Humour Books

Book SynopsisFrom the 1870s to the 1930s, American cartoonists devoted much of their ink to outlandish caricatures of immigrants and minority groups, making explicit the derogatory stereotypes that circulated at the time. In The Implacable Urge to Defame, Baigell examines more than sixty published cartoons and considers the climate of opinion that allowed such cartoons to be published.

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Book SynopsisThe Kenaissance is here and it's time to learn all about how to be more Ken with this officially licensed cheeky guide.  Who wouldn't want to be as Ken-tastic as Ken? He's learned a lot about life with the help of some friends, and he wants to share it with the world. Ken is very happy to have learned some of his best life tips from Barbie; he’s accompanied her to bedazzle-studded dances, camping trips, rides in the pink convertible, and supported her throughout her glass ceiling-breaking moves that have made her the iconic sensation she is. Along the way, Ken has come into his own. This guide gives practical pointers on everything from style (who doesn't like a good disco suit) to self-care (healthy habits build confidence) and more. It reminds you that to be your best self you have to learn to take care of you and find what makes you shine--a Ken approved formula anyone can use! Barbie and Ken fans will love this full-color gorgeously styled little gift book. You won’t be able to get Kenough!

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Book SynopsisReveals how the comic book hero has evolved to maintain relevance to America’s fluctuating ideas of masculinity, patriotism, and violence. Stevens outlines the history of Captain America’s adventures and places the unfolding storyline in dialogue with the comic book industry as well as America’s varying political culture.

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Book SynopsisWith nearly 20 albums, two Grammys, two Cable ACE awards, and more HBO specials sunder his belt than anyone else, George Carlin is more popular than ever. Now, for the first time, Carlin has produced a book of original humor pieces, Brain Droppings. Filled with thoughts, musings, questions, lists, beliefs, curiousities, monologues, assertions, assumptions, and other verbal ordeals, Brain Droppings is infectiously funny. Also included are two timeless bonus items from the past, A Place for Your Stuff and Baseball-Football. Readers will get an inside look into Carlin''s mind, and they won''t be disappointed by what they find: I buy stamps by mail. It works OK until I run out of stamps. What year did Jesus Christ think it was? A tree: first you chop it down, then you chop it up. Have you ever noticed the lawyer is always smiling more than the client? I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed. If you ever have chicken at lunch and chicken at dinner, do you

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Book SynopsisMom and Dad Fox cope with the trials and tribulations of modern life, from dumping their savings into dud stock, to a bug-bitten vacation, to coping with their offspring's pet iguana.

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Book SynopsisA collection of cartoons shows the day to day struggle between a dog and his owner.

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Book SynopsisA collection of comic strips features the follies and foibles of the Fox family.

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Book SynopsisBack in print at last! From the author of Auntie Mame: the bawdy, bestselling, bountifully illustrated autobiography of an imaginary diva whose life is one hilarious mishap after another.For Belle Poitrine, née Mayble Schlumpfert, all the world's a stage and she's the most important player on it. At once coy and coercive, with a name that means 'beautiful bosom' in French, she claws her way from Striver's Row to the silver screen. Recalling Belle's career, which ranged from portraying Anne Boleyn in Oh, Henry to roles in both Sodom and its sequel Gomorrah (not to mention the classic Papaya Paradise), Little Me serves up copious quanitites of husbands, couture, and Pink Lady cocktails, with international adventures and a murder trial to boot.A runaway bestseller that made its way to Broadway, starring Sid Caesar in 1962 and Martin Short in 1998, Little Me is now reprinted--with all of the 150 historic, hysteric

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Book SynopsisStotty 'n' Spice Cake brings together wonderful regional recipes with a humorous helping of regional dialect and a generous serving of social history to give an insight into the North East kitchen.

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Book SynopsisAndy's first hilarious and hectic year in the world of comedyTrade Review"A great read and highly recommended!" -- Inspire Magazine"Totally unputdownable and our book of the year." -- Sorted Magazine"Meticulously accurate, entertaining, surprisingly moving. Kind projects an accessible, warm, upbeat demeanour that makes for an easily enjoyable read." Chortle.co.uk (Chortle is the major comedy website in the UK) -- Chortle.co.uk

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Book SynopsisTom has a burning desire to share the Good News with his neighbours. But as an evangelist he suffers from Foot in Mouth disease ...Trade Review"I laughed, I cringed and I cried - a fantastic book from a wonderful author." * Trans World Radio *

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Book SynopsisBorn in Limerick and raised in Dublin, C K (Caimh) McDonnell is a former stand-up comedian and TV writer. He performed all around the world, had several well-received Edinburgh shows and supported acts such as Sarah Millican on tour before hanging up his clowning shoes to concentrate on writing. He has also written for numerous TV shows and been nominated for a Kid's TV BAFTA.His debut novel, A Man With One of Those Faces - a comic crime novel - was published in 2016 and spawned The Dublin Trilogy books and the spin-off McGarry Stateside series. They have been Amazon bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic. As C. K. McDonnell, he is the author of The Stranger Times series contemporary comic fantasy series.Caimh lives in Manchester. To find out more, visit whitehairedirishman.comTrade ReviewMcDonnell's world is transgressively hilarious, grimly banal and beguilingly warm. Of course there's a story that the intrepid journalists of The Stranger Times have to tease out: grave-robbing, cryogenics, a very angry witch, and a washed-up indie legend looking for a lost album, but the real joy lies in the pitfalls and pratfalls of getting there. -- Jamie Buxton * DAILY MAIL *An absolute riot of a read. * DAILY EXPRESS *Laugh-out-loud funny and full of colourful characters. * DAILY MIRROR *It’s no secret that here at SciFiTowers we’re massive fans of the Stranger Times series by C. K. McDonnell. Following the success of Love Will Tear Us Apart (which made February 2023’s list of best books), he’s back with book number four and we return to Manchester and the world of The Stranger Times newspaper who cover anything weird and wonderful. * SciFiNOW *I loved the dry and embedded humour of this book, it's the stuff of life . . . the whole thing is great fun. * SFCROSWNEST *

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Book SynopsisNora Ephron was an Academy Award-winning screenwriter and film director of When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and Julie & Julia. She was also a bestselling novelist (Heartburn, made into a film starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep), and journalist. Her last books I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing were both huge international bestsellers. She died in 2012.Trade ReviewThe book that most influenced me... It triggered me to write my own book, and ask myself questions about who I was, what kind of woman I am and how the world had shaped me. * LILY ALLEN, Guardian *So bold and so vulnerable at the same time. I don’t know how she did it. * PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE, Vogue *

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Book SynopsisHow are you feeling? Are you alright?If you could open your mind like a handbag and show us what was inside, what would we see?A bit of a mess?Don''t worry. This is a self-help book.You''ll feel better very soon.Trade ReviewFunny and profound and surprising all at the same time -- Harry HillDavid Shrigley is probably the funniest gallery-type artist who ever lives -- Dave EggersOn the kink of his line Shrigley can shift effortlessly from pathos to paranoia. And his work is funny - very funny; his timing devastatingly effective -- Will SelfExcellent . . . There's more to Shrigley than his knowing nods to high art * * Guardian, on Brain Activity, at the Hayward Gallery * *Shrigley deserves his immense popularity. For almost 20 years he has produced a ceaseless stream of ideas, observations, jokes and strange insights in the form of left-field drawings that have appeared in broadsheet newspapers, books and magazines as well as galleries. Deadpan, escapist and distinctively cack-handed, they make up a little world in themselves * * Observer * *Simultaneously unsettling and humorous * * Designboom, on Brain Activity, at the Hayward Gallery * *Shrigley mines a mordant, scatological seam, conjuring up the dark tradition of British humour that threw up Tony Hancock and Chris Morris. * * The Times * *[A] master of modern surrealism. * * Evening Standard * *With a casual gesture Shrigley points to that hideous shape whose name I've never known - and then he names it. And the name is profoundly, embarrassingly familiar. I'm laughing while frantically searching for a pen, so desperate to capture the feeling he has unearthed in me. -- Miranda JulyA must for fans of the absurd. * * ES magazine * *Half man, half legend. * * The Skinny * *An artist touched by comic genius and something like full-blown lunacy. * * The Lady * *David Shrigley messes with my head. -- Moira Jeffreys * * Scotland on Sunday * *One of the most successful contemporary artists of his generation . . . Sketchy, darkly humorous, occasionally violent and always arch, his drawings and animations are stylistically naïve, and his sculptures are intentionally awkward * * CityLife * *

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious story of one bag of cash, two best friends and a whole lot of trouble.Trade Review‘A million bucks. A million laughs. Okay, maybe not that many, but enough to get me told to quiet down on a flight. Tess is a narrator you won’t soon forget – both over the top and deeply real at the same time.’ -- Gordon Korman, author of Restart‘Top tier fun. Fast-paced, clever, and completely hilarious with the BEST cast of characters, including two incredible young entrepreneurs. Packed with life lessons too. LOVE IT TO BITS.’ -- Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of Dosh‘A thoroughly entertaining read that children will storm through. Wise advice, lots of laughs and an important message about the things money can’t buy... Laughs, family, friendships and a thrilling adventure - Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire has it all.’ -- Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.'Any fan of the Treehouse series will have spent hours inventing the storeys, contraptions and rooms that would be present in their own treehouses, and Nat Amoore’s debut novel posits an equally enticing prospect: what would you do if you found a million dollars in your backyard?' * Guardian *‘Amoore writes with the confidence a good plot can bring – there is no need for drawn out ‘fillers’ because the action zips along with exuberance and energy... Despite its peppy tone and galloping plotline, this book has a strong moral core… Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is a book with bounce, combining action with integrity and an open door to explore some of life’s bigger questions. Perfect for budding entrepreneurs, amateur detectives, would-be Greta Thunbergs and pretty much everyone in-between.’ -- Armadillo Magazine'Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is pure fun and will appeal to both reluctant and keen readers alike . . . Amoore’s take is contemporary, super quirky and a rollicking adventure.' * Children's Books Daily *'I love this book because I could perfectly relate to most of the wacky things Tess did, and because it wasn’t too easy or too hard.' -- Kayla Ludeman, age 11'This is a lively but thoughtful middle-grade fiction that kids aged 8–12 will race through with great pleasure.' * Books + Publishing *'Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is a lively, precocious book for readers with big ideas and big hearts.' * Readings *'This is a fresh, exciting and thrilling read for kids.' * Kids Book Review *‘Fresh, fast and truly laugh-out-loud funny… Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is fun, easy to read and full of the good stuff that ten year olds need to know, not least the last lesson: we all make mistakes, learn from them and change.’ -- BookTrust‘An original and fun read from first page to last, of special note is the inclusion of real-life bonus tips on how to become a schoolyard millionaire inside!’ -- Midwest Book Review‘Sparkling with humour, this is a refreshingly thrilling story with a clear moral message. It is easy to read, fun and full of credible quirky characters… The chapter titles and the tips that can be found throughout the book are brilliant.’ -- The School Librarian

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Book SynopsisA dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secretsA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR ''A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page’ Jenny Colgan, Spectator A joyful celebration of books - the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who’s ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover? We love the words in books - but what about the words on them? How do they work their magic? Penguin Books blurb wizard Louise Willder joyfully divulges what those 100-or-so words can tell us about literary history, the craft of writing, authors from George Orwell to Zadie Smith, genres from children’s fiction to bonkbusters, cover design, the dark arts of persuasion and even why we read. She also answers burning questions such as: • Should all adjectives be murdered? • Is blurbing sTrade Review'A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page. Some books simply slide into your life like good-humoured old friends. This is undoubtedly one of them.' -- Jenny Colgan, Spectator‘The bookiest book about books you’ll ever read – I loved it.’ -- Lucy Mangan, author of Bookworm‘Truly delightful… charming and gracefully learned… Louise Willder, a copywriter with decades of experience, brings so much joy and, indeed, enthusiasm to her book about books that anyone who revels in reading will find real enchantment here. I couldn’t have had more fun.’ -- Benjamin Dreyer, author of the New York Times bestseller Dreyer’s English'A little marvel...consummately brilliant' * Daily Mail *‘Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!’ -- Nina Stibbe‘I love this book’s sheer happiness and humanity. It is rich, wise and soul-awaking, exhilarating-like-the-snowman-flying-through-the-air-of-human-gloriousness. And, God, she's funny. Buy it, read it, give it.’ -- Martin Latham, author of The Bookseller’s Tale‘Wise and witty...she is full of vim, blessed too with an unusual sense of enquiry, a comic turn of phrase and a talent for investigation into almost every nook and cranny of the business and pleasure of books.’ -- Carmen Callil * The Oldie *‘This total gem is an illuminating, dazzling, quirky, fascinating, erudite, thought-provoking, hilarious and totally essential celebration of the outside of books. Willder is my new style icon.’ -- Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice'Bookworms will devour this' * Good Housekeeping *‘This book is ace! A must-read for any and every writer or book-obsessed person!’ -- Sophie Hannah‘Jammed with funny, curious and stylish thoughts and insights, Blurb Your Enthusiasm will be loved by absolutely everybody with an obsessive interest in books and their appearance.’ -- Simon Winder, author of Germania'Studded with jewels' * Literary Review *‘Tracking the blurb through history, literary practices, authors’ lives, reading habits, and more, Willder opens up the world of wordplay that lies at the heart of writing and publishing.’ * Idler *‘Willder’s breezy book sweeps across publishing history, imbuing her research and professional expertise with the tantalizing thrill of dinner party gossip … so smart and witty that you barely realize how much she is teaching about writing’ -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *‘[Willder] is a charming guide not just to blurbs, but to first lines, hatchet jobs, puffs … I couldn’t, as the cliché goes, put it down.’ -- Laura Freeman * The Times, Best Books of 2022 *‘With chapters on swearing, spoilers and silliness (all acceptable in moderation), Willder makes a fine case for the blurb as an art form in its own right.’ -- Daily Mail‘Delightful … charming … this book feels like the surprising pleasure of a mimosa with breakfast or a bawdy song after dinner… Willder is the perfect guide’ -- Carrie Callaghan * Washington Independent Review of Books *‘Uproarious, gossipy and utterly fascinating: a masterclass in how to judge a book by its cover. It makes words seem weird and wild again.’ -- Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Classics Book‘For anyone who needs or wants to use words persuasively, this is the most enjoyable masterclass you’ll ever read.’ -- Rob Williams, screenwriter of Killing Eve and The Victim'A zingy compendium… A crisp reminder of how profoundly words can affect us.’ -- Sunday Business Post'With chapters on swearing, spoilers and silliness (all acceptable in moderation), Willder makes a fine case for the blurb as an art form in its own right.' * Daily Mail *‘Louise Willder’s witty guide Blurb Your Enthusiasm is a treat for insiders and book-world fans… Wilder celebrates the practice of turning literature into a catchy product that both illuminates people about a book and retains the book’s mystique.’ -- Foreword Reviews‘A delight… She is a delightful and amusing guide to the subject. One for the book lover in your life.’ -- Herald (Glasgow)‘Funny and anecdote-crammed history of the art of the book blurb. You’ll definitely never read book jackets the same way again.’ -- Reader's Digest

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Book SynopsisIn her addictive, bold voice, bestselling author Mary Roach delves into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet.Trade Review‘A provocative and engaging exploration of our evolving relationship with the rest of nature.’ -- Guardian‘Combining diligently researched scientific reporting with the sniggering wit of a stand-up comic… Animal Vegetable Criminal loves an eyebrow-raising anecdote.’ -- The Times‘Bestseller Roach sheds light on nature’s malefactors in this often funny, always provocative survey…Roach’s writing is wry, full of heart, and loaded with intriguing facts… This eminently entertaining outing is another winner.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Reading a Mary Roach book is like spending a luxurious and joyful evening with the perfect dinner guest. Delightful facts become indelibly etched in your brain, and only later do you realise that hours have passed and your face slightly hurts from smiling too hard. In Animal Vegetable Criminal, Roach’s peerless storytelling skills are paired with a sense of moral urgency, as she recounts stories of humans and other animals, uneasily and clumsily learning to co-exist in a world that they must now share.’ -- Ed Yong, science journalist and author of I Contain Multitudes‘Hilarious! With Animal Vegetable Criminal, Mary Roach again takes us into an unfamiliar scientific realm, in this case the science of managing the conflicts between humans and the natural world – lethal leopards, rampaging elephants, jet-downing birds, even killer trees. It’s an ever-widening conflict zone, but one that Ms. Roach gleefully mines for a multitude of bizarre facts that’ll make you snort coffee through your nose.’ -- Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile‘An idiosyncratic tour with Roach as the wisecracking, ever-probing guide… My favorite moments, ultimately, weren’t the funny ones, but those that reveal a bit of scientific poetry.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘With her characteristic dry wit, [Roach] brings an intense fascination to the seldom discussed details and the at times absurd miscellany in the unexplored corners of unappreciated research… It is impossible not to smirk, chortle and sometimes outright belly laugh as you read her many wry asides and funny but fascinating footnotes… But the real trick Roach pulls off is to keep you laughing while at the same time making sure the earnest points come across.’ * New Scientist *‘A hugely enjoyable exploration of what happens when the nature we’ve decided to love doesn’t love us back. By turns hilarious and horrifying – and often profound – Roach’s entertaining journeys are full of delightful curios and I was swept up in her joyful writing.’ -- Gaia Vince, author of Transcendence‘Each chapter is packed with the results of [Roach’s] detailed investigations. Roach uses footnotes to add both depth and lightness to the topic at hand by capturing misfit studies, asides, and hilarious tangents… Refreshing.’ -- Science‘Full of kernels of fascinating information… Her approach is informative and unpretentious, and she’s always armed with a dry sense of humor. Roach will change the way you think about the great outdoors. What more could you ask for?’ * BuzzFeed *‘The book brims with Roach’s irreverent humor, which particularly shines when she experiences human-animal conflict firsthand… A blend of modern science and history, with Roach’s flair for spotting hidden absurdities… As another entry in Roach’s canon of books, Animal Vegetable Criminal stands tall (and hairy), educating as much as it entertains.’ * Science News *‘[Animal Vegetable Criminal is] powerfully propelled by the force of Roach’s unflinching fascination with the weird, the gross and the downright improbable… There’s a wacky genius to [her] interjections… [Her] curious and generous engagement with her subjects makes for world-expanding reading.’ -- Washington Post‘Traveling from a bear seminar in Reno to a bird-infested island in the Pacific that plagued the American military during World War II, among many other venues, Roach joyfully explores how human culture and wildlife, including plant life, have either found ways to coexist or are constantly at odds. Throughout, Roach highlights people who are genuinely passionate about the work, and she also includes suggestions for readers on how to deal ethically (and effectively) with their own wildlife issues, wherever they live. From the terrifying to the frustrating, a great starting point for understanding the animal world.’ -- Kirkus, starred review‘A witty and thought-provoking look at the darker side of animal behaviour through the ages. Highly entertaining and informative – excellent popular science writing.’ -- Stephen Moss, naturalist and author‘As hilarious as it is thought-provoking, Animal Vegetable Criminal is a brilliant read. Only Mary Roach can make such an obscure subject so intriguing. From battles with birds to marauding macaques, Roach reveals what happens when nature breaks human laws, with fascinating results.’ -- Monty Lyman, author of The Remarkable Life of the Skin‘Mary Roach has been writing brilliant, funny and illuminating popular science books for years. Unfortunately – at least for those of us with ambitions to step into her shoes – she has gone and done it again! Animal Vegetable Criminal is as good as anything this wonderful author has ever written, and that is saying something.’ -- Graham Lawton, author of Mustn’t Grumble: The surprising science of everyday ailments‘I sometimes wonder what animals have done wrong to deserve humans and what we do to them. But I know that humanity has done something right to deserve Mary Roach, the best guide possible to the fascinating but sometimes fraught interactions between human, animal and nature. She prowls through this intersection of worlds with the sleek grace of a leopard, diving into garbage cans, Indian elephant politics and mass murders of murders of crows, with her usual wit and wisdom. There’s only one downside to this delightful and brilliant book, and that’s that the animals can’t read it too.’ -- Rose George, journalist and author of Nine Pints‘Animal Vegetable Criminal is as funny as it is immersive. It is littered with colourful details of characters… The book is sympathetic to the complex problem of our coexistence with nature, and maintains that the dilemma of animals disturbing the peacefulness of our existence is only increasing in urgency.’ -- New Statesman‘This book is such a rich stew of anecdotes and lore that it’s best savored slowly, bit by bit… No matter the situation, Roach approaches it with contagious enthusiasm.’ -- BookPage, starred review‘[A] splendid study of all things alimentary…’ -- Bill Bryson on Gulp‘The most entertaining writer in science.’ * The Times *'Mary Roach has a knack for finding quirky corners of science to explore and does so with unfailingly good nature and charm.' -- Fortean Times

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Book SynopsisA dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secretsTrade Review'A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page. Some books simply slide into your life like good-humoured old friends. This is undoubtedly one of them.' -- Jenny Colgan, Spectator‘The bookiest book about books you’ll ever read – I loved it.’ -- Lucy Mangan, author of Bookworm‘Truly delightful… charming and gracefully learned… Louise Willder, a copywriter with decades of experience, brings so much joy and, indeed, enthusiasm to her book about books that anyone who revels in reading will find real enchantment here. I couldn’t have had more fun.’ -- Benjamin Dreyer, author of the New York Times bestseller Dreyer’s English'A little marvel...consummately brilliant' * Daily Mail *‘Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!’ -- Nina Stibbe‘I love this book’s sheer happiness and humanity. It is rich, wise and soul-awaking, exhilarating-like-the-snowman-flying-through-the-air-of-human-gloriousness. And, God, she's funny. Buy it, read it, give it.’ -- Martin Latham, author of The Bookseller’s Tale‘Wise and witty...she is full of vim, blessed too with an unusual sense of enquiry, a comic turn of phrase and a talent for investigation into almost every nook and cranny of the business and pleasure of books.’ -- Carmen Callil * The Oldie *‘This total gem is an illuminating, dazzling, quirky, fascinating, erudite, thought-provoking, hilarious and totally essential celebration of the outside of books. Willder is my new style icon.’ -- Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice'Bookworms will devour this' * Good Housekeeping *‘This book is ace! A must-read for any and every writer or book-obsessed person!’ -- Sophie Hannah‘Jammed with funny, curious and stylish thoughts and insights, Blurb Your Enthusiasm will be loved by absolutely everybody with an obsessive interest in books and their appearance.’ -- Simon Winder, author of Germania'Studded with jewels' * Literary Review *‘Tracking the blurb through history, literary practices, authors’ lives, reading habits, and more, Willder opens up the world of wordplay that lies at the heart of writing and publishing.’ * Idler *‘Willder’s breezy book sweeps across publishing history, imbuing her research and professional expertise with the tantalizing thrill of dinner party gossip … so smart and witty that you barely realize how much she is teaching about writing’ -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *‘[Willder] is a charming guide not just to blurbs, but to first lines, hatchet jobs, puffs … I couldn’t, as the cliché goes, put it down.’ -- Laura Freeman * The Times, Best Books of 2022 *‘With chapters on swearing, spoilers and silliness (all acceptable in moderation), Willder makes a fine case for the blurb as an art form in its own right.’ -- Daily Mail‘Delightful … charming … this book feels like the surprising pleasure of a mimosa with breakfast or a bawdy song after dinner… Willder is the perfect guide’ -- Carrie Callaghan * Washington Independent Review of Books *‘Uproarious, gossipy and utterly fascinating: a masterclass in how to judge a book by its cover. It makes words seem weird and wild again.’ -- Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Classics Book‘For anyone who needs or wants to use words persuasively, this is the most enjoyable masterclass you’ll ever read.’ -- Rob Williams, screenwriter of Killing Eve and The Victim'A zingy compendium… A crisp reminder of how profoundly words can affect us.’ -- Sunday Business Post'With chapters on swearing, spoilers and silliness (all acceptable in moderation), Willder makes a fine case for the blurb as an art form in its own right.' * Daily Mail *‘Louise Willder’s witty guide Blurb Your Enthusiasm is a treat for insiders and book-world fans… Wilder celebrates the practice of turning literature into a catchy product that both illuminates people about a book and retains the book’s mystique.’ -- Foreword Reviews‘A delight… She is a delightful and amusing guide to the subject. One for the book lover in your life.’ -- Herald (Glasgow)‘Funny and anecdote-crammed history of the art of the book blurb. You’ll definitely never read book jackets the same way again.’ -- Reader's Digest

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Book SynopsisA tongue-in-cheek guide to the unique dialect and humour of the south Wales valleys, comprising a light-hearted introduction to language idiosyncrasies, jokes and anecdotes, with a foreword by Ronnie Barker. 14 cartoons.

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Book Synopsis`You may wonder why the Middle East gets so much airtime. Well, regions of the world were competing to host the apocalypse and the Middle East won.'' Online sensation Karl reMarks disagreed with the idea that reality had become too strange to satirise. Then he read that bin Laden was radicalised by Shakespeare. Since then, Karl has been bringing the best of the Middle East news and views to his followers around the world. Now Karl''s wildly wry observations and sketches are available in one handy collection. With sections on `Geography for Dummies'', `Democracy for Realists'' and `Extremism: A Study'', alongside the best of Karl reMarks''s infamous `Bar Jokes'', this hilarious book proudly presents views you''re guaranteed not to hear on the news ... We''re actually very proud of God in the Middle East. He''s the local guy who went on to acquire international fame. Wahahahahabism: A fundamentalist Middle Eastern comedy movement. Twelve people just started to follow me. Jesus.Trade Review'An acerbically wicked collection of sharp geo- and sociopolitical commentary ... droll, smart, witty.' Media Diversifed

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Book SynopsisDon't Panic, I'm Islamic: Words and Pictures on How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Alien Next Door is a collection of satirical writings, cartoons and art by writers and artists from around the world.Trade ReviewA Sunday Times Best Humour Book of the Year 2017; 'Refreshing and important, this collection is bursting with the creativity, wit and intelligence that voices outside the mainstream can offer. In a world where politics is increasingly driven by divide-and-rule, let's start thinking add and multiply.' Brian Eno; 'Thoughtful and entertaining... this subversive romp into the nuanced world of Muslims is exactly what we need in today's increasingly polarised climate.' Reza Aslan; 'An extraordinary achievement. Fighting back at ignorance with hilarity, ebullience and wit, this collection gracefully exposes the raw hurt that misunderstandings based on stereotypes can cause.' Selma Dabbagh; 'Funny and moving.' Bookwitty; 'the first great anti-Trump book,' Culture Trip; 'a celebratory treasure trove of writing and art,' Metro; `Unique, captivating and entertaining ... While at their core the stories are sad and question humanity's ignorance, they are presented in a stimulating and humorous format designed to both entertain and inform. ... May this book prompt us all to further reflect on how we view and treat others.' Canvas; 'A wonderful, subversive anthology...Don't Panic, I'm Islamic is a fun, easy read that will make you laugh out loud...A welcome antidote to the mainstream stereotyping of millions of people. Read it - and then pass it on.' New Internationalist; `Uses raw humour to fight stereotypes' The Arab Weekly; `The perfect antidote to a year dominated by a Presidential Twitter account.' Sunday Times Best Humour Book of the Year 2017; 'With humility, respect, and great sensitivity, [Di Cintio] seeks out writers, people skilled at telling stories, and asks them to narrate their own situations. The result is a document that captures not only the manifold sorrows and injustices of Palestinian life but something of its beauty, its joys, and its yearning.' Ben Ehrenreich, author of The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine'; `With a title like Don't Panic, I'm Islamic, how can you resist? Using short stories, cartoons, photography and more, 34 contributors from around the world answer the essential questions ... provocative, subversive and creative.' Phoenix MagTable of Contentsp2 Arwa Mahdawi, 'A Personal Guide to Extreme Vetting'; p8 Chant Avedissian, 'Are You Talkin' To Me?'; p12 Karl Sharro, 'The Joys of Applying for a US Visa'; p20 James Nunn, 'Colour Abdullah!'; p22 Negin Farsad, 'My Own People Don't Like Me Very Much'; p30 Bidisha, '50 States of America First'; p32 Chris Riddell, 'La La Land'; p34 Hazem Saghieh, 'Trump and Gaddafi'; p36 Molly Crabapple, 'Trumpination'; p38 Omar Hamdi, 'Islam Is Not Spiritual, But Is A Useful Identity'; p40 Esther Manito, 'A Sidon-Gateshead Upbringing (in Essex)'; p44 Hassan Hajjaj, 'Kesh Angels'; p48 Saleem Haddad, 'Do I Understand That You Are A Homosexual, Sir?'; p56 Rana Salam, 'Sexy Souk'; p58 Amrou Al-Kadhi, 'How Islam Taught Me To Be A Drag Queen'; p62 Chaza Charafeddine, 'Divine Comedy'; p66 Leila Aboulela, 'Majed'; p76 Jennifer Jajeh, 'White Like Me'; p84 Hassan Abdulrazzak, 'Tuesday's Child'; p92 Eli Valley, 'Are Nazi Analogies Kosher Today?'; p96 Moris Farhi, 'Of Dolphin Children and Leviathans'; p108 Tammam Azzam, 'From Syria With Love;' p118 Alex Wheatle, 'Shade-ism'; p124 Carol Ann Duffy, 'Comprehensive'; p126 Aisha Mirza, 'Yesterday I Stepped on a White Woman's Yoga Mat'; p132 Laila Shawa, 'Disposable Bodies'; p134 Joumana Haddad, 'The Joke's On Them'; p136 Mazen Kerbaj, 'Cola'; p138 Sabrina Mahfouz, 'Postcard From a Muslim Mermaid'; p146 'Preparing My Kids for the New America'; p150 Alberto Manguel, 'Fabulous Creatures'; p158 Bahia Shebab, 'There Are People'; p164 Sjon, 'The Muslim: A Cautionary Tale'; p167 Afterword; p169 About the Contributors; p180 Permissions;

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Book SynopsisIn his breakaway bestseller 50 Things to Make with a Broken Hockey Stick, Peter Manchester transformed the agony of defeated sticks into the thrill of a new creation, with a slap of good humour that kept readers chuckling all the way through the book. Now, with the publication of Fabulous Fabrications from Busted Hockey Gear, the hockey stick handyman has turned his creative talents to the rest of the equipment left to fester in the basement -- helmets, pads, gloves, skates, and even cast-off hockey uniforms. In this oh-so-Canadian book of how-to humour, a wonderland of construct-o-rama experiences awaits devotees of rink junk. Who would have thought of an electric guitar for only $15 or a drum set made entirely of cast-off helmets? A leather skate becomes a bird or a ball cap; a dismantled helmet becomes a mask; a pair of pants becomes an amazing sling chair. Basement artistes can build a lap steel guitar from sticks, fashion a guiro from a bit of stick and a plastic knee protecto

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisBrilliant combination of graphic design, cartoon art and music journalism.

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Book SynopsisTasteless self-help parody: how to be more self-centred, cynical and, most importantly, how to have a good time.

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Book SynopsisTwo sets of 15 postcards parodying classic children's book covers.

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Book SynopsisA riotous collection of twisted advice for the cynical person to live a happier life.

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