Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), Zadie Smith (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, humor (anthology) Published: 2003 I read it: May 2017 2003. The first year of the Iraq war. The release year of a bunch of my favorite albums before I turned more noticeably into new tastes. A full decade before my first…
Author: Mindy Kaling Type: Non-fiction, humor, memoir Full title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) Published: 2011 I read it: April 2015 I’m finally catching up to this books written by comedians thing. I think I’m generally pretty slow about trying out new genres, and the biography/autobiography stuff just isn’t my thing.…
Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), Matt Groening (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, humor (anthology) Published: 2006 I read it: April 2015 This issue was apparently the first to feature the now-deceased front section. Well its inception here is strong, with an exchange between Stewart and Colbert from The Daily Show, transcipts from…
Author: Amy Poehler Type: Non-fiction, humor, memoir Published: 2014 I read it: November 2014 Amy Poehler has written a memoir from the “middle.” Right off the bat she acknowledges that at 42 she has a lot of experience but not really enough to do a wisdom-filled autobiography. She is arguably at the peak of her career,…
Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), Walter Mosley (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, poetry, humor (anthology) Published: 2013 I read it: August 2014 Nonrequired reading. You know I love this series. Let’s get to the good stuff: Right out the gate, the first entry in the front section is the Best American American…
Author: Jim Gaffigan Type: Fiction, non-fiction, humor, memoir Published: 2013 I read it: July 2014 Why is Jim Gaffigan an appropriate author for a comedic memoir about parenting? Because he has five children and his family lives in a two-bedroom apartment in New York. The premise fits Gaffigan’s dry style particularly well. It’s also an…
Author: John Hodgman Type: Fiction, humor Part of series: Complete World Knowledge (#3) Published: 2011 I read it: July 2012 The deranged billionaire John Hodgman has written a book that you should read NOW. For it is 2012, the year of our reckoning, and here is the definitive guide through everything EVIL AND UNNATURAL that…
Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), Ray Bradbury (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, poetry, humor (anthology) Published: 2012 I read it: August 2013 Another expectedly excellent collection. The only bummer is no front section for “Best American New Band Names.” Boo! I looked forward to that part every year. Well, at least it contains……
Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), Guillermo del Toro (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, poetry, humor (anthology) Published: 2011 I read it: December 2012 What makes it immensely readable: The ever-entertaining front section, including portions of a fax by Don Delillo, an essay on musician M.I.A., the nouns, verbs, and adjectives used to describe…
Author: Dave Eggers (series editor), David Sedaris (introduction) Type: Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, comics, poetry, humor (anthology) Published: 2010 I read it: September 2011 First, the only reason these books cannot attain perfection is because they are anthologies and there are bound to be some selections that are not as good as others. That being said, the…
