The Importance of Being Earnest

 The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, 160 pages.

Jack Worthing finds the pressures of being a wealthy gentleman and good example to his ward completely unbearable at times. So when it all gets to be too much, he goes off to London to deal with his rascally brother Earnest, a role which he gets to embody in town. This secret comes out in London to his friend Algernon, who has his own similar scheme. He is about to give up the came in preparation to propose to Algernon's cousin Gwendolyn, when who should show up at his country estate but his non-existent brother Earnest? 

I last read this play in high school and remembered very little except that I really liked it. Rereading it now I remember how uproariously funny it is. The title itself is a pretty remarkable pun, and overall I was delighted at how well the humor holds up 125 years later. This is an extremely silly play, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh. 

Dreadful

 Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, 347 pages. 

It's hard to imagine a much worse way to wake up than recently exploded, with no memory, in a dark wizard's lair. And yet Gav's day gets worse, because it turns out he himself is the dark wizard, and he has a whole lot of enemies who would LOVE to hear that he was vulnerable. The Dread Lord Gavrax had a whole lot of (inadvisable and evil) plates spinning, and now he has a kidnapped princess to manage, a garlic festival to oversee, a whole mess of goblins, and an evil wizard conspiracy he absolutely DOES NOT remember. In the mess of all of this he will have to understand if keeping Gavrax's life running is even a goal worth pursuing, or if Gav might be able to forge a new path that is all his own.

This book is extremely funny. T. Kingfisher is listed as a readalike, but I would also propose John Scalzi. The situations are absurd, and the characters are delightful. This is not a book that takes itself too seriously; however, it is a book that takes itself seriously enough to give it moments of startling sincerity and insight. Although this is a funny novel about characters that should be caricatures, this very point about perception and self is a major theme. This is a surprisingly serious meditation on correcting harm and building identity wrapped in a a silly package, and I would definitely recommend it to others. 

Pyramids

 Pyramids by Terry Pratchett, 341 pages.

Teppic breaks his family's extremely ancient conventions when he decides to go off to Ankh-Morpork to train as an assassin instead of sticking around to learn how to run his family's ancient river valley kingdom. But when his father dies his family's divinity hits him at high speeds, and he has to go back to Djelibeybi to fulfill his role as god-emperor. Teppic's foreign upbringing brings some friction to his unchanging kingdom, and Djelibeybi may yet be dragged into the present at last.

Pratchett's discworld novels are always funny, but I did find this one a little disappointing. It's a pretty early book in the series, and the roughness of it shows. I also feel like it lacked the clarity of purpose that really makes satire shine. This is a fine book, but I don't think I would recommend it as an entry point to the series.

All About Me!

All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks, 460 pages

In this long memoir, iconic writer, director, actor, and all-around funnyman Mel Brooks reminisces about his experiences in Hollywood, from writing for Your Show of Shows and the Sid Caesar Variety Hour to making The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs and more riotous movies that both skewer and pay homage to genre classics. 

I loved hearing the behind-the-scenes stories (particularly as 96-year-old Brooks reads the audiobook himself) and found myself laughing MANY times throughout the book. However, Brooks isn't afraid to toot his own horn, and at times, he seemed to really make a meal of his accolades and boundary-pushing methods. The book may have come off a bit more even-handed if someone else had written it, or even if it had been more tightly edited. Still, the stories certainly inspired me to dig out my DVD copies of his various movies, and I definitely annoyed my family by spitting out random tidbits throughout our screenings of Silent Movie and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. If you're a fan of Brooks' films, it's worth checking out.

Is this anything?

 

Is this anything? / Jerry Seinfeld, read by the author, 470 pgs.

I thought this would be more of a memoir but really it is a lot of Jerry's best bits arranged by decade. Jerry does the audio book so if you are into him at all, get the audio.  Some bits from the 80's don't hold up all that well...eg. talk about PHONES.  Of course that is part of the joy of the collection...things have changed but Jerry is still funny.

Yes I can say that

Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble by Judy Gold
I guess librarians should all enjoy this book, the premise is that censoring comedians will lead to a lot worse. Gold makes a good case. If you can't laugh at it, you can't really understand and deal with it. She is quite funny herself but the best parts are when she gets mad about something. It was lovely hearing her narrate her own book.

Delicious in Dungeon, Volumes II and II

Delicious in Dungeon, Volumes II and III, Kui Ryoku, 192 pages each

Kui Ryoku's hilarious take on fantasy dungeon ecology and fantasy tropes continues in these two volumes. The party, led by Laios and his determination to rescue his sister from the belly of a red dragon, encounters a few iconic creatures from fantasy mythos (orcs, mermaids, and zombies), as well as some plays upon Dungeons and Dragons monsters, including everyone's personal favorite, the mimic. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a mimic is a treasure chest shaped monster that eats your face when you try to open it to look at the treasure inside of it. Chilchuck, the resident halfling rogue of the adventuring group, has a healthy fear of them, and of course, he is the one forced to deal with a mimic on his own. Moments of levity abound as the group progresses forward, and a particular favorite of mine occurs when the group washes the dwarf's beard. Seriously, it is a thing, and it is hilarious.

Why Not Me

Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling, 228 pages.
The TV comedy writer, actor, and humorist is back with her second book about her life and outlook. Something like that. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and enjoyed it. Kaling talks about the two shows she worked on, The Office and The Mindy Project. She recounts how she went from being a writer, to a writer /actor to getting her own show and achieving the coveted status of show-runner. Interesting and fun to listen to.

In Such Good Company

In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett  320 pp.

Carol Burnett penned this history of "The Carol Burnett Show" from it's beginnings to it's end eleven years later and beyond. There is plenty of television history plus anecdotes from the making of the show. Included are Burnett's comments on her favorite guest stars and tales of the antics that took place on and off the stage. This is one of those books like As You Wish, that you really should listen too rather than read. While Carol Burnett's narration of her own words is a bit uneven, there are recordings of interviews of herself and her famous co-stars from the long running variety show. If you ever found yourself laughing uncontrollable at the performances of Carol, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Wagoner and their guests, you will enjoy this book. It is available on Overdrive as a downloadable audio book.

The Bob's Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers

The Bob's Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers by Loren Bouchard and the Writers of Bob's Burgers, 126 pages.
My sons and I really enjoy watching the show Bob's Burgers. And we really enjoyed reading the 75 recipes in the book. The jokes and the little asides and references to the show are all fun. The recipes, have encouraged my semi-vegetarian children to try beef, or at least to say they will try beef. When they do so, it will probably guarantee my place in hell, but I should be able to drag some of the people involved in making the series and this book down with me. So, there's that. The "Baby You Can Chive My Car Burger" and the "I Know Why the Cajun Bird Sings" burger are two of my favorites. Great recipes and great humor.

The Daily Show (the book)

The Daily Show (the book): an oral history as told by Jon Stewart, the correspondents, staff and guests / Chris Smith, 492 pgs.

Patrick recommended this book if I was a fan of the show or Jon Stewart.  I am both but was a little worried about a book of an oral history...how weird it that?  Turns out not weird at all. The book is arranged chronologically and covers many of the big changes that took place starting with Jon Stewart taking over the show.  There are enough people interviewed that you get a real "360" view of events.  I especially liked the viewpoints from the "back room" staff.  Many people started out as interns and worked their way up in the organization.  The show isn't perfect but it was interesting to delve into some of the issues and get a better idea of what was happening.  Although he never intended it, Stewart became one of the most trusted news sources in the country as they became better at pointing out the absurdity of the real world.