Thou Shalt Read

“People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.”

^{– Logan Pearsall Smith}

When it comes to reading, dark humor appeals to me most. There is always a humorous angle to things in life, whether it be death, war, disease or fear. It is the ability to generate the comedic relief under such morbid circumstances that fascinates me.

You take a wrong corner. You step off that curb without looking. Death comes for us all, taking a myriad number of terrible and terrifying forms.

Unless, of course, you’re the hero of Christopher Moore’s comedy opus, A Dirty Job. Then death comes in the form of a tall, black record store owner named Minty Fresh, who steals your wife’s soul, confers upon you the job of Death Merchant, and leaves you and your newly born daughter to fend for yourselves among hellhounds, sewer harpies and an army composed mostly of reanimated squirrels. Chaos ensues. As per usual.

–S. Clayton Moore from About.com (To read more of the review, click here)

“Hello. My name is Robert, and I haven’t been dead for sixty-three days now.” With an opening line like that, how can you go wrong? British author Mil Millington’s third novel is a delightful find for fans of Nick Hornby and sarcastic British humor. Even better, it suggests that even a cynical woman with a depressive personality can find true love.

–Susan Scribner from The Romance Reader (To read more, click here)

“Talk to the hand ’cause the face ain’t listening,” the saying goes. When did the world get to be so rude? When did society become so inconsiderate? It’s a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says that it has now reached boiling point.

Taking on the boorish behaviour that has become a point of pride for some, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Talk to the Hand is a spirited conversation, not a stuffy guidebook. It is not about forks, for a start.

-From ABC Shop (To read more, click here)