Tag Archives: humor

Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump by Ben Phillippe  

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by in 20th century, anecdotes, Biography, Non-fiction, United States

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I loved Phillippe’s memoir and description of growing up in Canada and eventually moving the to US.  Biting humor and moving.

“Flat-out funny…This is a great next-book for fans of What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, but if a reader hasn’t turned to either of those yet, Philippe’s disarming, illuminating, and hilarious chronicle is a great place to start.” — Booklist

“I still mute Ben’s texts, but I inhaled his hilarious book, which is so full of razor-sharp wit and punches to the gut that it almost made me sick. In a good way!” — Samantha Irby, New York Times bestselling author of Wow, No Thank You

“Philippe has created a funny, and at times harrowing, memoir of his experience as a Black man. Fans of similar memoirs, such as Damon Young’s What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, will enjoy the irreverence and recognize themselves in these pages.” — Library Journal

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I Miss You When I Blink: Essays by Mary Laura Philpott

10 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by in 20th century, anecdotes, Biography, Humor, Non-fiction

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“Mary Laura Philpott is relentlessly funny, self-effacing and charming as she tells the story of living as a triple-A-plus perfectionist. Everything in her life is done on time and exactly right, until, of course, it all starts to fall apart. In her willingness to tell her own story, she taps into a universal truth for so many women: We plan to do it all until we find we can’t do anything anymore. I Miss You When I Blink made me laugh, it made me cry. I miss it already.”  — Ann Patchett, author of This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage and Commonwealth

“At once a love letter to type-A people everywhere and a gentle reminder that it’s okay (necessary, even) to change, this full-hearted book is a warm embrace of a life lived imperfectly.” ― Esquire

“Mary Laura Philpott is the friend you call when you want to cry but need to laugh. What a treat to spend time with her distinctive voice as she plumbs life’s quotidian moments to unearth deeper, universal truths. Wry, intelligent, and searingly honest, this book is a joy.”  — Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest

“Mary Laura Philpott is a writer, artist, and creator of singular spark and delight. I adore her, and I love her work. Thank God she has finally written a memoir! By offering these dispatches from her own life experience, she leaves us thinking about ourselves—where we’ve been, where we’re going, and who we really want to be.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic

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Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

05 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, romance

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A great read on the lighter side – romantic, humorous, outrageous -unlike anything you’ve read before!  Delightful farcical cases of mistaken identity, disastrous proposals, Muslim-arranged marriages with a touch of Shakespeare and Austen thrown in.  An entertaining read guaranteed!

“Ayesha At Last is the modern Pride & Prejudice retelling I never knew I needed. Warm, witty, romantic, and relatable. Honestly, Darcy who? Khalid is everything.”—Alisha Rai, award-winning author

“There’s an overabundance of Pride and Prejudice retellings, but few are as thoughtful and creative as this stellar debut from an author to watch.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Jalaluddin cleverly illustrates the social pressures facing young Indian-Muslim adults…a highly entertaining tale of family, community, and romance.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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The Intouchables – dvd

27 Monday Jun 2016

Posted by in Comedy, Drama

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This is the best movie I have ever seen about two men and rare friendship.  Based on a true story this is a poignant comedy that begins when a wealthy aristocrat who is paralyzed from a para gliding accident hires a chronically unemployed immigrant from Senegal.  Their lives are forever changed.  Put away your aversion to subtitled movies and check this out!  This is a unanimous favorite among the Weston staff.

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One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Fiction

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Prior to reading this book, I knew that B.J. Novak was an actor and writer on the TV show The Office (and that he grew up in Newton). I had no idea he was an author, and I was surprised and impressed by this collection of short stories. Some were stronger than others, but I really enjoyed his writing and sense of humor. I recommend the audiobook, which Novak reads along with several guest narrators including Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, and Mindy Kaling.

*Starred Review* Novak’s high-concept, hilarious, and disarmingly commiserative fiction debut stems from his stand-up performances and his Emmy Award–winning work on the comedy series, The Office, as writer, actor, director, and executive producer. Accordingly, his more concise stories come across as brainy comedy bits, while his sustained tales covertly encompass deep emotional and psychological dimensions. An adept zeitgeist miner, Novak excels at topsy-turvy improvisations on a dizzying array of subjects, from Aesop’s fables to tabloid Elvis to our oracular enthrallment to the stock market. A master of cringe, Novak imagines a blind date with a warlord, a Comedy Central TV roast of Nelson Mandela, and a mortifying misunderstanding between mega-best-selling novelist John Grisham and his new editor. Writing with zing and humor in the spirit of Woody Allen and Steve Martin, Novak also ventures into the realm of George Saunders and David Foster Wallace. A boy wins a breakfast-cereal contest and discovers a shocking family secret. A sex robot falls in love. A man reveals the heartbreak behind the universally dreaded math problem about the two trains leaving the stations at different times. Baseline clever and fresh, at best spectacularly perceptive, and always commanding, Novak’s ingeniously ambushing stories of longing, fear, pretension, and confusion reveal the quintessential absurdities and transcendent beauty of our catch-as-catch-can lives.
–Donna Seaman, Booklist

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by in Biography, Non-fiction

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Don’t miss this book!  I almost did since the title was off-putting to me.  Open the covers of this book and savor a collection of previously published stories about her family, friends, dogs, divorce, books, her own bookstore, and……her husband.   It’s a portrait of Ann Patchett’s whole  life.  You will definitely find favorites.  I love the story about Ann training for the LAPD test to make her father proud…or her hilarious attempt to enjoy a Winnebago vacation.  

“I had been so engaged by Ann Patchett’s multifaceted story, so lured in by her confiding voice, that I forgot I was on the job. […] As the best personal essays often do, Patchett’s is a two-way mirror, reflecting both the author and her readers.” (New York Times Book Review)

“The best advertisement for Ann Patchett’s new collection of nonfiction is anything else Ms. Patchett has written…Ms. Patchett’s style is not overly confessional, but it is beguiling in ways that make her sound like someone you’d want to know.” (New York Times)

“Each of the essays is its own delight and resonates with warmth and humor… If read straight through, the book presents a lovely and lyrical look at a life well lived.” (Library Journal)

“Readable and candid, Patchett’s collection is a joyful celebration of life, love and the written word.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Reading Patchett is like spending time with a deeply perceptive longtime pal, or a new friend that one instantly connects with.” (USA Today)

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My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Biography

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This is a delightful and amusing read about a young girl growing up in a very unusual household.  Her father was a champion horse trainer in England so she shared her life with over 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, and ponies as well as a constant variety of dogs on a huge estate in the Hampshire Downs.  And Clare was often at the bottom of the pecking order in the family – boys always came first, and sometimes the horse and dogs did, too.  She shares amusing and poignant portraits of the beloved animals who buffer her tough challenges on her long road to becoming an award-winning broadcaster and proclaimed a “national treasure” as well as the gold medal winning presenter at the 2012 London Olympics.

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