Humor Books

If you can't love Harvey Pekar, you can't love anyone. He is a lovely man, with as many neuroses as the rest of us, who listens and watches and reports on the people and world around him. His kindness and caring for the people who populate his world - these are real stories with real people Harvey knows, including his family- is obvious and makes reading his work a delight. I found the Pekar books to be like peanuts - I kept wanting more and more and hate to finish one - unless I have another ready to read. Harvey's 'comics" are the first graphic novels I've spent time reading, and I am hooked. The drawings add immeasurably to the story - a format I would like to see developed further in the future.

This is the second American Splendor Anthology. It features material that was written after the first Anthology came out, plus some older stuff that was left out of the first book. If you like Harvey Pekar's stuff, you will love this book. For people who became interested in Harvey because of the movie based on his life, you will be interested to find the comics based on his David Letterman appearances here. Also, Toby and the "Revenge of the Nerds" story is featured here. For Harvey's hardcore fans, there are some rarities here, such as pre-American Splendor comics from the early '70s, and Harvey's Forwards to other people's books. Buy this book, Harvey can use the money.

This new collection of Harvey Pekar's quotidian American Splendor comic is not only an excellent introduction for those new to his work; it's also a great anthology for those of us who have read and loved him for years (especially since, toward the end of the volume, some of his very early stuff is collected).

Some of the most gemutliche, warmest pieces in the collection feature characters from Pekar's VA hospital days. Toby is present several times, but my personal favorite of all the VA panels is "Walkin' an' Talkin," where in just two pages Pekar captures the warmth, humor, and generosity of his co-workers. Three stories beautifully speak to Pekar's paranoia and his obsessive-compulsiveness: "Hysteria," "Lost and Found" (a story which introduced me to the novelist Italo Svevo, whom I've since come to really love), and "Time Flies...Time Drags." Three more stories speak to Pekar's painful history with David Letterman, including a documentary on his final appearance on the Letterman Show in which he tried to let the world know that GE, ABC's owner, engaged in morally dubious practices. (If you get the chance to watch any of the Letterman/Pekar exchanges, it's a real experience. Letterman comes across as such a smarmy yuppie, who really seems to delight in trying to humiliate Pekar.)

Also included in the volume is one of the delightful oral histories of Cleveland's Jewish life in the early twentieth century, illustrated by R. Crumb, and three single page stories illustrated in Drew Friedman's wonderful faux-photographic style.

But there are also a couple of disconcerting stories: "Broken Window" and "Festering." Both of them suggest that Harvey was attacked on at least a couple of occasions by an out-of-control father. Could this be true? Just a couple of years ago in a radio interview, Harvey described his father in quite different terms.

A great collection from a guy who walks an' talks the ordinary life.

Seinfeld, a show about nothing? Pbbbb. Never thought it was that special. Heard about this guy named Harvey Pekar who writes comics about well, nothing. Not nothing really but ordinary, mundane everyday things. Saw the movie, liked it, picked up the Anthology at the library. Hooked. Want more. More. The first friggin' page had me hooked, the old fella telling Harvey about the rag peddlers cry. 'PAAAY-PER REGGS'. The thing is I don't think Harvey needs every dollar now. Between the movie and his work being reissued and the new found interest in him and his comics, he's probably laughing, or brooding, all the way to the bank. Good for you Harvey Pekar!

This is another great collection of Harvey Pekar's AMERICAN SPLENDOR "comics". These are some of his later ones, from the mid 1980's up until 1991. They include his stories on his Letterman appearances.

If you've read the movie tie-in collection and have become a Harvey Pekar fan, this is the best collection to pick up next.

I find it hard to consider this a collection of bedtime stories, because it kept me awake long into the night. I couldn't close the covers after just one or five -- I had to keep going. I'm no Norse scholar; I just like a really well-told yarn. I think I may have accidentally learned something of Norse mythology while I was giggling, siickering, chuckling, and just plain guffawing my way through Uncle Einar's hilarious tales.

A wickedly witty send-up of the Eddas -- and all the other Viking myths, too. Serious historians won't know whether to have apoplexy or choke themselves in the effort not to giggle. The rest of us can just sit back, read, and laugh our sea-boots off. And the illustrations are apt to both content and tone of the stories.

This is a wonderfully funny book. Anyone interested in Norse mythology from the beginner to the serious student should have this book. It is described as a childrens book for adults. Between the witty stories and the humourous drawings, this book is a must have.

Norse Mythology...According to Uncle Einar is the best retelling of any mythology I have ever read. Instead of a stuffy, boring book you open the pages of an incredible romp through the Norse Pantheon.

Who ever expected to see the Norse gods portrayed as life in a small Tennesee town, complete with bikers, people from the wrong side of the tracks and disfunctional families!

Think of it as Lil Abner goes a-viking ;-)

Definitely one for the permanent collection!

Jane Sibley takes the Norse Myths and "updates" them in a way that is side-splittingly funny. Framed as a set of 17 bedtime stories, these tales revolve around the Valhalla Sports Bar and Grill (which has a coin-operated bucking bronco on the porch) in Asgard (an old-money Vanir suburb recently invaded by arriviste Aesir). The cast includes Thor (a biker), Heimdall (the local FBI/BATF/DEA agent), Tyr (who runs the VFW), and various gods, redneck Jotuns, and other dubious creatures. Sibley has a wonderful wry wit, and shows her vast knowledge of the subject as she lovingly skewers it. The storytelling is as good as Tom Holt or Terry Pratchett at their best. There is an allusion to a followup volume; I only hope it's true...

After teaching English for several years, Judy Muller worked her way from small-town radio up to network television.

Her short, readable memoir is by turns poignant, moving, and hysterically funny. The copy that I checked out of the library had many dog-eared pages and I quickly grew to expect laughter -- that is, to hear myself laughing out loud -- when I reached one of these frequent waystations.

I knew that Judy Muller teaches a graduate course in broadcast journalism and I checked this book out of the library because I thought it might provide some good insights into the specifics of delivering the news. Beyond learning that radio reporters actually write their stories (but many TV reporters don't), which for some reason I found surprising -- you mean they don't just wing it? -- I learned very little about the mechanics of broadcast reporting, yet "Now This" is so accessible, and so funny, that I read the whole book anyway.

The editorial reviewers (above) have pretty much covered the topic areas of the book, so let me mention something other reviewers have not emphasized.

In anecdote after knee-slapping anecdote, Muller really captures a prevailing disjunction, a gap between the way the Big Media Powers that Be (back in New York) see the world, and the way the rest of us see it out here on the other side of William Penn's woods.

Judy Muller must have zillions of these stories under her belt by now, and now that she's gotten her memoir out of the way, it would be great to sit back and enjoy hearing her recount some episodes from her travels through small-town USA.

I look forward to a sequel, especially if it as as funny as the original ... Now This!

Judy Muller's unique combination of sharp wit, keen perception, brutal honesty, and personal courage gives us a glimpse into radio and TV journalism we can't get from just listening or watching. The book is a triumph, fleshing out the real people behind the talking heads. Her frank description of personal alcoholism is heart-wrenching, and her tale of the prices paid, and the gains made, in her profession should be required reading for anyone seriously considering a career in journalism. A fine read on several levels. Thanks for sharing, Judy!

This is easily one of the best written, most thoroughly delightful books I've read in many years. If you are a parent you will love it! If you're interested in radio you'll love it! If you're interested in TV you'll love it! One of the few books I've read in recent years where I truly hated to see the last few pages coming up.

Now, this is why Judy Muller is one of the very best correspondants on television--she's obviously a superb storyteller on the air, and when she's got some real time, boy can she ever write 'em down. Ms. Muller says up-front in her book that she comes from a whole family of storytellers. The lady's got great genes.

Judy Muller's wonderful book is a treat for anyone interested in an inside look at the whacky world of television news. Ms. Muller has a terrific sense of humor which keeps the reader doubled over throughout. I read the book cover-to-cover in one sitting, then gave it to a friend who also found it impossible to put down. We both had a good laugh together afterward comparing notes on our favorite stories from the book.

Ms. Muller also infuses her book with fascinating tales from her vantage point on history and poignant moments about dealing with life's problems. Her story is told honestly and from the heart. This is easily the best book by a television newswoman since Linda Ellerbee's "And So it Goes."

Very interesting facts that actually help you to be a winner with this game!

I had to read through this book a few times, as it is quite complicated - I never really knew there was so much to RPS. I always assumed rock beats everything, but after my second or third reading I started to understand the intricacies of the game. I now choose paper everytime, and my winning rate has increased almost 1%

I bought this as a gift for my wife. Whenever it's time to clean the cat boxes or change a dirty diaper or do anything else unpleasant, She always wants to RPS for it. Now, we at least play by the rules and the decision is made fairly.

You think Rock Paper Scissors is a game of chance? think again! This book offersgood information on the game, its history, strategies, and much more.

this guide has really helped my game!

The accompaniments are easy to play, and the music is so much fun to sing. definately reccomended if you're auditioning for the show, or just need a fun piece to perform.

I am in this play at a Performing Arts Group that I am in, and I think that this is one of the most hillarious plays I have ever done. This book is hightly recommened.

When I purchased the vocal selections for this show I received exactly what I expected. The songs were not difficult to play at all, yet it had almost every song from the show. If trying out for the show or just want some simple music to play...this is the book to buy.

I was the pianist for my high school's performance of this musical, and when I heard the music (the 1997 CD), I fell in love immediately. As the rehearsal pianist, I played through this book three hours a day for two months, but the original appeal has not faded! In fact, since I have to return the book (it's a rental), I plan on purchasing it as soon as the show's over.

We all know the story of the Princess and the Pea, right? Well, this musical and its music book give it some well needed humor! Origianlly starring Carol Burnett, MATTRESS went on to make 2 TV movies and eventually star Ms. Sarah Jessica Parker, a now Emmy award winning actress. MATTRESS entered my life 12 months ago, and it is still here! For me, MATTRESS seems to have started my acting career. Buy this book if you need to learn songs for a role, or if you just want to add it to your Broadway collection!

I love him. It's hardly a 'comedy' album -- it's just life, which is intrinsically funny if it's done honestly. Note that Rick Reynolds now has a website (google for "church of rick"), and he's selling DVD's of his two shows for much cheaper than the used CD prices.

I was introduced to Rick Reynold's via his Showtime special in the 90's and have loved him ever since. Gah-gah over Rick much? I am. I've begged Showtime to play his show again, to sell it on DVD, just make it available! Please. So even if this is just audio and a little pricey, it's worth having in your library.

Listening to Rick Reynold's unique brand of comedy, I'm always reminded of Peter O'Toole's character in the Earl of Gurney in The Ruling Class. (Wait for it.) He rode around the bedroom on a tricycle believing he was Jesus Christ (which may, BTW, be where the saying 'Jesus Christ on a trike'came from...but I digress) as his bride begged him to show some dignity. The Earl answers, "Dignity has nothing to do with divinity!"

That's Rick Reynolds. Not the guy on the trike, but definitely a divine being who thumbs his nose at traditional standards of dignity. He points out the flaws in both of those D words and somehow manages to gain your respect, even if you might be a bit offended. He puts all his bumps, cuts, bruises and warts right out there for you, wrapped in his most excellent intelligence and sense of humor to prove that yes, only the truth is funny. Reynolds mocks the worst of human behavior and melts the heart with his appreciation of the frailty and goodness he sees beneath it all. He questions and studies everything and doesn't leave you wondering about his analysis of life. Reynolds is wonderfully and hilariously irreverent and thankfully unapologetic for it. His brave, unabashed approach to holding up the microscope and the mirror is still as fresh and vivid as ever. Rick Reynolds is truly divine and the only comic I've ever had the great pleasure of being obsessed with. :sigh: If you're not obsessed yet, you are missing out!

You're right, makada, Rick Reynolds is an excellent performer whose work was both intensely meaningful and hilarious. Few shows I've seen use personal autobiography, pathos and humor together to such startling and dramatic effect.

I too was turned on to Reynolds 15 years ago when his 90-minute TV special came out, a magnificent program. I have the whole show on videocasette and through the years have shared it with old friends and new friends time and time again, because it's that orginal and that entertaining. It's truly unlike any comedy performance you will see or hear today. And it's a shame the video of this performance is not generally available, and that Reynolds is not enjoying popularity right now on a wide scale. I hope he does regain the spotlight; this is truly comedy at its finest (and I, like Reynolds, try not to exaggerate!). Find this concert if you can, and enjoy.

Caught Reynold's show on Showtime several years ago ...
Have been trying to track it down ever since.
It was so compelling, sharp, funny, insightful, moving. Have begged SHOWTIME to re-release it, air it again, etc. Have repeatedly searched for any news items or links to Reynolds (no, am not a stalker) indicating he would be performing somewhere.
Have been unable to even get ahold of the recording - until recently when I finally found/bought a used copy. Pure bliss listening to him again. Ten years later AGAIN laughed out loud, choked up, and immediately passed it on to others who would instantly understand and appreciate his appeal.
Worth the effort - FIND this album. Share it with friends. It withstands the test of time.
Where is Rick Reynolds? Please come back.

I have no luck with this item. Rick Reynolds did this monoloque on HBO and I thought it was one of the most unique that I've ever heard. He tells you flat out about the most awful real-life experiences and has you crying and laughing at the same time. The Eyeball joke/test is worth the price.

I ordered the audio casette a couple of years ago and while it had a patch of static on it, it was still good. I lost it, however (or maybe loaned it to someone and then forgot.) I tried to order it again from Amazon and it kept getting delayed so I cancelled it. I tried to order the CD from B&N and they twice sent me a musical cd by Roger Reynolds. So, I came back to Amazon and now ordered the audio download through Audible.com. The quality of this is absolutely horrible. It is tinny with a high level of distortion. Charging 8.95 for this is a travesty. I can hardly understand what Rick is saying. Amazon and Audible ought to be ashamed of themselves for taking money under false pretenses.

Miss Read's novels capture the best aspects of the small town provincial novel--the sense of connection, the wry Austenisms--while leaving the sentimentality and pollyanna-ism sometimes afflicting the genre to her lesser imitators. A Peaceful Retirement brings us another step--perhaps a final step--nearer to the end of this series. I recommend this series, and this book within the series, to anyone who wishes that a novel might have both a 20th C. awareness and a somewhat 19th C. sense of perspective....Most people have not discovered Miss Read, and one somehow wonders if "most people" really ought to. But I am certainly glad that I did....

Miss Read has written over 40 titles, with this final tome describing how her headmistress heroine copes with her new-found life of leisure.

In an afterword, the author says she is laying down her pen "with a thankful heart". It is all the more surprising therefore that these final tales show no sign of staleness. In fact, "A Peaceful Retirement" is quite playful in tone as Miss Read copes valiantly with a series of unlooked-for marriage proposals.

Given that the school year is so regular the author manages to describe events such as Christmas celebrations and harvest festivals with no sense of repetition, and as ever captures the tensions between town and country living, children's and adult worlds and men and women beautifully.

With this book Dora Saint, the real-life Miss Read, can take her own retirement from authorship knowing that she has served her readers well.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

I enjoyed this book just as much as I have all the other books written by Miss Read. The reason that I enjoyed this book so much was that it was like catching up with old friends and being transported back to the Village and all the surrounding scenery which captures my imagination. I recommend that you read not only this book but all those that Miss Read (Dora Saint) has written for anyone that enjoys people and a very descriptive story which includes the lovely countryside that one can only imagine. I will miss my friends very much. Thank You Dora Saint for giving me many hours of pleasure.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

This book is so funny...my husband and I loved it and have now given it
as gifts!! It makes a great book for bathroom reading..you can look through it again and again with great amusement! Enjoy!

FUN BOOK FOR MY 56 YEAR OLD PEEP LOVER! THE PART ABOUT MAKING PEEP S'MORES WAS CUTE.

This is a great book. I found an advertisement for it in a Magazine, and I asked for it for Easter. I got it, and I thought it was HILARIOUS! I like how they changed actors names, such as Peeper Sutherland and Brad Peep .
The only thing I didn't like about it was the section about Runyoun Peep Jones. I found it a bit inapropriate. Over All, I give it five stars. It was a very good book.

PEEPS: A CANDY-COATED TALE is by far the most original, zany Easter tale of 2006. As such, it deserves ongoing recommendation and mention for any fan (or not!) of the marshmallow candy, whether child or adult. A prominent Peepsville family has gone missing and the Peeps are up in arms. Photos of the candy peeps are embellished with hats, glasses and more as the denizens of Peepsville are presented with character embellishments, plots and subplots. The perfect Easter gift - and perfect for any engaged by Peeps candies. One of the most creative top picks of the Easter holiday season.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

I've always ragged on my sister for her Eastertime peep-cravings as I've never enjoyed the candy myself (although they are really cute). So I had to buy her this witty, wacky, sweet book.

Not only is it full of hilarious pictures (like a rendering of the painting "The Scream" with a yellow peep doing the screaming) but it has plenty of text to keep you engaged with the book for a while. Although perusing the book for its photos is a riot in itself. Also, there are several storylines--the peeps' field trip to the museum, Father peep having to pull himself together for work after slightly melting in his cup of coffee, and of course the mystery at the center of the book--so you always wonder what's on the next page.

One of my faves is a pictures of two peeps with a (human-sized) yearbook. One of them says something like, "I love old yearbooks." The other replies, "Dang, how do we open it?"

Why is this so funny? I don't know, it just is!

Having encountered Mr. Blehert's writings serveral times past in smaller scale situations, I was not sure what to expect from this extensive and even "Fat" compendium of his labors. So I looked inside....THEN I started laughing. Still laughing, I read more....and more..... and then I began to be REALLY impressed. Mr. Blehert has done ALL his homework, and even iinvented lots of extra-credit assignments. A Doctorate of Letters ultimately inevitable, once a few scholastics with a combination of humor and intelligence get to know this most Wonderfully and Creatively written thesis on "Everything you wanted to know about Poetry...... I hope that it becomes a standard text, a sort of very intelligent sweet and sour sauce to go with a survey of historical poetry, a masterful display of chameleon Style facility. Read it and laugh! Read it and be impressed! Buy it and Read it.

If you've been out of school for a while you might be a little rusty on all the literary references that populate this book. Chock full o' parodies, Dean Blehert has more than a way with words -- he has a way with other people's words.

An entire chapter of Please Lord is devoted to how famous poets -- living and dead -- would write "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." These writers include Sylvia Plath, Lyn Lifshin, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and Blake.

Tongue-in-cheek, the book intersperses Blehert's own poetry with instructive "how-to" advice-poems on such topics as "how poetry is done" and "How To Be A Prestigious Mainstream Twentieth-Century Academic Poet." For example, in the chapter on the first subject, Blehert writes:

You can make any sentence poetical
by mentioning blood or bone.
For example, instead of "Yesterday
I went to the store," say "Yesterday
I went to the blood and bone store."
Instead of "The moon rose," say
"The blood moon rose" or "A bone
of moon rose" or, best, "A bone
of blood moon rose."

There is so much in this book, it will take many many readings to catch just half of its humor. Brush up on your "dead white male" poets if you want to get the rest of it.

Fireworks, Roman candles, fizzgigs...they're always going off in Dean Blehert's mind, all the time. When you pick up a copy of Please, Lord, Make Me a Famous Poet or At Least Less Fat, you get 402 pages of peerless wit and erudition. Blehert knows just about everything there is to know about poetry in the English language, and nearly all of his knowledge is displayed in this book, in his characteristic melange of parody, punning and reasoned discourse. Some people may dismiss Blehert as a show-off, or as merely clever. But most, I think, will respond to his expansive good humor, and to the book's undercurrent of serious, even moral, commentary on what poetry should be and do.

Picked up "Please, Lord..." and am reading fervently. I think I'm learning more about literature by laughing at it than I did in those vacuuous, slumber-inducing lectures in college. So I am appreciative of the fresh look at this thing called poetry which ranks up there with ice cream in my list of favorite things in the world.

Next time you want entertainment, forget the movies and TV. Get thee to a bookstore or Amazon. Skip past the so-called humor books, and go directly to the...gasp...poetry section. Don't be afraid. You may have a difficult time finding it, but once there, the name Dean Blehert will be prominently displayed on the bindings of several unique and hilarious books. Pick any one(s) you want, but be certain to include his latest in your trove. "Please, Lord,et.al." is not only a poet's primer, but very tasty brain candy for those who simply like to laugh. But please have a care: Blehert's books can be addicting, with no known antidote! Consider yourself warned!!!

Why only two books so far? As of this date, I'm still eagerly awaiting a third & fourth collection of Gilligan's daily strip: Pooch Cafe.
I'm pretty sure he's been cranking them out for two years since "No Collar, No Service" but where's the book?
Pooch Cafe is fresh, witty and well-drawn with just the right amount of detail. It's a strip you can fall in love with, much like Calvin & Hobbes. The way the various dogs think and act like dogs while still being cynical, English-speaking characters is hilarious.
Bring us more books!

pooch cafe is by far the funniest comic i have even read. its better than garfield and calvin&hobbes

I was glued to the book, reading it from beginning to end in one hilarious sitting. Poncho and friends diabolical plans to rid his house of the evil cat invaders were hysterical! Paul Gilligan needs to write another Pooch Cafe book!! We need more...MORE!

Poncho is a dog's dog. He daydreams of meat, stuffs himself with kibble, and hangs out at the Pooch Cafe where dogs can be dogs and "cat" is a four-letter word. (Plus, he loves Jackie Chan and hates mushrooms -- a dog after my own heart!) I had never read the Pooch Cafe comics before purchasing this book, but was attracted by the subject matter and the artwork, which is both cool and quirky. The humor is subtle and smart. Whatever you're a dog person, a fan of comics, or both, Paul Gilligan has produced a very stylish work that is worth adding to your collection.

Actually, I'm not sure what kind of pooch Poncho is but he is without a doubt the greatest cartoon character since Calvin.

This book is loaded with great writing, unique art and the funniest punchlines since Larson.

Grab this collection -- it's a winner!