Humor Books

Mr.Dunford, wherever you are, Loved the audio version of Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture (back in 2001 I think). Will pounce on your next UNabridged novel with glee!

This delicious murder mystery will have you anxious to stay up late and finish it. Set in Toronto, Canada, the story follows Mitchell Draper, the fame-chasing, gay screenwriter and the antics of his friends Ingrid and Ramir. It's like reading a book written by your best friend. Read the next one too...Making a Killing. We can only hope for more from this witty and original novelist.

Early on in the book, the author describes a character as "nondescript" and I thought "oh, no. This will be bad." but no! This book is tremendously well-written. I think I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to gay humor fiction, so it's great to find something to recommend whole-heartedly. Similar to Misadventures in the 213, Soon to Be.. has a little triumvirate of lovable characters (though Mitchell's friend Ramir can be less than lovable) that are drawn very well. Even minor characters such as the unnerving and condescending Kitina is spot on and Dunford's Carmen Denver strikes me as a Hollywood tyrant completely encapsulated.

The reader will probably figure out what's really going on before Mitchell does, but that's okay because there are still a few surprises. Mitchell's other friend Ingrid is very lovable and shy. The reader really roots for her triumph in the Toronto artworld and her subsequent stresses caused by her fame are very touching and affecting.

People who liked this book would also enjoy the aforementioned Misadventures in the 213 and Christian McLaughlin's book. I can't wait to read the next Warren Dunford.

Okay, so call me paranoid, but I'm convinced Warren Dunford has been spying on me. The characters are so real, and so much like myself and people I know, that I swear I've met them all before. Our Ingrid is a boy, however, and our Ramir is a girl, but otherwise, same angst. The scene with Mitch's parents is eerie.
Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture is the most entertaining, compulsively page-turning, addictive book I've read in years. I haven't laughed out loud on the subway this hard since Douglas Adams. I started reading Making A Killing immediately after finishing this one, and already it's proved to be just as witty, just as engrossing and just as real as the first one.
I enjoyed the screenplay format portions immensely. I hope the hint is taken in Hollywood North and this book is made into a film, because I MUST see it!

The adventures of Mitchell Draper are the amusing and poignant tale of every aspiring writer. Warren Dunford's first person narrative style is so fresh and intimate, you feel as though you are included among his equally neurotic and very likeable friends.

Spotting the Toronto references was great fun - Oh, I've been there! - and a nice change from the ubiquitous America city usually found as the setting for novels.

Warren Dunford has provided a wonderfully diverting way to spend an afternoon and many, many opportunities to laugh out loud.

With any luck at all, "Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture" soon will be. I look forward to it!

I could not put this book down. Finnamore brings the utter angst, grief and full gamut of emotions one experiences when getting divorced in this wonderful memoir. I look forward to reading her novels and wish her the best.

incredibly spot on in terms of the emotional rollercoaster of an unwanted divorce, I cracked up on the "obligatory trip across the ocean" and many other escapades. I managed to skip the sex with the ex but otherwise it was a perfect mirror. Read it and laugh!

Shame on you Suzanne Finnamore, in your first to memoirs you didn't share with your faithful readers the huge red flags that were waving in your face about your husband "N". Thus, some of us justifiably felt a little cheated ourselves when we found out about these omens after the fact in your latest memoir of divorce, "Split". That aside, you did a superb job describing the horrors and heartbreak of betrayal. You made us laugh and cry and feel joyful at your survival.

But now...enough about you, okay? You are such a terrific writer, I can imagine that your fiction would be sensational! Funny, pithy, insightful, deep...how about a whole story based on characters modeled after Betty Lady and Christopher? Make something up...enough real life already.

One Friday evening, Suzanne Finnamore's life splits wide open. She stands in her kitchen in black cigarette pants, checking her lipstick and anticipating the weekend when her husband strolls in the door, gives her a kiss, grabs a martini, and, very soon, delivers the life-rending blow.

He states it simply and explicitly, "I. Want. A. Divorce." After telling his devastated spouse that he deserves happiness, he packs, puts on his best blazer and is out the door.

What about her? Both the reader and the soon-to-be-former wife wonder.

Split is painful and enlightening to read as Finnamore recounts her despair and eventual recovery. (She assures us in the preface that both she and her son are well and happy, so I'm not giving anything away.) What is delightful and riveting about the book is that Finnamore is a fine writer with a quick and insightful sense of humor. What could be bleak and discouraging turns out to be quite the opposite.

The heroine (and she is one) may lose N, as she designates him, but she gains insight from her more-than-delightful mother, Bunny. The morning after the leave-taking, Bunny shows up with a fifth of Jack Daniels and a half-gallon of butter pecan ice cream. Now there's a mom! Bunny isn't the only one to stick by Finnamore. Her friend Lisa is always there for her and never, ever, there for N. Lisa is wise. She knows just when to reveal some difficult truths and when to offer moral support.

Some people say that divorce is harder than widowhood because the jerk keeps showing up. Both are the loss of a relationship; mourning must be done. Finnamore casts her successful journey to recovery in terms of the classic model of loss, moving forward across the stages from denial through anger, bargaining, and grief until finally arriving at acceptance. And she does it with good nature and understanding.

Consider, for example, a few of her entries: "Ten Simple Yet Elegant Tips for Divorce;" "Change the locks;" and "When confronted with a practical question regarding fairness to your ex, err on the side of lifetime vendetta." Clearly, these are from the "Acceptance" stage.

While anyone who has been part of an ending relationship, whether through divorce or otherwise, will appreciate Split. The audience is not that limited. All readers who enjoy a skillfully written memoir will relish this book and be looking for more Finnamore to delight in.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I am in the midst of an unwanted divorce. Suzanne absolutely nails the feelings of those of us left behind in the dust of our husband's quest for eternal youth and "happiness" - their happiness, not ours and our children's. If you want a glimpse inside the emotional trainwreck that is divorce, but with humor and style, read this book. It may help you wade through your own divorce or help you understand women in your life who have been betrayed by their spouse. It is a quick read - I read it in two hours without stopping.

Horror, of horrors, it looks like Gussie Fink-Nottle may have finally broken off with Madeline Bassett and there is little or nothing that even Jeeves can do about it. Diets, steak and kidney pie, mute lutes. Add Spode who will take anybody who makes Madeline cry and tie them into a painful knot and you have the makings of a tragic ending for poor, poor Bertie. Or do you? Either way, there is tons of fun from the first page to the last and lots of twisted plot lines, weird happenings, and buckets of hard drinking.

This was the first Bertie and Jeeves' book I'd ever read. If you're interested in British humour, exquisite-snobbish language and witty puns, or in bizarre but classy situations, this is just the book for you. Wodehouse possessed this wonderful characteristic of balancing an unfortunate situation with a good dose of modest humour. The title says it all! Thoroughly recommendable.

What could the Nobel Prize for literature signify if PG Wodehouse not only didn't win one, but never made the short-list? Good grief. What other writer living or dead, in Nobel's own words, "help[s] dreamers, as they find it hard to get on in life."

Take STIFF UPPER LIP, JEEVES, for example. If you want to read a book that'll grab you by your lapels and hoist you out this mundane, dynamite-scarred world, try this one.

Crisp dialogue, intricate plotting, witty wordplay, amusing situations, and distinct characters make this book satisfying to read repeatedly. In fact, it is astonishing that STIFF UPPER LIP, JEEVES and many other Wodehouse creations seem just as fresh the second, third, and even seventh time around.

I would liken reading this book to drinking one of Jeeves's famous pick-me-ups "and their effect on a fellow who is hanging to life by a thread on the morning after." Wodehouse writes: "For perhaps the split part of a second nothing happens. It is as though all Nature waited breathless. Then, suddenly, it is as if the Last Trump had sounded and Judgment Day set in..."

If heaven's half as delightful as reading PG Wodehouse, (should I get there) I'll be in paradise.

Just as we believe some actors were born to play a certain role or a singer was born to sing a specific song, I'm convinced Jonathan Cecil was born to read P. G. Wodehouse. The British accented Cecil voice delightfully inhabits the personas of Jeeves, Bertie Wooster and sundry other characters with charm, humor, and distinction.

My first introduction to the talents of Cecil was with his stunning reading of "Jeeves and the Mating Season." Since that time no other voice will do for the born to the purple Bertie and his long suffering butler.

P.G. Wodehouse is quite another story. Obviously, one of the greatest humorists to ever take up pen his tongue-in-cheek take on the British upper classes is pure laugh provoking perfection. With "Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves" we find Bertie returning to Totleigh Towers, a place he had hoped never to see again as it is the domain of Sir Watkyn Bassett, who lined his pockets with fines he collected. Bassett's daughter, Madeline is always on the prowl and Bertie wants no part of her.

Fortunately, Madeline has fallen for and captured another - Gussie, a friend of Bertie's. Now, Madeline is not only a huntress but she is also passionate about changing her quarry to suit her own tastes. In this case, the word "taste" may be taken literally as she wants to change the meat loving Gussie into a vegetarian, which is where most of the trouble begins. Bertie, as usual, finds himself embroiled in this sticky situation.

Alas, once again it's left up to Jeeves to come to Bertie's aid.

Wodehouse has been dubbed a "comic genius;" Cecil is his full partner in this splendid reading. Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

This unabridged audio version of "Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves" was wonderfully read by Cecil. This is not my typically genre of book and I was pleasantly impressed and surprised by this book. I have not read the prior books in this series and had no problems following along so the priors are not a necessity. In a nutshell, this book is about a dim-witted Bertie and his attempt to keep from inadvertently becoming engaged to a sappy Madeline. The dry, British humor of this story is excellently portrayed by Cecil and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a refreshing change of pace!

Jennifer Lancaster, once again, brings the type of humor to her work that most all of us wish we had the nerve to say in conversation. She's a great author and I found the book inspiring. Focusing on "strongs" versus every single morsel of evil food I put in my mouth is the exact type of message that needs to be sent. Being a size zero is still no fun if you can't walk up two flights of stairs without getting winded (Yes, I know people like that).

I laughed the entire time I was reading the book. Actually, I laughed reading all 3 books. Jen has a talent for telling a story and I can't wait for the next book. In the meantime, I'll keep re-reading the 3 I have.

For those of us of a certain age and of a certain, well, "body shape", this book is a hilariously relatable account of that weight loss journey we've been on so many times. Jen Lancaster proves to everyone that even as the governor of Jennsylvania, she is "gasp" not perfect and to her credit steps up to do what needed to be done, making me laugh all of the way down to my elliptical machine to get in a cardio session.
My only complaint is that the book was so good I finished it in one day and now have to wait patiently (ha) until her next adventure is published.

It is so cool to read as Jen's life transforms from negative land to a positive I can do it girl! A must read for anyone who has been on a diet.

Such a Pretty Fat is Jen Lancaster's third memoir. In it, Lancaster takes on weight loss--through eating right and exercising. At first, it seems like your typical weight loss memoir, except for the fact that its Jen Lancaster writing it, with her trademark good humor and see-the-forest-through-the-trees approach to her subject matter. Jen's not an expert, but she definitely knows how to entertain, which is why I keep coming back to her work time and time again.

What I love about Lancaster's work is that she knows when to laugh at herself, and at others' foolishness, without going over the top. For example, there's brilliant scene in Such a Pretty Fat where she goes to Jenny Craig and then Weight Watchers, where the meeting participants discuss of the evils of food in the work place. Birthday cake is always, always mentioned, and Jen harps on that theme mercilessly.

In all, I thought the authors' message was a positive one for people struggling with their weight (though I'm not one of them). The message that some weight loss programs endorse is that food is evil; but Lancaster challenges that theory outright, saying that food is not, in fact, the enemy; food is in fact good for you if you eat right. Jen's weight loss resulted as a result of wanting to feel and look good, not because of outside pressures, which I also thought was an important message.

There was a smile on my face the entire time I was reading. I do not know what I enjoyed more, the authors detailed chronicle of the profound love for his childhood vacation spot or for his family. I can not wait until there are enough memories saved up for part two!

Laugh out loud funny! You will absolutely enjoy this book. A must read and so well written! It also warms the heart with the stories of family and brings back your own memories of family vacations past.

I really enjoyed reading the book. I feel anyone that has any family ties at all can relate to this book. I often found myself laughing out loud.

Such a great book! Very humorous and highly entertaining! I would definitely recommend it!

This is a great book. It makes you feel like you were there yourself. After starting the book, it's really hard to stop. It's like youre on your own vacation without going anywhere. Super book!!!!!

As a die-hard Baby Blues fan (...), I would definetly recommened this book. It has some of the earlier comics, and even includes lyrics to some original songs! A must-read!

The book is worth the price for so many reasons. It is uncomfortably true, and hits you funny bone. To see the first anatomically correct baby is worth the price. It reminds me of Mort Walker's belly button story. I recommend you spend the money for a brief tour in the land of new parents. You can always wake up screaming later.

I am not sure how we could laugh at this book. What we are able to laugh at now is going to be real and not so funny next month when our first child arrives. This book (and the strip in general) touches on so many truths and makes us able to enjoy them, almost cherish them. This book also has practical applications. While learning about various things in our child birth prep class, we related experiences to those found in The Super-Absorbent Biodegradable Family-Sized Baby Blues Treasury. So funny and even heartwarming, we are buying it for everyone we know who is expecting.

This collection rocks -- its right on par with the Calvin and Hobbes big book collections. It's worth the extra cash for the color comics and the extra content. Half-way through the songs included and you'll be laughing on the floor.

A must read for new parents, old parents and anyone with young kids. Here's to hoping Kirkman and Scott put out a few more big book volumes!

I have all volumes of the book with Zoe and Hammie. Would the authors developed more stories as Zoe turns 4 and Hammie turns 2 where the real sibling irritation begins as Hammie can walk and talk and behave like Zoe when she was little. Thanks.

Los chistes, blancos y puros, son ingeniosos......escuchar sus sonrisas por toda la casa es muy bello!

Si les regalas este libro, tu mismo te reiras al escuchar sus risas y podras compartir con ellos este divertido libro!

HUNDIRNOS EN EL DRAMA Y LA TRAGEDIA PERSONAL...ES EL SENTIDO DEL HUMOR!
Algunas personas lo traen integrado, y son muy felices porque tienen la capacidad para reírse de si mismos...
Pero la mayoría, lo aprendemos...y a veces, a golpes. Otros, ni siqiuiera lo aprenden.

Dale a tus hijos los primeros cimientos para que desarrollen su sentido del humor con un libro como este... Y ENSÉÑALOS A REÍR !

estan aprendiendo español con este libro !
¡que metodo tan exitoso... cono tal de entenderle al chiste, SE APURAN MUCHÍSIMO Y HAN APRENDIDO HASTA MAS QUE EN LA ESCUELA !
Y los chistes son super ingeniosos y blancos

ESCRIBIÓ ESTE PRECIOSO LIBRO...CONOCE Y AMA A LOS NIÑOS !
Los chistes, blancos y puros, son ingeniosos, haces de cuenta como que les hacen cosquillas a tus nenes...Y es un placer inigualable escuchar sus carcajadas por toda la casa !
Si les regalas este libro, tu mismo te reiras al escuchar sus risas !
GENIAL !

MOTIVATION FOR YOUR CHILD TO LEARN SPANISH

This book was a hoot! It was truly disgusting, and I loved every minute of it. Hilarious. At times you may feel a little sick, but you'll get over it. Highly recommended.

This is one of those conversation starter books. A great book to add to the toilet library. I read this in a day (on the couch not in the powder room) and it was great!!! Very funny and kind of gross when you consider the truth behind it!

i recently just saw this title and was intreged by it.

It is a short book, you can read it in a few hours, but it certainly stands up to its name.

The topics are strange, yet, somehow they hit upon the questions that we all have about those strange and gross things that are out there.

Certainly a conversation starter!!

This book is a must have for those of you with a cast iron stomach.
There are topics covered here that will, I'm sure, gross out and
repel some folks. I happened to love everyone of them. This book
is a treasure to have.

In case you haven't figured it out yet: This book is not for the squeamish.

Purely disgusting, rude, crude, and lewd--guaranteed to make you squirm. I didn't think it would be able to disgust me, but I was PLEASANTLY surprised.

This book is a real GOLD mine--a treasury of TRUE facts that are too hideously revolting to be fictional--beautifully organized into many chapters.

Presented humorously--but not for little kids; about 1/2 of the facts have something to do with something sexual.

This is so great! I love that it stands up on it's own, that way I can turn it to reflect my thoughts of the day! Women, you need this! It will make you laugh and it always makes me feel stronger just to look at it!

A DEFINITE MUST HAVE! How can you not laugh at this book?! (One MUST HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!) I read it when I'm not feeling so "hot". It doesn't matter how many times I've read it, I am always LMAOROTF! "I am only as strong as the coffee I drink and the hairspray I use!" Buy it, you will be glad you did!

Cousin sent this to me for xmas- Immediately passed it to my daughters' stocking from me (just way too perfect for her attitude at 25)She's been looking for xtras to send to her buddies-- I just emailed her the page from Amazon. Really funny stuff. The whole family from Dad to the 6 yr. old (who didn't really know why he was laughing but had to join in cause everyone else was roaring)cracked up reading them aloud at the table. Way too many familiar thoughts that applied to our womenfolk & their buddies. Recommend Highly as a fun treat for all Women of Attitude.

Very funny photos and sayings. I bought "You Say I'm a bitch like It's a Bad Thing. I then saw this and ordered it too. They both have vintage photos and very funny sayings with them. Each book has different pictures and verses. Both a must have. Great for a girlfriend gift.

Irreverent and hilarious! A must have for the female with a quirky sense of humor! Things like "I have no idea what I'm doing out of bed" warn your fellow co-workers what mood you're in on a certain morning! Not all of the "sayings" are for public consumption, but they are very funny. I also own the first booklet that they published called "You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing". It is just as funny and irreverent!
Highly recommended if you like this kind of humor!

Judy Gruen just wanted to lose fifteen pounds for a college reunion. In her journey she had to sidestep empty promises and quick fixes. Judy Gruen finally attempts Boot Camp training and when you see her picture on the back of the book, complete with flowered hat, you will know why this quite humorous.

In this book she deals with many of the questions we all ask about dieting. Does dieting actually work or is an entire lifestyle change in order?

How do you really lose weight and keep it off?
What is the chew less, move more diet?
How much water should you be drinking on a daily basis?
Can you handle gaining muscle mass/extra weight to look better?

I was pleased to read another author discussing the initial weight gain when you increase your muscle mass from exercising. This was a great hurdle for me at the start and you almost have to toss or hide your scale at the start.

If you have tried a number of diet solutions like the Apple Cider Vinegar diet, Weight Watchers or Atkins you will relate to Judy's diet frustrations. Fortunately she keeps her sense of humor and this book is her diary. Each entry explores something new she is trying and what does and doesn't work.

Some of the more hilarious (although somewhat dangerous in real-life) portions of the book include cooking experiments gone awry. I myself learned not to pour alcohol onto baked chicken in an oven and then shut the door. Because I will say this, an oven can explode in a most interesting way. Which brings me to this thought: "What was in the raspberry vinaigrette marinade?"

She tries Latin Dance, Yoga and Belly dancing. She tries Cardio-Kickboxing class, personal trainers, she tries going to chocoholic anonymous meetings. After fives months of "semi-dedicated dieting, energetic exercising and rigorous research," she makes ten conclusions and then the May 26th entry ends up being the icing on the cake of this rather humorous book.

I am only left wondering if she has discovered Leonidas Chocolates or read "Why Women Need Chocolate." Then, I can only imagine a journey she would take after reading The Metabolic Plan.

~The Rebecca Review

P.S. Exercise videos that work:

Seane Corn: Vinyasa Flow Yoga
Crunch Boot Camp Training
MTV Pilates Mix
MTV Yoga
Ultimate Bellydance fitness workout
15-minute Workout for Dummies (uses weights)
Carmen Electra's Fit to Strip (no stripping, but
a great workout - Disc 2 in her series)

This is a great book that most people who have tried to diet and exercise can relate to. I had a hard time putting it down because it is a great and funny read. I could relate to alot of the things she did. You won't be disappointed in this book.

I saw myself in allot of the different ways that Judy was tring to lose weight. I love her humor and I too love that chocolate. You must read this one!

I am not a big "humor" reader--but combine humor with the pitfalls of food and my interest was peaked. I'm so glad it was--this book had me in hysterics and reading outloud. Judy Gruen has a way with humor that is much like Erma Bombeck. You won't be able to resist this or put it down. Definitely check this one out.

Nothing is funnier than someone who can take real life and look at it through the lens of humor. Judy Gruen does this skillfully in her new book "Till We Eat Again: Confessions of a Diet Dropout". Judy touches a resonating chord in everyone who has ever tried to diet as you read through her diary style collection of secret thoughts, frustrations, and even occasional victories. Throughout the book you find Judy trying everything she can think of to try to drop fifteen pounds before her 20-year college reunion. Every kind of diet, every kind of exercise, anything else she can find as she works. Although her writing style is so crisp and quick-witted that anyone will find it humorous, it is really written from a woman's point of view and women are more likely to find it laugh-out-loud funny. To test my theory I handed the book to two different women and left the room. Sure enough it wasn't ten minutes before I heard snickering and the occasional laugh floating down the hallway. "Till We Eat Again" is a highly recommended book for anyone who has tried to lose weight and can relate to the hysterical things we do to ourselves in the name of losing a few pounds. Pick up a copy and have a great laugh.