The Last Girlfriend on Earth

Title: The Last Girlfriend on Earth

Author: Simon Rich

Genres: Short stories, humor, books on TV

I checked out this book after watching an episode of ManSeeking Woman. It’s a show where modern dating rules, anxieties,  and conundrums are mixed with the absurd. For example, in the episode I watched, one of the main characters dates Santa Claus. This is not seen as ridiculous because everyone believes in Santa Claus, he is a real person but it is scandalous- Santa is married, after all. Other short stories were about a man who is engaged to Mother Teresa, a Jewish man whose ex-girlfriend is dating Adolf Hitler, and the title story about a man who is dating the last woman alive on Earth. 

                                                          

 I normally don’t read short stories because a lot of short stories leave a lot to be desired in my opinion or they end on a cliffhanger. The short stories in The Last Girlfriend on Earth are mostly satisfying, snarky, and funny. There were a few that left me with a Huh? feeling but I enjoyed most of the stories within the book. I will be adding Simon Rich's other works to my "to-be-read" pile. 

Title: Wreck the Halls: Cake Wrecks Gets "Festive"
Author: Jen Yates
Genre: humor, non-fiction


I don't remember how I stumbled upon Jen Yates' blog, Cake Wrecks, but I always find her blog post hilarious and entertaining. By now you are probably wondering what exactly is a Cake Wreck? According to the blog's site: "A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places." Cake Wrecks only make fun of professionally decorated cakes and when you check out the cakes on her blog you'll wonder how some of these professional cake decorators were able to land and/or keep their jobs. On Sundays, Jen posts her weekly "Sunday Sweets" post which are themed cakes that are absolute perfection.

Wreck the Halls is Jen Yates' second book; it's a quick and hilarious read that is perfect for sharing holiday cheer with others. The pictures of these cakes are horrible on their own but the captions and snarky comments take them to a whole new level of hilarity. After reading her blog and two books, you will never look at cake the same way again.

Title: Tricky Twenty-Two
Author: Janet Evanovich
Genre: fiction, humor, mystery, chick lit

Our favorite clumsy bond enforcer is back- but Stephanie is not having a good time. First Joe breaks up with her (say it ain't so!), she has a huge pimple about ready to explode, and then Lula gets kidnapped and carjacked during a bond enforcement pickup. On top of all this, Stephanie and Lula are investigating a no-show bonded client with ties to the Zeta fraternity house at the local university. On top of the usual fraternity hijinks, this frat house has connections to a mysterious university researcher who turns out to be a wee bit cray-cray: fleas, Bubonic plague and other nasty stuff.

Title: Food: A Love Story
Author: Jim Gaffigan
Genre: nonfiction, humor, food humor

"I'm convinced anyone who doesn't like Mexican food is a psychopath." (61)

This pearl of wisdom comes from America's palest comedian: Jim Gaffigan. In his newest book he talks about his favorite subject (food) with his characteristic sarcastic, dry wit. First, he divides the US into geographic-based food groups: Seabugland, Steakland, Wineland, Blubberland, etc. Then he tackles individual meats, ethnic food, condiments desserts, breakfast, holidays and food customs. Whew! All that reading made me hungry!

Title: Dad is Fat

Author: Jim Gaffigan

Genre: non-fiction, humor, parenting

Hot pockets!

This book was hilarious and a great stress relief after the past few weeks: getting my son ready for kindergarten and  dealing with the financial aid nightmare at the college I'll be starting at on Monday. Jim Gaffigan adds a humorous spin to the normal parenting/frustration nightmares: taking (multiple) children on an outing, sleep (or the lack thereof). Another bonus: he loves his wife, which shows in his writing but he doesn't get too mushy. The Gaffigans also practice attachment parenting which is usually wonderful until you get a foot slammed in your mouth at 3am. I laughed so hard at some passages during my lunch break that my coworkers demanded I read the passages out loud.

Title: Never Suck a Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI
Author: Dana Kollmann
Genre: non-fiction, memoir, humor

Catchy title, eh? Dana Kollmann writes about her serious and thankless job as a CSI with humor and sarcastic wit which makes for a light and easy read. Some stories will curl your toes with the gross factor so, if you have a sensitive stomach, you are forewarned! Eventually, the long work hours along with the lack of social life caused Dana Kollmann burnout and she had to leave the CSI team. She now uses her experience to teach forensic science to others.

Title: Catch-22
Author: Joseph Heller
Genre: classic, war literature, humor

I have a confession to make. I am 33 years old and I have finally read Catch-22.
Why did I wait so long to read it?
Well, I really didn't have an interest until my friend D.C. dared/challenged me to read it and review it on this blog:
"If/when you read Catch-22 pay particular attention to Chapter 10.  Some of the best irony ever written.   I'm reading it again and realize this book contributed a great deal my to cynical attitude. It is complex, confusing, and disorganized for most people used to reading plots.  There isn't one.  Heller's descriptions of the characters and their expressions is top notch.  The whole book is about irony."

Hmm. A book with no plot? I'm a chronological, organized, Type-A personality. How would I enjoy a book with no plot? Well, surprisingly, I did! The book is full of irony as my friend mentioned (just imagine Stephen Colbert writing a book of fiction) and parts of it are hilarious. I received a few sidelong glances from my coworkers in the lunchroom when they heard me giggling and snorting. You will also enjoy this book if you have ever worked for an organization or institution where things didn't make sense. The poor soldiers in this book have to deal with superiors who are nit-wits, unoriginal, and prone to repetition and ridiculousness.

What book do you challenge/dare me to read next?