Imagine having a French instructor throw chalk at you, because you failed to assign a French word the appropriate gender. Or, picture your career in performance art ending the day your drug dealer enters rehab. If you can envision these situations then you are ready for David Sedaris' latest offering. Sedaris paints a wickedly funny portrayal of his experiences in Raleigh, New York and Paris, as well as some offbeat situations involving his family. Most of the essays deal with Sedaris' father, including an especially hilarious one, where Sedaris' sister dons a "fatty suit" and nearly gives her father a heart attack while visiting him for the holidays. The rest of the book is equally engaging and if you want a book that is guaranteed to keep you in stitches--then this is the one!

Reviewed by LaJuan P., University City Regional

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What would you do for love? One man built the Taj Mahal, and Wally Chubb ate a 747 that crash landed in his cornfield. The book begins when J.J. Smith, the Keeper of the Records for the Book of Records, arrives in Superior, Nebraska to verify the feat. J.J. Smith believes everything is quantifiable - the tallest building, the longest jump, love, attractiveness - the book has a formula for everything. Willa, the town journalist and object of Wally's affection, is skeptical about the newcomer but quickly becomes entangled with him. The story is quirky, funny, and touches someplace deep. The Man Who Ate the 747 is an engaging novel that stays with the reader like a treasured memory.

Reviewed by Diana S., Main Library

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Janet Evanovich has scored again with her newest Four to Score. Stephanie Plum, a New Jersey bail bondswoman, is tracking Maxine Norwicki, who failed to appear in court on a car-theft charge by her ex-boyfriend. Now the ex-boyfriend is interested in getting back love letters he supposedly wrote to Maxine. But why do Maxine’s friends keep turning up dead or mutilated? And why were Stephanie’s apartment and car blown up? All the familiar, quirky characters are here: Sally Sweet, a cross-dressing drag queen; Lula, the 250-pound ex-hooker who works for Stephanie’s cousin ,Vinnie; and Grandma Mazur, who packs a Glock and is always looking for a little action. Another funny romp through the underside of Trenton as only Evanowich can provide.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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Love the Stephanie Plum series! If you like quirky humor with mystery, heated moments and a little romance, you will love these books as well!
-Amanda, Charlotte, NC

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This first novel is often poignant and funny at the same time. As William Bloom sits beside his father, Edward, as he is dying, William tries to remember the father he hardly knew. Since William didn`t know his father, he created an image from memory that was bigger than life. Edward Bloom became a man of myth. Edward was born the driest summer in Alabama in forty years. And on the day he was born, it rained. This is how the myth began and lasted a lifetime. An original told by a storyteller in short, fun-to-read vignettes.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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Toole won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his creation of one of the most unforgettable characters ever to grace American literature-- the majestic Ignatius J. Reilly. Misunderstood genius, trapped in a gargantuan body and forced to live among the commoner denizens of New Orleans' French Quarter, Reilly is a study in Rabelaisian grotesque realism: sad, but hilarious, protesting loudly but strangely festive... serene in his self-righteousness and outrageous egotism. Characterization and dialogue alone are worth the reading. And old hot dog carts-- especially those in the shape of the frankfurter-- will never again seem the same.

Reviewed by Jim B., Main Library

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Victor's legs kick the chair out and he bolts upright. His hands fly to his neck where the spidery veins have begun to stand out. Victor’s frightened eyes bulge wide and white. His reddened face, twists, his lips turn a pale blue from lack of oxygen. The tiniest river of spit is winding down his chin and Victor knows that, just like always, a hero will soon be standing behind him trying to make him breathe again. Victor's faking it. He pretends to choke in restaurants a couple of times a week for food, for money, for attention. Palahniuk's themes of addiction, codependency, the illusions of heroism, and the power one wields as a victim dart and cross throughout the novel until they smack together in a beautiful mess at the end. ______________________________

Reviewed by James K., Freedom Regional

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You know Bob Dole - the very serious looking 1996 Presidential candidate known for referring to himself in the third person? Well, it turns out that he's got a great sense of humor. Unlike most unsuccessful Presidential candidates, who tend to fade away, Senator Dole hit the talk show circuit, appeared in advertisements, and began compiling anecdotes for Great Political Wit, a completely bi-partisan look at the wit and wisdom of politicians, and a great book for raising your spirits on a rainy day.

Reviewed by Ruth H., North County Regional

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"How are my tech stocks doing?" "Is my parka ergonomically engineered?" "Should I get a latte or a frappucino?" These are the important questions in life, at least for the newest creature to the urban jungle. David Brooks tells us how America's youngest elite has united intellect and profit, becoming bourgeois bohemians: Bobos. Brooks guides us through the changes from 1950's Aristocracy to 1990's Meritocracy, where status is based on achievement. A sensitive social critic and self-professed Bobo, Brooks' writing is humorous and refreshingly honest.

Reviewed by Kjersti K., Mint Hill Branch

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If you like the essays of David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell, then quick, drop what you're doing and read Fraud. David Rakoff, like Sedaris and Vowell, is a contributor to National Public Radio's "This American Life" and this collection, his first, is full of the honest, irreverent commentary that the show is known for. Whether he is working on a kibbutz, attending a Buddhist retreat led by Steven Segal, or even recounting his battle with Hodgkin's disease, you will laugh with and at the author as he finds funny in these situations and others. Rakoff's dark humor strips the everyday of its pretensions and, thankfully, we get to stand pointing and giggling at what he finds.

Reviewed by James K., Freedom Regional

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Katie’s husband, David, has an epiphany after a visit with an alternative healer. According to David, the family has to take steps to help those in need. David and the healer, named GoodNews, begin organizing the neighborhood to take in homeless people. The author effectively shows the variety of concerns and attitudes encountered when attempting to be altruistic. We might recognize ourselves or others in Katie’s response, “I don’t mind you worrying. You can worry yourself sick. It’s trying to do something about it that’s causing all the problems.” The characters’ intentional and unintentional humor help lighten the Carr family’s quest for deeper understanding of being good.

Reviewed by Mel B., North County Regional

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If you've ever fantasized about living the glamorous life of a chauffeured, pampered Manhattan socialite, read this book. The privileged status is not as effortless as it appears to outsiders. To make ends meet, Nanny, a young woman trying to graduate from NYU, accepts caregiver responsibilities for four-year-old Greyer X. A tale of true insanity follows. Mrs. X is a control freak, does no work of any kind and has no patience, time or apparent love for her only son. Mr. X works furiously and endlessly when not busy with an extra marital affair. Nanny manages to hang on by clinging to her integrity, her real affection for her charge and her well-developed sense of humor. This novel, packed with laughs offset by poignant satirical moments, is great entertainment!

Reviewed by Susan C., Independence Regional

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So just when you knew all there was about the neauveau riche and the upscale bourgeousie, along come McLaughin & Kraus, with their hilarious, tongue-in-cheek, yet devastating attack on Nannydom in the Upper East Side...Written from the perspective of a 20-something unemployed NYU student, it is a riproaring ride into a world alien to the rest of us, and makes servitude for the wealthy look like just one step down from your worst nightmare.
-Rosanne, Matthews , NC

A riproaring ride into a world alien to the rest of us. It makes servitude for the wealthy look like just one step down from your worst nightmare.
-Rosanne, Matthews, NC

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Book-banners and would-be moral authorities will have a field day with this one; though, in reality, it is as reverent as any serious treatise on the subject. It is also laugh-out-loud funny -- a quality it shares with most of this author's work: Christopher Moore is one of the funniest writers in America today. Biff, who tagged along with his friend Joshua bar Joseph on the mind-expanding wanderings through Buddhist and Hindu culture that occupied the famous gap left by the Gospels, is raised from the dead to record a new Gospel. He tells the story of the missing years in his own wisecracking, Jewish humor one-liner way.

Reviewed by Jim B., Main Library

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Kotzwinkle's hero is an affable bear who moseys out of the Maine woods and finds a manuscript under a tree, where it's been hidden by a disillusioned English professor. The bear takes the briefcase, reads the novel and loves it. He steals a suit of clothes and acquires the name Hal Jam. He sets off to the city to find an agent and a publisher. Hal Jam gets all these in short time, along with a place on the bestseller list, movie deals and a talk-show. The character development is wonderful and the integration of satire is seamless. If you are in the mood for a hearty laugh at society, this book is for you.

Reviewed by Laura S., Scaleybark Branch

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As part of her divorce settlement Eloise “Weezie” Foley lives in the carriage house back of the townhouse she once shared with her ex-husband. He now shares the house with Caroline de Santos, the reason for the divorce. Weezie is a “picker,” she scavenges other people’s junk for cast-off things to sell. Just when she thinks life can’t get any worse, she is accused of murdering Caroline; she also discovers that her mother is a full-blown alcoholic, her beloved Uncle James is gay, and Lewis Hargeaves, the best known antique dealer in Savannah is making and selling copies of antiques. Then there are the ups and downs with a hunky ex-boyfriend. This is a laugh out loud novel with a bevy of eccentric characters with everyday problems.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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Opening with a quote from Albert Einstein, “Only two things are infinite – the universe and human stupidity and I’m not sure about the universe,” Wendy Northcutt takes a whimsical look at the potential for humanity to do the “Utterly Stupid.” But wait! Her criticism extends not only to humans, but to animals as well – stupid lemmings, for instance, who commit mass suicide by racing off a cliff, when their population pool becomes overabundant. Or, how about the man who wanted to clean out the barrel of his shotgun and, using his cigarette lighter, peered into the chamber? Or the guy in Texas who wanted to discover what was wrong with his truck, so he hung tightly under the chassis while his friend drove, got his clothes entangled, and… Sad, true, funny, and astounding, you will either laugh or cry. “Sublimely idiotic!”

Reviewed by Rosanne L., Matthews Branch

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Boyce 'Shameless' Baylor is the foremost trial lawyer in the country and he has been called to defend Elizabeth 'Lady Bethmac' McMann for murdering her husband. Her husband happens to be the president of the United States and he was killed with a blow to the head with a silver Paul Revere spittoon during a heated argument after a tryst in the Lincoln bedroom. Boyce and Elizabeth had been engaged twenty-five years ago, before she dumped him to marry Ken McMann, the All-American military hero and future president. Shortly after the wedding, she discovered Ken had and continued to have fidelity problems. The tactics used by 'Shameless' are grounds for disbarment and could result in prison time. A hilarious page-turner with a surprise ending.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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The color of politics in Florida is “orange crush.” Marlon Conrad had been groomed for the Florida governorship and was a shoo-in until he was shipped to the Balkans where he underwent a conversion and developed a conscience. After returning to the United States, he bolts from his handlers, buys an orange RV and begins to campaign in earnest. He even begins to read! His party and the GOP political machine want him stopped, but he continues his pilgrimage down Highway 1 stopping at retirement centers and former tourist attractions. His entourage includes a speechwriter with amnesia and a chief of staff who loses the power of speech in front of minorities. A funnier, quirkier bunch of characters you would never hope to meet.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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Travel writer/adventurer Bill Bryson takes the reader on a humorous hike along the Appalachian Trail in his book, A Walk in the Woods. Setting out in North Georgia and hiking through North Carolina and Virginia, Bryson’s account is full of laugh-out-loud observations on hiking, the Trail, and the people he encounters along the way. Written from the perspective of a casual, weekend hiker, A Walk in the Woods will educate and amuse anyone from the armchair adventurer to the rugged outdoorsy-type. In fact, after reading the book, don’t be too surprised to find yourself driving west, in search of your own adventures on the AT.

Reviewed by David S., University City Regional

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After undertaker Hitchcock Sewell visits an old flame who has moved back to Baltimore he doesn’t have time to attend to business. He’s too busy with a murder, a suicide, a chef named Faith, and The Association for Respect and Kindness (ARK), a religious group with ulterior motives, but once in awhile he has time to walk his dog. Other distractions include Hitch’s artsy ex-wife and best friend Julia and her current love interest reporter, Nick Fallon. Hitch’s sidekick is Pete Munger, a crotchety ex-cop who can’t decide whether or not to become involved in an extra-martial affair. A fun group of characters not unlike those created by Janet Evanovich and just as much fun.

Reviewed by Natalie M., Morrison Regional

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Molly Moon has had a rough life as an orphan at Hardwick House. She is not well-liked. Rocky is her only friend, and even their friendship isn't going so well, especially when Rocky's new adoptive parents take him away. Molly's hopes begin to rise when she finds a book on hypnotism at her local library. Before long, Molly has hypnotized her way to New York City, living in a posh hotel and starring in a musical on Broadway. But Professor Nockman is hot on her trail and determined to get the book and use Molly's talents to commit a crime. Can Molly hypnotize her way out of trouble and find true happiness? Take a chance and join Molly on her whirlwind adventure, filled with laughter, tears, hope, and suspense.

Reviewed by Christine B., South County Regional

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Reader's comments about this book

This book is so hypnotizing!
-Sylvia, San Jose, California

This is a "must read book"!! It is really good!
-Marie Burelle, Cairo, Egypt

This book is sooooo cool...you MUST read it!!!!
-Melanie, HK

You should read this one. It's pretty good with only one main adventure and it's not too confussing. I'm pretty sure you would like it because it's really funny, it'll get some kicks out of you. And some parts were actualy scary.
-Em, London

This book is a real page turner.
-carolina, nyc,ny

I LOVE this book; it is so good because it is like you are really there and you really know her. I think that Georgia Byng is a great writer and ALL her books should win a GOLD MEDAL. I would love to meet Georgia if I could!
-stephanie, oh cincinnati

IT'S A MUST READ!!!
-REBECCA, Charlotte,NC

I LOVE IT!!!!!
-Ava, Michigan

I think it`s incredible and you can actually learn good lessons from it!
-Melissa, Cape Town, South Africa

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Nan Graham, Wilmington resident, English scholar, and public radio commentator for WHQR, has entertained public radio fans since the mid-nineties with her insightful voyages into the Southern psyche. This collection of essays originated as radio commentaries and runs the gamut of personal reminiscences from her World War II era childhood to the millenium. Join Ms. Graham as she takes you on a tour of her sometimes eccentric, sometimes macabre, but always humorous South. Prepare for major laugh attacks when you read about the 1958 Azalea Festival, the Christmas creche with 2 Marys & too many Wise Men, the sheep that crashed a birthday party, faux Elvis in Mississippi, the giant chainsaw-carved chicken, the Rodin gift shop, and breakfasting with heavily-morphined husband Ernie.

Reviewed by Susanne W., South County Regional

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Patriots come in all shapes and sizes. Whether the word patriot evokes a Colonial horseback rider, or a burly 21st century guy from Flint--and whether or not you agree with their positions--one thing remains the same: these men loved (and love) their country. Michael Moore contrasts the political ideals of the Founding Fathers with facts regarding the current state of affairs in the United States, with passion, engaging wit, and well-researched detail. His central concern is the questionable tallying of the 2000 U.S. election results, and the long-term implications that this event will have on free elections in this country, among other things, like democracy, the economy, international affairs, the environment, etc. Read Moore’s entertaining, yet sobering, research, and decide for yourself.

Reviewed by Lydia L., Main Library

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Augusten Burroughs’ dark and disturbing memoir chronicles his tumultuous teenage years. It begins at the age of 12 when his mentally disturbed mother sends him off to live with her half-baked psychiatrist who runs a mental home out of his squalor filled Victorian mansion. It’s in the psychiatrist’s home where “no rule” is the only rule. It’s also where Burroughs is exposed to situations that may seem unfathomable to most. This includes maintaining a running supply of Valium and other narcotics, while also taking on a male lover – twenty years his senior. However, Burroughs’ morbid sense of humor keeps the reader engaged in this otherwise troubling coming of age story. This beautifully written, though disconcerting, story is highly recommended for readers who like their literature on the darker side.

Reviewed by LaJuan P., University City Regional

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Burroughs, whose first memoir Running with Scissors hilariously detailed his teenage years in an emotionally and sexually abusive family, returns with a second installment that chronicles his adult years. Now a New York City ad executive, his excessive drinking has become so problematic that his company forces him to clean up his act and he consequently undergoes treatment at a gay rehab in Minnesota. He then moves back to Manhattan to try and resume a normal life - without alcohol. Burroughs, who now writes for Details magazine, still provides plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in his latest effort. But he also attempts to make sense of his dysfunctional past, while simultaneously struggling with a hectic job and unhealthy personal relationships that continue to challenge his sobriety. Anyone who enjoyed Burroughs' brash writing style in Scissors should give this one a try too!

Reviewed by LaJuan P., University City Regional

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The personal, often confessional, style that made Klosterman’s first book so much fun returns in full force in his latest collection of essays. He analyzes the formative effects of the Star Wars movies on Generation X, explains how “What is reality?” has become “the only relevant question available to modern filmmakers,” and shows how “the Lakers-Celtics rivalry represents absolutely everything: race, religion, politics, mathematics…. It emerges from nothingness to design nature, just as Gerald Henderson emerged from nothingness to steal James Worthy’s errant inbound pass in game two of the 1983 finals.” Klosterman invariably returns to music for his most substantial (and funniest) discussions or even just the offhand simile, as when in describing the end of The Empire Strikes Back, he comments that Darth Vader beat Luke Skywalker “the way Ike used to beat Tina.”

Reviewed by Robert S., Matthews Branch

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On New Year’s Eve, four persons (an obscenity-spewing teen, a scandal-ridden celebrity, a musician without a band, and a mother living a sheltered life) separately decide to jump from a London rooftop, a famous suicide destination. Upon meeting each other, they postpone jumping, and this motley crew forms an alliance, facing their demons together. Told from each of these characters’ points of view, the book and its author adeptly address serious issues with much humor and sympathy.

Reviewed by Heidi F., North County Regional

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Told from the viewpoints of its four main characters, Election is a novel about three campaigns for school president and the history and social studies teacher, Mr. Mcallister, who oversees the election. Tracy Flick, one of those overly-driven students, is banking on being school president so she can pad her resume for college and further her dreams of a political career. Tracy doesn’t want to win this election, she has to win it. Mcallister doesn’t like Tracy all too much and convinces a popular athlete, Paul, to run against her. Paul’s sophomore sister decides to run also because Paul is dating her ex-girlfriend. She runs as the anti-candidate and is threatening to win the election much to the horror of the school’s administration. Perrotta weaves the stories of these four into a fast-paced humorous novel that is not without its poignant moments.

Reviewed by Ed M., Morrison Regional

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Bill Maher is being facetious of course; he is anything BUT polite or timid. In his new book, the pure, unadulterated Maher is unleashed! Free from the restraints of censors, he zaps just about everyone with his own zany mix of brashness, put-downs, hilarity, and one word zingers. His favorites are the Republicans and conservatives - no surprise from this liberal comic - but he gives the Democrats a few whallops for good measure, along with certain parts of the country, politics, religion, marriage, sex, dating, husbands, wives, and well...just about everything! Here's his New Rule for women: "Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows. Do you have two of them? Okay, we're done." You are either going to laugh hysterically, or you will put it back on the shelf. For Maher fans, it's a blue streak scream.

Reviewed by Rosanne L., Matthews Branch

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Jon Stewart of Comedy Channel's Daily Show, which has often featured Lewis Black, believes that Black is the only person he knows who can scream at you from the printed page. It's true: he can - though perhaps not as loudly to people who have never seen his frenetic act. Indeed, nothing is sacred when Black launches himself into one of his hilarious diatribes. And nothing is safe from his withering rage, from religion of all sects to politics of all stripes. In this brief autobiography covering his college days and early career, he proves himself as entertaining in print as he is on the tube. Here are some of the funniest tales of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll ever told.

Reviewed by Jim B., Main Library

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If any U.S. newspaper reader happened to forget about this nation's participation in the Iraq War, then they surely have skipped reading the Doonesbury comic strip. In a continuing story line, long-time series character B.D. is wounded in the Iraq War and is shipped home to recover after losing his left leg from an RPG blast to his Humvee. G.B. Trudeau's slim volume is a worthwhile read – or re-read – of a soldier's experience in rehab and particularly in the real life Fisher House, a foundation where the military families are housed close to their injured family member receiving medical care. The comics stay apolitical and a foreword provided by Senator John McCain in a feature with warmth, insight and – much-appreciated – humor.

Reviewed by Lawrence T., South County Regional

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Ever wondered how many U.S. Presidents had hooks for hands? Do you wish you had easy access to a list of 700 hobo names? NPR commentator John Hodgman has, and he's written the funniest, silliest and possibly smartest reference book ever penned. Structured like an almanac that has nothing but contempt for almanacs, The Areas of my Expertise is a treat for anyone who has spent too much time in the reference section of their local library. Whether Hodgman is delivering a blistering commentary on the state of public libraries or a rant about the absurdity of the post-9/11 world, he never loses his laser-focus or his wit.

Reviewed by Nathan C., Main Library

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In the not-so-distant future, religion is replaced by an obsessive cult for perfecting the human body in Thinner Than Thou, by Kit Reed. The charismatic Reverend Earl preaches about the Heaven of the Afterfat, where one can achieve eternal youth and beauty for a price. The obese and the underweight are sent to “health clubs” where failure to lose weight and tone up are met with brutal punishment. Although disturbing at times the story is humorous and gives a hard look at the dark side of physical perfection. This book is a must-read in a time of low-carb diets, Botox, and eating disorders.

Reviewed by Angela C., ImaginOn

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Charlie's wife just had a baby girl. He's as happy as he could be. Then his wife dies due to complications and, soon after, Charlie discovers that he has a new job, helping the souls of the recently deceased find their new bodies. He calls it being a death merchant. To further complicate matters his daughter has strange death-dealing powers and two loving hell hounds as bodyguards. What's a fella to do when his life collapses around him and then gets really strange? He plods on, collecting souls, raising his daughter, running his secondhand store, verbally sparring with his half-crazy lesbian sister and fighting off the forces of darkness who steal souls so they can eat them and gain enough strength to rule the world. Another weird and very funny book by Christopher Moore.

Reviewed by Ed M., Morrison Regional

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Don't let the story synopsis scare you off. The characters are memorable and (mostly) lovable. You will laugh and cry and be very very sorry when the book ends!
-Judy, Charlotte, NC

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“You say Florida and people think oranges and tourism. But our biggest export is weirdness.” So opines Serge A. Storms, Florida resident, historian and homicidal maniac. Serge wonders why the film industry has spurned Florida. He and his substance-fueled partner Coleman head to Hollywood (and not the one in Broward County) to bring the industry back and, incidentally, to solve a mystery from Serge’s past. Being Serge and Coleman, they become involved in a kidnapping, an oil well con, and a film director’s unending shoot - with Japanese gangsters, the Dixie Mafia and coked-out studio tycoons adding to the mix. Hysteria abounds in Tim Dorsey’s latest.

Reviewed by John C., Main Library

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"There's a thrill about walking into a shop-any shop-which you can't beat. It's partly the anticipation, partly the buzzy, welcoming atmosphere, partly just the lovely newness of everything"(p. 73). Becky Bloomwood loves to shop! She has fabulous designer clothes, a great social life, and a trendy apartment in London. The only problem -- she can't afford any of it! The more Becky tries to monitor her spending, the more trouble she gets into. Find out how things get more complicated when Becky, a financial journalist, writes a scandalous article that puts her head to head with millionaire entrepreneur, Luke Brandon. This book is light, funny, and cute! It's the first book in the Shopaholic series.

Reviewed by Effie S., Scaleybark Branch

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Loved this book! Read the whole series! Can't wait untill "Shopaholic and Baby" comes out!
-Phyllis, Akron, Ohio

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Craig Ferguson’s novel is inhabited with many a strange character and circumstance. Join the fun as we are introduced first to friends George and Fraser from Scotland during a childhood trauma. Fraser grows up to become a TV evangelist and George thinks he’s dying of cancer. Next we meet brothers Saul and Leon from the Deep South. Saul and Leon are running away and find themselves taken in by the Pentecostal Snake Handlers Church. In time they take over because Leon has the voice of an angel. Unbelievably these two stories converge and come to a head at a Revival Meeting in Miami. This debut is engaging, thoughtful and humorous, but not for people who are easily offended, because like all good comedians, the author lampoons almost everything.

Reviewed by Gina D., Myers Park Branch

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In Christmas Letters, a holiday inspired romantic comedy by Debbie Macomber you will meet a quirky cast of characters led by a professional Christmas letter writer. Yes, that is right; Katherine O’Connor writes Christmas letters for other people. While she is busy making other people’s lives sound wonderful, her own life is in a slump. Until, that is, her psychic neighbor introduces her to Dr. Wynn Jefferies. Dr. Jefferies happens to be Katherine’s one true love as well as her nemesis in child-rearing beliefs. So begins this lighthearted novel set on Macomber’s fictionalized Blossom Street in Seattle, WA.

Reviewed by Sherry J.

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Do you still have Sunday dinner at Ma n’ them's? Believe gossip from your second cousin’s hairdresser? Make fun of your co-workers clothes/hairstyle/soul mate, and then follow it up with “bless their heart”? Then you might get a good laugh at We’re Just like You, Only Prettier by Celia Rivenbark. This self-described “tarnished Southern belle” and Sun news columnist takes a stab at everything from marriage, modern technology, and the nuances of life insurance benefits. We’re Just like You, Only Prettier is essentially a series of essays on everything ironic, amusing, and annoying about modern life. This is a delightful read for those seeking relief from the daily grind and an essential primer for understanding Southern culture in the 21st century.

Reviewed by Seth A., Matthews, NC

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This book might have been mistaken for a genuine high school textbook had it not become a best-seller almost instantly upon publication. Its layout and design follows that oversized colorful format, with its many illustrations, graphs, assignments, discussion topics, and exercises. But there, of course, the similarity ends – with a resounding hilarious crash. The result is, for those of us old enough to remember, reminiscent of the infamous classic National Lampoon’s High School Yearbook. Stewart and the Daily Show staff have created a masterpiece in American satire and a unique voice of sanity in these ever more maddening times.

Reviewed by Jim B., Main Library

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Get ready to laugh out loud and cry a bit too! Maupin is a master at dealing with serious issues with incredible humor and honesty. Almost twenty years after we last heard from Michael Tolliver I am thrilled to learn that he has survived. He is HIV positive, but the treatment is working. Also he has found true love with his husband, Ben. Life is good, but there are always problems. Michael’s biological mother is dying and his spiritual mother and dear friend, Anna Madrigal, isn’t doing well either. Life is never stagnant and Maupin reminds us that change, though we may not like it, usually teaches valuable lessons and can make us laugh too. All we have to do is be open to it all.

Reviewed by Mark B., Main Library

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In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, another wave of destruction and misery hits South Florida in the form of greed-driven scam artists and ruthless gawkers who converge upon the stricken area like pestilence. Hiaasen places amid the panic and confusion, a handycam-toting newlywed ad exec (soon-to-be kidnapped) looking for cheap thrills, a violence-prone con artist couple desperately seeking insurance fraud, an eccentric one-eyed ex-governor who’s a rabid environmentalist (soon-to-be-kidnapper), and an assortment of goons and whores. Hiaasen tempers this manic circus with a handful of admirable, heart-in-the-right-place characters who help to steer the various subplots to their climactic conclusions. Put on your hipwaders: the body count rises and the swamps are deep.

Reviewed by Susanne W., South County Regional

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Stormy Weather is laugh out loud funny and introduced me to Carl Hiaasen. If you have never read him -- start now! You have never met characters like these but you gotta love 'em.
-Judy, Charlotte, NC

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What do you get when you cross a generation of alienated youth, a Social Security system flooded with retiring Baby Boomers, and a presidential hopeful aiming for the “youth vote”? Boomsday, by Christopher Buckley, imagines such a world in his latest novel. Cassandra Devine, a fiery young PR strategist, teams up with Congressman Randolph Jepperson to make voluntary euthanasia for senior citizens the centerpiece of his presidential campaign. “Transitioning,” as they call it, allows Boomers to avoid the inheritance tax by electing to commit suicide at age 65, alleviating trillions of Social Security payments. Jepperson’s improbable campaign idea ignites a raucous debate about the concepts of sacrifice, entitlement, and generational warfare. The author's comic treatment of the upcoming crisis makes it fun to ponder.

Reviewed by Seth A., Independence Regional

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Sam Pulisifer is a self described “bumbler.” At 18 he “accidentally” burns down the Emily Dickinson House in his home town, Amherst, Massachusetts killing a couple in the process. After 10 years in prison, Sam is released, somehow manages to make a life and family. This precarious existence unravels when the orphan of the couple killed in that “accidental” fire appears looking for an apology and revenge. Meanwhile author's homes are catching fire in an orgy of pyromania bringing the attention of a state arson investigator. Sam tells the story as memoir so the reader can see his doom approaching like an oncoming train. This is a story that is both funny and heartbreakingly sad. Note: This reviewer found several howlers in the book whether deliberate or not beginning on page 1.

Reviewed by John C., Main Library

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In this book, Rumpole gets involved with the subject of terrorism. Horace does a good bit of grousing against the British government’s walking all over the Magna Carta and so forth. The part that I really enjoyed the most was his relationship with his wife Hilda, "she who must be obeyed." Hilda is busily writing her memoirs on a laptop in the back room during the time the story takes place. While Rumpole defends an accused terrorist, she thinks he is all wrong. In fact, she and Rumpole are on the opposite side of the issue. She is also conducting a flirtation with a judge, who is on the case Rumpole is working. The juxtaposition of Hilda's thoughts with those of Rumpole's made the story enjoyable for me.

Reviewed by Chris H., Steele Creek Branch

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No pirates, no Caribbean, and no boats, just a pig in a greenhouse on top of a four-star hotel in New York - - how can this be a Jimmy Buffett book? Only Jimmy could come up with this light-hearted tale of a pig looking for her brother while avoiding capture by an evil chef named "Butcher." The crazy cast includes a soccer player, a designer, the mayor, a pastry chef, and a flock of "pigilante" pigeons. It's a typical Jimmy Buffett crew adrift in Manhattan, floating along with a pig dressed in a dog costume. This is poolside reading at its best for both teens and adults.

Reviewed by Thea J., South County Regional

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A blue mood ring. That was twenty-five year old Cleveland native Mary Ann Singleton’s sign that she should make San Francisco her home when she visited in 1976. Mary Ann moves into 28 Barbary Lane, a boarding house on Russian Hill, run by Anna Madrigal. Anna acts as a mother to her tenants: Mary Ann, Mona, Michael, and Brian. Tales of the City, the first novel in a series, chronicles their lives. It originally appeared as a series of columns in the San Francisco Chronicle. Maupin hilariously captures the pop culture and politics of 1970s’ San Francisco. Whether it is cruising for dates at the local Safeway or entering a jockey shorts dance contest for rent money, Maupin uses humor to explore the complexities of the human heart.

Reviewed by Megan M., Main Library

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President Vanderdamp, disliked by both Congress and the nation, has had no luck getting two highly qualified Supreme Court nominees confirmed by the Senate. He decides to take an unorthodox step and nominates Pepper Cartwright, the Judge Judy-type star of Courtroom Six. What follows is a laugh-out-loud portrayal of Washington politics, complete with a constitutional crisis, a re-election campaign, and (of course) romance. In this time of true crisis in government, Christopher Buckley pokes fun at the absurdity of the system and gives us a chance to laugh at ourselves.

Reviewed by Dale C., South County Regional

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David is everything Emily Ross could ever have wished for. He’s dark, handsome and mysterious with that something about him that attracts her like a moth to a light. When they are together the passion between them is undeniable and completely unforgettable. Not to mention he’s smart, witty and in sync with her personality. He is the man of her dreams. The one she was made for. Only one problem; David is not Emily’s husband, Kevin is. In this engagingly humorous book, Lauren Fox offers a glimpse into a woman who feels like she is waking into a life that has been living itself. A feeling we can all relate to luckily via Emily without personally going through the drama of Still Life with Husband.

Reviewed by Courtney A., South County Regional

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Working as a young rookie cop in Sea Haven—“this eighteen-mile-long strip of sand-in-your shoes paradise down the Jersey Shore”--Danny Boyle often feels life is good. That beach environment is nice but also sometimes very unsafe. Danny’s partner, John Ceepak, by chance unearths a clue--leading to additional ones--in that same beach which links ultimately to a series cold case murders. Ceepak, a former MP from the Iraq War, pushes relentlessly into this uncomfortable investigation as the murder appears to have resurfaced after a 15-year break. Boyle dutifully follows Ceepak as the events unfold—devoted to the “thirty-six-year-old Eagle-Scout-slash-Jarhead” who does not ever lie. This book is the third of a clever, inventive, and funny series by Chris Grabenstein.

Reviewed by Lawrence T., South County Regional

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As the author of I Feel Bad About My Neck: and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, Nora Ephron takes a look at our society and helps us laugh at it. In this collection of essays, she appeals to women’s life experiences, recounting her own interactions with men, children, apartments, and purses. Aging is also a theme. Although “woman” is in the title, you do not have to be female to empathize with the universal themes of an aging body image or the loss of loved ones. At first glance, this book is a quick and easy read. But the individual essays invite the reader back. Nora Ephron’s essays are humorous at times, serious at others, but always insightful.

Reviewed by Linda O., University City Regional

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Lindy is the voice of an animated TV character. She is dating a Christian guy who seems to dote on her. Or does he just like her animated
self? One day a visitor from the TV network arrives. Lindy has a
love/hate relationship with her job and now that it is in jeopardy because of low TV ratings, she is praying it doesn't end. It doesn’t help that she is attracted to Leo, the “network guy”, who appears to be all business. Also the creator of the show is making bad lifestyle choices. What’s a girl to do? Lindy
as the narrator actually talks to you the reader, making you a part
of the hilarious parts of the story as they unfold.

Reviewed by Jeanenne R., Steele Creek Branch

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In Talk of the Town Mandalay Florentino, associate producer of an American Idol type show, travels to the small town of Daily, Texas to prepare for a hometown concert for one of the show’s finalists. Mandalay must pull off the concert without a hitch all while keeping it a secret or risk losing her job. With her job on the line and the future of the hometown finalist at stake, Mandalay must contend with a demanding boss and avoid the paparazzi in a town that keeps no secrets. On top of everything else she experiences continual run-ins with a very handsome, very mysterious cowboy.

Reviewed by Erin J., Cornelius Branch

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When Justin Halpern found himself living back at his parents’ house after breaking up with his girlfriend he had no idea how it would change his life. His dad, Sam, has never been one to beat around the bush. He calls it like he sees it. So it was only fitting that Justin decided to share his dad’s saying with the world via Twitter at “Shit My Dad Says”. This book includes some of Sam’s best bits of advice on everything from women, yard work, family and today’s hairstyles. You will find yourself laughing until you cry.

Reviewed by Angela A., Cornelius Branch

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After inheriting her great-aunt Ophelia's house, Lizzy Tucker decides to leave her life in New York. Lizzy now bakes scrumptious cupcakes for a bakery in Salem, Massachusetts with owner Clara and wanna-be-witch Glo. But as soon as Lizzy sees Wulf, and he burns her with just his touch, Lizzy's world changes completely. Diesel shows up at the bakery and won't leave her side. Ever. He tells Lizzy she is an "Unmentionable" who can locate items like the "SALGIA" stones Wulf is after. Lizzy and Diesel must team up to find the stones before Wulf can. Along the way, Lizzy encounters magic gone awry and even a cursing monkey! Wicked Appetite is outrageously funny with snappy dialogue and crazy antics that will have you laughing out loud! This is the first in Janet Evanovich’s new series.

Reviewed by Carrie M., Myers Park Branch

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This book literally will leave you laughing. Out loud. Some lady was reading it in Carl`s Jr. by herself laughing while reading this book... ENJOY
-Megan, Salem, Oregon

This book was awesome. I never laughed out loud so much over a book in my life. I found myself telling my husband about Lizzy, Deisel, a cat with a glass eye and a monkey. I would love to have a Carl. Just the mental picture of what is going on with them is enough to make anyone laugh out loud. A good read.
-Jo Ann, Warrenton, VA

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Consider the masterpiece not written, sculpted, painted, but rather, perhaps, performed. The performance orchestrated by Jane Hamilton’s protagonist in her wry novel Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, is undoubtedly a dark comedy. Puppet-mastering both her husband, Charlie, and a local talk show host, Jenna Faroli, into what amounts to a twisted threesome, Laura works under the ruse of honing her fiction writing skills via romantic emails between Charlie and Jenna. Although Laura appears to follow their affair with clinical detachment, an editorial “accident” suggests that she is indeed the archetypical jealous wife. Set in rural Wisconsin, Hamilton’s storytelling includes her atmospheric style, as in her Map of the World and The Book of Ruth, but her characters here are less sympathetic than those in her other novels, despite their intriguing quirkiness.

Reviewed by Lydia T., Main Library

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"Houses aren't refuges from history. They are where history ends up" writes Bill Bryson. In his latest adventure, Bryson takes readers on a room by room tour of an 1851 Victorian house in Norfolk, England where he and his family lived for one year. This year long experience becomes more than just a house tour. For Bryson, every room is a discovery into the everyday life of those who lived before, not just in this house but throughout history. Agriculture, food storage, and piping are examined in the kitchen. In the bedroom, mattress construction, sex and cremation are discussed. With his usual humorous and anecdotal style, Bryson entertains and educates. Readers will enjoy an amusing yet all-inclusive trip through history without having to forgo the comforts of home.

Reviewed by Kim W., University City Regional

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David Sedaris entertains us again with the latest stories he has written. These cautionary tales are like a modern version of Aesop’s Fables with a large dash of humor. All sorts of animals are featured with fallible, human traits that often bring their own ruin. In more than one of the tales, intolerance and vanity lead to an untimely demise of an animal. Witty dialogue and sticky situations allow you to find realism in the absurd, while identifying yourself and people you know in the antics of animals. A squirrel dating a chipmunk, a mouse owning a snake---cows, storks, and bears—oh, my! Prepare to laugh out loud.

Reviewed by Heidi F., North County Regional

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The author of A Treasury of Royal Scandals is back with another chronicle of Royal bad behavior. These humorous essays start with the bloody beginnings of the House of Tudor and end with the stodgy scandals of the House of Windsor. Highlights include an eight year old king who orders his adult sister not to attend dances and a duke who claims that his servant slit his own throat out of remorse for some imagined misdeed. The monarchy’s extreme family feuds have led to murder, madness, seduction and several large scale land wars for well over five hundred years. However did they find the time to run a worldwide empire?

Reviewed by Tara F., Morrison Regional

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Filled with memorable characters in small town Lake Wobegon, Pontoon opens with the death of Lutheran octogenarian Evelyn Peterson who, as her daughter Barbara soon learns, had a secret life full of romance and travel with old boyfriend Raoul. At the same time once-local girl Debbie Detmer, now a California animal aromatherapist, returns to Lake Wobegon for a commitment ceremony with her unwilling-to-commit salesman boyfriend. Add to the mix Evelyn's memorial service, twenty-four Danish pastors, a flying Elvis, and a mangy old lab named Bruno, and humor abounds. There's fun as well as a little wisdom in these stories from Lake Wobegon.

Reviewed by Jan R., Morrison Regional

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Whether his fans and critics prefer to call him provocateur or unapologetic truth-seeker, Michael Moore has been inquisitive from his earliest days. In his new memoir, “Here Comes Trouble,” Moore recounts twenty-four events, including family stories of his U.S. history-loving mother, who had him reading at four years old, and his WWII Marine father, who survived the 1943 South Pacific theater. Self effacing episodes run the gamut from Catholic seminary high school exorcism demonstrations to his close encounters with U.S. presidents and senators, international terrorists, Nazis, and other assorted white supremacists. Moore has had some strange bedfellows, including the major facilitator of his filmmaking career. You may either laugh at him or with him, but Michael Moore’s first biography is a good read.

Reviewed by Lydia T., Main Library

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Ever wondered what an “Irish exit” is? Discover the answer to that and many other questions in this hilarious memoir that reads like a chirpy conversation with the hilarious best friend you always wanted. Kaling – known for her work as a writer on The Office (as well as her punchy tweets) - details her childhood, education and rise to success as a comedy writer and actress. Told in anecdotal segments (with titles like “The Day I Stopped Eating Cupcakes” and “In Defense of Chest Hair”), Kaling discusses work, dating (including a truly laugh-worthy riff on why one-night stands are a terrible idea), friendship, and life in Hollywood. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? is the perfect light read for those who enjoy comedy, fashion, and giggling out loud.

Reviewed by Caroline M., North County Regional

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Not for children! Bill Maher shares a new dose of his acerbic monologues known on his television show as `New Rules.` From one-liners to short essays, he cuts right to the heart of the matter with laugh-out-loud accuracy. Though he`s known as a political liberal, I found most of the humor to be oriented toward common-ground cultural topics (we all agree on the absurdity of Jersey Shore, right?) and the often laughable state of human affairs. Best enjoyed by those who are not easily offended by language or crude references, `The New New Rules` is a gem for Maher`s fans and new readers alike.

Reviewed by Erin R., Morrison Regional

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At first glance you read the cover and think is this for real? And it is- sort of. Baratunde Thurston, comedian and political commentator, has compiled his own experiences, opinions and ideas of being black and those of a panel of artists, comedians, and black people, to create a laugh-out-loud, yet astute review of the changing paradigm of race in pre and post-Obama America. Thurston presents hilarious yet reality based thoughts on “How to Be the Black Employee” and what’s up with the ridiculous idea of “post-racial” America and other ideas and questions on everyone’s minds. Thurston reveals that “blackness” is as much individual as it is the collective experiences of black people that create an ever shifting and novel alchemical force.

Reviewed by Jessica W., University City Regional

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While humor about bodily functions is only marginally amusing, award-winning comedian, blogger, and geek girl social commentator, Sara Benincasa, uses self-effacing style and wit to describe quirky episodes in her memoir, “Agorafabulous.” From Boston College to Asheville, and back to NYC via Texas, Sara throws search lights into the darkest corners of her psychological escapades, and heals herself by poking fun at all of them—along with modern pharmaceuticals— for our entertainment. Whether she’s using Le Creuset bowls to avoid the bathroom or diplomatically managing dramatic faux-gurus or a 9th grader on Viagra, she describes her freak-outs with amazing clarity. This first memoir is carnival sideshow midway from a talent to watch.

Reviewed by Lydia T., Main Library

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Recoiling from early messages from her adoptive apocalyptic mother, like being from “the wrong crib,” Jeanette Winterson, author of the award winning “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit,” journeys in her current memoir “Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?” For an artist fabulously passionate about beauty and nature, not to mention a dazzling command of English Literature A-Z, courtesy of the Accrington Public Library, her hero’s quest is to fully embrace her innate human worth. Despite deep psychic imprints of inadequacy, Winterstone cautiously debarks at a place of potential and hope. Set in industrialized pre-Thatcher northern England, her walk-about is a glorious tangle of nonlinear space in both her inner and outer worlds.

Reviewed by Lydia T., Main Library

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Take one Gretchen Griner, underpaid photographer for an Austin, Texas bi-weekly underground paper; add in her cheating but charming, drugged out, editor/boyfriend named Trout (who sings to her in blues lyrics whenever he wants his way with her); throw in a sweltering Austin summer, Gretchen`s desperation for cash to pay her overdue rent and to buy food (other than massive amounts of Cup-o-Noodles), and you are in for a witty and hilarious read. Gretchen has never read a romance novel and is scornful of people who do. When she reluctantly accepts the job to cover a romance writers` convention called `The Luvboree` in Dallas, she has no idea that the experience will change her life. This first person narrative is laugh out loud funny.

Reviewed by Beverly S., Davidson Branch

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In 1977 the broadcast of “Welcome Back Kotter” was heard by the universe and the theme song knocked everyone’s socks off. Since then, the Entire Universe has been illegally downloading Earth’s Pop songs. They’re in love with every single one of them, the good, the bad and the truly terrible, but payment is now due and we may be destroyed because of it. Can a middle management lawyer, Nick Carter, his paralegal neighbor and underground singer, Manda, and one killer cat stop our destruction? This hilarious, spot on book regarding the inner workings of our entertainment industry is enjoyable from beginning to end. Hopefully, not the end of the world as we know it…..

Reviewed by Gina d., Main Library

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This latest adventure from sci-fi deconstructionist, John Scalzi, follows his signature blend of comedy and drama while addressing different Tropes and Clichés of the Science Fiction genre. The novel wonderfully evolves from a straightforward parody into a deeper analysis of what drives a writer to kill off ancillary characters. Any reader who has even a passing knowledge of Star Trek, especially the tragically short careers of their red-clad crewmen, can enjoy this book - it`s not just for Trekkers. Be sure to look online for the book`s theme song `Redshirts,` written and performed by Jonathan Coulton. I highly recommend any book by John Scalzi, especially his first, Old Man`s War, and its sequels.

Reviewed by Jonathan W., Morrison Regional

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Up-and-coming Hollywood talent agent Thomas Stein thinks it`s a dream come true when he receives a special assignment by the legendary head of his firm. Then he finds out that it involves introducing an ugly, smelly, sentient, blob-like species to the rest of humanity. Scalzi`s account of alien first contact through PR representation is funny, surprisingly touching, and one of the best-written alien encounter stories in recent memory. The juggling of Hollywood melodrama with extra-terrestrial complications is a must for fans of either Sci-Fi or Comedy, and an early example of the talented author`s habit of taking a well-worn premise and putting it on its head with delightful twists and wit.

Reviewed by Jonathan W., Morrison Regional

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Eric Creek, war hero and former hacker, is a low-level diplomat with the unenviable job of delivering bad news to extraterrestrials. When a delicate negotiation with Earth`s closest interstellar ally, the Nedu, is sabotaged from within, the state department needs Eric to come out of retirement as a low-profile investigator to find a ceremonial breed of sheep. The only problem is that the breed has been wiped out by forces within the Nedu government, and they will kill to keep it that way. Fighting political intrigue, internal conflict on both sides, and sophisticated interstellar politics, Eric must follow the quest to its surprising conclusion and get that sheep to the Nedu homeplanet in time for the ceremony, or start a war. A great selection for anyone who likes science fiction, neo-noir, or action; this surprisingly funny book is a joy to read!

Reviewed by Jonathan W., Morrison Regional

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Locals and Northerners (aka Yankees) alike will delight in the intelligent and supercharged Southern humor that shines in Celia Rivenbark’s book. Originally published as newspaper columns, this collection entertains and educates the reader on the chivalrous side of bubbas, the joys of home reconstruction and the importance of knowing all baby-daddy-drama in the news. With a healthy dose of “y’alls”, Belle Weather will have you laughing before you can pour another glass of sweet tea. North Carolina’s own Celia Rivenbark continues to write stories that reveal a particular truth some folks like to sweep under the new fancy rug. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates general humor or the proper handling of water bugs during dinner parties.

Reviewed by Sally W., Beatties Ford Road Branch

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David goes to a party one evening, and that one night changes everything. He and his friend John are exposed to “soy sauce” during the evening. Is it a new drug, or is it a way for aliens to invade Earth? This book follows David and John on their quest to find the answer to this and many more mysteries in and around the Midwestern town of “Undisclosed”. This one of a kind book is funny and terrifying at turns. It had me reading late into the night, well up until the end -- of the book that is, not the world.

Reviewed by Gina d., Main Library

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Best known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stand By Me, child actor turned adult comedian Will Wheaton gives an unflinchingly honest account of his life and personal motivations after leaving the staple of Sci-Fi TV. Spurred by demoralizing near-misses in his acting career and challenges in providing for his wife and two stepchildren, he began a now-legendary blog in 2001, not knowing it would prove therapeutic for him and others. In this book, he uses excerpts from the website as well as original writing to paint the picture of a bitter man coming to terms with real and perceived professional slights, and his own life choices. Filled with wit and honesty, this memoir of a geek legend is insightful and touching.

Reviewed by Jonathan W., Morrison Regional

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