Humor Books

You will never imagine what kind of surprises are awaiting inside... the imagination is endless.

I know Mafalda from its days in the leftist Italian newspapers as a comic strip. Every strip told an important social truth. But you don't need to be political at all to love her and her varied friends.

"A buen entendedor, pocas palabras," dice el viejo refran. Cuando se dice Mafalda, quien haya vivido en las ultimas tres decadas en alguna parte de Hispanoamerica (e incluso paises de Europa) probablemente sabe que se esta hablando de ese adorable personaje que desborda en genialidad y gracia con sus ocurrencias de niña precoz, asi que no hace falta elaborar al respecto.

Lo que si merece ser notado es que este espectacular volumen empastado (hardcover) de 658 paginas reune todas las tiras de Mafalda publicadas desde que el popular personaje fue introducido en este planeta por el legendario caricaturista argentino Quino. No tiene tiene desperdicio este libro y es altamente recomendable para el fanatico de Mafalda que detesta la sopa al igual que para el neofito en el mundo de Quino.

This book is a compilation of all "Mafalda"'s comic strips. Who is "Mafalda", you might ask?. Well, she is a very outspoken little girl who isn't afraid to say exactly what she thinks about many subjects, including her parents, politics, ecology and her enormous distaste of soup :)

"Mafalda" was created by Argentine cartoonist Quino (the pseudonym of Joaquin Salvador Lavador), and has been published in Latin America, France, Greece, Italy, China and Portugal. Even though "Mafalda" first appeared in the '60s, most of the stories you will read in this book maintain their edge. A great part of "Mafalda"'s charm is that these comic strips allow us to see many matters from the point of view of a young but highly intelligent girl, who isn't old enough to know that speaking her mind isn't always the right thing to do.

All the same, her candid but highly accurate views on many issues will make you laugh, and think. Young children, teens and adults will interpret her words differently, based on their diverse experiences. But I bet all of them will enjoy this book.

You must take into account, though, that this book is in Spanish. That being the case, you should at least know some Spanish, or be eager to learn it (and there is no better reason to do that than wanting to read "Mafalda"!). What is more, and in case you are not ready to buy a complete edition of "Mafalda"'s comic strips, you can always find a smaller and less expensive edition in Amazon.

All in all, I think that "Mafalda" is a treat that the English speaking readers deserve to have. The language barrier is there, but it can be broken with some effort. Truth to be told, it is worth it. Highly recommended!

Belen Alcat

A mí siempre me ha encantado Mafalda, y ahora a mi hija
de tres años le encanta, a pesar de que no sabe leer!
Este libro es muy bonito y debe de tenerlo si le gusta
Mafalda.

This is a very uplifting read on a gloomy topic. Hopefully you know Robert Schimmel from his Stand-up comedy act. I've seen Robert's comedy show 5 or 6 times, and consider myself to be one who recruits new fans to his shows whenever he comes to St. Louis.
I bought this book after one of Robert's appearances on the Howard Stern show. I thought this would be a good book to read on vacation on the beach.
So, here I am sitting on the beach, nice breeze, cocktail ready....I started to tear up after reading the first few paragraphs. What am I doing reading something sad on the beach???? I kept going and am glad I did. I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't wait to read the next word.
It was almost as if Robert was on stage telling us this whole story.

I would assume everybody has experienced a loss due to cancer or some other disease. I certainly have. This book walks you through the routine, highs/lows, emotions of that those afflicted go through.....Robert speaks almost as your relative, co-worker, or friend you may have lost.

Thanks Robert! I can't wait to see you!

I am not your typical book reader ,but after finding a book about your favorite comedian I could not resist.This was litterally the first book I read in over 20 years.I loved the book and was well entertained.I now have a more insight on how Robert's last decade really was.

It's always encouraging when someone beats cancer. And non-Hodgkins lymphoma is especially tough to overcome. Robert Schimmel had the advantage of age, good health, and caring support in his battle. And no doubt his determined sense of humor helped a lot too, besides bringing a welcome uplift to his fellow chemo patients. His book demonstrates that humor grows out of even the direst situation and that horniness survives all assaults.

There are no profound lessons in this volume beyond illustrating that mental attitude can make a bad time a little better. And whether attitude influences healing or not, it usually just feels better to be positive than negative.

I started reading after lunch today, and couldn't put it down. The writing is compelling and real, and inspiring in so many ways.
I am grateful that Mr. Schimmel lived through it all, and even more grateful that his book enriches our lives by reminding us about what really matters. As a survivor myself, and having lost many relatives to cancer, the book had my emotions all over the place...but through it all, the humor prevails. I can't remember ever reading a book that had me laughing and crying at the same time.

This book is in my collection after seeing him on Conan, and it's going to get a lot more readings from here on out. It's a keeper.

In many ways, Robert Schimmel is the Lenny Bruce of our times. After experiencing his performance at the Denver Comedy Works this past weekend, I read this memoir chronicling his deeply-personal, life-and-death battle with Stage III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Bob is a stand-up comedian best known for his controversial sexual material and self-deprecating sense of humor, his HBO performances, and his appearances on The Howard Stern Show. His edgy style has gotten him into plenty of trouble. The networks are afraid of him, he confessed during his show. He joked about getting banned from Late Night with Conan O'Brien almost getting banned from The Hollywood Squares for making sexual jokes about Louie Anderson.

Cancer on $5 a Day tells the story of Schimmel's treatment and recovery following his cancer diagnoses in June, 2000. Bob was no stranger to cancer. He lost his son, Derek, to brain cancer at age 11. At the time of his diagnosis, Bob had just received the Stand-Up of the Year Award, and he was about to commence work on a new sitcom. His memoir reveals how Schimmel never lost his edgy sense of humor through this dark period of his life. He continued to laugh, even in the face of death, while receiving treatment at Mayo Clinic infusion center in Scottsdale. Even as his hair was falling out, Bob bantered with wig salesmen, inquiring about the possibility of a wig for his pubic area. The ultimate point of Schimmel's memoir is that, without a strong sense of humor during the tough times in life, you're pretty much f***ed (as he would say).

After his recent performance, Bob told me his battle with cancer changed his perspective on material possessions and the LA lifestyle. Although his doctors told him he would never have children again, Bob married his wife Melissa, and they have since had two children. Schimmel's inspirational survival story will make readers laugh and cry at the same time. Only a comic genius like Bob Schimmel could find so much humor in a possible death sentence. Recommended.

G. Merritt

Gary is sorely missed. Almost no one saw it the way he did. I hope another comes along.

Gary Larson never ceases to amaze me. I've been a religious follower of The Far Side for as long as I can remember. I love the way he looks at the lighter side of life, yet some of the comics really hit home. My favourite still is the deer with the target as a birth mark! Go Larry - you're my super hero!

The Far Side Gallery is the first collection of Gary Larson's crazy comic strips featuring hordes of talking anthropomorphised fauna and fowl of all shapes and sizes.

These are generally very amusing, and generally very witty, and you are bound to get some fridge or door material out of one of these.

Some of my earliest memories are filled with reading The Far Side on my father's lap after the evening meal. Whenever I asked my parents for a one of the standard collections, they told me to wait, one day they would all be in one book. Then, for Christmas one year, I got this book.

What can I say, but thank you Mom and Dad and thank you Mr. Larson! The Far Side was, and still is, funny, original, and timeless. This collection gives you some of the best of the original strips and lends itself well to watching the progression of humor up and through until the end.

Larson's original gallery has so many classic Far Side cartoons that you can not justify not owning this sensational collection of his work. Larson may well have retired a while ago but the power of these works of brilliance to make the reader laugh will never fade. There have been many who have copied Larson's style but I have never come across anyone else who has even come close to achieving the quality of The Far Side.

Buy The Far Side Gallery along with its sequels, the original smaller books that make up these galleries are also great buys, along with the calendars and other merchandise. Larson's 2007 calendar gives all the proceeds to wildlife conservation (which obviously inspired a lot of his work) so get that too. You can never own enough of The Far Side.

In this volume (originally released in 1984) of the Gallery collections you will find such classic Far Sides as on Noah's Ark "Well that's it for the unicorns, from now on all the carnivores are confined to C Deck", the father being held up by his shirt collar by an invisible man with his son saying "BigBob is tired of you saying he doesn' exist, the smashed bottle falling from the clouds with humans running away with the word Uh-Oh! from the sky. The bears riding in the circus car saying "Looks Like a trap I said, nonsense no one would set a trap way out here in the woods you said...." The crocodiles on the river bank saying "That was incredible, no fur, claws, horns, antlers or nothing, just soft and pink" and of course the classic picture of dinosaurs smoking with the caption beneath "The Real Reason Dinosaurs Became Extinct" are just a small sample of the classic laughs within this sensational masterpiece.

Junie B books are awesome. I mean, just plain great. But Jingle Bells is so funny I had to stop reading it to my daughter five times because I was laughing so hard. Barbara P is an amazing author..

Of all the Junie B. Jones, she is my favorite in this one! My 7 year-old daughter and I talked about the story as it progressed and the choices Junie B. had to make. We both loved the story and she says to make sure I tell everyone she recommends it as well!

Thank you, Barbara Parks for letting America's favorite first grader learn a splendid Christmas lesson in Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (p.s. so does May.)!

Even at holiday time, Junie is up to her expected tricks, and there's an awful rivalry with Tattletale May. But, alls well that ends well, with tons of laughs on the way to a heartwarming ending.

Brava, Barbara Parks!

These books are Christmas gifts for our granddaughter. She loves thenm and I was pleased with the quick delivery of them from the vendor.

I have never seen my child go through a book this fast!!! We got it for him last night at about 6:00pm, and by 9:00am this morning he was like, "Wow, that was a great book!" He couldn't put it down. He read it at dinner last night, before he went to bed, when he woke up he immediately grabbed this book, he read it through breakfast, and he finished it in the car on our way to the store this morning. I am SHOCKED! All this from a kid who refuses to read anything for more than 20 minutes (which is the amount of time his teacher requires all the students to read their assigned books for homework). I'm buying him the Junie B. Dumb Bunny book for Christmas. It is the only other one rated 5 stars on this website.

If I read the book again I might be on the so called "right" track.
The book was given to me by a dear friend. I laughed and some
of the novel approach by King is undeniable. It is a journey
to the back roads of melancholy.

A very good read - very unflinching in terms of sexuality - quite bawdy in places.

What a trip! We just moved to the South a few years ago (First Atlanta, now the Delta), and I'm wishing someone had recommended this a while back. It helps with so many things! All the contradictions, the unexplained rules, the assumptions and the wacky productions...King helps it all make sense, with great humor and flair. If you enjoy this, I also recommend Gayden Metcalfe's books: Being Dead is No Excuse (about funerals in the South) and Somebody is Going to Die if Lily Beth Doesn't Catch that Bouquet (Southern weddings, obviously). Enjoy!

This book was delivered earlier than expected. I had read the hardback copy which I lost through loaning it. The book is about southerners and for an southerner, it explains all the people I have come to know.. I know every character described in the book.

This is my second reading of this book, separated by 15 years. I fondly remembered it as an hilarious work, yet this time halfway through I realized that I, and most of my family, lurk in the pages. We Southerners have families loaded with women who "go to pieces" and men who think they still live in the Middle Ages. We have legacies of spoiled, sassy belles and proud, wounded gallants still fighting the War Between the States. Sometimes we leave Mama's house shuttered for decades because "she never wanted her things disturbed". That which would cause hardly a concern in Omaha becomes a major issue in Richmond. Although the names change the cast is the same. It's all here, and none of it is made up-each character continues to thrive by the thousands in the South. If you want to understand Southerners you cannot just eat burgoo and wine jelly with custard-Southern Ladies and Gentlemen is a must for any true aficionado of this beautiful culture.

Okay, I would love to be corrected on this! I got this book, excited by the content and the reviews. But I discovered that the only credits were for those who put the book together. There was no listing of writer or artist for any of the stories. Did I complete miss this? Did I just not see it?

As something as a comics' history buff, this was really disappointing to see. After all the hard work that went in to put this together, why nothing to note who did which stories?

How can second-rate gory horror comics be so much fun? I reread THE ZOMBIE FACTORY three enjoyable times, and I still can figure it out!

If you enjoy violent and unsettling comics in the tradition of the legendary EC Comics, look no further. These classic 1960s' "wet" tales of undead rampages will surely satisfy your carnivorous comic book cravings.

THE ZOMBIE FACTORY, with its black-and-white retro horror comics, is a superb example of why the comic industry instated a Comic Code. Left to their own devices, it would have just been a matter of time before Bob Kane or Jack Cole had Batman or Plastic-Man disembowel or behead some hapless jewel thief. Fun, bloody, and a cool glimpse into a world of comics that might have been.

Crammed with all manners of undead evil, THE ZOMBIE FACTORY will most certainly delight the most discrimination horror comic reader with its tales of unbridled evil. My favorite story involves a nazi war criminal and a pair of gloves made from human skin.

Thurber's classic about growing up in Columbus, Ohio is laugh out loud funny, even 80 years removed. Talent like this is rare. He deserves his literary reputation.

James Thurber was one of the funiest authors of all time and this book cements his reputation. I enjoyed it many years ago and after re-reading it, I enjoyed it again.

Should be required reading for all folks of any age looking for an introduction to life in these United States, for those learning to overcome despair and disaster with humor and grace, for any and all learning the English language.

Thurber is a great favorite of mine, and this was another fun book to read.

Take your mind back half a century and read these mildly amusing essays about life in the 1920s and 1930s. The style is so different from modern prose, but it is well worth the read.

Fox captures a time and place that is so hard to replicate, Hollywood circa 2007. Buzzkill is a winner, I couldn't put it down. The characters are all people you know, even though you're not willing to admit it. The only thing better than who actually done it is how Fox gets there.

I've read tons of books in my day, so when a friend recommended Rob Fox's "Buzzkill" I felt obligated to at least skim through it. Well, I'm glad I did! This truly is a book I couldn't put down! As I entered the world Mr. Fox created...right here in my hometown...I couldn't stand to leave! I kept trying to figure out how this was going to turn out, and I was constantly wrong!
A real updated Hollywood Film Noir, with characters that jump off the page and a lead character you just cheer for the whole way. You might not want to live next door to these guys, but you'll be glad they do!
Thanks Mr. Fox for a terrific ride! I look forward to reading more of your work.

Buzzkill is an entertaining read, filled with bizarre characters and plot twists that are still somehow believable. Rob Fox's sharp wit and ironic observations of the Hollywood industry hit spot on. I especially enjoyed the hilarious and mocking physical descriptions of the characters.

Buzzkill by Rob Fox is smart, sexy, and funny. Fox's insider view of Hollywood is spot on. His characters are wonderful. Buzzkill is an entertaining book that makes you think!

"Buzzkill" is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud, dead on Tinsel Town murder mystery. Rob Fox's rich characters and frenetic pacing made it impossible to put it down until the very last page.

This one is perfect for reading out loud. The language doesn't condescend to children. The book is funny, funny, funny. We loved it at two, we love it at five, and when cousins come visit, they love it on up into the eights and tens. Of course, I love it, too.

The book is Amazing! Astounding! Perfectly written for reading out loud. Well illustrated. Engaging. And funny!

Enjoy it with your favorite people today!

Loved it loved it loved it....oh yeah and so did the kids. What a treasure to find a book that adults can enjoy as well as the kids. And the rhyming text makes it easy to read and attractive to listen to. Highly recommended.

She spoted it while walking around and had to have it. Says something for the art as she has not learned to read yet.

It's a cute little story about a mouse how makes up a terrible creature to scare off a fox, owl and snake. In turn his "fib" comes to visit him.

So far for two weeks I have had to read it everynight.

The author does a good job with her slight rhyming as I have noticed it helps my girl fall asleep especially when she really listening.

It is worth a read and I am going to look into the authors other works.

The Gruffalo is a delightfully irreverent story about a mouse and an imaginary monster, sure to please grown-ups as well as children. This is a case where you CAN judge the book by its humorous cover, and you won't be disappointed. Axel Scheffler's brightly colored and too-silly-to-be-really-scary illustrations set the tone for this light-hearted romp through multiple layers of comic irony; and Julia Donaldson's marvelous doggerel perfectly realizes the mouse's sprightly character.

It's much more than great fun, though. The Gruffalo also has tremendous resonance with familiar elements of Western culture. This is a story that Carl Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell all could love. It's a perfect little Hero's Journey: it's got "the deep dark wood," a confrontation with the Monster Within, and a victorious return to the ordinary world where a nut is good. Had this been a fable of Aesop, we could expect our hero to be eaten right in the middle, and we would be left with some such lesson as "Don't be too clever for your own good." Instead, our mythical mouse makes his Eternal Return bearing a subtle wisdom that echoes the teachings of the world's greatest mystics.

The very structure of the story is classic, reminiscent of the great repetitive folk tales, such as "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," "The Three Little Pigs," or "The Little Red Hen." The mouse's encounter with a dangerous predator is repeated with slight variation in the wording three times (yes, three times, as in three crows of a cock, three days in the belly of the fish, three temptations under a bo tree...) then, after a dramatic climax, the story works its way back with another set of three variations as the mouse retraces his steps on the path toward the real climax.

The Gruffalo's greatest fun for grown-ups comes from its heaps of irony. First, there's the expectation of an Aesopian fable. That expectation is thwarted. Second are the characters of the animals: they're all wrong. The mouse is not meek and fearful; he's bold and confident, a real smart aleck, in fact. Then the fierce predators turn out to be wimps. Not only that, these are the exact animals that always represent intelligence in Western folk literature -- the clever fox -- the wise owl -- the subtle snake. Here they are all outwitted by the least of animals. Third is the basic irony of the mouse's meeting with the gruffalo -- maybe the mouse is not so clever, after all. Fourth, the terrible monster.... Fifth, he went through all that for a nut. Sixth, that story was a profoundly archetypal tale in goofy rhyme, with cartoon pictures. Seventh, I actually wrote this review, and you actually read it. What's next? Am I going to tell you that Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm is a model for education reform? (well . . . yes!)

Finally, The Gruffalo really is a fun and loveable book. One of the best for sharing with your kids.

My cousin, a preschool teacher, bought this book for my 19 month old son. I thought it was probaby too old for him, and too scary for my 3 year old. How wrong I was! My son loves this book so much that he makes us read it to him at least half a dozen times daily! He walks around the house saying "Oh no! Guwwawoh!" My 3 year old loves it just as much, and the 2 of them jump out on one another screaming "I'm a Gruffalo" (Guwwawoh in the younger one's case).
We've had this book only 3 weeks and it's the biggest hit ever!

Needless to say, this FoxTrot comic book is very funny. Needless to say, if you are a fan of comic strips of any kind, I would quickly usher a large amount of FoxTrot books your way.

The outrageous series in this book include:
-Sportschatter vs. Duke Nukem
-Titanic Craze
-Valentine's Day
-Power shut-out
-gotee magic
-finals week (always a FoxTrot staple)
-BittyBaby Craze
-X-Men the movie
-Jasondows98
-Football training
-mutant zucchini
-Tomb Raider 2
-Babysitting (for Mrs. O'Dell)
-Airguana
-First day of school clothes
-The 97-panel comic
-How to promote your comic
-Wind essay
-POST-Halloween craze

Now, you SHOULD just be imagining in your head right now the funny twist that Bill Amend puts on these. If not, well, you should!!!

Great job Bill Amend, you rock!!!!

If you don't think that getting 369 good laughs for 10 bucks is a good deal, don't buy this.

Great book! One of the best, actually. As I said in my other Fox Trot review, I just can't get enough! I dread the day Bill Amend decides to retire. May that day never, ever come!

This book is must for your collection!

I have always enjoyed the Foxtrot series, and this collection is a wonderful addition. The strips are very timely, so the pure bite might have faded a bit -- for example, references to Tomb Raider and Titanic seem a little outdated now -- but they still have the power to make me laugh out loud. Seeing Andy surrounded by Kleenex and sobbing because "My Heart Will Go On" is on the radio still makes me crack up!

Another winner from Bill Amend. Enjoy!

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.