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The Best of Reader's Digest: Humor, Heart-Warming Stories, and Dramatic Tales
by Editors of Reader's DigestMore than two dozen timeless favorites from the Reader's Digest archives.From everyday heroes to larger-than-life characters, small moments to historic events, the unforgettable stories in Reader's Digest come alive as never before in this keepsake book. Our editors have combed the archives for the narratives—sometimes funny, often poignant, always inspirational—that still strike deep chords today, such as: The gripping tale of a North Carolina woman and her Shepherd, Gandalf, who found a lost Boy Scout in the woods during their first search-and-rescue job The tragic account of the crash of the Columbia Space Shuttle The miracle of the old letter that led to a couple being reunited after nearly 60 years apart The heroic actions of an eighteen-year-old girl who carried a young boy to safety after being pulled out to sea in a riptide The hilarious anecdote about the one exception to humorist Calvin Trillin&’s happy childhood, a sickly collie named Chubby Featuring the best of the best fron the present and past, this collection of timeless favorites will thrill your senses, warm your heart, and brighten your day.
The Best of Simple
by Langston HughesLangston Hughes's stories about Jesse B. Simple--first composed for a weekly column in the Chicago Defender and then collected in Simple Speaks His Mind, Simple Takes a Wife, and Simple Stakes a Claim--have been read and loved by hundreds of thousands of readers. In The Best of Simple, the author picked his favorites from these earlier volumes, stories that not only have proved popular but are now part of a great and growing literary tradition. Simple might be considered an Everyman for black Americans. Hughes himself wrote: "...these tales are about a great many people--although they are stories about no specific persons as such. But it is impossible to live in Harlem and not know at least a hundred Simples, fifty Joyces, twenty-five Zaritas, and several Cousin Minnies--or reasonable facsimiles thereof." As Arnold Rampersad has written, Simple is "one of the most memorable and winning characters in the annals of American literature, justly regarded as one of Hughes's most inspired creations."
The Best of The Show: A Classic Collection of Wit and Wisdom
by Rick Reilly Bob Costas Bill Scheft- "The Show" is the second most widely-read column in Sports Illustrated, after Rick Reilly, who will write one of the book's introductions. Sports Illustrated has over three million subscribers, the third highest magazine circulation in the United States, and is read by 23 million adults each week. - The Best Of "The Show" will appeal to fans of Rick Reilly's Life of Reilly (Total/Sports Illustrated, 2000) and Bill Geist's Fore!Play (Warner, 2001), both of which were bestsellers. - Scheft was the Emmy Award-nominated head monologue writer for David Letterman for 13 years and routinely appears on the air with him. He is a frequent guest on the talk show circuit and on sports radio programs all over the country.
The Best of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader (Bathroom Reader Ser.)
by Bathroom Readers' InstituteFind out what millions of trivia lovers already know: Uncle John is your #1 source when it comes to throne-room reading entertainment. This book celebrates the very best articles from the BRI's first ten years--plus 150 all-new pages! As always, the contents are divided by length: short articles for the reader on the go, medium articles if you have a few minutes to spare, and the extended sitting section for those truly leg-numbing experiences. Read about . . .- The origin of Twinkies- Who invented the Hula Hoop- The untold history of the Three Stooges- Space toilets: where no man has gone before- 1876: the year they stole the presidency- The FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list- How to start your own country- Celebrity impostersAnd much, much more!
The Best of Youth: A Novel
by Michael DahlieWhat happens when an introverted young writer takes on a ghostwriting gig for a violent, drug-addicted Hollywood star? In the case of Henry Lang, the result is a string of outrageous disasters, but disasters that are ultimately hilarious, gripping, and deeply moving. When twenty-something Henry Lang loses his parents in a sailing accident, he’s left entirely alone in the world but also with an inheritance of fifteen million bucks. He decides to head to Brooklyn to immerse himself in the place he’s quite sure is the absolute heart of American youth culture to try and make it as a writer and editor at a young upstart literary magazine. He hopes to fall in love too. Unfortunately, Henry soon finds himself navigating increasingly baffling social difficulties with both women and work, eventually leading him to near ruin when he’s hired to ghostwrite a young adult novel. Henry’s integrity and entire fortune are on the line, and no one is sure if he can rescue either.By turns uproarious and tragic, The Best of Youth is a brilliant comedy of manners, introducing us to a surprising modern-day hero for an age where the mean-spirited and the famous triumph all too often.
The Best of the Harvard Lampoon: 140 Years of American Humor
by Harvard LampoonA collection of the best of The Harvard Lampoon--the spawning ground for Hollywood's elite comedy writers and New Yorker humorists--revealing the hidden gems from their 140-year history.Since its inception in 1876, The Harvard Lampoon has become a farm system for Hollywood's best and most revered comedy writers. Lampoon alumni can be found behind the scenes of sitcoms and late-night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, The Office, 30 Rock, The Mindy Project, and many others. The Best of the Harvard Lampoon is the first anthology of The Lampoon's extensive archives, featuring luminaries who have gone on to shape the comedy and literary landscape along with some of the best cartoons, illustrations, and satirical advertisements from over the years. Contributors include B.J. Novak, Henry Beard, Andy Borowitz, George Plimpton, Conan O'Brien, John Updike, Patricia Marx, and many others, with an introduction by New York Times bestselling author Simon Rich.
The Best of the Rejection Collection: 293 Cartoons That Were Too Dumb, Too Dark, or Too Naughty for The New Yorker
by Matthew DiffeeIt’s the best of the worst: 293 of the funniest cartoons rejected by The New Yorker but luckily for us, now in paperback and available to enjoy. The Rejection Collection brings together some of The New Yorker’s brightest talents—Roz Chast, Gahan Wilson, Sam Gross, Jack Zeigler, David Sipress, and more—and reveals their other side. Their dark side. Their juvenile side. Their sick side. Their naughty side. Their outrageous side.And what a treat. Ventriloquist dummy cartoons. Operating room cartoons. Bring your daughter to work day cartoons (the stripper, the prison guard on death row). Lots of couples in bed, quite a few coffins, wise-cracking animals—an obsessive’s plumbing of the weird, the scary, the off-the-wall, and done so without restraint.Every week The New Yorker receives 500 cartoon submissions, and rejects a great majority—mostly, of course, for not being funny enough. There’s no question why these were rejected, and it’s not for lack of laughs. One can almost hear Eustace Tilley sniffing, We are not amused.
The Best of the Rejection Collection: 297 Cartoons That Were Too Dark, Too Weird, or Too Dirty for The New Yorker
by Matthew DiffeeThe best of the worst: these cartoons rejected by The New Yorker were deemed too dumb, too weird, or too naughty—but not for lack of laughs! Every week, hundreds and hundreds of cartoons pour into The New Yorker. Most are rejected. Doesn&’t matter how big a deal the cartoonist is, either. Roz Chast, David Sipress, Kim Warp, Sam gross, Ed Steed, Emily Flake, Navied Mahdavian, or Mary Lawton—if the work in question is too weird, too naughty, too juvenile, or too dark, it&’s out. Luckily for us, Matthew Diffee has been bravely sifting through the circular file to rescue the best of the worst. Here are 297 cartoons in a revised second edition featuring more than 50 new cartoons—even better, even worse! The cartoon set-ups may be familiar—a couple in bed, a few people stranded on a desert island, a doctor and patient in an examining room—but the joke are anything but, with twists so unexpected, you can&’t help but laugh out loud.
The Best, Worst, and Most Unusual: Noteworthy Achievements, Events, Feats and Blunders of Every Conceivable Kind
by Bruce Felton Mark FowlerYou might agree that the worst diet book was Dr. Herman Taller’s Calories Don’t Count, but what’s the best mystery film of all time? Where is the most unusual hotel in the world? And just what is the worst way to swallow a sword? A collection of two original volumes of odd miscellany, this is a fascinating compendium of the best, worst, and most unusual aspects of virtually everything. The only book of its size and scope, it includes every possible field of endeavor, from astronomy to taxidermy, sculpture to scatology! Amusing, entertaining, hilarious, bizarre—Felton and Fowler’s candidates for infamy are a sure cure for any case of the doldrums.
The Bestseller (Bestseller Oro Ser.)
by Olivia GoldsmithFrom a New York Times–bestselling author, comes this &“highly entertaining tale [with] considerable humor and some cynical fun at the expense of the book business&” (Publishers Weekly). At Davis & Dash, one of New York&’s most prestigious publishing houses, five new authors will be published—but only one of them will be a bestseller. They have worked long and hard to write their novels of romance and murder, drama and love, but the story behind the stories is even more exciting. And the vicious competition to get the right agent, the perfect editor, and the choice spot on the bestseller list must be seen to be believed. From the author of The First Wives Club, this &“dishy&” novel set in New York&’s book publishing industry (Glamour) is a fun behind-the-scenes romp with &“lots of romance and revenge&” (The Washington Post Book World). &“Extremely satisfying.&” —The New York Times Book Review
The Bet (The Bet #1)
by Rachel Van DykenIncludes a special sneak peek of THE WAGER by Rachel Van Dyken! The #1 New York Times bestseller... "I have a proposition for you." Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus's mouth. It's been years since Kacey's seen her childhood friend Jake, but the minute Jake mentions his ill grandmother, Kacey is ready to do anything for the sweet old woman. And if that means pretending they're engaged for her sake-so be it.But Kacey wasn't counting on Jake's older brother Travis still being there. She calls him "Satan" for a reason: she's never forgotten the way he teased and taunted her. Yet when they meet again, Travis's gorgeous smile is a direct hit to her heart . . . and Kacey's more confused than ever. As the days pass, only one thing starts to become alarmingly clear-she never should have accepted Jake's deal ... 80,000 words
The Better Mousetrap: J.W. Wells & Co. Book 5
by Tom Holt'Tom Holt's comic fantasy is a great, uplifting read, fit to grace any reader's book collection' - Waterstones Books Quarterly'Holt's quirky characters and whimsical voice successfully infuse life into this entertaining romantic comedy' - Publishers WeeklyIt touches all our lives; our triumphs and tragedies, our proudest achievements, our most traumatic disasters. Alloyed of love and fear, death and fire and the inscrutable acts of the gods, insurance is indeed the force that binds the universe together.Hardly surprising, therefore, that Frank Carpenter, one of the foremost magical practitioners of our age, felt himself irresistibly drawn to it. Until, that is, he met Jane, a high-flying corporate heroine with an annoying habit of falling out of trees and getting killed. Repeatedly.It's not long before Frank and Jane find themselves face to face with the greatest enigma of our times: When is a door not a door? When it's a mousetrap.A madcap comic fantasy from one of Britain's funniest writers.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side
The Better Mousetrap: J.W. Wells & Co. Book 5 (J.W. Wells & Co. #5)
by Tom Holt'Tom Holt's comic fantasy is a great, uplifting read, fit to grace any reader's book collection' - Waterstones Books Quarterly'Holt's quirky characters and whimsical voice successfully infuse life into this entertaining romantic comedy' - Publishers WeeklyIt touches all our lives; our triumphs and tragedies, our proudest achievements, our most traumatic disasters. Alloyed of love and fear, death and fire and the inscrutable acts of the gods, insurance is indeed the force that binds the universe together.Hardly surprising, therefore, that Frank Carpenter, one of the foremost magical practitioners of our age, felt himself irresistibly drawn to it. Until, that is, he met Jane, a high-flying corporate heroine with an annoying habit of falling out of trees and getting killed. Repeatedly.It's not long before Frank and Jane find themselves face to face with the greatest enigma of our times: When is a door not a door? When it's a mousetrap.A madcap comic fantasy from one of Britain's funniest writers.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side
The Better Part of Valor (Confederation of Valor #2)
by Tanya HuffFrom bestselling author Tanya Huff comes a new novel in the Confederation series of military science fiction, blending action, intrigue, courage, and humor with more twists than a trip through Susumi space…Even if she was saving the Confederation at the time, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is aware that questioning a general’s parentage to his face was not a strategic career move. But she never imagined it would land her as senior NCO on a top-secret recon mission practically guaranteed to go sideways. The target is an unidentified alien ship the size of a station, floating dead in space. Most of her intel comes from a civilian salvage operator who’s bargained his way onto her landing party while making it clear he won’t be taking any orders. Best of all, the mission’s commanding officer is a politically connected captain so heroic his troops tend to end up dead.But as soon as Torin and her Marines set foot on the strange vessel, the rules change. This ship isn’t empty. Communications are down. And if they can’t get back to tell the Confederation what they’ve found out, all of the known galaxy is going to learn about it the hard way…
The Better World Of Reginald Perrin: (Reginald Perrin) (Reginald Perrin #2)
by David NobbsThis hilarious episode in the remarkable exploits of Reginald Iolanthe Perrin follows our hero on his most ambitious venture yet.Setting up a commune strictly for the middle-class and middle-aged, Reggie's therapy centre nurtures its clients, encouraging them to find the love and goodness that lurks deep inside.And he's gathered together the unlikeliest of staff to help him- including C.J. (for people's work problems), David Harris-Jones (handling their sex problems), plus Tony Webster (culture), his son-in-law Tom (sport) and Doc Morrissey (psychology).With a team like this, how can the indomitable, unconventional R.I.P. ever fail in his bid to create a Better World?
The Bible According to Spike Milligan
by Spike MilliganSpike Milligan's legendary war memoirs are a hilarious and subversive first-hand account of the Second World War, as well as a fascinating portrait of the formative years of this towering comic genius, most famous as writer and star of The Goon Show. They have sold over 4.5 million copies.The Old Testament: but more mad, more merry, more... Milligan!"And God said, Let there be light; and there was light, but Eastern Electricity Board said He would have to wait until Thursday to be connected."There have been many interpretations of the Old Testament over the centuries but never one quite like this. Spike Milligan has rewritten, in his own inimitable style, many of the best-known stories of the Old Testament, featuring characters like King "my brain hurts" Solomon, the great oaf of a giant Goliath and the lesser-known crossword clue, Hushai the Archite.Believers and non-believers alike will enjoy this hilarious re-working, where the jokes, jests and jibes tumble over each other from Chapter One, Verse One until kingdom come.
The Bible of Unspeakable Truths
by Greg GutfeldGreg Gutfeld, the acclaimed host of the popular, nightly Fox News show Red Eye, has packed this book full of his most aggressive (and funny) diatribes -- each chapter exploring Unspeakable Truths that cut right to the core and go well beyond just politics. Greg deconstructs pop culture, media, kids, disease, race, food, sex, celebrity, current events, and nearly every other aspect of life, with Truths including but not limited to: "if you're over 25 and still use party as a verb, then you're beyond redemption," "the media wanted bird flu to kill thousands," "attractive people don't write for a living," "death row inmates make the best husbands," and "the urge to punch Zach Braff in the face is completely natural. " With an irreverent voice, incredible wit, and a firm take on just about everything, this is a manual for how to think about stuff, by a guy who has thought about precisely that same stuff. And, even if you disagree with Greg, this book will make you laugh--guaranteed. * *Not guaranteed.
The Bickford Fuse
by Andrey KurkovCatch-22 meets The Brothers Karamazov in the last great satire of the Soviet EraThe Great Patriotic War is stumbling to a close, but a new darkness has fallen over Soviet Russia. And for a disparate, disconnected clutch of wanderers - many thousands of miles apart but linked by a common goal - four parallel journeys are just beginning.Gorych and his driver, rolling through water, sand and snow on an empty petrol tank; the occupant of a black airship, looking down benevolently as he floats above his Fatherland; young Andrey, who leaves his religious community in search of a new life; and Kharitonov, who trudges from the Sea of Japan to Leningrad, carrying a fuse that, when lit, could blow all and sundry to smithereens.Written in the final years of Communism, The Bickford Fuse is a satirical epic of the Soviet soul, exploring the origins and dead-ends of the Russian mentality from the end of World War Two to the Union's collapse. Blending allegory and fable with real events, and as deliriously absurd as anything Kurkov has written, it is both an elegy for lost years and a song of hope for a future not yet set in stone.Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk
The Bickford Fuse
by Andrey KurkovCatch-22 meets The Brothers Karamazov in the last great satire of the Soviet EraThe Great Patriotic War is stumbling to a close, but a new darkness has fallen over Soviet Russia. And for a disparate, disconnected clutch of wanderers - many thousands of miles apart but linked by a common goal - four parallel journeys are just beginning.Gorych and his driver, rolling through water, sand and snow on an empty petrol tank; the occupant of a black airship, looking down benevolently as he floats above his Fatherland; young Andrey, who leaves his religious community in search of a new life; and Kharitonov, who trudges from the Sea of Japan to Leningrad, carrying a fuse that, when lit, could blow all and sundry to smithereens.Written in the final years of Communism, The Bickford Fuse is a satirical epic of the Soviet soul, exploring the origins and dead-ends of the Russian mentality from the end of World War Two to the Union's collapse. Blending allegory and fable with real events, and as deliriously absurd as anything Kurkov has written, it is both an elegy for lost years and a song of hope for a future not yet set in stone.Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk
The Bicyclers and Three Other Farces
by John Kendrick BangsThree farcical plays by the American author and satirist, and the creator of modern Bangsian fantasy, the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife.
The Big Ass Book of Jokes
by Rudy A. SwaleSIDE-SPLITTING JOKES TO SHARE WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS & COWORKERSDon't you want to be the person with an endless supply of jokes? In The Big Ass Book of Jokes, there's a joke to tell every day about everything-from midgets, blind people and blondes to lawyers, priests and politicians. Why don't women blink during foreplay?They don't have time. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.Teach him how to fish and he will sit in the boat and drink beer all day. The customs agent asks Collin to identify a bottle in his luggage."That's holy water from Rome," says Collin. The customs agent opens it and says, "This smells more like whisky.""Isn't that amazing," says Collin. "Another miracle!" A blonde finds her husband in bed with a redhead, so she grabs a gun and holds it to her own head. The husband begs her not to shoot herself.The blonde shouts at him, "Shut up! You're next!" A man walks by a poker game in a casino that has three men and a dog. "That's a very smart dog," says the man."He's not so cleaver," says one of the players. "Every time he gets
The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray: A Critical Appreciation of the World's Finest Actor
by Robert SchnakenbergHe's the sort of actor who can do Hamlet and Charlie's Angels in the same year. He shuns managers and agents and once agreed to voice the part of Garfield because he mistakenly believed it was a Coen brothers film. Bill Murray's extraordinary career is rich with fascinating anecdotes, contradictions, and mystery, from his early success on Saturday Night Live and the biggest blockbusters of the 1980s (Caddyshack, Stripes, Tootsie, Ghostbusters) to his reinvention as a hipster icon in the early 21st century (in films like Lost in Translation and Moonrise Kingdom). And now you can get your fill of Bill: part biography, part critical appreciation, part love letter, and all fun, The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray chronicles every single Murray performance in loving detail, relating all the milestones, yarns, and controversy in the life of this beloved but enigmatic performer. These pages are packed with color film stills and behind-the-scenes photography.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Big Bad Wolf Tells All: A Novel
by Donna KauffmanWhy Is It That I’m Not Willing to Settle for a Sheep Like the Rest of My Friends?Sheep sex aside, what’s wrong with a man who puts family first, who maintains a steady job, has college funds set up for his kids and builds that nest egg for his retirement? Member of the herd, never straying. Solid, dependable Sheep Guy. Why can’t I love Sheep Guy?For me, it’s all those wolves. They distract me from the sheep. Wolf Guy. Always on the prowl. Totally alpha. Not interested in being domesticated. So what is it about these men that makes my heart speed up in a way no sheep ever has or ever will?Tanzy Harrington is the Bay Area’s most-read romance columnist and self-proclaimed love-’em-and-leave-’em artist--and she’s not quite ready to tie herself down to one man. That is, until Riley Parrish lands on the scene. When Tanzy agrees to house-sit for her eccentric great-aunt, she finds herself sharing close quarters with Riley. At first he seems a bit too much like the “sheep” Tanzy derides in her column--too polite, the classic boring good provider. But when she catches a glimpse of the “wolf” lurking in his eyes, the ultimate alpha female is about to take a fall.
The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists: The Official Guide to Characters, Quotes, Timelines, and Memorable Moments
by Bryan YoungCelebrate the nerdiest friend group with this ultimate fan guide packed with trivia, facts, and memories from all twelve seasons of The Big Bang Theory. With more than 100 inventive lists, charts, and timelines, The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists offers fans a creative way of looking at and celebrating the iconic and beloved early 2000s sitcom. Revisit some of your favorite moments, pairings, cameos, and geeky references (or test your super-fan knowledge) with these fun groupings exploring the variables of life in apartment 4A.Lists include:Timelines of all the characters, their romantic partnerships, vows, and weddings Analysis of Sheldon's Public Restroom KitAll of Penny&’s Relationship AdvicePictorial Records for Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Raj, Amy, and BernadetteRecord of all of the guests (cameos) in the apartmentDiagram of The Universe of All WomenEverything that's in Bernadette's Grab BagA break-down of all of Sheldon's geeky shirts and their referencesAnd more!Illustrated with full-color photographs and visuals from the show throughout, The Big Bang Theory Book of Lists is an officially licensed, must-have collector's item for the ultimate fan.THE BIG BANG THEORY and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s22)
The Big Bang Theory Trivia Quiz Book
by Adam Faberman Warner BrosWhat did Amy name her electric toothbrush?What does Leonard bring Penny back from the North Pole? The Big Bang Theory Trivia Quiz Book is the first official book to accompany one of the world's favourite and funniest comedies. Including 1,600 questions from series 1 to 8, along with photos, hilarious quotes, a complete episode guide and fun features, such as excerpts from the Roommate Agreement and your chance to play 'Emily or Cinnamon', this book will remind you of all your favourite Big Bang moments.