Humor Books

Great book. Good intro for those city dwellers among us thinking about farm life.

The worst part of this book is that it ends. I'm not a farmer, nor will I ever be interested in becoming one, but this book is about far more than farming.

Friend manages to convey the lessons of relationship--with her partner, with their animals, with their property, and most importantly, with herself--in a way that is at once humorous and insightful. Nothing gets tied up with a neat little bow, but the book also manages to neglect the angst-filled memoir genre. She combines the humor of David Sedaris and Bill Bryson with the poignancy of Mitch Ablom, while skipping sentimentality and predictability along the way.

Hit By A Farm manages to weave her thematic concern--boundaries and how they can be formed in the context of partnership and self fulfillment--throughout the book without clobbering the reader with her message. Best of all, this book is shake-the-bed-and-wake-up-your-partner funny. It's hard to make a reader cry--but it's a gift to make a reader laugh.

I'm recommending this book to everyone I know, and now, through the magic of the world wide interweb, I can recommend it to people I don't know. After you've finished reading it, don't forget to tell Oprah. She'll thank you for it.

Writer/bookworm Catherine Friend takes us along as she transforms into a REAL farmer (and still keeps writing and reading). Her writing style is engaging and easy to read, pulling you along for the ride from start to finish. I couldn't put it down.

Real humor, real struggles, real "back to the land" mentality without the moral pontificating of some authors. The dream of farming wasn't hers to begin with (it was her partner's), but she has made peace with it and maintained her sense of self while maintaining a long term relationship. Farming is a stressful business, and she addresses this aspect of it very well while sharing how she managed to work through her concerns and evolve into a better person.

The author's sense of humor was my favorite part. I will never look at soft serve the same way again after reading about the peacocks leaving "grayish swirls of poop the size of a Dairy Queen ice cream cone" which, well, you'll have to read the book to find out what happened, but the result had me rolling with laughter. Definitely a five star read.

I read this book to my partner this summer as we took three day trips from the Twin Cities to small towns in Minnesota - first to Buffalo and St. Cloud; second to Mankato; third to Rochester. It was a fitting book to read as we rode through Minnesota farm country - the setting of this story. Every time we saw sheep or llamas, we laughed and contemplated whether the farmers had experienced any of the trials and tribulations in the book.

This is a great memoir from a skillful author. Not only is she committed to her partner, she also has a great sense of humor and knows how to laugh at herself. The book description, itself, is comical. However, nothing prepares the reader for the emotional highs and lows between the front and back covers. Each chapter is a story in itself. From sheep to chickens, goats, llamas, geese, grapes and writer's block, this is certainly a don't-miss book. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention - the book is full of tragedy (i.e., all living things eventually die), childlike elation (i.e., the sheep actually did have sex and we have lambs!), and very elaborate descriptions of some pretty gross stuff (i.e., sheep placenta and things stuck to the bottoms of shoes). If you're soft of heart or stomach, get prepared for a roller-coaster ride.

Extremely well written by a very likable author, I highly recommend this wonderful book to everyone. It's a book that can be enjoyed by all - gay or straight, farmer or not - and should be on every bookshelf.

No one was more surprised than Catherine Friend when her long-time partner informed her that she'd always dreamed of being a farmer. Early on in this hilarious memoir, the author writes, "Farming had never been my dream. My dream was to grow my writing career into something I could call 'successful,' whatever that was. I'd already sold two children's books and a handful of magazine stories. I was hungry for more" (p. 6).

But Melissa's dream had merit, and Catherine believed she could help the dream come true. And so, "The classic face of farming in Grant Wood's American Gothic was about to get a facelift: two thirty-something women in bib overalls holding pitchforks" (p. 6).

Devoting a great deal of time, energy, and work to their project, the two women researched farming, bought land in southern Minnesota, built a house, and settled in to raise sheep, chickens, and grapes for wine. Apparently that was the easy part. From auspicious beginnings, the road they embark upon is filled with a learning curve so steep that shoveling manure and mucking horse stalls might have been easier. While Melissa's dream ascended, the livestock, crops, and natural disasters seem to conspire to make Catherine's life miserable. Living off the land wasn't at all the romantic idyll so often put forth.

By turns hilarious and sobering, touching and surprising, Catherine Friend's memoir tells the tale of two thirty-somethings who not only have to learn to love the barn, but also to find their way back to one another after such a huge life-change nearly sideswipes them for good. It's a terrific story, very well-told, and is cram-packed full of humor, insight, and a zest for life that can't be vanquished. If you only read one memoir this year, make this be the one. I give it my highest recommendation.

Cute book. Very funny and insightful. Helped me figure out that my neighbor was gay. I shared it with him. We both had a good laugh.

The best thing you can do with this book is to give this as a gift to a friend who is dating a gay man, and who thinks that she isn't.

The best thing about this book is that it walks through the steps of a gay man/straight woman relationship, and talks about it from the woman's point of view. It has a section: "What the woman is telling herself," that is very informative.

I don't think there are any gay men who match up 100% to the checklist that this book ends up being, but like I said, I think that this book is more a tool for coping than for anything else.

Technical stuff: This book is written in a comic book format--mostly pictures. I finished this book in about 10 minutes. It's pretty small, too. Only 80 pages.

Overall, an excellent buy, especially since they are selling so cheap used on amazon now.

I bought this for a female friend who doesn't know I'm gay after we debated whether someone else was or not. (She assumes that all effiminate men are gay and that all gay men are effiminate, - I had to laugh to myself as she said this and I butched myself up even more than normal!)

The book has some annoying stereo-types, like all gay men are great dancers (I'm not), but since it's clearly tongue-in-cheek and a quick read, it's great for a few good chuckles to any one, gay, straight, male or female.

This book is a witty, entertaining, enlightening look at a quandary faced by so many young women who are plagued with wonderful guy friends that just don't seem to date ANYone. One of my best friends referred this to me who is a closeted gay man. This book not only made me laugh, but I didn't feel as dumb as I used to. Sometimes, gay men seem to be the answer to all of your problems; but then again, there is one thing that a gay man just CAN'T do for a woman...so we have to love them for what they can do for us...

I received this book as a gift from my best friend, who happens to be a gay man. This book tells you all the signs (which are just general, but mostly true) to look for in a guy, and has some of the cutest illustrations. I would recommend this book to any woman out there who thinks she might have picked up a gay best friend instead of a boyfriend.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for [...] 5/08
I love this book! Throughout It Takes One To Catch On,e I found myself trying to separate fact from fiction. I've always heard that "life is stranger than fiction," so I suspect there is a lot of truth in this narrative. Steven Knutson writes from a personal perspective. He shares memories of his younger years from a "seasoned" perspective.
Knutson's personality shines through in his book. He easily laughs at himself and invites the reader to join in. I do want to make one tiny suggestion. Please removed the smiley faces. You do not need them, and they distract from the story. Reading It Takes One To Catch One is like sitting on the front porch with a dear friend while listening to him reminisce. Mr. Knutson, please tell me another story. For a lighthearted look at life, rush out and buy It Takes One To Catch One.

Was sharing with a friend that this book is a great read in these economic times, if for no other reason that to show that a person with an adventuresome spirit can survive and enjoy the process.

Be it Minnesota, Montana, Washington State, Alaska or parts of Canada, the stories make you feel as if you are with the author.

And in some ways they also reminded me of the TV show Northern Exposure, as well as some great songs from Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Alas its fiction, and I rarely ever read fiction.But its great fiction.

My husband, Brian and I have long known Steve and through those years he shared snippets of his vast and colorful past. Those stories and tales were always telling in his unique sense and style of humor. His stature and demeanor places one in awe and wonder as to how this guy survived his youth of sometime deliberate acts in his quest for adventure and his lust for life. I read the manuscript first and all who know Brian knows he has no sense of humor; but I'd hear gut-busting laughter from down the hallway and knew he was reading It Takes One to Catch One. Steve will take you on a journey into his world of adventure from his early youth into his (almost grown-up years). He grew up during a time of not so much plenty but turned it into a time of growth and change for himself. He could have easily turned out to be the original and true Real Bandit, but his lessons of life revered him to become the man we all came to know and admire. By no means should you allow yourself to think he's old as he would have you believe. That zest for life burns bright this day and I cannot wait to get my hands on his sequel. I purchased his paperback for our Alaskan library and recommend it HIGHLY. It's filled with his humorous tales and stories of life lived to its fullest....sometimes on razor's edge (that's the prepetural kid in him) yet always focused. How else could he have survived it all?

This book is a must read for anyone who ever dreamed of Alaska. Knutson is the consumate Alaskan sportsman. From law enforcement, to hunting, trapping and fishing, Steve does it all and tells his tall tales like he is sitting around a campfire. If you want to hunt sheep or bears, or snowmobile at night in subzero weather, or catch big fish in remote lakes this book is for you. Outdoorsman the world over will love these adventures. It is a great contribution to Alaska's back country lore.

My husband and I were introduced to Alaska and especially to the Kenai
Penninsula by our daughter Diana. It was love at first sight. Steve lives in Kenai Alaska where our daughter lived and reading his accounts of this wonderful place keeps us in touch when we can't be there. Some of Steve's stories are so funny that one can't help but laugh out loud.
I was into the book from the first page and I couldn't put it down, Steve has a way of writing that makes one feel as though he is sitting in front of the fire with you, telling his tales in a delightful way that makes you want to stay up all night listening.
This mid-west guy came a long way and didn't let any moss grow under his feet. His life has been a series of unforgetable adventures which few of us get to have and I feel priviledged to experience some of those adventures through Steve's stories. This is a wonderful book and I am anxious to read the sequel.

Dolores and Philip Frederick
Beavercreek, Ohio

I absolutely laughed till I cried. It all makes sense now... This is a must read for anyone who has ever taken religion tooooooo seriously.

This book is easily in my top 5 favorite books. I might even say it's #1.

When I laughed out loud at the first page... I knew I was going to love this book. I could totally see everything in the book unfolding back in the day.

Some people didn't like the ending, and I must admit I was a little surprised... but when I thought for a minute, 'I got it' and it was the perfect ending.

Definitely a conversation starter... definitely a keeper for rereading over & over again.

I love this book for how it incites great conversation and it is a welcome addition to my small collection.

This is one of those books that really gets people talking. Conversations range from the story itself, to the historical truths or lack thereof, the religious implications, and now its look.

I really enjoyed reading this book the first time around when I would find myself laughing out loud when I would least expect it, and most recently with this edition where a friend thought I was laughing about something in the Bible itself.

This new edition was a great idea, with only one flaw: It can be difficult to hold open because it is bound tightly. I'm afraid of causing too much wear to the spine of the book, but in retrospect I guess that would only add to its charm of looking like a Bible.

This is one of my favorite books of all time! Yay Christopher Moore!

Anyone who has any interest in Christianity should find this book hilarious! Moore clearly knows his Christian and world history then and now. His treatment of Jesus and the people who worship him is outrageous and irreverent and strangely loving at the same time. I'm an athiest who went to Catholic school (I LOVED it) and while I don't believe a word of it, have a great appreciation for all things Catholic, especially Catholic humor (the movie Dogma Dogma (Special Edition), the play Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You.Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All You and the Actor's Nightmare: Two One-Act Plays) I also appreciate a big dose of skepticism, and this book delivers on all fronts. Moore is such a great writer that this is a PERFECT BOOK! This new Bible edition is sexy and great!

At first, I have to admit I was a bit put off by the look of this gift version of "Lamb" when first saw it at a Barnes and Noble while doing some window shopping. I'm not very religious now, but as someone who basically got ten years' worth of Catholic dogma engrained into my DNA, well...the irreverence in the very look of this book made me worry just a little. I picked this book up and cracked it open to a random page, not expecting to see anything particularly interesting, and was pleasantly surprised when I ended up reading something that made me laugh. I ended up reading a few pages farther, and even though I hadn't read the rest of the book, the stuff I did read was very funny and clever, and I knew I had to have this book. So...I bought it here instead because I wanted to save a few bucks. :P

This book is definitely worth reading. It's irreverent, yes, and there's a bit of coarse language sprinkled throughout the story. And there's one gross (but funny) experience involving Biff, turnips and a toothless old Chinese woman. Despite that, however, I really don't feel this book is disrespectful to Jesus or to Christianity at all. If anything, it pokes gentle fun at what Christians are taught to know about the Bible--you have to know your stuff, as a Christian, if you expect to understand all the references made to it in this book. But I don't feel it makes fun of Christianity itself. So if you want a clever, funny, well-written book to read and you don't mind laughing at least a little at what you've been taught over the years if you're Christian, this book is for you. :)

I've been a fan of Mike Dugan's comedy for a long, long time. This is not ONE of the funniest books on relationships, it's THE funniest book on relationships I've ever read. Loaded with spot-on observations and male humility (yes, there is such a thing) it is also hilarious.

This is an interesting book- often humorous, sometimes serious, and always thought provoking. For any woman who needs a little bit more insight into what drives men. Also for those few men who are sincere about confronting the results of their behavior. This is a rare treasure of a book.

"My brother would get grounded for being 10 minutes late for dinner. By the time they got around to me, it was pretty much 'No heroin in the living room.'" (3)
-Mike Dugan, joking about being the youngest child in a big family and his parent's possible leniency.

By the time I read the sentences above, I had laughed six times already and I was only on page 3. To say this book is some of the best good natured humor anyone can read is an understatement. Mike Dugan delivers his mature and personal message about becoming the "right kind of man" with what is often knee-slapping, belly-rolling, and even telephone-your friends-and-pretend-you-made-it-up-yourself, comedy. (If you're not good at telling jokes I suggest you use text messaging and simply copy these jokes word for word from this book.)

In, "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True", Mike Dugan shares his introspective quest to discover the dynamics involved between men and women in order to develop his own personal philosophy. He begins this quest by asking two simple questions: "What makes a man?" and "What do women want?" He addresses these two insightful questions throughout the book with chapters and headings such as: Communication; Domestic Priorities; Blame; Commitment; Boxing, Bubble Baths, and Big Boys Crying; to name a few.

Mike Dugan is no relationship expert and doesn't claim to be. If anything, he comes across in this book as an average guy with normal thoughts, healthy desires, and realistic expectations and emotions. He is the first to point out his own mistakes, misconceptions, and misadventures in the area of relationships and his interactions with the opposite sex. These misunderstandings have caused him much pain and regret in his own life, and he often displays a more serious side to these issues when they subsequently inflict pain upon the women he's been associated with:

"...if you choose to avoid your own ignorance when it reveals itself to you, it becomes arrogance..." (65)

These are immensely profound words from someone who comes across as an "average guy", but that's why this book is so enjoyable and worthy of reading. From a man's point of view, it reads as though two guys are sitting around having a deep and meaningful conversation about women. Men won't talk without laughing, and they will surely lose interest if it is nothing more than the typical feel-good group therapy session. Mike Dugan is a man's man, and he has done an expert job (as a non-expert) in this book of sharing his experiences and personal philosophy. Men seem to shy away from experts, and men don't even read the books by experts; but men talk to each other and laugh, and realistically most men will listen to reason. Sometimes, men just need to hear the right words from someone like Mike Dugan, who has obviously put a great deal of thought and good intention behind becoming the "right kind of man".

According to Mike Dugan, "the right kind of man" will honestly listen to a woman and nurture her. He will develop his character and create an environment of trust with the actions he takes and the words he uses. "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True" really isn't about sex, it's about what a man does when he's NOT having sex. With this great little book, Mike Dugan points MANkind to the next level of social evolution. Every man should own a copy of this book, and then he should pass it along to his sons.

Brian Douthit
Author Of Perfectly Said: when words become art

My sense reading this was that the author believed that all men tend to devalue women and treat them badly. I know that not to be the case. The early pages were humorous & fun, but the last half of the book seemed pretty apologetic to me.

This tale is short, sweet, funny, humble, and serious all at the same time. I think men and women equally should read it. The other positive reviews were on target and there's not much more I can add. Enjoy!

In his imaginative debut, MY NAME IS RUSSELL FINK, Michael Snyder pens the occasionally tangential story of a 26-year-old Nashville copier salesman who can't seem to get his life together.

It's a quirky and engaging read. Russell Fink is a budding artist who still lives at home with his parents and seems stuck in his career and his relationships. His family has its own troubles: Mom hits the bottle at the first sign of tension, while dad, a miracle-working evangelist with a checkered past, auditions for a possible television gig. Russell's older brother Peter has a slew of things going on as well: He runs a coffee shop, always seems to be short on cash, is paranoid about being followed, and carries a notebook to record his memoirs of growing up in an oddball Christian family. His disappearance (and apparent kidnapping --- or is it?) is only one of the many plot threads in the story.

Russell wrestles with guilt over everything from the death of his twin sister Katie from leukemia at a young age to his own inability to get a grip on what's important. Complicating things is his fiancée, Alyssa, an actress who is (she believes) on the cusp of the big time and who stages protests at the local and cutely named "As a Jaybird" strip club to try to get media attention. For two people supposedly in love, the relationship seems...well, dysfunctional might be too kind.

At work, Russell charms the boss at Hengle's Supply even as he repeatedly misses days at his desk. But when the boss's son takes the company helm, it appears Russell's life as a copier salesman is about to end. And when his beloved basset hound Sonny is inexplicably murdered, it catapults Russell into a series of events that will jar him from his lethargy and help him begin to make sense out of his life, his calling and his faith.

Snyder's characters are an interesting but strange group --- from Dan, the eccentric tekkie who takes Russell on as a roommate, to Geri, the down-to-earth girl with a talent for making unusual clothing. If there's any criticism of the novel, it might be a tendency toward too many unusual character quirks (a little goes a long way) and a lot of different storylines going on. But somehow, the author manages to hold everything together and keep the story moving.

Snyder portrays Russell's continual blunders as both exasperating and endearing --- and they are. Russell's relationships with his family members provide glimpses into how he became the person he is at 26. But can he learn from his past to change his future? One of the best "aside" moments in the book comes when Russell forges an unlikely connection with an ill and bitter neighbor, and renders an act of kindness. No matter what the relationship between characters, there are always enough zany elements to keep things just slightly off-kilter.

Chick-lit fans will enjoy the romance elements between Russell and Alyssa and Russell and Geri, as dysfunctional as both relationships are. Readers will see Russell's long-time crush on Geri long before Russell recognizes it; however, Geri has a secret that may change the nature of their relationship. How this is resolved helps provide a happy ending to the story.

Zondervan has included some fun extras with the book, including a tongue-in-cheek reader's guide ("What kind of name is Russell Fink, anyway?"), an interview with the author, deleted scenes, back cover endorsements from his characters (from Alyssa: "He's not a particularly good kisser") and excerpts from his forthcoming sophomore offering, RETURN POLICY, due out in December. In the interview, Snyder acknowledges he began writing the novel by penning a series of short stories, which explains much about the tangential plot lines.

Faith readers will appreciate that Snyder includes themes of grace, forgiveness (especially of ourselves), vocation and calling, and the nature of miracles throughout the novel. Audiences will come away with plenty of smiles and look forward to Snyder's next outing, which promises to be a good one.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Unique writing voice. Wonderful characterization. Great story. You will love Russell Fink (and new author Mike Snyder).

My Name Is Russell Fink by Michael Snyder--what can I say? Along the lines of Nick Hornby's About a Boy and High Fidelity and Richard Russo's Straight Man, Russell is a guy who can't seem to grow up and get his life together. A closet artist, he's living with his parents, working as a salesperson for an office supply company, and engaged to a drama-queen because he can't seem to ever make a clean break. He's never really made a decision that he could call his own.

Until he discovers his dog dead.

Now, Russell has to deal with the guilt that he might have contributed to Sonny's death through alcohol poisoning (on top of dealing with the guilt almost his whole life of giving his twin-sister cancer), investigate who else poisoned Sonny, move out of his parents house, and figure out how to make a sale in order to keep his job. On top of that, he's falling in love--and the girl ain't his fiance.

It's funny, folks. These characters, strange as they are, are real.

And you know how I love my metaphors. Oh, the metaphors! "Sleep eludes me like a watermelon seed on freshly waxed tile." Or "the whole break-up ordeal feels as hollow and pointless as renouncing my spleen." And they're all over the place!

This story deals with forgiveness and the issue of the problem of evil. It's honest. There are no easy answers. Between laughing at the witty dialogue and the quirky characters, you'll find yourself grappling with the same question Russell does--if God is good, where is He?

I've read this book in its entirety twice. There are few books I do that with. I suggest you read it at least once.

Russell Fink, the main character in the novel, is a man with many issues. At his core, a painter, he's trapped in a job he hates, selling office products. He's engaged to a woman more enamored of fame than Russell. He lives with his parents--his father, a disgraced faith healer and his alcoholic mother. His older brother Peter has money issues in the form of bookies, bets, and lack of cash to pay them all off. But most of all, Russell carries deep within the grief and guilt of his twin sister's death years earlier. Sonny, Russell's aging basset hound is his closest friend and confidant. Throw in a college friend he fell in love with years before, her eccentric inventor cousin, Dan, a mysterious private investigator, and Russell's life is anything but boring.

A good first novel from this author and I look forward to reading more.

Michael Snyder's has written a brilliant debut novel. It's funny, thoughtful, with one great character after another. But for me, what made My Name Is Russell Fink a cut above the rest, was the way it managed to juggle its themes and storylines seamlessly and to such a satisfying end.

It's true to life in that way. Russell is a struggling salesman, trapped in a narcissistic loveless engagement, he continues to deal with guilt over the loss of his sister, and he's investigating the murder of his clairvoyant basset hound (which, come on, how cool is it to have a pet that can see the future?).

Any of these would plotlines would be more then enough for your average book.

But Snyder's story is smarter then that. He understands that in life problems don't come to us one at a time--so why should they in our stories? Russell is just starting to understand one issue when another pops up. It seems that it'd be easy for him to drown everything around him but he doesn't. And for that he's heroic. He continues to search for who murdered his dog, to find true love, to find faith, to reconcile family, and maybe in the own process to regain his soul.

His journey is unique, funny, sometimes sad, but always engaging and worth the read. I saw a lot of myself in Russell and imagine you will too. I think that's why he's such a memorable character and this is such a memorable book.

Now stop reading this and get yourself a copy.

Stadner's book is well written and fun. She tells her stories in writing even better than she delivers them in person, and this book is loaded with all kinds of memories, each one tugging at a different heart string. She hits home over and over, and that familiarity makes it even more entertaining. At times, I found myself agreeing with her out loud, or calling my sister to remind her of something I hadn't thought of in years. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Great book! The stories you related, made me laugh and cry with you.It was truly a walk down memory lane. You have successfully memorialized Cote St Luc, forever.Sheila

Hanala Stadner writes an amazing narative of her life, beginning with a childhood of loneliness and need. Her parents, survivors of the Holocaust, do not seem to be able to understand her travails which include normal childhood growing pains. She bitterly leaves home and is able to work as a semi-employed actor. Her pain follows her as she stumbles into drug and alcohol abuse. Just when the reader is totally disgusted with her, she begins a long road to recovery and self discovery. This well written book will make you laugh and make you cry. I would heartily recommend it.

I just finished your book I loved it so much that I just didn't want it to end.
I related to just about everything you went through. My parents also went through the war as Partisans in the woods of Poland and White Russia and then came to Montreal.
Thank you so much for writing this book. I must confess that
I laughed and cried but the last 100 pages of your book brought back so many memories for example singing to my father on his death bed \"OYFIN PRIPITCHEK BRENT A FAYERL, UN IN SHTUB IS HEYS. UN DER REBELY LERNT KLEYNE KINDERLEKH DEM ALDF-BEZ.\"
I saw you at Lynn University when you were in Boca Raton and had the
pleasure of meeting you and Fabrizio,gee I hope I remembered his name, but you know who I mean the cute Italian. You signed my book and I will cherish it forever.
Again, thank you so very much this book really made a difference to me.
Lots of Luck, from one survivor to another Sarah Johnson.

The title grabs you - humor? Holocaust? Then, you begin reading and Hanala grabs you- envelops you, fastens your seat belt for you and takes you on the ride that is her life. And what a ride.

For the general public, it is a story, written with wit, humor, turns of phrase, expressions which you know you have heard before and are comfortable with but which are neither trite nor cliche, in a style that holds your attention. It is the history of a little girl clamoring for something which is impossible to receive due to no fault of her own, a "normal" childhood, filled with love, affection, nurturing, complements, structure, safety, sibling support, reliable friends, - just like in the 50s and 60s TV families into which she delves for comfort; who, not surprisingly grows into a young adult with physical addictions and emotional insecurities - making bad choices, entering into troubled relationships and behaving in a self-destructive manner bringing her near death; and finally, just as you have almost had it with her and want to read her the riot act, but knowing that nothing you say could bring her out of her messed-up life, she surprises you and takes a small step which becomes a deep reach into herself and pulls herself out of the spiral - building inner strength and finally maturing into the positive, healthy person you would be thrilled to have in your life. Hanala lays open her soul to the core, describes behaviors and experiences that most would be embarrassed and ashamed to admit, and demonstrates that we have the ability to heal ourselves, with the help of others, if we only give ourselves the chance. You laugh, you laugh a lot, and you cry, you find yourself repeating statements out loud that you have just read which may well hit deep in your own soul. Frankly, you don't want the book to end and when it does, you are OK, because you know that Hanala's story is continuing and because it is a real life that you feel connected to.

And, for the readership which is made up of the children of Holocaust survivors/escapees, it is an even more special story. Hanala, through her experiences, and her insights gained through therapy, A.A. and Al-Anon programs, gives us answers as to why her parents, and so many other such parents just could not do a better parenting job - whether due to their guilt for not being able to save family or friends or for the simple fact that they survived, magnified by the relative comfort in which they are living; why they too were and are leading lives that are not filled with what many would consider "normal" actions and reactions - which behaviors many have unintentionally passed on to their children. "It is not because she won't, it is because she just can't." For Holocaust survivor/escapees' children, Hanala provides answers to questions we might not even know how to ask.

This is definitely one of my favorite Peanuts collections. I pretty much grew up reading this book. Over the years, it had been read so much that it had fallen apart. I was so happy to see this book in the stores again. If you're a Peanuts fan like I am, this book is a must have for your collection.

This is a great book for any Peanuts fan to add to their Peanuts memorabilia collection. I have been a huge fan of Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gangs since I was a child, but somehow Charles Schulz's Snoopy comics have a universal, timeless essence that appeals to people of all ages. Even in my 20's I still enjoying collecting Peanuts memorabilia, and I would recommend adding this book to top of your collection.

Until a few years ago, Peanuts Classics collections were very hard to find except in your local library. But Peanuts Treasury is much better than most of those-better than most of the `60s collections, anyway. Not to say that the Classics books aren't good, but several of the books repeat strips, print the pages backwards, or even repeat stories (or parts of stories). But this collection doesn't do that. Not only that, but this book has about three times as many more pages AND there are more strips per page (five instead of two). A few of the stories aren't finished in this book either, but nevertheless it's a great collection.

This is a highly worthwhile "Peanuts" collection, as it's an unusually [inexpensive] but vast collection of late 50s-early/mid-60s strips that you don't often find in new books, with a lot of wonderful strips in it, and an effort to group them into their original storylines (where applicable) - Sally is born, and Charlie Brown rejoices ("I'm a father!" - and Linus tells Lucy, "You didn't act like that when I was born,") . . . Lucy buries Linus' blanket to prompt him to kick the habit, and Linus is plagued with withdrawal symptoms ("That's the first time I ever dreamed of Hyannis Port!") . . . Linus freaks out when Lucy assigns him to sing "Jingle Bells" at the PTA Christmas pageant - then the new year's pageant ("I will not run around the stage holding a banner reading '1964'!") . . . and, perhaps best, the first time Sally joins Linus in the pumpkin patch - and it's much, much funnier than the TV version ("YOU OWE ME RESTITUTION!!") . . . among many, many others. But anyway, this may be nostalgic for you, too, and even if not, it's still a wonderful book. It's definitely worth it!

Apparently there has been a mix-up: The two "editions" of this book DON'T correspond to each other. I've bought the paperback one, and it does not contain some of the strips mentioned in the review section.

It all starts when Wendell's mom tells him to clean up his room. He goes up to his room and finds a pig lying on his bed eating chips and reading a comic book! Mark Teague's pictures really give us an idea of what's happening. We would be weirded out if there was a pig in our room. We would feel like pigs! It's a great book to encourage people with very messy rooms to clean up!

We used this book for storytime at our children's center to teach, in a fun way,that kids should clean their rooms. We also have a copy of it in Spanish and did a side by side bilingual reading. The 3-5 year olds thought it was funny.

read it when i was a kid and grew up to own it. such a funny-crazy book.

A little boy does not clean his room. Pigs move in and they together make a mess of things. The boy gets sick of the big mess and asks mom to help. She tells him it is his responsibility. He gets the pigs to clean the room and he helps. Soon the pigs find it too clean and leave.

Wendell's mother tells him his room his is looking like a pigsty, but even so he refuses to clean it. Sure enough, real pigs move into his room. He dosen't mind the pigs company... that is, until he finds hoofprints on his beloved comic books. The pigs help Wendell clean his room and finding it too clean for their liking, decide to leave. Teague's whimsical illustrations fit perfectly with the spirit of his story. A great book for those kids who do not want to clean their rooms...and every one else, too.

I've been a Pearls Before Swine fan for a while, and I love this book! The comics are funny and realistic (rather), though a bit dark. But it's still worthwhile. I like how Stephan Pastis puts little comments under some comics. It's nice to see some insight from the author. The beginning is good as well, with Pastis telling how he got into the comic business. Overall, I highly recommend this book to Pearls Before Swine fans, and to anyone looking for a funny (but not always happy) comic.

I always start my mornings out with a nice healthy strip of Pearls. This first Pearls treasury is a must for all fans! It contains all the strips from the first two books (BLTs Taste So Darn Good, This Little Piggy Stayed Home), but the Sundays are in color and Pastis even includes some personal comments for select strips. The comments offer a different way to look at the strip, giving insight to what the author was thinking or how the audience reacted to the strip.

This book is fantastic. I am a Pearls reader, but anyone with a dry, sardonic sense of humor will like it. For Pearls fans, it has an introduction and bonus comments by the author, which are illuminating and very interesting. I laughed out loud at least fifty times while reading it, then I bought it for my brother, too. Highest recommendation!

The second (or first, I forget which) anthology of PBS and I loved it.
I have the strip about women and shoes posted on the fridge so my wife can see it every day. It hasn't stopped her from buying shoes but it makes me laugh every morning.

The first Pearls comic I've ever saw was the strip where Pig made Fidel Castro cry and I've been hooked ever since. I've had this collection for about a year and it still makes me laugh. A great gift for friends or yourself, an instant classic.