Parody Books

Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book

You will love this book; rather far out fantasy art, thinking. I cannot wait to read the other Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy books.

Like collectors of pressed flowers, this book presents itself as a collection of "pressed fairies". Very creative, completed in watercolours, this book is wonderful to view and certainly worth owning. The art is fantastic, a must of lovers of art and lovers of fairies, not to mention those prone to flights of fancy.
The book is wonderfully presented, with a large soft padded cover it is both beautiful inside and out. Makes a great gift too!

A "must have" for children and for those young at heart...very creative, thoughtfull, funny and charming...sure to make anyone smile!

I don't know, I usually love books about fairies, as a matter of fact I collect them, but this is definatley not my favorite book about fairies. I think the plot is kind of sick, but I must say the illustrations are amazing. I enjoyed when the narrator was young, but once she got older the book turned form cute and gross to just plain gross.

"Pressed Fairy Book? What the...?" This was my initial reaction when I first laid eyes on this crazy book when I worked at B. Dalton a few years back. The title itself is enough to immediately draw your attention, "Pressed Fairy Book." It sparks your curiosity doesn't it?
This book is filled from cover to cover of beautifully drawn illustrations of smashed fairies, sounds a bit morbid but I assure you there were no fairies intentionally harmed, I'd rather say the fairies were all voluntarily smashed. This book starts out like a journal of a little girl written in that sloppy writing we all had at seven years old. The little girl explains how as she was sitting in her garden writing in her journal she has these bugs (which she later found out were fairies) flying all around her head and she used her book to smash one and oops! It was a fairy, but oddly the fairy was making faces as it was smashed in her book, almost like it though it to be fun or a game. Through out the years the little girl collects any fairy she runs across in her book; catch many different varieties of fairies.
This book has throughout the years been my favorite book, and I often give it as a Christmas gift because it is most decorative and amusing for everyone who lays their eyes on it. This book is exceptionally rare and becoming increasingly hard to




Find at many book stores, which is an even better reason to give this as a gift to the art or fairy lover in your family. It serves as a great coffee table book and will entertain even the grumpiest of in-laws visiting your home. I give this book a rating of Five Stars in illustrations, four stars in story line, and Three stars in availability. I recommend this book for all ages, and highly recommend this book as a gift. You can find this book at WWW.AMAZON.COM . This book price ranges from $[...] - $[...], there are also many alternatives to the book its self there is a calendar, pocket book and a new version of this book called "Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters" which gives you additional hilarious illustrations of smashed fairies. This author and illustrator really know how to put a smile on anyone's face.


Overall rating: 5 stars
Based on 5 star rating scale

"Dave Barry Does Japan" is funny. I caught myself laughing out loud. Dave's approach tells a lot about Japan from an American perspective, though I am not sure I'd recommend it to my Japanese friends. It is a little irreverent.

I'm not a big book-reader, and I never thought a book could be laugh out loud funny until I found Dave Barry. You'll find yourself bursting out with laughter... and then realizing that everyone around you is staring at you, wondering what was is so funny.

One of the best Dave Barry books, and one of the funniest books ever. Short, but amazing. I know nothing about Japan and I'm not planning on going there ever, but it was just great. As with most Dave Barry books, what you'll actually learn from the book is pretty limited.

I also recommend Dave Barry's greatest hits, a compilation of his best articles that he's written for the Miami Herald.

I got this as an audiobook for a long drive (South Florida to MD) and it was an excellent choice. Some 'place-related' humor can only be appreciated if you have traveled to that place... but Dave Barry's stories of unfamiliar foods and trying to find an address in a city with no street names... those were stand-alone hilarious! I only wish that parts of it did not have "R-rated" language, because I would love to share it with my sons. If you like Dave Barry's style of humor, you will not be disappointed.

... but at least he admits he's being lazy!

Dave Barry has always struck me as the 'guy' version of Erma Bombeck. You always know when the twist / joke is coming, and a little goes a long way.

If you've ever lived in Japan, like I have, you will find this a bit too light. It was good for a giggle, but that's all. Nothing to take too seriously. I think I finished it in a day or two.

My cousin was feeling down after a house fire, and requested this book. It was her first good laugh in a long time. Well worth the money!

I laughed at this book..it has the biting sarcasm that Jimmy Fallon is really good at, that not everyone understands. I liked a lot of the phrases in here..but I wish it was longer. The pages have about one sentence per page..so the price is kind of high for it. (I still bought it...but..) this is a book mainly for the fans-or someone who wants a quick laugh. If you don't like Jimmy..save your money.

Totally not worth the money. The book is marginally amusing and not worth even the two minutes it takes to read through it. Save your money or buy it for a dime at my next garage sale.

Seriously, somebody is padding these reviews, because there is no way that anybody in their right mind would be happy about paying $8+ for this book.
I adore Jimmy Fallon, so I really wanted to like this book, but it's just a completely unfunny version of Jack Handy's thoughts. At half the price, I might have given it 2 stars.

This was a great book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Jimmy Fallon. I love his style of humor and it is evident on every hilarious page. I just wish the book was longer!

I purchased this book to use as a prize for actors at our Haunted House. It was perfect for all ages.

We gave this as a gift to a family member who is a therapist. He absolutely loved it. We sat around and looked at it together and got lots of laughs out of it. The unique perspective of the artist, portraying anything from clowns to germy bathrooms (don't worry, the toilet isn't TOOOO gross if you know what I mean....) There is one page that makes you feel as if you are standing on top of a very tall building........it's very macabre, very hilarious, very intelligent, and yet not the least bit disrespectful of those who actually have the fears. There's one that opens up to a microphone and an audience all staring at you. On the podium is a "to do" list that has everything checked off EXCEPT "write speech." Absolutely hilarious. A must-give gift for anyone you know in the psych. profession.

This book is a lot of fun! It's short but entertaining and the spider one really creeped me out!

The work is not as clever as one might expect. If you are a pop up fan this one will not impress you with the engineering. The artwork is not very clever either. I love pop up books and regret spending the money for this one

This book is really cool. That's the best way to describe it, I think. The images are clear and the pop-ups are fairly intricate. I really enjoyed the interpretations of the phobias.

I did not like the quality of the construction of the book, however. The brand new copy I purchased began to fall apart during the first reading. The binding is not very good and the cleverly done pop-ups simply won't hold up with any sort of regular use. I was also disappointed that the book was so short.

In the end, the book was nifty and makes a good gift. Just don't expect it to last.

Hmmm. I'm not a Sci Fi fan, but this mixed up world of iconic fairy tale characters hooked me. The tone is breezy and friendly. The writing, in some spots, seemed a little rough and in need of editing, but overall this came across as quite fresh.

This seems... a rather fractured fairytale, meaning one that simply isn't the norm. It is nice to have a fresh approach to the genre, to be sure. Jack is a far from conventional hero. May is a far from conventional princess, and everything else...well, it's not exactly classic convention either.
I'm not sure how old Jack is, but his attitude does suggest he's probably in his teen years... along with the fact that he goes for a teenage "princess". "Stupid fake troll. At least the fake dragon had the decency to miss," seems to very much convey Jack's mentality on the whole fairytale business, which he apparently is rather fed up with.
May, the princess of sorts, seems to fit into his mentality rather well, being relatively clueless about this... backwards era and acting a bit on the spoiled side, though that could be more that she's been completely thrown out of her element.
Overall, the prose is engaging, if not a bit cynical. It could easily be placed at a young adult reading level but could probably also be enjoyed by a younger audience. There are a few grammatical flaws that can easily be remedied. Overall, if the text stays consistent to style and voice, the story should prove to be a good one and will likely go well in the young adult markets.

This is a clever start to a story, one that draws you in and then moves along quickly. The dialogue flowed easily, and I loved the references to fairy tales. Jack's character is well developed, and I'm already rooting for him to have a fairy tale ending with the princess. I hope the rest of the book is as charming and engaging as these first two chapters!

How can a fractured fairy tale fan pass up a first line like this? Our hero is fighting fake dragons and fake trolls--oh yeah, and "Snow White" turns out to be a boy!

Oh--it's class and Jack just failed his test. It seems being a hero is the only option for the son of a criminal:

"If you were a girl, at least a prince might come along and rescue you. Almost every girl in the village has a royal husband at this point. But as a boy, you're not going to get anywhere in life if you can't rescue a princess or slay a dragon."

Jack's more than a reluctant hero, he's pretty skeptical there are any princesses around. Furthermore, he suspects royal families have fixed matters so peasants don't have the easy entree to their daughters they used to. His Grandfather's still going to kick him out and send him on an adventure--he's way past overdue...

This excerpt is just one great laugh after another. Not only is Jack a snarky kid, his Grandfather's a hoot. When their adventure appears literally out of thin air, they've both got a stake--because the young "Punk Princess" has a Grandmother who's been abducted.

James Riley's got a great flair for the comedic and he keeps the good lines coming. His characters are interesting and sympathetic--if a bit clueless. The premise is one I'd read and probably pass along to a young adult as well. I really hope Ace or Baen picks this excerpt up. It's got a lot of a potential and is definitely a day brightener.

What a fun fractured fairy tale! Damsel in distress rescuing tests, all available princesses married off, Tinkerbell-like fairies, girls falling from the sky...what more could you ask for?

I found this to be a very fun and enjoyable read. The easy style and comfortable prose enhance the humor and irreverence of this excerpt. The fast paced action and plot twists take off running right from the start, completely charming the reader. The characters are quickly, yet thoroughly, developed. They are quirky, amusing, and quite unique. Another reason to want more. I hope to see the full novel, soon!

The Devil's Dictionary / 0-19-512627-0

DICTIONARY, n. A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.

This "dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce is witty, scathing, and totally hilarious. In his characteristic style, he dishes out his contempt and distaste for those societal norms which he sees as foolish, hypocritical, and dangerous. This is not a book to read, but - truly - a dictionary to reference whenever the mood takes. The aphorisms ring true, even today, and the only real complaint is that we would wish for so much more - the dictionary is "only" 219 pages long, and while that is quiet a fair lot of words, oh, we wish he could have left us even more...

A GREAT read! Just open the book anywhere and peruse the definitions. Bierce is satirical and puts his finger right on the nub of the thing!

Ambrose Bierce obviously had some fun at the expense of his fellow 19th century Americans with the cynical and sarirical word entries in his wicked dictionary.

Also known as "The Cynic's Workbook" this collection is classic and belongs in any library. Ambrose Bierce, like Mark Twain and few other of his contempories, had a biting wit that always left a mark.
Here is just a taste of his humor.

Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Eulogy. Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.

The large font is a plus in this book. Good illustrations.

Good good stuff.

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If you, from time-to-time, need a little whimsy in your day; a little humor to add a smile when else it would not shine, then open to any page and read at will. You will be rewarded with a chuckle and perhaps a laugh and perhaps a new perspective on the word you just learned.

If you think you have a potent vocabulary, read this book; because you will get the most from it. These definitions, while not literal, are in fact most accurate and as it seems, timeless.

It must have been a great privilege to know and converse with such a man as Ambrose Bierce.

I can't believe that they made a movie out of this but there you go. It's a funny, cute book that is actually pretty well written for what it is. The drawings are naive but very effective. I enjoyed it a lot and congratulate the authors on their success.

I don't understand the hype from the other reviews. Am I reading the same book - I found it a bit of a yawn that thankfully didn't take very long to read (15 minutes)? And I didn't laugh once. I just don't get it. But I loved the movie.

A short read, but well worth the money in re-reads and showing to friends. This book had me laughing when I viewed it in the store and still does today. The insane behavior described from the girl, coupled with the goofy stick-figure pictures, make this book a joy to read. I think Day Two is my favorite: "If you think it's time, tell him you love him." Sheesh ...

Not a serious dating guide, but a good way to laugh at yourself. Or your crazy friends/relatives. (My Mom still says stalking a guy at a gym is a good idea).

Wow, reading this is like looking in a mirror. It's all YOU! My boyfriend and I both loved it, and that's a pretty impressive statement. (And yes, I told him he reminded me of my father. Ugh!!)
I also recommed NO ONE'S EVEN BLEEDING & DELANO for lots of laughs.

This book is an illustrated manual of how to drive a man away from a newly formed relationship. It presents a list of tried and terrible actions that are guaranteed to make a man think twice before calling again- -do too many of these things, and the guy may quickly do something desperate like sign a two-year contract to work in Mongolia just to get away. The book includes suggestions ranging from calling the guy frequently when he's not home and not leaving a message on the machine, to spraying perfume on his pillow, as well as some other stuff that can't be described in detail on Amazon. The book is definitely good for a few laughs, but if you find your life story contained on more than a few of its pages, it's time to start working on a different approach.

His other text-heavy books are much better; this one felt either too mean spirited or too forced.

The book has great ideas to keep you happy at work, at the expense of others. Adams gives his justification for why you need to be happier at work, and flashes a glimpse of that cynicism many white collar workers share when working for a big corporation. One of my favorite parts of the book was his explanation for what makes things funny, the 2 of 6 rule. If you have any interest being funny, it's a helpful recipe for concocting humor that I found to be helpful and accurate.

Very funny and comprehensive collection of interesting and amusing commentaries, observations, cartoons, emails and evil take-over-the-world plans! Great for lightening your heart if you're in a high pressure job. I loved this book. Even bought it for friends.

I usually prefer the Dilbert strips by themselves, as opposed to a book containing strips and Adams' commentary. However, this one was funny. Adams' chapter on "Office Pranks" had me in stitches!

This book, by the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, offers tips on surviving the workday. The author includes mischievous stories from other professionals as well as some of his own. The book is an entertaining look at overcoming workplace stress and still funny five years after publication.

These stories generally lack Kightlinger's sarcasm and bite, with the exception of the discussion on the items left in grandmother's casket. Her frankness and lonliness still make the stories a good read. It was not all that funny like I was expecting it to be.

I enjoy Laura's standup but the book was classified as a comedy and I think I laughed only once while reading the book. Dark humor is something I'm quite found of and I'm a huge fan of movies like the Royal Tenebaums which is why I've been drawn to Laura. (Not to mention she's unnecessarily attractive) The book is depressing and even though I found her teen years interesting, it was harder to identify with her being male. I was also disappointed with Laura's ability to see life so one dimensionally, I understand she's been through a lot, but then so has everyone! I wanted to just give her a hug and so life isn't so bad, or good, its just life. I'd recommend this book to my cynical female friends who enjoy dark humor, that's about it.

This book is one of the worst I've read. Can't believe my friend convinced me to waste my money on this.

She's honest? Right. That's what she wants you to think. Try unconvincingly cynical in the most brattiest possible way. Go spend your money on something that's actually worth it. Like Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Great book! A seminal work by a first-time author. Plus, I loved Laura in "Mulholland Drive," but she needs to know that she doesn't have to take her shirt off if she wants to get movie parts.

Laura Kightlinger, like no one else, finds the humor in some of life's darkest most awkward moments! I laughed out loud. For that matter, I cried out loud! Looking forward to more from this talented woman!

Simply put, the book is filled with excellent methods for creating comedy. If you do not have strong comedic instinct, your results will be formulaic. The author comes from a background of cheap laughs and sitcoms like Married With Children. The jokes inside are corny at best. While Vorhaus isn't particularly funny himself, he does have a good eye for what makes a joke funny. If you have a facility towards joke writing, this book will help you perfect your art; but don't look for laughs inside the book because they just aren't there.

I am a pro comedian and I am about halfway through the book and I am finding it very useful in developing new material. You won't be disapointed with this one.

Practically worthless. Boring. The old 1 in 20 ideas you brainstorm is worth using trick, is the only worthwhile thing you learn. Now that you've read read about the trick, you don't have to buy this boring book that isn't funny.

The title doesn't really explain what this is. I was expecting more tools and methods for stand-up comedy. However, this is for scripting and writing shows, movies, screenplays, novels. The method breaks down into the simplest elements, giving the reader lots of great tools for building humorous stories. The writing style is direct and clear.

I have read probably 40 books on writing, structure, characterization, etc and this book is one of the best. Why? Because by virtue of outlining a comic character he gives writers a basis for not only brilliant character developments but excellent plot structure that characters can grow in. There are all sorts of great little snippets of advice that can be considered life changing, or at least they will change your writing life. To boot, he gives excellent advice on how to be funny that I have used with excellent results. If you are a writer then you absolutely need to read this book - it changed everything for me. Buy it! Buy it now! Quit reading this review and buy the darn book!