Humor Books

This is a fun book with good repetition and some "big" words. It will make it a book you can revisit when your child is older. I bought it for my 3 1/2 year old who is very picky and talkative. The cd is narrated by the author in front of a live child audience so it is a bit spontaneous and entertaining.

Marsupial Sue is a great song/book for kids. The message of being you is important, and the song sticks with the kids. Having the CD to hear John Lithgow narrate is a must to do this book justice.

My granddaughter introduced me to this book...and it has become my favorite piece of children's literature! I try to give it as a gift to as many children as possible. Perfect for the three year old....and great music for moms to listen to over and over and over...THE GREATEST!

John does it again! My 3-4 year old preschoolers LOVE this book! I love this book. I find myself actually singin along with the book and the kids absolutely love it. One of the best books I have bought them! (and his other ones too!)

I LOVE this book and CD. I have been privileged to use it in my car when having play day with some of the local children aged 2-4. The CD is a big hit! Mr. Lithgow sings this song with the most wonderful exuberance which catches and holds the attention of young and old alike. I find myself singing along! What a wonderful work.

The 41st Century is full of mysteries. Like what happened to Ancient Yankees who lived in North America? Why did they die out and how did they live. One day a tomb, untouched, is found and it gives us a glimpse of what these Ancient Yankees were like in the 20th Century. Sacred items, musical instruments, and the sacred point will make you laugh and wonder how much of OUR knowledge is based on such conclusions?

Motel of the mysteries is a fun, easy read.
Everyday items are seen in the light of future archeologists, with interesting, funny and sometimes insightful interpretations. Good book to share with others.

My students are looking at ancient cultures and what a great book to start with. We learn about making inferences from observation and our own prior knowledge. This book is great on teaching this.

Absolutely enjoyable, all age readership done with genuine style and that utterly necessary dose of humor so lacking in our modern world. Motel of the Mysteries truly does show what happens when we, the "modern" researchers, imprint our beliefs and values on a prior culture. It is most definitely worth reading. I bought several copies for my friends.

Archaeologists spend so much time thinking about the past, and it's inevitable that occasionally we wonder just what those in the future will think about us. This does, of course, poke some fun at the profession and the logic employed in how we come about our conclusions, while making you wonder just how wrong we might be in that regard. A must-read for archaeologists with a sense of humor, though just about anyone will find this humorous and entertaining.

This book did indeed look good -- so good that I bought it, along with "I'm OK - You're Not" by the same author.

I've now finished most of it... up to the last chapter -- which I don't think I'm going to bother reading.

It's an excellent literary idea -- write from the view of God "using" the human author to write it... engaging and creative concept.

Now, I'm ALL about irreverent humor, however, I got the uncomfortable feeling that the author was trying too hard to be hip, or shocking, or to somehow sneak past the defenses of "seekers" or even atheists, as if they wouldn't notice, to land a punch.

Sure, there were plenty of times I guffawed.

At times, I rolled my eyes.

At other times, I groaned.

And, there were times I cringed.

Such as having "God" make an Austin Powers joke about how He mimicked Austin Powers for a while, and the angels tried to sing praise songs using the word "shagalicious".

Such as God saying, "you can do any Me-damned thing you want."

Such as God saying (in talking about the crucifixion):

"It was a Friday. I really didn't have all that much to do but hang around anyway.
For three days.
I was just killing time.
Oh, don't I just slay you?
Cuz I sure do me."

{Never mind that He didn't "hang around" for three days - He was only on the cross on Friday.)

There ARE times when it's both humorous and insightful -- but those particular passages strike me as somewhat degrading.

What REALLY got me cringing was the response to this question:

"Even if I do believe in Christ, do I really have to go to church every Sunday? Yuck."

Here's part of the "answer" from "God":

"No - of course you don't have to go to church. No one has to do much of anything. But the reason so many people keep choosing to go to church is as simple a it gets: They know that they can't have a relationship with me if they don't ever come over to my house. It's just that simple. Church is my home, you know; that really is where I hang out. You get hints and intimations of me in your everyday life, for sure - but at church you get a huge honkin' helping of me. Maximum exposure. Major bang for your buck.

I go where people pray, see? And a lot of people do a lot of praying at church.

I'm in the wood at church. I'm in the carpet. I'm in the pews. I'm in the air there. Care Bear.

Got to go where the action is, right?...

You know what church does? It turns people from pessimists to optimists. Because at church, everyone you see -- from the greeter at the door to the person up front leading the whole thing -- is your partner. Your friend.

People go to church because they, like everyone else in the world, are naturally drawn to go wherever they can find the most love."


Hmmm...

"His house" (I thought we were His Temple in the New Covenant)? IN the carpet? Pessimists to optimists (I've seen the opposite happen all too often)? "Person leading the whole thing" (isn't that supposed to be the Holy Spirit)? Where we "find the most love" (I found a whole lotta fear)? I guess this author's' not yet come to the place where he realizes that the system of institutional Christianity is not the organic Church-Family that Jesus established. It was never about religion, but about relationship - with Him and with each other.

~BRB~

Ok - something odd just happened to me. God just got me. Only I didn't know it was God 'til just a second ago. As I said in the beginning of this post, I hadn't read the last chapter, or the end notes by the author.

But, as I wrote that last statement, I suddenly got an URGE to read the last chapter, just to "be fair" y'know. So, I just read the rest.

Oh, dear God... the entire last chapter is about how the Christian life is about God eradicating fear out of us... oh, wow. As I read it, the truth of it filled me. (There are a couple of minor disagreements -- like, I do not believe that God designed us to feel fear, but that it's our reality in the absence of His love.)

And then -- I read the author's afterword -- and it was like sitting here, listening to him bare his heart. He shared how God got his attention, when he, a confirmed God-ridiculer, was at work... and God started filling him with Himself, and the guy ran off to a broom closet, saw himaself as he is, hit his knees, and just KNEW Jesus was true. And that was that.

And, now, I must repent... now I see the rest of the book through new eyes, his eyes. It's like his Jesus-following self is talking to his former Jesus-ridiculing self, in a way that a Jesus-riduling person could relate...

And, except for the traditional view of "going to church" rather than BEING the Church, I like it, because of how it's summed up. And because of the effect it's obviously had on some of the folks who've reviewed it (even folks who aren't believers). It seems to have gotten them thinking... and so, bravo John Shore, for following Him in this way. And, of course, I'm hoping that God gives you a busted-out-of-the-building-and-the-manmade-system view of Church, but that's really His business, no?

OK, this is the oddest book review I've ever written ... but perhaps one of the most impacting ones for me, personally.

Make of it what you will...

Shalom, Dena

"The unanswered questions aren't nearly as dangerous as the unquestioned answers."


P.S. Three other excellent books that engage the heart are:

The Shack (Special Hardcover Edition)

He Loves Me! Learning to Live In the Father's Affection

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

John Shore has knocked the walls down between here and There. A soliloquy by, ahem, GOD? It's crazy, it's totally pretentious, it's dangerous. It's wonderful! With his quirky humor and an uncommon sensitivity to both human need and theological sacred cows, Shore has bent the rules of spiritual writing until they . . . no, they don't break, they vibrate-like a tuning fork. In the hands of the One Who made the rules. Get a copy, and prepare to enjoy a rollicking good time-and, almost without realizing it, a Feast.

Thank GOD for this book! I laughed until I cried. This book was so fun to read. Pure genious. You have very carefully understood GOD'S word and helped to drive home some very important points in a memorable way. It is a book that I will read again.

I enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to read a book with a spiritual message that was not "preachy" but down-to-earth. Often times, when I am done reading a book with a christian message, I feel like a child that has just been given a lecture. This was nothing like that. It was thought provoking and intelligent. It was also funny. It was nice to know there are fellow christians out there that remember that God gave us a sense of humor and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I recommend this book for both believers and non-believers of any age, but I especially think that generation X needed something like this.

This wonderful little book gives you God's perspective on all those questions that believers, non-believers, and pre-believers ask. This is the book you want to give that non-believing friend, not so much in an effort to convert them, but to at least help them understand why it is you believe. Not for the easily offended, but written with just the right amount of humor and tact. If you can only read one book this summer, this is it.

Gill has hit it out of the park when it comes to business lessons in a readible format. This book is great!

I read the review written by the CEO who gave this book to his top clients. Then I ordered the book and understood why. Any business person will receive great "take home" value from Gill's book. I have ordered copies for my top clients (about 100) and asked that Gill personalize them. To my surprise he agreeded. Now I see why he was able to grow a great company and I look forward to putting his lessons in practice in my company as well. This one is so filled with great, yet simple to implement, business ideas that it is hard to believe. My word to Gill - write another one fast!

At the time I read read this book I was facing a serious challenge in my business. Chapter 8 on "Financial Reports" helped me see things from a very clear perspective. That one chapter probable saved our company a minimum of $500,000 simply because after reading it I faced reality and decided to act.

A CEO from Philadelphia, PA

I thoroughly enjoyed Ben's book, "Random Thoughts..." Anyone in management would do well to read this book. Through humor, he makes excellent points for anyone in the role of leadership. Good reading for leaders.

As VP of Marketing for my firm I am always on the lookout for quality tools to improve both myself and my staff. Gill's "Random Thoughts..." is a treasure of humorous anecdotes and sage wisdom. Ben's transparency is extraordinary for someone in his position. We all benefit from his honest approach to leadership.It is one book that will be in my staffs' and company leadership's stocking this year!

I adore Jewish humor; I was raised on Jackie Mason, David Brenner, Mel Brooks, and every comic who ever played at a resort in the Catskills.

Sadly, this collection of essays is not only seriously lacking in humor, but it reads as though it were written by a third-grader for a first-grade audience. And the accompanying illustrations seem to have been drawn by the author's classmate, which made this book doubly disappointing.

I very rarely don't finish a book that I've started, but "Why Jews Don't Camp" was so unreadable that I set it aside after about 50 pages. I am undecided about whether or not I should donate it to an upcoming community yard sale, as I don't want some unsuspecting neighbor to pay even 10 cents for this book.

I thought I was the only one who based group dinner plans on who else was attending and how much I thought they'd eat and drink. Arnie's chapters are full of extremely funny stories that everyone can relate to. We often complain about the guy with kids in the middle seats at a ball game who makes frequent trips to the bathroom. It's nice to hear his point of view. Very easy to read. Skip the camping trip - read the book instead!!!

This is one on the funniest books ever - anyone can relate to the stories in here - you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the humour - just plain funny!

Just as you don't have to be a Jewish mother to make a reservation, you don't have to be Jewish to laugh with Arnie Goldberg as he regales us with one funny story after another. Not only do Jewish men not camp, they don't do well with yoga, living in Japan, or blind dating. Each story is a little gem that will have you in stitches.

This book is a pile of laughs from cover to cover. The author has a way of finding the hilarious in otherwise mundane situations, and exposing them in engaging prose. The stories in this book will have you laughing out loud, which is fitting, considering the publisher.

If you need your funny bone tickled, but this book.

In this book, the second one in the Black Stallion series, the Black Stallion's real owner comes to retrieve him. He returns to his homeland, Arabia, soon after.You follow Alec, Raj, Henry, and Mr. Volence in an unforgettable adventure through Arabian deserts, facing criminals and hunger.
This was the best book that I ever read! If I could I would give it 9 million star!

Abu the Black Stallions ownerhad lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved ownership of the Black.Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the Blacks baby that was born.

Abu the Black stallions owner had lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved
ownership of the Black. Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the first Blacks baby that was born.

This mysterious and enchanting book takes Alec and Henry to a setting far from the one in the previous book. In the barren deserts of Arabia, they search for their black stallion in his own home. A thrilling tale of survival, and just as vivid, with a race for high stakes and a horse to beat any of the same caliber all thrown in too make the story plot thicken.

This book had me turning the pages, never wanting to put it down. The story was very different from the first, but not as much as some sequels. Farley had a way of keeping his characters in prospective, and in turn, the story again took the readers on an exhilarating ride. A great piece of literature for young tweens to read, though the movie does have violence in it, but seems to make the story even more thrilling. An excellent book I will be sure to show my kids one day.

After a mysterious attempt on the Black's life by an unknown one-armed assassin, Alec is shocked to meet an Arab sheik who claims to be the true owner. Regretfully surrendering the horse he has trained and loves dearly, Alec expects to spend a gloomy summer before his senior year. Conveniently for all concerned racing owner, Mr. Volence, agrees to take both trainer, Henry and the devoted youth abroad to seek better bloodlines for his stables--and incidentally search for the Black in distant Arabia.

Plunged into an exotic world of desert, treachery and bloodlust Alec and his party set out for a remote mountainous region where the Sheik reigns. Alec soon learns the price of betrayal, where blood demands blood, and the great race--held every 5 years--will soon be run. Befriended by a local orphan youth named Raj, Alec's party is abandoned to their fate in the desert, then rescued by a young but suspicious chieftain. How can Alex reach the elusive Sheik and convince him to sell
or gift him the magnificent Black? What will it take to end the bitter feud between rival sheiks? How can an American boy acquire the desert skills necessary to survive and win respect in a hostile environment? This sequel is every bit as exciting as the first book in the series, with hope for future stories, as it explores the wonderful and unique bond between boy and horse.

Wow. Publishers Weekly didnt like this book? I love it. There isnt one sentence in it that isnt funny. It's a good book to have if you're on a long car trip and need something to keep people entertained.

This one was another "Busted-Gut/Soggy-Pants" one for me! Man! I really loved the Chapters on Europe & Going To Disney World (his map of Florida is hilarious) and his idea for "Dave World". He has a good point that the most popular Amusement Park rides are the crazy ones that make you puke ('The popularity of a ride is directly proportional to how horrible it is. There's hardly every a line for a nice relaxing ride like a Merry-Go-Round. But there's a huge crowd...consisting of mostly teenagers...waiting to go on something with a name like "The Dicer", where they basically strap you in a giant food-processor, turn it on and phone the paramedics'- DAVE BARRY). His messing with non-English phrases is loads of fun (and Canada's English-French system get a great 'Dave Barry Treatment' as well, not that I have anything against Canadians). Well, if you need some serious laffs whilst stuffed like a sardine on Flight 321 to Bangkok, Dave's your man!

Irreverent, "inaccurate" look at travel in the US and abroad. If you've ever traveled by car, flown in an airplane, visited foreign countries, camped with friends or family, you will find this book hilarious. Barry has a keen insight into the traps and pitfalls of modern-day travel and expresses it in an outrageously funny manner.

Dave Barry *is* the Funniest Man in America, and here's the proof!

Many in America are familiar with Dave Barry. I don't know anyone in Ireland or the UK who's ever heard of him. i have introduced my mother to him. She is a writer and appreciates good humour. I think she wasn't expecting him to be quite so funny though. When I said he is hillarious, I was not over reacting. I was pleasantly surprised to see her nearly fall over in histerics. Humour is good for the soul. Dave Barry is good for the soul. This book covers travel across all of the states, many European countries, Scandanavia, some parts of Asia. For his own reasons, Dave has catalogued some countries together... either his summary of one was so similar to many others, or he was so unimpressed he was lost for words! Either way, you'll enjoy this. How could you not?!

DOI is a hilarious odyssey into the twisted, troubled mind of Patrick "Bad News" Hughes. Some of the situations he describes would make me want to live underground and eat canned food for years until it all blew over. But not Pat. He wears it on his sleeve in this no-holds-barred autobiography.

Organized into a multitude of short stories, this is some great light reading. Pick it up now (or Patrick will invite himself into your life and screw it all up for you!).

Patrick Hughes' stories, told by anyone else, would make the average reader wince or vomit, or both. There's more wall-to-wall depravity here than in the average Bukowski story. And you will laugh until you cry. His Ren Faire photo essay alone made me laugh until I thought I'd injured myself.

At the same time, Hughes has a sharp eye for detail and reserves of compassion and decency that you generally don't expect to find in what's basically a book of drinking stories gone horribly awry. He's a talented and thoughtful writer whose subject matter just happens to be growing up poor, dumb, and horny in the American South.

If you read a funnier book this year, I want to know about it.

DIARY OF INDIGNITIES first came to light on the blog Bad News Hughes, documenting indignities generated by the author's life and talent for personal failure. Anticipate a good deal of foul language and a whole lot of laughter: while the former might put off a conservative library holding, any collection strong in humor needs DIARY OF INDIGNITIES. From strange relatives who show up at a wedding to the ironies of hippies and nature, it's a winner.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A funny thing happened while I was reading "Diary of Indignities". My husband said to me "you're not laughing out loud as much as I had expected" and at first it was dissettling. I should have been seized with hilarity... but then I realized why. My ear-to-ear grin wasn't just from reading the absurdities of fried turds or being relentlessly arm-molested by a retard. I was smiling because it felt like coming home. In some other galaxy or perhaps Seinfeld bizzarro universe, you and I were part of the same gang, my friend. I was that girl. The one on the periphery of the group, the brazen get-away driver, the alibi-creator, the conscious one who would drive you home at 5am. Even when you lived 8 hours away. The one who paid for your stitches and lied to the cops for you. In so many ways, I was right there with you. Dick House? I know that place! Some family bought it and is raising their kid there! Hope they know how radioactive it is. The squatter house? We had a corporate development with no security. Minnesota Wristwatch? I actually saw a guy do the "rodeo" stunt at a frat party.

It made me smile and fondly reminisce. Probably the best part of these indignant stories is that it gave a little... how to phrase it? Validation? to all all of the craziness of my past. The mental scars of a jack-off party and peeing on a trampoline. For once, it felt like finally someone else knew, understood. It freaks me out sometimes being Ms. Corporate America and my co-workers having NO IDEA. And knowing that not only could they not understand, but that their minds would melt with the knowing. Like all "regular" people who didn't spend their formative years hanging around inside freshly dug graves.

So THANK YOU, Patrick Hughes. By sharing your indignities, you made me feel a little better. And not because I'm any better off than you. But because at least I don't have an anal fissure.

xoxo

Mia

This may well be the funniest book ever written. There were times I had to put it down because tears of mirth were streaming from my eyes and I was afraid I'd have trouble seeing clearly enough to land the 747 I was flying. Even thinking about some of the wickedly twisted episodes Hughes describes is enough to give me the giggles. Thanks to Hughes, my family thinks I'm on nitrous oxide again and they're arranging an intervention. But I don't care! This book is so funny that I don't care about anything anymore except reading it and talking about it and urging other people to read it. Oops, gotta go. The flight attendant just told me the oxygen masks are all dropping and the passengers are screaming. If it's not one damn thing it's another.

If you want to explore ways of colouring clay, mixing,streaking, blending for surface effect. This book is a great start for ceramists and clay artists as the contents illustrates some patterns they can easily be applied to clay material.

I just want to add my praise for this book. I have tried many of the recipes and they work very well. The recipes are written in a step-by-step format -- very easy to follow. This book is far superior to others I have looked at. Highly recommended.

I totally agree with Babette> this book was purchased mostly because of her revieuw and she has not said a word too many
If I would have to pick only one book on working with PMC this would be it!

Very Easy to Follow Directions for Making Faux Stones!!! Why Pay Big Bucks to use Turquoise, Tiger Eye, Marble, etc., in your Jewelry Making when you can make it?

I was hopeful that this book would have some interesting new techniques for faux work. It does have techniques but they're sometimes scanty on the instructions and the projects tend to take up more space than the techniques themselves.

I find it odd that amber is mentioned early in the book and shown in the gallery but there's no instructions for making it.

I'm a huge fan of Sue Heaser and I think I'll stick with her books going forward.

All of Gerald Durell's writings are terrific, but the ones about his family are truly laugh-out-loud wonderful! This is a book I have enjoyed over and over, and have given as a gift many times.

Ever wonder what kind of person takes such an interest in every form of flora or fauna there is? One who is hyperobservant, apparently. And when Gerald Durrell turns that eye on the eccentric characters in his family and around him on the island of Corfu, you'll absolutely love reading his words.

This book is very funny and enjoyable. It tells of the author's years as a boy spent on the Greek island Corfu. I love the stories of his adventures raising and studying the wildlife on the island. It is also funny because he recounts tales of his strange family. At some parts I found myself laughing out loud. You should read this book along with Birds, Beasts, and Other Relatives.

This book, ironically, was on one of those horrible "summer reading" lists so many of us are forced to do in high school. It's the only one I was ever forced to read that I truly, genuinely loved. I laughed out loud literally every two or three pages, and though I have no natural interest in animals (especially insects), Durell makes his descriptions of the nature on Corfu as gripping and as touching as his descriptions of his family.

It's been ten years since I first read this book, and when I get together with my old friends, we STILL argue about our favorite scenes, the best character, the most troublesome pet. This is a book you won't be able to put down the first time you read it, and will want to re-read the moment you finish it.

Not many adults ever reminisce about their childhood dreams. Those who do, generally label these as wishful thinking and sigh them away. Rarer are those who live lives of fulfilled dreams. Gerald Durrell, an eminent author, naturalist and expeditionist, was one of those uncommon individuals whose life's entirety was one long childhood dream come true. "My Family & Other Animals" is his most famous work, and is the first of his Corfu Trilogy.

The kid Gerald Durrell, or Gerry, was eight years old when his family moved from England to the Greek island of Corfu. Through the eyes of the young, fauna-loving and ever-inquisitive Gerry, Corfu seems to be the strangest place on Earth, and all humans, whether inhabitants of Corfu or not, appear to be strange people. The book describes Gerry's meticulous observations and detailed experiences in Corfu amongst dogs, cats, toads, snakes, scorpions, owls, magpies, gulls and other creatures he keeps as pets in his house, and his family members who are bemused as well as troubled by Gerry's love for these animals and insects. Young Gerry's mother and siblings stay engrossed in their own worlds, leaving Gerry alone to spend his days as he wishes, free from burdens such as going to school and being nagged by elders. Thus begins Gerry's exploration of Corfu, starting with the garden in his villa, and eventually his domain of knowledge crosses over to the neighboring islands.

The book will make you roar with laughter right from the preface itself. Descriptions of animals are unconventionally funny. Humans also are not spared. Imagine an entire family changing residence from one villa to another, just because one of them foolishly invited his friends so many that they would not fit in the current villa. After animals and humans, the third elaborately portrayed element is nature. Detailed descriptions of fig trees and setting suns create a Wordsworthian aura. Once Gerry sets on describing some of these, he can be drawn back only by some exquisitely crafted squirrel or a raucously howling dog.

The best way to savor the book is to read it over several sittings, by allowing the excessive laughter to brighten many a dull day. An enlightening perspective of the work can be seen through Gerry's eyes. Animals, unlike humans, know exactly what they want. They are easier to please and easier to be understood. Most importantly, animals are easily befriended and are almost always loyal. When the book ends, it feels as if an intimate and jocular friend has left you forever.

"My Family & Other Animals" is a beautiful comedy, and is highly recommendable for reading by people of all ages.

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