Humor
Starter villain
John Scalzi
SCIENCE FICTION Scalzi John
Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, Humor
"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat"--
I am dog!
Peter Bently
jE Bently
Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Poetry
A day in the life of a dog--told from the dog's point of view! A funny rhyming picture book from Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton. Have you ever wondered just what goes on in a dog's head? Now you can find out in this funny rhyming story!
I Am Dog, sure is great. Get this book, don't hesitate! This book rocks! This dog is fun! Share this book with everyone! -Casey
10 dogs
Emily Gravett
jE Gravett
Picture Books, Animals, Humor
Bursting with energy and fun, young children will love to count the dogs and the sausages, as well as looking out for all the funny details on each page. The book explores numbers one going up to ten, and ten going down to zero, touching on several simple concepts like half, all, more, less along the way.
Emily Gravett's follow-up to "10 Cats" is just as delightful and original. Be sure to look out for all the hidden doggy details, especially the endsheets! -Casey
My roommate is a vampire
Jenna Levine
FICTION Levine Jenna
Fiction, Humor, Romance
"True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy. Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it's a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she's desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch-only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price. Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency-romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn't look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they're both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren't there earlier, Frederick has to come clean... Cassie's sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her"--
This book is ridiculous and I love it. It's such a (refreshingly) straightforward schtick that if we didn't know the male lead was a vampire by the book's title, we'd surely recognize it after he claims she'll never see him during the day because he "works" at night. Everything about him is so obvious (he doesn't know what a trash can is because he's never made any trash) that the story can focus on his charmingly ignorant view of modern day American society. (He's been in a coma for 100 years after his friend accidentally poisoned him). When you read a lot of formulaic genre fiction (and have no shame about it), it's so fun to pick up something that pokes fun at all the traditional plot points and character dramas. Really fun read. -Melody
Happiness for Beginners: A Novel
Katherine Center
OverDrive Audiobook
Adventure, Romance, Humor
As seen on Netflix—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming—she hopes it'll be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn't anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example—or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't anticipate that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course—and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found. Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best—a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It's a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.
I saw this trailer on Netflix (which knows me so well) and knew I had to read the book first. I prefer audiobooks for rom coms, and this one did not disappoint. I am a sucker for a transformational backpacking journey in fiction--not something I get to do in real life. The characters were humane and loveable, and the banter between the leads was light-hearted and witty. The title comes from the name of a textbook a fellow sojourner brings with her, a book for a positive psychology class she's taking. Happiness studies grew in popularity as the pandemic wore on, so it might sound old hat to you as you're reading this in 2023. The first edition of this novel came out in 2015 and is seeing a resurgence thanks to the film adaptation. Now I just have to find 2 hours to sit still for a movie night. Happy reading! -Melody
Business or pleasure
Rachel Lynn Solomon
FICTION Solomon Rachel
Fiction, Romance, Humor
"A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk. Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in 'ghostwriter' until she attends a signing for a book she wrote--and the author doesn't even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. But Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps. Chandler's determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn't as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he's distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they're not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure--or if there's a way for them to have both"--
This book is on my TBR pile (to be read). It's a new rom-com (published July 4, 2023) that is getting rave reviews. I have to read a lot of book reviews for work, and each one I read about this book has great things to say. Why else do I want to read it? I love comedy that turns your everyday feelings of failure into a no-big-deal moment. Sex-positive book about open communication? Nice. Woman writer settling for a paycheck over following her creative writing dream? Awesome. Can't wait for my hold to come in for this one. -Melody
The golden spoon : a novel
Jessa Maxwell
MYSTERY Maxwell, Jessa
Fiction, Humor, Mystery
“This delicious combination of Clue and The Great British Bake Off kept me turning the pages all night!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz. Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect. A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut.
I reserved this book after I read that it was like as if The Great British Baking Show written with the cast of Clue. Okay, so there's no Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard (savory mustard plum pie, anyone?), but the characters are as hyperbolical and hilarious as the original ensemble. I let out some cackles during the beginning monologues of each character, fully in on the inside jokes of reality TV baking and cooking show fandom. Don't go into this book looking for nuance and subtlety. You will want over-the-topness with this story. -Melody
The evil secret society of cats
author Pandania
jMANGA Pandania Evil
Graphic Novels, Humor, Animals
"Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm"--
"Fall into depravity, vile human!" And get ready to laugh out loud with this hilariously adorable manga. The easy-to-read, simple panel layout makes this a great first manga experience for young readers as well. The Evil Secret Society of Cats is for anyone and everyone who enjoys animal humor and especially fans of other cat comics like the Chi series, Housecat Troubles, and Yokai Cats. -Casey
Book lovers
Emily Henry
FICTION Henry Emily
Romance, Humor
"A by-the-book literary agent must decide if happily ever after is worth changing her whole life for in this insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. Nora Stephens' life is books--she's read them all--and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters' trip away--with visions of a small town transformation for Nora who she's convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they've met many times and it's never been cute. If Nora knows she's not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he's nobody's hero, but as they are thrown together again and again--in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow--what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they've written about themselves"--
Not sure how I snagged a copy of this when it was on the shelf. It's in demand right now! But the timing was perfect. I see Emily Henry's books pop up in bestseller lists, but I've tended to pass them by. I think I read something that compared her rom-coms to Mhairi McFarlane's--whom I can't read enough of now--and that sealed the deal. I also loved the idea of reading an enemies-to-lovers title about a literary agent and an publishing house editor. Reviews call this a hilarious book and I agree! I'm about halfway through and hope to finish it up this weekend. (I took a binge-reading break to work on a jigsaw puzzle and build lego sets with my son.) Looking forward to this weekend! -Melody
The real Dada Mother Goose : a treasury of complete nonsense
Jon Scieszka
jE Scieszka
Classics, Humor, Picture Books, Kids
"The classic nursery rhymes we know and love--upside-down, backward, in gibberish, and fresh out of bounds--as only Jon Scieszka could stage them. Mother knows best, but sometimes a little nonsense wins the day. Inspired by Dadaism's rejection of reason and rational thinking, and in cahoots with Blanche Fisher Wright's The Real Mother Goose, this anthology of absurdity unravels the fabric of classic nursery rhymes and stitches them back together (or not quite together) in every clever way possible."
The Real Dada Mother Goose is a delight! Anyone well versed in Mother Goose owes this one a perusal. -Casey
More red meat for Scalzi fans, with snappy dialog, constant forward moving action, interesting characters, even more interesting (incredible?) situations, and of course heavy doses of humor. Another one of his that's hard to set down. -Paul