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Books & Authors

Laugh Your Way Out of a Christmas Day Food Coma

Take the time to destress during the chaos of Christmas with this hilarious collection of books, memoirs, and essays.

 

Would everybody please stop? : reflections on life and other bad ideas / Jenny Allen: "One of the funniest writers in America."That's what The New Yorker's Andy Borowitz calls Jenny Allen--and with good reason. In her debut essay collection, the longtime humorist and performer declares no subject too sacred, no boundary impassable.With her eagle eye for the absurd and hilarious, Allen reports from the potholes midway through life's journey. Jenny Allen's musings range fluidly from the personal to the philosophical. She writes with the familiarity of someone telling a dinner party anecdote, forgoing decorum for candor and comedy. To read Would Everybody Please Stop? is to experience life with imaginative and incisive humor.

 

Being a dad is weird: lessons in fatherhood from my family to yours / Ben Falcone: A funny and intimate look at fatherhood from the actor and writer/director of The Boss and Tammy that combines stories about his own larger-than-life dad and how his experiences raising two daughters with his wife, Melissa McCarthy, who also penned the Foreword, are shaped by his own childhood. Though he's best known for his appearances in the movie Enough Said, as well as his hilarious role as Air Marshall Jon in Bridesmaids, Ben Falcone isn't a big shot movie star director at home. There, he's just dad. In this winning collection of stories, Ben shares his funny and poignant adventures as the husband of Melissa McCarthy, and the father of their two young daughters.

 

Not quite a genius / Nate Dern: From the senior writer at Funny or Die and former artistic director at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, a collection of absurdist, hilarious stories and essays on relationships, technology, and contemporary society.This collection of essays and stories spans a wide variety of topics. There's the open letter to Charles Manson, the report of a brave archeologist's journey into a suburban man cave, and a long overdue missive from Leif Erikson to Christopher Columbus. Walt Whitman even teaches a spin class.

 

 

Squirrel seeks chipmunk: a modest bestiary / David Sedaris; illustrations by Ian Falconer: Featuring David Sedaris's unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life. With original illustrations by Ian Falconer, author of the bestselling Olivia series of children's books, these stories are David Sedaris at his most observant, poignant, and surprising.

 

 

The ten, make that nine, habits of very organized people. Make that ten : the tweets of Steve Martin / Steve Martin: The funniest, most memorable Twitter messages from comedian and bestselling author Steve Martin, along with hilarious responses from followers. Funny illustrations complement Martin's insights on everything from celebrity culture to jury duty to Twitter itself. Perfect, light reading for your hectic commute, busy waiting rooms, or a lazy Sunday afternoon, this collection will delight avid followers and offline fans alike.

 

 

Furiously happy : {a funny book about horrible things} / Jenny Lawson: In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. Furiously Happy is about "taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they're the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It's the difference between "surviving life" and "living life". It's the difference between "taking a shower" and "teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair." It's the difference between being "sane" and being "furiously happy."

 

The bassoon king : my life in art, faith, and idiocy / Rainn Wilson; with a foreword by Dwight Schrute: Rainn Wilson's Memoir about growing up geeky and finally finding his place in comedy, faith, and life. For nine seasons Rainn Wilson played Dwight Schrute, everyone's favorite work nemesis and beet farmer. Viewers fell in love with Dwight on The Office, and as he became known for memorable film roles (Juno, Super, The Rocker) and an outrageous Twitter feed, they grew to love the man who played him even more. Rainn founded a successful website and media company, SoulPancake, that eventually became a bestselling book of the same name. 

 

 

Dan gets a minivan : life at the intersection of dude and dadDan Zevin: A coming-of-middle-age tale told with warmth and wit, Dan Gets a Minivan provides the one thing every parent really needs: comic relief. Whether you’re a dude, a dad, or someone who’s married to either, fasten your seat belt and prepare to crack up. Dan Zevin, master of “Seinfeld-ian nothingness” (Time), is trying his best to make the transition from couplehood to familyhood. Acclimating to the adult-oriented lifestyle has never been his strong suit, and this slice-of-midlife story chronicles the whole hilarious journey—from instituting date night to joining Costco; from touring Disneyland to recovering from knee surgery; from losing ambition to gaining perspective. Where it’s all heading is anyone’s guess, but, for Dan, suburbia’s calling—and his minivan has GPS.

 

We are never meeting in real life : essays / Samantha Irby: Blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making "adult" budgets, explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette--she's "35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something"--detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father's ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms--hang in there for the Costco loot--she's as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.

 

The misadventures of Awkward Black Girl / Issa Rae: Being an introvert in a world that glorifies cool isn't easy. But when Issa Rae, the creator of the Shorty Award-winning hit series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," is that introvert-whether she's navigating love, work, friendships, or "rapping"-it sure is entertaining. Now, in this debut collection of essays written in her witty and self-deprecating voice, Rae covers everything from cybersexing in the early days of the Internet to deflecting unsolicited comments on weight gain, from navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself-natural hair and all.A reflection on her own unique experiences as a cyber pioneer yet universally appealing, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a book no one-awkward or cool, black, white, or other-will want to miss.

 

One day we'll all be dead and none of this will matter / Scaachi Koul: A debut collection of fierce, funny essays about growing up the daughter of indian immigrants in western culture, addressing sexism, stereotypes, and the universal miseries of life, in One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi Koul deploys her razor-sharp humor to share all the fears, outrages, and mortifying moments of her life. She learned from an early age what made her miserable, and for Scaachi anything can be cause for despair. Whether it's a shopping trip gone awry; enduring awkward conversations with her bikini waxer; overcoming her fear of flying while vacationing halfway around the world; dealing with Internet trolls, or navigating the fears and anxieties of her parents.

 

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