Early Book Review: The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History by Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds, Patton Oswalt

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History by Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, with a forward by Patton Oswalt, is currently scheduled for release on May 9 2017. From the creators of the comedy/history podcast "The Dollop," this book presents short but informative stories of the most outlandish (but true) people, events, and more from United States history. Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds cover the weird stories you didn't learn in history class, such as 10-Cent Beer Night, the Jackson Cheese, and the Kentucky Meat Shower, each accompanied by a full-page illustration that brings these historical "milestones" to life in full-color. Each story is accompanied by tongue-in-cheek trivia and timelines that help place the stories in context with the more well-known historical events that occurred around them.

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History was a entertaining and informative read. While I had heard some of the stories before, such as the radium girls and Kentucky meat shower, some were new to me. Each story was short and offered some commentary on the intelligence (or lack there of) of those making decisions. Occasional the humorous commentary got a little profane, so those not interested in that style of humor might want to skip it. However, fans of the podcast or that have seen anything from the writers involved will not be surprised. It did catch me by surprise at first, but fit in with the stories and humor well so was not an issue once I got accustomed to it. Readers that will be too bothered by swearing, jokes about male anatomy, or intelligence levels in our country will want to skip it- but everyone else will laugh and learn at least a little. The short bits of history are organized by commonalities, and make for fun short reads.

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History is a fun read for fans of The Dollop podcast, as well as those that enjoy learning about the more unusual bits of history. I normally get this tidbits from History's Mysteries, Mysteries at the Museum, and similar shows- but now I know I need to be listening to this podcast too. If history and humor tied together makes you happy, so will this unique look at American history.

Early Book Review: Best Jokes Ever: Jokes for Kids by Chantelle Grace

Best Jokes Ever: Jokes for Kids by Chantelle Grace is currently scheduled for release on May 1 2017. How do trees get on the internet? They log in. What type of music are balloons afraid of? Pop music! Young comedians love to share  jokes with anyone who will listen. Some kids are always looking for new material, hungry for the next best thing. This is a brand-new collection of laughs, giggles, and guffaws. Beware--it is sure entertain for days to come!

Best Jokes Ever: Jokes for Kids is a fun and filled with a good variety of kid and family friendly jokes. Some were just what we needed to get a smile out of my daughter when she was having a bad night, some others were ones were had all heard before or real groaners. As with any collection, some were just what I was looking for, and others were a miss. However, for young joke fans this would make a good addition to their arsenal of appropriate jokes. 

Book Review: Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Anderson

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Anderson is a collection of artwork from Sarah's Scribbles along with biographical material including her struggles with anxiety. Swimsuit season is coming up! Better get beach-body ready! Work on those abs! Lift those butts! Or how about never mind to all that and just be a lump, a happy lump. The comics, and the book, are for those of us who boast bookstore-ready bodies and Netflix-ready hair, who are always down for all-night reading-in-bed parties and extremely exclusive after-hour one-person music festivals. 

Big Mushy Happy Lump is a fun bunch of comics that I can relate to. However, it is a lot more than that. Sarah uses the book to share some very personal experience and struggles that she has had with anxiety, depression, and so much more. I think that since I could see myself so clearly in parts of the book, that others will see at least a little of themselves, or someone they love, in the book as well. It helps those of us struggling with life in general because we can see that we are not alone. In fact, I think we make up the majority- if only we could interact enough with each other to share that information. I laughed at moments, and tears threatened at others. I think this is a nice balance of memoir and humor, and that the honest and uplifting tone of the book will resonate with a wide variety of readers. 

Early Book Review: The World’s Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is, as the name suggests, a collection of jokes that range from one line puns to dad like stories that just beg for a groan. There are more than 500 dad joke organized in topics—Silly Kids, Action/Reaction, All Puns All the Time, Love & Marriage, One-Liners, Faith—so dads (and fans of dad jokes) can find the right joke for every occasion.

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is a solid collection, but I did not find the jokes to be new, or increadably funny. I thought some were good, and did induce a grin or a grin. However, I was hoping for new jokes to use with my pun and silly joke loving son. This collection is well organized and fun, but did not offer me the number and quality of jokes that I was really looking for. It was good enough for a coffee table book or bathroom reading- but not something that I would keep handy for when I need a good joke to add to my arsenal. It was not horrible, I just had high hopes for the book and was a little let down. 

Book Review: It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot

It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot explores the highs and lows of modern life through the sharp, dark wit of Ruby Elliot—creator of the massively popular Tumblr account, Rubyetc, which has over 210k followers and growing. Ruby’s simple drawings of not-so-simple issues capture the humor and melancholy of everyday life. Her comics appeal to both new adults who are beginning to explore these subjects and to battle-tested veterans of the daily struggles of life with mental illness. It’s All Absolutely Fine is an honest and unapologetic account of day-to-day life as a groaning, crying, laughing sentient potato being for whom things are often absolutely not fine. Through simple, humorous drawings and a few short narratives, the book encompasses everything from mood disorders, anxiety, and issues with body image through to existential conversations with dogs and some unusually articulate birds. Through the drawings, the reader is shown that it is okay to struggle, and that it is okay to talk about struggling, to not undermine oneself by yelling ‘it’s fine’ when it isn’t, and while all this is going on to know that it is absolutely possible to hold on to hope, and of course humor. 

It’s All Absolutely Fine is a collection of art and words that can shown readers that they are not alone. Anyone dealing with anxiety, feeling lost or alone, or battling any mental illness can find bits of their struggle on these pages while offering support and encouragement to keep on moving forward. I found the read made me smile, cry, and feel more empowered in dealing with the world around me and moving toward the future. Fans of Rubyetc's huge online presence will find more of what they love here, and I think the book will foster new fans as well.

Book Review: Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of Our Feline Friends by Adrian Searle, Oliver Ninis

Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of our Feline Friends by Adrian Searle and Oliver Ninis is a collection of over eighty cartoons that give readers a glimpse into the minds of their feline companions. Just what is your cat thinking? As it gazes up at you, are those eyes filled with love and admiration or spite and scorn? From the author of the award-winning 101 Uses of a Dead Kindle and If Dogs Could Swear comes a hilarious insight into the twisted, venal, self-serving psychology of our cutest four-legged sociopaths. Catology is a psychiatrist's view of your moggy; a brilliant, unforgettable and twisted look at the many bizarre, ridiculous and instantly recognizable scenarios in which cat owners find their beloved pets every day.

Catology: Inside the Twisted Mind of our Feline Friends is a fun and cute collection of cartoons. Some were funnier than others, and some will speak to particular readers more than others. The artwork is done in black and white line drawings, and like the humor some are more appealing than others. I enjoyed the read, some of the cartoons made me chuckle, but others had me shaking my head and moving on to the next page. Occasionally I found the artwork to be less skillful or complete than on other pages. This might be a good gift for some cat lovers, but this cat fan was only mildly amused rather than laughing out loud, which is what I was hoping for.

Blog Tour with Excerpt and Video: Phil by RP Momsen

PHIL! By: RP Momsen

Blurb:
A very funny science fiction adventure that will change the way you look at life, the universe and why we're all here. 

Billions of years ago, our universe was born. Not really that terribly exciting for most life forms except of course yourselves… and, well, Phil. The poor bastard who’s had to watch over all you people the last billion or so years.

Well, finally after years of listening to all your griping, bitching and whining, always with some imaginary being getting all the credit, he’s finally had it! 

Phil has decided to explain what the world is, why you’re here and how you can evolve finally into a species worth talking about at parties. 

In this hilarious actual account, Phil takes two unwitting Physicists on the adventure of their lives, which isn’t saying much for a couple of physicists, and shows them what life, the universe and lovely little corner pubs really is all about. They’re transported to other dimensions to meet their better looking selves, get taken prisoner by an evil but very good looking race, fly through black holes and help the creation of a new planet all while their greatest challenge hangs in the balance, saving earth from the most evil, and best dressed, species the universe has ever seen. 
Will they save earth? Has all the years of hard work Phil has done creating you beings be lost? Does any of this really matter?

Excerpt:
Ping.

Ping.

“You gonna answer that?” Delphinia slurred. Typically an attractive female colleague, except now she had half a glass of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice down her front, and somehow an equal amount sprayed randomly throughout her hair. We were all drunk—she was winning.

“Just another idiotic human with some whiny ‘I can’t do anything for myself’ question.” “Are they still making you do that? Didn’t you create some god chat line for them to look up on their own?” asked Braithwaight, a much larger and uglier version of myself who had the unusual characteristic of having the largest nostrils in the universe. You wouldn't know them as nostrils, of course, given that their size and look is of one of your outhouses, massively uneven, bright orange and dripping with something I'd rather not discuss.

“Ya, but they seem to be using it mostly for porn and watching other humans or animals doing idiotic stuff, which is even stranger when you realize that the average human does 4.8 stupid things per week; you would think watching each other in real time would keep them amused enough,” I replied. Braithwaight was correct, after all—a number of years ago, I had instructed humans to create something called God Gab to answer all their questions and, hopefully, quit bothering me. As usual, they misunderstood, called it Google, and continued to harass me anyway.

“Slow... what dey say?” Delphinia slurred, spitting Pan Universal Kumquat Juice over both of us, which as it turned out was actually rather tasty; I decided to order one next despite it being a bit of a girly drink.

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“Dear Lord.” (Dear Phil, it should have actually read.) Please give me strength in dealing with my two kids; I’m always so tired, they stay awake for hours on end, I seem to be the only one in the house able to nap, they eat all my food, hide my weed and are even messier than my 3 ex husbands. I can’t keep doing it. What should I do?”

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Author Info 
R.P. Momsen was lucky enough to meet Phil in a very lovely but rather smelly pub a few years ago. After listening to the most amazing story of his life, and a half dozen pints, Rick agreed to bring Phil’s story to the world and finally get Phil a vacation. Through an arduous process over the next couple years of intense notes, grand philosophical debates, lengthy trips through multiple universes and numerous beers this masterpiece of answers was named Phil and finally released. A great friendship has been created and Rick has agreed to continue to write the real truth about everything, why it’s kind of a good thing to know and what humankind could do to be invited to the really cool parties. 

Author Links: Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads Other FB: https://www.facebook.com/rickhunterBM  

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Book Review: The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton, Stig Wemyss

The 13-Storey Treehouse is a children's book written by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton, and the audiobook is narrated by Stig Wemyss. Both formats have something to recommend them, but I will save that for the end of the review. 

Who wouldn't want to live in a treehouse? Especially a treehouse that has a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of sharks, a library full of comics, a secret underground laboratory, a games room, self-making beds, vines you can swing on, a vegetable vaporiser and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and automatically shoots your favorite flavored marshmallows into your mouth whenever it discerns you're hungry. Andy and Terry  live here, make books together, and have a series of completely nutty adventures. 

The 13-Storey Treehouse is a zany story that will appeal to readers that like high action, silly humor, and crazy illustrations. The treehouse is pretty insane, and the adventures that Terry and Andy have in the process of trying to get their next book written will entertain just about everyone. There are man eating sharks, a cat painted yellow (like a canary) that can fly, a marshmallow shooter, and a variety of insanity hidden away in a treehouse. I think the combination of story and illustrations (or voice acting) in this book make it a great pick for anyone interested in picking it up. There are jokes that might go over the heads of younger readers, but older readers will enjoy it. This is a great pick for reluctant readers and those that claim that they do not like to read, because they just have not found the right books for their tastes and skill. 

The 13-Storey Treehouse is a book high in silliness, action, and eye catching humor (or fantastic voice acting and sound effects). My son is now a huge fan, and any time that he picks up a book rather than his DS I know that it is a winner for readers that crave this kind of reading material. 

My nine year old has read the books with me, and my seven year old has listened to the audiobook with both of us. I would recommend both formats, because they are fantastic. The illustrations and text art in the printed format is wonderful fun, but Stig Wemyss’s voice acting is fantastic. I say buy the paper version, and have the kiddos read along as you listen to the audiobook- that way you get the best of both worlds!

Novels About Curvy Women; Fun Chick Lit and Romance Novels

These days models and actresses seem to be shrinking dramatically. It seems that marketing and the media is convinced that the smaller the dress size the more attractive a woman is. However, several authors out there are not buying it. They are bucking the trend and writing about women of realistic proportions and the issues of size in society. Here are some of my favorite fun reads from several romance sub-genres about women with curves.

The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAlister is a lighthearted romance novel. Tess is in serious need of money so jumps at the chance to be on a reality television show called A Month in the Life of a Victorian Duke. She gets to spend a month living like a duchess. However to take part Tess needs to act and dress like a duchess from the Victorian era, which includes a tight fitting corset. Thankfully, the hunk playing her husband on the reality show is distracting enough to take her mind of her wardrobe issues. A fun and quirky romance by one of my favorite authors, MacAlister comes through for her readers yet again.

Meg Cabot's Size 12 is Not Fat is a fun mystery with a former teen singing sensation at the center. Heather Wells left behind screaming fans and was in turn left behind by a thieving mother and selfish fiancée. To make ends meet Heather becomes a Resident Assistant at a New York City college and doing clerical work for her ex-fiancée's brother Cooper's private detective business for room and board. However, strange things start happening around Heather and so she starts doing a little detective work of her own. This is the first book in an ongoing series.

Gerry Bartlett's Real Vampires Have Curves proves that while vampires might all be attractive and sexy, they are all not super skinny. Gloriana St. Clair was rendered permanently full figured when her Scottish beau turned her vampire centuries ago. Now or curvy heroine is struggling to stand on her own feet after overcoming credit and gambling problems. She starts up a vintage clothing boutique and works to become more independent and find her way through the twists and turns of romantic complications. This is the first book of an ongoing series.

The Perfect Wife by Lynsay Sands is a historical romance set in eleventh century England. Avelyn has more curves than she would like, and has been teased by her cousins about it unmercifully. She feels badly about herself and her size, so tries to hide her true proportions from her new husband. However, her attempts only make him think that she must be frail and prone to accidents, which make him worry and cause many misunderstandings. All the

characters are well fleshed out and entertaining. Surprises and laughs abound in this romance by another of my favorite authors.

Jennifer Cruise's Bet Me is a contemporary romance about Minerva Dobbs who is dumped by her boyfriend three weeks before her sister's wedding. Now she needs to deal with finding a new date on top of her overbearing but well-meaning mother that continually harasses Min about her size. When she overhears her ex-boyfriend make a bet that another man cannot get her home and in bed within a certain period she is beyond mad, but decides to make it work for her. Now she will have a date for the wedding, but can she resist the unexpected temptation she finds in Calvin? Sarcasm and good food abound in this delightful read.

To continue reading novels with pleasing plump heroines I suggest checking out Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones series, Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed, Leanne Banks' Some Girls Do and Susan Donovan's He Loves Lucy. There are of course several more authors that write books feature larger women, but these are my favorites for how those women look at life, the world and themselves. 

Three Light and Laugh-Out-Loud Authors

First, what is chick lit? It is the short hand term used, both fondly and mockingly, for literature that tends to appeal mainly to women. This does not mean romance novel, though there is often a romance in the story, but more often the main storyline of the novel is more about the main character figuring out what she really wants in life. There are the tear-jerkers, the mysteries, the fun, the paranormal and some that blur all those lines. Here are some of the authors that right the chick lit books that seem to most fun, laugh educing novels that I've come across in the last few years. 

First is Janet Evanovich, particularly her Stephanie Plum series which starts with One For the Money. Evanovich's characters tend to be realistic, but slightly exaggerated. In One For the Money Stephanie is a twenty something woman who has just lost a job she wasn't too thrilled with to begin with, and searching to find something to pay the bills as well as something to make her happy. While becoming a bounty hunter for her slimy cousin wasn't exactly what she had in mind it somehow makes everything else come together. She get herself into situations which start out as something I can picture myself doing, but then quickly escalates to a laugh out loud series of events rather than the painful embarrassing moments I would expect my life to turn into. This holds true in Evanovich's stand alone novels and Motor Mouth books, although the Stephanie Plum books are by far my favorite of her works. There are two main readers for the audio books of her work, and both are great. So listening while commuting can make a rough drive so much more enjoyable.

MaryJanice Davivdson is another funny favorite. She has several series, and even some young adult novels, but she is best known for her Undead series, which is what she calls it but my friends and I often call it the Queen Betsy series. This series begins with Undead and Unwed, where we see Elizabeth Taylor (but never call her), better known as Betsy, becomes a vampire through unusual means and continue to defy convention and expectations from there. Including those of other vampires, she breaks every mold except that of a prophesy that declares her queen of the vampires. This shoe obsessed vampire has the requisite dysfunctional family and endless determination. Mix in an uptight hunk and a variety of fantastic supporting characters and hilarity ensues.

My third suggestion is not as widely known as the first two, but I think finding a new author is a great feeling, although she won't be unknown very long because there is already talk of a movie based on Shanna Swendson's novel Enchanted, Inc. The book starts with a well used theme, small town girl feeling lost and overwhelmed as she struggles to make a place for herself in New York City. Things take a strange turn when Katie is offered a new job and things just get stranger from there with magic, gargoyles and quirky coworkers. It is a fun, charming read with romance only in the very background. The story is more about Kate's search for a satisfying place in the world and trying to make sense of what is real.. There are currently four books in this series, and the charm does not fade as the series progresses, which is always a danger.

Already know and love these authors or just want some more suggestions? Well if you like Janet Evanovich then I suggest trying Nancy Bartholomew, Sarah Strohmeyer and Jennifer Crusie all of whom I've also read and loved. MaryJanice Davidson fans might want to read Katie Macalister, Vicki Lewis Thompson, and Lynsay Sands. Finally, if Shanna Swendson has caught your fancy you might want to try Candace Havens and Dakota Cassidy. I recommend all of these authors to anyone that likes some laughter from their books.

Book Review: The Creeps: Book 1: Night of the Frankenfrogs by Chris Schweizer

The Creeps: Book 1: Night of the Frankenfrogs is a children's graphic novel by Chris Schweizer. It was scheduled for release on August 11 2015. In Pumpkins County, weird things happen every day, but nobody ever makes a fuss. Nobody, that is, except the Creeps: Carol, a big-city girl new to Pumpkins County, who finds kindred spirits in Mitchell (monster expert), Jarvis (military brat with logistics know-how), and Rosario (girly girl on the outside, muscle underneath). The Creeps are on the case to figure out the spooky mysteries and still get to class on time. Last week it was a pudding monster. This week, it’s killer frogs—reanimated from the team’s biology class dissection experiment. Who’s behind the Frankenfrog attacks? The Creeps will track down the answers!

Frankenfrogs is a fun and freaky graphic novel about misfits in the school that are the only ones that seem to acknowledge the strange things that happening their school, and the town. The group of friends is ready to take on the challenges that come with facing the less than typical school problems they have to face, but could do without the bullying and punishments they need to serve because of the solutions they find to deal with the odd problems they deal with. When the frogs intended for dissection end up reanimated and attacking the group of friends are on a mission to stop them, and discover who is behind the attack. The story is crazy and more than a little out there- which I liked. It is fun and has characters that I liked because of their strangeness. There is little consequence for the evil doer, and that all adds to the wackiness of the story. It is fast paced, full of witty dialogue, and has artwork that really brings the whole story to life.

The only thing that really bothered me might not really bother others. I felt like there was a book before this one, something I missed. The story starts with the creeps and the school dealing with the aftermath of the evil pudding monster- but there is no explanation of that encounter or whey the group is dubbed "the Creeps". I just shrugged it off and tried to move on, but it still rather irks me.

Frankenfrogs is a graphic novel that is creep and funny. It is full of wacky characters, action and humor that will appeal to many young readers that love monsters, fun, and graphic novels. I think my son would love the book. 

Book Review: Jakes Monster Mess by Ken Spillman and Chris Nixon

Jakes Monster Mess is a picturebook written by Ken Spillman and illustrated by Chris Nixon. Jake's room is only slightly messy, until he tries to clean it! After he has cleared out his sock drawer, his jock drawer, and his toy cupboard and dragged all the dusty and forgotten clutter out from under the bed, he realizes all those things are piled high on his floor and worse, they seem to have expanded!

Jakes Monster Mess is a book that captures what often happens when anyone tries to tackle a small project, which seems to grow. I know it happens to me every time I try to sort through what clothes or toys can be given away and what should be kept. Jake tries to fold and put away his laundry, only to discover the drawer he needs in full. So he decides to move those clothes elsewhere, but that location is already taken and prompts more dumping, which brings his attention to something else that needs to be organized, and so on. I can sympathize, and think kids, teachers, care givers, and parents can all relate to that feeling and phenomenon as well.

Jakes Monster Mess is a fun and relate-able books for readers of all ages. It could be used in a story time or family sharing setting, with a great story and entertaining illustrations to match. A good read for anyone with organizational difficulties, myself included. 

Science Fiction for Humor Fans

	Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Cat's Cradle relies on a fictional technology to examine larger questions of technology, religion, militarization, and the arm's race. While comedic in tone, Cat's Cradle is also on the dark side.
	The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams This is a classic science fiction comedy. It has been followed by several novels in the series, stage and radio shows, a video game, comic books, and a movie. The plot of the first book begins with the total destruction of the earth and ends at the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, sort of.
	How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu A time machine repairman looks for his father, the rumored inventor of time travel, in the Science Fictional Universe Minor Universe 31 (MU31), which was only partially completed by its creator. The story explores time travel tropes as well as the deeper issues of regret, loss, and individual agency.
	Ringworld by Larry Niven A band of intergalactic and multi-species rogues crash land on Ringworld, an inhabited planet shaped like a ring, three million times the size of earth. They encounter a human-like race and are initially revered as gods before beating a hasty retreat in this fast-paced, comedic adventure. The Ringworld Series includes five novels and four prequel novels set in the same universe.
	The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison The Stainless Steel Rat and its sequels follow the Private Investigator/Con Man Slippery Jim diGriz. This irreverent, character-driven science fiction novel will also appeal to readers of the Pulp and Noir genres who connect with morally ambiguous protagonists.