My Fair Lazy
Jen Lancaster
Not Lancaster’s best memoir to date, but still a hoot. Her realization that she was becoming a moron, wits dulled by reality tv, inspired her to try to improve her mind a la Eliza Doolittle. Lancaster chronicles her attempts at reading literature, going to plays, trying new foods and listening to opera. There are, of course, her usual slip-ups, hilarious stories and lots of swearing. Not sure I’d want to hang out with her, but her books are a fun read
Bent Objects
Terry Border
Using everyday objects, coupled with bent wire, Border creates a whole inner anthropomorphic life for inanimate objects – a kiwi shaves its fuzzy back, a banana lays battered and bruised in the boxing ring, a group of peanuts attend a funeral for a jar of peanut butter. Weird, hilarious and twisted.
http://bentobjects.blogspot.com/
The Urban Hermit
Sam Macdonald
Sam Macdonald was a fat, broke failure. His social life consisted of sitting on a bar-stool all night. His apartment, he noted, was the “brownest” place he had ever lived. Mustering the reserves of a truly desperate man, he decided to go on a starvation diet to loose weight and save money. Breakfast – 2 hard-boiled eggs, lunch – cooked lentils and salt, dinner, – lentils and a white-bread and tuna sandwich. It was horrible, but Macdonald stuck it out. While he clearly warns that no one should ever eat like this or follow in his path, it did work for him. He lost nearly half his body weight, paid off his debts and saved...
The Guinea Pig Dairies
AJ Jacobs
Jacob’s past books have focused on his year-long experiments – reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and living “biblically” (kinda). His Guinea Pig Dairies chronicles his shorter month-long experiments. Some, like telling the truth no matter what, are unqualified failures (albeit hilarious ones). His online dating experiment is kind of creepy. And his experiment to do whatever his wife asks is incredibly satisfying. Not as in-depth or thought provoking as his past books, but still an entertaining...
The Pyrates
George McDonald Fraser
Despite some of his later anti-global warming diatribes, Michael Crichton was for the most part an excellent writer. Which is why I’m sure he came to his senses and chose never to release his book Pirate Latitudes. Published posthumously, the book seems to be ripped straight from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean… the ride. The plot is nearly nonexistent and every pirate related legend is crammed haphazardly into the book. Stories of the kraken and headhunter tribes are tacked on like literary post-its. After wading through this dreck, I had to reread an old favorite (and far superior book) The Pyrates.
Rivaling Terry Pratchett for the...
Live Nude Elf
Reverend Jen
Not a book for this with rigid morals or no sense of humor, Reverend Jen covers her year as a sex writer for Nerve magazine. While most of her experiments are scary/gross/dangerous they also have a tinge of quirky dorkiness that makes her lovable… in a deranged sort of way. In one experiment, Jen and friends try to become groupies:
We rushed to the foot of the stage to get a better look and were instantaneously swept up in the madness. Legions of dudes banged their heads, genuflecting with devil horns. I too raised my horns in the air until Dodge pointed out that I was actually making the “hang loose”...