humor

Nine Goblins

Leave a comment

by T. Kingfisher
First sentence: “It was gruel again for breakfast.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: January 20, 2026 (unless you want it in e-book; it’s available now)
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some violence, including a huge (kind of gory) massacre. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

Look: goblins aren’t really made for war. It’s unfortunate that they found themselves in such a state – well, it’s not really their fault – that they are in a constant war with the humans and elves. Mostly, what goblins want to do is complain. Which, they suppose, war is good for. And the members of the Whining Nines (ha!) are really good at that. And their sergeant, Nessilka, doesn’t really want to be in charge, but since the rest of the goblins in her unit are really kind of useless, she supposes being in charge is what she has to do. That is, until they accidentally end up in the forest on the elf/human side. Where there is something decidedly… not right.

Okay, I don’t read e-books. I don’t like e-books. But, this one was spoken highly enough by several coworkers, and because it’s T. Kingfisher, I was willing to read an e-book. And I was not disappointed. Seriously. This one made me laugh out loud. It made me delighted the whole way through. There was enough of a plot to keep me going, but mostly it was the characters that just charmed the socks off me. I loved them all. And I would happily join them for more adventures if Kingfisher wanted to write them.

I don’t think I’ve read a bad Kingfisher book yet.

Sourcery

Leave a comment

by Terry Pratchett
First sentence: “There was a man and he had eight sons.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It’s a Pratchett novel, so there’s really nothing, except that it’s a bit long. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

I picked this one up because for #ReadICT I needed a book published the year I turned 16, which was 1988. I looked at lists of the best sellers and top books, and nothing spoke to me until I stumbled across this one. Ah, I thought I could always read another Discworld book that I hadn’t read. I haven’t dabbled in the Rincewind books at all – I’ve never been much interested – but I figured why not. It’s a Terry Pratchett book.

This one is simple in plot: wizards aren’t supposed to have kids because there is a chance of sorcerers, and those are Bad. Except one wizard did have kid – the eighth son of an eighth son, which I find hilarious – and eventually he came to take over the Unseen University. Rincewind – and friends he picked up along the way – are sent to keep the Archmage hat safe (or as safe as possible, which, of course, doesn’t work very well) from the sorcerer, and so that the Apocalypse can be (narrowly) avoided.

But Pratchett’s books are not about the plot. They’re about the journey, and the little asides, and the footnotes, and the humor that you find. And, while this one isn’t my favorite (and it’s not even as good as Hogfather, which I read at the beginning of the year), it was still fun. It made me laugh, I was entertained, and I read it much quicker than I’ve been reading pretty much anything else these days.

Then again, it’s Sir Terry. I don’t think he ever wrote a bad book. Just more good and less good. And maybe this one was less good for me, but it’s still a delight.

Audiobook: Leslie F**king Jones

Leave a comment

by Leslie Jones
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: This is sweary. SO very sweary. Like, I don’t know how many sentences didn’t have the f-bomb. (Plus 10 uses of the n-word, but that’s her prerogative.) It’s in the humor section of the bookstore.

I tell so many people that the best way to read a celebrity memoir is to listen to it on audio. I’ve even gone as far as to say that I actively won’t read a memoir if the author doesn’t read it. (Case in point: I have yet to read Elton John’s memoir, even though I have a copy of it on my shelf downstairs. He doesn’t read the audiobook.) I don’t know why I put Leslie Jones’s memoir on hold at the library (it was a good two months between when I put the hold and when it came in; I no longer remember it), but I have to admit I was curious about the book.

Friends: this audiobook is NOT the book. Well, it’s loosely the book. But you will get an entirely different experience listening to it than reading it. See, Jones says “Chapter X” and then just takes off. Like pretty literally. It’s a 16-hour audiobook for a less-than-300-page book. This is not a criticism. Once I realized that she was riffing on the book, taking the chapters and just going with the flow, telling you her story, I got into the groove of the insanity and enjoyed myself. (At a certain point, when she said “Hey, I like what I wrote here, let me read it” I pretty much figured that if I wasn’t willing to change my expectations about this book, I needed to get off the train. Reader: I stayed on the whole way.)

She’s had a hard life, but she is one of the most positive people I’ve read about. She laughs at herself, her past mistakes, she has Thoughts about pretty much everything, she doesn’t take any crap from anyone, and she knows her worth. It’s pretty amazing. I appreciated her vulnerability, her laugh, her story. So, yeah: not at all what I expected from an audiobook, but definitely worth my time to finish it.

Hogfather

Leave a comment

by Terry Pratchett
First sentence: “Everything starts somewhere, although many physicists disagree.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: It’s part of the Death cycle in Discworld, but you can read it as a standalone.
Content: It’s Terry Pratchett. Do we really need to discuss content? It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

It’s Hogswatchnight, and mostly everything is normal in Ankh-Morpork, with celebrations and everything. Except it’s not okay: the Hogfather has gone missing. And in order to save humanity (just go with it), Death has taken over the Hogfather’s duties. (Albeit very awkwardly.) Once Death’s granddaughter Susan realizes things are not right, she embarks on a journey to find out what happened to Hogfather.

I have been meaning to read this for years. I love it whenever I visit Discworld; Pratchett’s humor and observations hit the spot. I giggle, I cry, I am amused and delighted at the characters. It’s a maze of a book; I was sometimes wondering where the plot was going, but I trust Sir Terry and he did not disappoint. I adored Susan, and in the end, Sir Terry pulled off a remarkably delightful book.

In the Lives of Puppets

Leave a comment

by T. J. Klune
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher
Release date: April 25, 2023
Content: There are a couple of swear words, including one or two f-bombs, plus some sexual humor. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

This is one that I feel like the less you know, the better off you are. The basic premise is this: Vic is a human who is living with robots – his father, an anxious vacuum, and a sadistic nurse robot (trust me) – in the forest. One day, he discovers an android, fixes it, and brings it back online. It has a connection to Vic’s father (who is, yes, an android) which changes the course of Vic’s life. 

What really drives this book is the characters. Yes, the plot is loosely based on The Adventures of Pinocchio (the book, not the Disney movie), but it’s the characters that drive the story. We got a couple of copies to pass around the store, and we kept reading passages about Rambo the vacuum and Nurse Rached aloud to each other. We started a text thread of quotes. We laughed a LOT. But it’s more than that, too. Klune is meditating on the purpose of humanity, whether we – with all our negatives – are actually worth being alive. And if we are worth it, what is that worth. 

Also, know that I sobbed for the last 50 pages of the book. Klune pulled me into his world and I felt every bit of it. Heartbreak, love, humor, betrayal, acceptance, and loss. 

I have been positively ruined for other books for a while. You will absolutely want to read this when it comes out in April.

EMG Graphic Novel Round-up 3

Leave a comment

Little Monarchs
by Jonathan Case
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There are some intense moments, fights, and possibly leaving people for dead. It’s in the middle grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.

In the near future, a sun sickness has killed off all mammals. What humans are left, have gone underground. But 10-year-old Elvie and her caretaker, Flora get live aboveground because of some medicine that Flora discovered: it comes from the scales off monarch butterfly wings. So they follow the migratory paths of monarchs to harvest and make medicine while Flora tries to make a permanent vaccination. That makes it sound very tame, but this has near death experiences, some pretty awful bad guys, and a lot of tension. There are some light-hearted moments, an it’s all about found family, and it’s full of STEM facts. I do have a slight issue with the author being white and the main character being Black, but that’s a minor one. Overall, it’s a remarkable book.

The Real Riley Mayes
by Rachel Elliott
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It deals with crushes, and there is some bullying and homophobia. It’s in the middle grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.

Riley just wants to be herself: Short hair, androgenous clothes, drawing as much as possilbe. But, her friend that “got” her moved away, and she’s having a hard time making new friends. One of the kids in class teases her for being a gay, calling her names and excluding her from all-girl events. The thing is, Riley’s not even sure she’s gay. She does make a couple of friends, but she’s not sure if they’ll stick especially after she makes smome mistakes. Maybe she’ll figure out this whole being a 5th grader thing out.

This one was super cute! I loved Riley, and her struggles felt like a real 5th grader’s struggles. Making and keeping friends, figuring out who you are, figuring out how to be a friend. it’s all there. I liked the art, and there wa seven some humor in it as well. Really really good.

Apple Crush
by Lucy Knisley
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It deals with crushes. It’s in the middle grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.

Jen is spending the week on her mother’s farm, after he divorce from Jen’s father. She’ getting used to living in the country, and going to school. But her new stepsiste, who visits on weekends, has other plans. One of them is super into boys, and all Jen wants to do is hang out, work on the pumplki patch next door, and draw. It’s a touch line to figure out how to walk.

This is a nice look at the different stages kids are at in middle school. Some are into relationships and “liking” other kids, others not so much. I appreciated the matter of fact way Knisley approaches the suject, and the way she woe a Halloween story in there as well. It’s a cute story and a cute book.

Bunnicula
by James Howe, Andrew Dokin, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There is humorous “horror”, and sometimes scary moments. It’s in the middle grade graphic novel section of the bookstore.

Bunnicula is one of those books I’ve heard a lot about, but have never read. Things I didn’t know: it’s written suppsoedly, by the dog, who is telling the story of the vampire bunny. I didn’t know that the bunny only sucks the juices out of vegetables, turning them white (i had thought maybe it was a real vampre bunny). I didn’t know that it was the cat who goes pretty crazy tyring to prove that the bunny is a vampire. I thought it was scarier than it actually was.

Still, it wa a fun graphic novel and not a bad way to be introduced to this story

Didn’t finish: Sorceline.

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza

Leave a comment

by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: It looks like a lot, so it may be intimidating to some kids. It’s in the Middle Grade Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.

Back in the early days of the pandemic, say April of 2022, Mac Barnett (bless him) decided to start a lunchtime stoytime where he would sit and read one of his books. (He was written a lot!) He live-streamed them on Instagram, which was its own brand of charming (with guest and regular tech issues). It grew to be a whole thing, including a Joke corner (with jokes submitted by kids) and sound effects (done by Mac’s wife) appearances from Henry the Dog, and once a week or so, an episode of The First Ct in Space. Mac would write the scripts, Shawn (Mac’s best friend and racquetball nemesis) would draw and film them, and they both would do the voices. It was dumb and silly and exactly what we ended during the first year of the pandemic.

All this to say: those episodes became this book. And it’s very much in the spirit of those: silly, kind of stupid, full of dumb jokes, and absolutely charming. I giggled my way through this (I completely jive with Mac’s sense of humor), and even though the plot is really dumb, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re having a good time reading it, you’re checking out the Spotify playlist to hear the Ballad of Captain Babybeard, and you’re forgetting about the problems in the world for a bit.

Honestly, that is the best sort of book, really.

Audiobook: Bookish People

1 Comment

by Susan Coll
Read by Alexa Morden
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is some mild swearing and a couple of f-bombs. There is also mention of suicide. It’s in the Adult Fiction section of the bookstore.

A co-worker – the current Children’s Coordinator at the bookstore – turned me on to this one, saying: It’s super accurate, including down to the vacuum cleaner that won’t work. That was enough for me.

The basic plot: it’s one week at an independent bookstore in Washington, DC (not Politics and Prose, though) where everything seems to go wrong. The owner, Sophie, is having second and third thoughts about running a bookstore and just wants to hide away in the hidden room behind the sports section (I think?). Clemi, the event coordinator, has booked Raymond Chaucer, a notorious poet who is basically known because his wife killed herself. Clemi, however, thinks Chaucer is her real father. In between all that is a lot of rain, some pretty weird and funny customers, and a vacuum cleaner that just won’t work.

it’s particularly silly and fluffy; there’s really not much depth or growth here But the author must have some experience with working at a bookstore; there was a lot of insider baseball from Shelf Awareness (which is more like an industry newsletter, not a blog) to receiving and stocking books (though they order a LOT of books) to those weird customers who show up at author events. In fact, it was the author event, where one attendee just started rambling about spotted owls, that had me howling in laughter. I know those people; I have had those people at events I have run.

The narrator was particularly delightful and engaging, doing voices (I particularly liked her voice for Summer), and basically keeping me engrossed in an increasingly silly plot.

So, not a deep or moving book, but it was good for a few laughs, which I enjoyed.

Cranky Chicken

Leave a comment

by Katherine Battersby
Support your local independent bookstore: Buy it there!
Content: To be honest, this is more of an early chapter book than a graphic novel. Think of it one step up from Elephant and Piggie. It’s in the Beginning Chapter book section (grades 1-2) of the bookstore.

Cranky Chicken is cranky. That’s just how it is. And then one day, she inadvertently kicks a leaf off a worm, and suddenly Cranky has a friend (which she’s not sure she wants): Speedy the Worm. From there, the book is a hilarious exploration of them getting to know each other and becoming friends.

Oh my goodness, this was so funny. I haven’t laughed this hard at a book this simple since Elephant & Piggie. Cranky Chicken is supposed to be cranky, but really he’s just charming and funny. I enjoyed Speedy’s optimism — it was just the right amount — and their adventures together. The drawings are simple but evocative and funny.

I know humor is subjective, but I found this one just delightful.

Audiobook: Broken (in the best possible way)

Leave a comment

by Jenny Lawson
Read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is a lot of swearing, including many, many f-bombs. It’s in the humor section of the bookstore.

In this series of short, sometimes thoughtful, often very funny, essays, Lawson reflects on life, mental illness, writing, and well, just about everything.

Honestly, this isn’t the first book of hers I’ve listened to, an I have to say that it’s really the best way to experience them. (Granted, I’ve not read them, so I can’t definitively say.) I love listening to Lawson — who is really a great narrator — spin her stories, making me laugh. She is a personable writer and a narrator, and does much to just bring you in as a listener into her little world.

I definitely recommend the audio book for this one, if only for the last little bit when she talks about recording the book during quarantining for COVID (since her immune system is shot, she took the quarantine seriously) and it was a nice way to wrap the book up.

She’s crazy, yes. But in the best possible way. I loved this.