunami washes a T. rex into your path, you won't be carrying a weapon large enough to hurt it. If it's intent on eating you, it will eat you. However, you will be killed by the coolest dinosaur ever. Most people go their whole lives without ever seeing a T. rex in person. Do you know how lucky you are?"

A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman
Was the book as funny as you expected?
It was, yes. But I found it to be much more than just a funny book. There's a sad story also, so laughter was replaced by tears a couple of times.
Did you enjoy the book?
Absolutely! I think it's the best book I have read this year so far. To me it was a small story that with a big impact. /review/show...
Would you recommend this title?
I would!

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett
Was the book as funny as you expected?
It was actually funnier than I expected. Very clever!
Did you enjoy the book? Yes, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Would you recommend this title?
Yes, I would.

The Long Haul
Was the book as funny as you expected?
Mmmmh, I was expecting something funnier
Did you enjoy the book? Yes, I usually enjoy The Wimpy Kid series
Would you recommend this title? Just if this person is interested in a light reading.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
Was the book as funny as you expected?
I went in with really high expectations based on Me Talk Pretty One Day, and while this one wasn't as funny, there were still plenty of hilarious parts.
Did you enjoy the book?
I did. I listened to the audio version, which was read by the author. I think this really added to the comedy.
Would you recommend this title?
I would probably recommend Me Talk Pretty One Day over this one.


Was the book as funny as you expected? Yes, there were some laugh out loud moments.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
/review/show...
Would you recommend this title? Yes, to someone who has an open minded sense of humour.


This discussion thread is solely for your progress. (Book discussions go in individual threads.)
What ..."
I am still struggling to play catch up. Was planning to read "Lamb" by Christopher Moore for this week, but still waiting for it from the library. So I substituted another book I was already reading--"I Don't Care About Your Band" by Julie Klausner. Basically about all her bad dating habits as a 20-something. It was funny at times, but annoying, as she purposely dated some guys who sound like really horrible idiots, just for the sex. (according to her she couldn't help herself). And as a now almost 30-something, she writes using the word "retarded" as an insult WAY too much. Overall, the book was not as funny as I expected for a comedienne and writer--it was kind of mean-spirited and choppy. I would honestly not recommend it.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Not at all... one of the very few books I didn't finish. It is still on my shelf, but I can't imagine being so bored that I would return to it.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review) No... It was boring, silly, and rather ridiculous. I tried to convince myself I was just too dang old to get the humor, but I've got to give myself a lot more credit than that!
Would you recommend this title? No. Not to anyone.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Was the book as funny as you expected? It had some humorous parts, tho rather dark humor. I found it funnier if I didn't try to think of it as a children's novel.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)I enjoyed it buy not as much as other books by Kate DiCamillo.
Would you recommend this title? yes, to a fan of Kate DiCamillo or someone interested in Children's Lit

Was the book as funny as you expected? It was! I'd read and liked the first two books in the Thursday Next series, and this one was just as amusing to me.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
Would you recommend this title? You really need to read the first two books in the series before reading this one, but if you enjoy satire and books about books, I think you'll like the series.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Sadly not.
Did you enjoy the book? Not very much. The kid's a butthole, but there were some funny moments.
Would you recommend this title? Yes, to reluctant younger readers, particularly boys.

The Sword of Summer
Was the book as funny as you expected?
This is actually a book I didn't intend to be funny at all. I was going to read a Chelsea Handler book for this week. As it's closing in on the end of the year and I really wanted to read this I gave in. It just so happened that it was quite comical. Right down to the chapter titles.
Did you enjoy the book?
Yes and No. I wish I didn't go into it with the high expectations I did from reading his other series Heroes of Olympus. Once I kind of pushed that out I really enjoyed it.
Would you recommend this title?
I finished it half an hour ago and have already recommended it to my friends haha! It's not like a roll on the floor funny moments sort of book. It's more of a sarcastic funny right down to the chapter titles. If you enjoy that kind of humour I would definitely recommend this.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Didn't really have expectations, so hard to say. But this is a funny book.
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review) Yes. There were more than a handful of literal laugh-out-loud moments. And the rest of the time Sedaris' self-deprecating humor was enough to keep me entertained.
Would you recommend this title? Yes.

Was the book as funny as you expected? Yes there were some ridiculously funny moments.
Did you enjoy the book? It was pretty entertaining, but I didn't find it as great as some of my friends who recommended it.
Would you recommend this title? Yes if you like a humorous book about the ridiculously rich in Asian.

Was the book as funny as you expected? The first half was hysterical. I was surprise how often I chuckled. The last bit not so much.
Did you enjoy the book? Yes.
Would you recommend this title? Yes. Especially the audiobook.

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire
Was the book as funny as you expected?
Yes! I read the book and listened to the audiobook and I was laughing, near enough, from start to finish.
Did you enjoy the book?
Yes, I loved it.
Would you recommend this title?
Very highly but mainly to people that are already fans of the duo.
Books mentioned in this topic
The Amazing Book Is Not on Fire (other topics)Where'd You Go, Bernadette (other topics)
Crazy Rich Asians (other topics)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames (other topics)
The Sword of Summer (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jasper Fforde (other topics)David Sedaris (other topics)
Terry Pratchett (other topics)
Jonas Jonasson (other topics)
This discussion thread is solely for your progress. (Book discussions go in individual threads.)
What did you read this week?
Was the book as funny as you expected?
Did you enjoy the book? (feel free to link to your review)
Would you recommend this title?