"Humor Me" is a literary cavalcade of contemporary American funnymen - and funnywomen - of the page. Selected by the renowned humorist Ian Frazier and featuring more than fifty pieces of the greatest comic writing of our time, the book includes such masters of the form as Roy Blount, Jr., Bruce Jay Friedman, Veronica Geng, Jack Handey, Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, and Calvin Trillin, as well as work by newer comic stars like Andy Borowitz, Larry Doyle, Simon Rich, George Saunders, and David Sedaris. The pieces were published in the past thirty years in such popular magazines as "The New Yorker", "McSweeney's", "The Atlantic", "National Lampoon", and "Outside". But the book also includes a handful of older comic masterpieces that nobody in need of a laugh should ever be without, among them classics by Bret Harte, Elizabeth Bishop, Donald Barthelme, and Mark Twain.

Now in paperback, the beloved humorist’s latest and funniest collection of essays ever—“McManus at his curmudgeonly best” (Spokane Spokesman-Review)

Patrick F. McManus’s wry wit has made him an American classic, his trademark outdoorsman’s humor endearing him not only to fellow wilderness enthusiasts but to anyone who enjoys a good laugh. In his newest collection of hilarious essays, he ponders the strange allure of the RV, a thirtieth-century hunting trip, the art of wrestling toads, the existential implications of being lost, the baffling tendency of animals to outsmart hunters, the singular pleasure of doubling the size of every fish that gets away, and what happens when a bear named Pooky decides to hibernate in the attic.

Combining the curmudgeonly voice of Dave Barry and the clever insights of Garrison Keillor with his own keen sense of the absurd, McManus brilliantly captures the funny and strange in our everyday existence, while managing to evoke a childlike wonder at the natural world.

Falling in love is a beautiful thing. The internet, naturally, has taken this beauty and turned it into something deeply, deeply strange. Featuring screenshots from real-life dating conversations, Is This Love or Dopamine? is a hilarious, piercing analysis of the weird-and-not-so-wonderful world of internet dating. @beam_me_up_softboi creator and journalist Iona David explores all the highs, horrors and heartbreaks: from the all-important first DM slide to the inevitable eventual ghosting; from f*ckboys and Tinder anthems to loaded emojis and revenge selfies. Learn what to do if someone uses 'teehee' in a sext (run for the hills) or has a photo of themselves holding a massive fish on their profile (run faster). A dedication to all the hours spent lying in bed/sitting on the toilet swiping until thumb cramp sets in, this book will make you laugh, then cry, then delete your dating app profile, then (obviously) re-download it again. Long live the internet!

'It's now becoming easier and easier to predict government policy. Just listen to what the prime minister said in the morning and the opposite is likely to be true come the middle of the afternoon.' Throughout another year of bluster and bedlam in Westminster, John Crace's brilliantly acerbic political sketches have once more provided the nation with a much-needed injection of humour. In A Farewell to Calm, Crace introduces an infectiously funny selection of his finest pieces from 2020-21, taking in everything from a summer of unfathomable U-turns to Christmas Covid confusion, and from lockdown-lifting to Brexit blithering. Led by Boris's poundshop Churchill tribute act, and featuring a cast of everyone's least favourite pantomime villains, from Classic Dom Cummings to Door Matt Hancock, the end result is a brilliantly entertaining chronicle of another tumultuous year on these benighted islands.

In a surreal and unprecedented year in which even the most seasoned commentators have struggled to keep pace with the news cycle, letter writers to The Daily Telegraph have once again provided their refreshing and witty take on events. Now in its thirteenth year, this new edition of the best-selling series is a review of the year made up of the wry and astute observations of the unpublished Telegraph letter writers. Readers of the Telegraph Letters Page will be fondly aware of the eclectic combination of learned wisdom, wistful nostalgia and robust good sense of humour that characterise its correspondence - whether it's suggesting the sci-fi Vulcan salute as an alternative to the now-discouraged handshake, or a parable of political dysfunction drawn from shopping in Ikea. From Brexit to Covid, Trump to Biden, lockdown to vaccination, parish council Jackie Weaver to Texas Cat lawyer Rod Ponton, no one escapes their hilariously whimsical and sometimes risque musings. With an agenda as enticing as ever, the thirteenth book in the bestselling Unpublished Letters series will prove, once again, that the Telegraph's readers still have a shrewd sense of what really matters.

A fresh selection of sharp, witty zingers gathered from both famous and utterly unknown (but very quotable) sources, by the editor of the popular "The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said"
Robert Byrne's quote books are widely praised as authoritative and accessible sources of sayings for any and all occasions. Byrne's own wit, diligent research, and creativity combine to form a fresh go-to reference that serves readers better than Google--no Wi-Fi required. "The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said "is an all-new collection of clever quips and laugh-out-loud punch lines from Gracie Allen to Frank Zappa, on such topics as sex, divorce, religion, fashion, animals, and money:
STEVE MARTIN: "I'd do anything for a good body except exercise and eat right."
JON STEWART: "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."
NORA EPHRON: "Successful parents have adult children who can pay for their own psychoanalysis."
This compilation, to be enjoyed by generations young and old, deserves a place of honor on every language lover's bookshelf.

*The perfect gift for the incurably curious* 'The best trivia book of the season.' THE SPECTATOR 'Mind-blowing.' DAILY MAIL 'Genuinely interesting.' POPULAR SCIENCE Which lottery numbers should I pick? Is it true that we are made entirely of stardust? Can dogs tell the time? Why do songs get stuck in my head? If Rome wasn't built in a day, how long did it take? Do plants make noises? Where is last Wednesday? These are just a few of the questions put to the QI Elves by the listeners of BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. This book is a collection of their cracking, unexpected and frequently hilarious answers. Chock full with extra facts and illustrations from the Elves, 222 QI Answers to Your Quite Ingenious Questions will spark wonder and joy. Includes a foreword from Zoe Ball. *** For more from the team behind QI's hit TV show check out the QI FACTS series of books, @qikipedia and listen to their weekly podcast at nosuchthingasafish.com or visit qi.com

John Stanford’s anecjokes are yarns against adversity, told with elegance and wry humour.

Spanning half a century from the 1930s to the 1980s, they range from the psychology of sheep to frozen tractor valves to ancestral aunts. Many of the same characters re-appear, forming a patchwork of stories that becomes a rich and lively portrait of both an extended family and a farming community.

A celebration of and behind-the-scenes look at Jerry Seinfeld’s groundbreaking streaming series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Over eleven seasons and eighty-four episodes, Jerry Seinfeld drove around in classic cars, grabbing coffee and chatting with the funniest people alive. He reminisced with the late Garry Shandling; bantered with legends Steve Martin, Tina Fey, and Eddie Murphy; reunited with the cast of Seinfeld; and even paid a visit to President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. These and dozens of other guests talked about the intricacies of stand-up, the evolution of their careers and personal lives, and whatever else popped into their brilliant minds. The result was not only a hilarious collection of casual yet intimate conversations—a rare opportunity for viewers to witness their favorite performers unscripted and unvarnished—but arguably the most important historical archive about the art of comedy ever amassed.

Now that archive is preserved in the form of a gorgeously designed and carefully curated book. Seinfeld has hand-picked the show’s keenest insights and funniest exchanges. Also included is a fascinating oral history featuring interviews with dozens of crew members, executives, guests, and Seinfeld himself that details how this scrappy creative experiment landed unprecedented access to the White House, earned multiple Emmy nominations, and helped lead the streaming revolution.

Featuring a newly written introduction by Seinfeld and filled with beautiful never-before-seen production photos, this book is essential reading for comedy lovers, car aficionados, coffee connoisseurs, and Jerry Seinfeld fans.

Away, you scullion, you rampallion, you fustilarian!

Along with penning some of the most sublime passages in all of English Literature, Shakespeare was a master when it came to casting a wicked comeback or hurling a barbed insult. Whether it's Prospero calling Caliban a 'freckled whelp, hag-born' in The Tempest or King Lear railing against his daughter Goneril with the damning words, 'Thou art a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood', Shakespeare didn't hold back when it came to getting creative with his slights.

Packed full of eloquent stings and poisonous putdowns, this is the perfect resource for anyone looking to scorn an enemy – without resorting to swearing!

Gavin McInnes is more than just a rude lunatic who keeps getting beat up. He is an icon who personifies irreverence for an entire generation. This is his story, or, rather, stories--lots of them, and all gut-punchingly hilarious, from that first far reach into a girl's tight jeans to turning forty with a cataclysmic party. In between you'll read about acid trips, threesomes, Nazi skinheads, his band Anal Chinook (Inuit for "warm wind"), Martians in northern Canada, throwing pedophiles in jail, dinner with the Clash, what happens when you crash Bill Maher's show wasted, and the true story of "Vice" magazine. A gifted writer and a born storyteller, McInnes has lived his life without apology. Learn from it.

For centuries the sailors of the Royal Navy have been famous for their colourful language. Trapped aboard leaky ships and creaking vessels for months, sometimes years, on end, the crews developed a peculiar language all of their own. Veteran sailor Gerald O'Driscoll celebrated the Royal Navy's heydey and preserved its unique language in this hilarious and fascinating collection. Taking the reader from 'Acting green' all the way to 'Water-rat', A Dictionary of Naval Slang is a treasury of naval argot, jargon, lingo and cant, and a window on the lost world of living on the high seas. First published in 1943, this modern gift edition comes with a foreword by author and former Royal Navy submariner Richard Humphreys. Clampy - Nickname for the owner of very large feet. Gutzkrieg - A pain in the stomach. Rum-fiend - As the term implies, a man who is a glutton for rum. Scaly-back - A veteran; one who has been too long in the navy. Tin-eye - Nickname given to anyone who sports a monocle. Wall-flower - Scathing reference to any ship which remains moored to a dockyard wall for a long period.

Tim Cotton has been a police officer for more than thirty years. The writer in him has always been drawn to the stories of the people he has met along the way. Dealing with the standard issue ne’er-do-wells as a patrol officer, homicide detective, polygraph examiner, and later as the lieutenant in charge of the criminal investigation division certainly provides an interesting backdrop—but more often he writes about the regular folks he encounters, people who need his help, or those who just want to share a joke or even a sad story. The Detective in the Dooryard is composed of stories about the people, places, and things of Maine. There are sad stories, big events, and even the very mundane, all told from the perspective of a seasoned police office and in the wry voice of a lifelong Mainer. Many of the stories will leave you chuckling, some will invariably bring tears to your eyes, but all will leave you with a profound sense of hope and positivity.

NOW a NETFLIX series entitled Special from Executive Producer JIM PARSONS starring RYAN O'CONNELL as himself. From the beloved blogger turned voice of an online generation, an unforgettable and hilarious memoir-meets-manifesto exploring what it means to be a millennial gay man living with cerebral palsy, which VICE calls "a younger, gay version of Mary Karr's Lit." People are obsessed with Ryan O'Connell's blogs. With tens of thousands reading his pieces on Thought Catalog and Vice, watching his videos on YouTube, and hanging on to each and every #dark tweet, Ryan has established himself as a unique young voice who's not afraid to dole out some real talk. He's that candid, snarky friend you consult when you fear you're spending too much time falling down virtual k-holes stalking your ex on Facebook or when you've made the all-too-common mistake of befriending a psycho while wasted at last night's party and need to find a way to get rid of them the next morning. But Ryan didn't always have the answers to these modern-day dilemmas. Growing up gay and disabled with cerebral palsy, he constantly felt like he was one step behind everybody else. Then the rude curveball known as your twenties happened and things got even more confusing. Ryan spent years as a Millennial cliche: he had dead-end internships; dabbled in unemployment; worked in his pajamas as a blogger; communicated mostly via text; looked for love online; spent hundreds on "necessary" items, like candles, while claiming to have no money; and even descended into aimless pill-popping. But through extensive trial and error, Ryan eventually figured out how to take his life from bleak to chic and began limping towards adulthood. Sharp and entertaining, I'm Special will educate twentysomethings (or other adolescents-at-heart) on what NOT to do if they ever want to become happy fully functioning grown-ups with a 401k and a dog.

'Bilston is a magician with words' - Guardian The perfect, witty gift for Valentine's and beyond. Alexa, what is there to know about love? is a wonderful collection of poems by Brian Bilston, Twitter's 'unofficial poet laureate', in which he frets over the challenges of modern life, extols the pleasures of books, broods over politics, and ponders the curiosities of language. But at its heart, this is a collection of poems about love. From our caveman days to the internet era, from first dates to love in old age, Alexa, what is there to know about love? has a love poem for every time, place and occasion - and will stir the soul of even the most jaded romantic. 'Brian Bilston is a laureate for our fractured times.' - Ian McMillan 'Someone who knows their way round both a joke and a bittersweet narrative.' - The Times 'Part John Cooper Clarke, part Frank Sidebottom . . . all brilliant.' - Esquire

It’s been the year of living dangerously, a year of being acknowledged, and it will be the year of the long-awaited court case. The national conscience has been hard at work in this, Zapiro's latest collection, But Will It Stand Up In Court?

Zapiro has been tackling the state of the nation, and what a state it’s been in!

President Zuma launched a R5 million court case against Zapiro. This, combined with the ANC’s court action against Brett Murray, informs the title of this year’s collection.

The Essential Compendium of Dad Jokes features 301 wonderfully cringe-worthy dad jokes—including the classics, twists on the classics, and fresh new material.

For the first time ever, the best of the worst dad jokes are compiled in one pun-filled place. With original illustrations throughout, this extensive collection is sure to provide hours of silliness for the whole family. After all, no matter how groan-inducing dad jokes are, they will always have a special place in the joke arsenal.

• Contains dozens of sidebars with interesting tidbits, joke-telling pointers, and profiles of legendary dad jokers
• Features jokes from "I'm on a seafood diet , , , I see food and I eat it" to "I used to hate facial hair . . . but now it's growing on me"
• Great for fathers, patient mothers, tolerant children, and anyone else who loves a pun

They make us cringe, chuckle, and roll our eyes, but we all love a wonderfully corny dad joke.

The Essential Compendium of Dad Jokes is so bad it's good, ensuring loads of laughter for the whole family.

• A hilarious gift for dads and dads at heart, as well as pun and dumb joke lovers
• Perfect Father's Day gift or new dad gift
• Add it to the collection of books like 101 So Bad, They're Good Dad Jokes by Elias Hill, Jokes Every Man Should Know (Stuff You Should Know) by Don Steinberg, and Dad Jokes: Terribly Good Dad Jokes by Share The Love Gifts

The perfect gift for fans of classic novels, crafting and puns. ‘There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my glue gun.’ This crafting celebration of literary classics will transport you and your scissors far from your kitchen table: allow your Mod Podge to smooth your way into the Gilded Age with ‘The Decoupage of Innocence’, or your craft knife to help you conceal an illicit eBook with ‘Lady Chatterley’s Kindle Cover’. Or simply create the perfect picnic accessory, to be enjoyed alongside some ginger beer with ‘Five Go to Smuggler’s Cake Topper’. From a shelf made of books to paper flowers, Christmas wreaths to table decorations, A Loom of One’s Own is a pun-filled celebration of crafting and writing that will appeal to book lovers or anyone who owns a glue gun.

From car pools and coffee klatches to life lessons for all, Johnston combines strips from her fifth and sixth cartoon collections--"Just One More Hug "and "T""he Last Straw"--inside this specially annotated edition.
As creator Lynn Johnston illustrates inside this special treasury of America's most popular family comic strip, "For Better or For Worse," life moves quickly in the Patterson household.
Reflecting Johnston's longstanding tradition of portraying family life with warmth, humor, and honesty, this treasury features Johnston's original commentary, which offers firsthand insight into the development and inspiration behind her strips. Candid personal photos and newspaper clippings from the early days are also included and provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse for fans of "For Better or For Worse."
Join the Patterson family as they find humor in life's everyday challenges and triumphs; and discover why this endearing foursome is North America's favorite funny-page family inside this reflective retrospective.

This riotous assembly of unrespectable creatures comprises 42 short accounts of southern Africa’s vibrant collection of wild animals.

From the one-of-its-kind aardvark to the wilfully ignorant ostrich; the Houdini-like honey badger to the precariously specialised klipspringer; and from the curvaceous, sports-model springbok to the recklessly insensitive hyena – this book airs the dirty laundry (and shares the trade secrets) of some of our wackiest, most eccentric fauna. Many of the stories are illustrated with delightful line drawings.

Basing his accounts on accurate, true-to-life detail, but always looking on the light side, author David Muirhead captures the weird and wonderful lives of his subjects, investigating their often exaggerated reputations, their habits, weaknesses, armouries and modi operandi.

At once informative and hugely entertaining, this riotous assembly will appeal to anyone with the slightest interest in wildlife and – for its excellent entertainment value – will make a particularly wonderful gift.

'Optimism, mojo, complete bollocks. That's what the country is crying out for.' There is now only one certainty in life. When things can't possibly get worse, they absolutely will. And so, after three years of Maybot malfunctioning and Brexit bungling, welcome to BoJo the clown's national circus - where fun for none of the family is guaranteed. Fear not, however: Decline and Fail is your personal survival guide to the ongoing political apocalypse. This unremittingly entertaining collection of John Crace's lifegiving political sketches will get you through the darkest of days - or failing that, will at least help you see the funny side. Miss it at your peril...