by Christopher Moore
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Charlie Asher, a formerly unremarkable man, becomes a Death Merchant upon the sudden death of his wife and birth of his daughter.
This is a terrific book which is funny, sometimes sad, and unpredictable other than the identity of the Luminatus, which I had figured out long before the other characters in the book. I wish this could be made into a movie, because it would be a fantastic one, done properly.
I completely enjoyed this.
by Dave Barry
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Dave Barry explains real estate, wills, and general oddities in the financial world.
I laughed out loud in a few spots, but this group of essays seems strangely disorganized and random. My favorite Dave Barry book remains Dave Barry Slept Here.
by Beth Lisick
ONE LINE SUMMARY: This is a collection of funny, short essays on the author’s childhood and adult life.
The first half of this book was hysterically funny. Oddly, once the author started getting into her adult years, I found the essays less humorous and more scattered. I think I would have preferred an entire book of essays on her childhood, and then an entire book of essays on her adult life so that she had more time to go into more detail.
For instance, there is no mention anywhere of her wedding or how she decided to marry whom she did. And after reading the essays leading up to her marriage, and the ones after her marriage, the lack of an essay covering some aspect of marriage itself is glaring. I feel like we almost know who the author is, but she is just stepping back a bit before we can see who she is.
That being said, I still recommend this.
by Laurie Notaro
ONE LINE SUMMARY: The author becomes Responsible, gets married, and owns a home in this series of humorous essays.
I enjoyed this book much more than The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club. Part of that may be because I have more in common with the Laurie of this time period than the smoking, drinking, carousing Laurie of the previous book. Or it may be because the timeline of these essays is easier to follow, and there is development with the succeeding essays. The essays deal with her finding Mr. Right, move on to her marrying Mr. Right, visit her purchasing a home, and end with Laurie getting used to kids like her nephew.
I laughed out loud in several spots.
by Jim Meddick
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Robotman gets a visit from his evil twin brother Bruce, explores science, and spoofs the movies all while living with the Milde family.
I bought this book fifteen years ago, and as I re-read this last night, I asked Chris, “Isn’t this comic strip still going on now? But it’s about the guy in the family, not Robotman, right?”
“Yep,” he said.
“Why isn’t it focused on Robotman anymore?”
“I guess it was supposed to be like Small Wonder, where the robot girl lives with the family, and it didn’t really take off.”
I don’t really read this comic anymore, since the focus was taken off Robotman, but I enjoyed re-reading this collection, particularly the Spock depictions. I guess you could say this book was my first real interest into science fiction.
by Donald E. Westlake
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Dortmunder and the gang embark on what appears to be a simple burglary of a bone, but which evolves into kidnappings, light torture, mistaken bone identities and an art heist, all in that hilariously Dortmunder way.
I thought I had read this one before when I picked up a used copy at Powell’s in Portland, but I didn’t remember any of this, so I guess it’s new. I enjoyed it a great deal.
Things always go wrong with poor pessimistic Dortmunder, but always in a tragicomic way that generally leave him (mostly) on top. These are great books.
by Bill Watterson
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Another Calvin and Hobbes collection.
by Donald E. Westlake
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Dortmunder and his friends embark on a surefire robbery, complicated by their neighborhood bar becoming the target of mobsters.
Another amusing mystery featuring the pessimistic Dortmunder and his hapless cronies. These mysteries involve no blood or deaths, but lots of laughs. That being said, the very last page was kind of weird and I think I might have missed something. But if I had more money, the Dortmunder series would be the next ones I collect.
by George Carlin
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Comedian George Carlin offers another collection of essays and one-liners.
This book was a struggle to get through. I was on the verge of returning it the library, unfinished, when I decided to renew it and just try to get to the end. I haven’t really enjoyed any book by a comedian, although I love stand-up comedy, except Paul Reiser’s Couplehood and Babyhood. Reiser knows how to take his comedy and create a beginning, middle and end to his books, and I just wish he’d write another book (Adolescenthood?).
Carlin’s book is extremely disjointed and often pointless. Yes, I do tend to like some kind of coherency in plot/structure, but this book simply wasn’t very funny. The best bits were actually the one-liners.
This is the first book I’ve read this year which I wished I hadn’t wasted my time on.
by Dave Barry
ONE LINE SUMMARY: Dave Barry writes a history of the world.
Before Jon Stewart’s America, the Book, there was this book.
This is a hilariously funny history book that skips the boring parts, contains only one date (October 8), and has perhaps the most intriguing discussion questions ever seen in a “textbook”.
I just wish Barry would update it. I’ve read it several times now.
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