The Sunday Times Humour Book of the YearA special reissue from Head of Zeus's bestselling anthology series of the funniest stories ever written, selected by comedian Paul Merton. From Anton Chekhov to Ali Smith, from P.G. Wodehouse to Nora Ephron, the greatest writers are those who know how to laugh. Here, award-winning comedian and broadcaster Paul Merton brings together his favourite funny stories of all time. Whether it's the silly, surreal, slap-stick or satirical that makes you smile, there's a story here to tickle every funny bone. From prize-winners and literary giants, to stand-up comedians and the rising stars of funny literature, this brilliant anthology is guaranteed to cheer your day.

You may know Anjelah Johnson-Reyes for her viral sketch "Nail Salon" (over 100 million views globally) or her beloved MadTV character Bon Qui Qui, but it's her clean humor and hilarious storytelling that make her one of the most successful stand-up comedians and actresses today. With her razor-sharp wit, Anjelah recounts funny stories from her journey-from growing up caught between two worlds (do chips and salsa go with potato salad?) to unexpectedly embracing faith ("I love Jesus, but I will punch a 'ho") to her many adventures in dating (she may or may not have accepted dates simply for the food). Through it all, Anjelah transforms from a suburban-adjacent kid with Aquanet-drenched hair into a devoted Christian who abstains from drinking and premarital sex, into a mall-famous Oakland Raiders cheerleader, and then an actually famous comedian traveling the world and meeting people from all-walks of life, including Oprah. No biggie. (Huge biggie.) As she travels the world, Anjelah has eye-opening experiences, and she morphs from square, rigid Anjelah into "Funjelah," and learns that she can still ride with Jesus without squashing the other parts of her personality. Anjelah's stories explore subjects such as navigating your racial identity, finding your place in the world, chasing your crazy dreams, embracing the messiness of an evolving faith, and searching for belonging and meaning. Through her journey, Anjelah gets closer to discovering her true identity and encourages readers to have the audacity to dream big.

'One of the funniest books of the year' - Guardian A collection of hilarious personal essays, poems and even amusement park maps on the subjects of insecurity, fame, anxiety, and much more from the charming and wickedly funny creator of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. "It's nice to know someone as talented as Rachel is also pretty weird. If you're like me and love Rachel Bloom, this hilarious, personal book will make you love her even more." - Mindy Kaling "Rachel is one of the funniest, bravest people of our generation and this book blew me away." - Amy Schumer Rachel Bloom has felt abnormal and out of place her whole life. In this exploration of what she thinks makes her 'different', she's come to realise that a lot of people also feel this way; even people who she otherwise thought were 'normal'. In a collection of laugh-out-loud funny essays, all told in the unique voice (sometimes singing voice) that made her a star, Rachel writes about everything from her love of Disney, OCD and depression, weirdness, and female friendships to the story of how she didn't poop in the toilet until she was four years old. It's a hilarious, smart, and infinitely relatable collection (except for the pooping thing). Readers love I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are 'I adore Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and this book was exactly what I needed it to be. Would highly recommend.' 5* 'Rachel's voice is loud and clear from the first lines of the book. I've been missing it since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend . . . this time she's talking right to me, in my head, and it is like being part of this newfound Friendtopia.' 5* 'Heartfelt. Honest. Genuine. And funny as hell . . . Rachel writes about the things that could have broken her, but didn't, in a very funny and raw way, and she doesn't hold back.' 5* 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a hilarious and honest show which does not hold back when confronting the truth of sex, love, mental illness and life. This same comedic and chaotic energy is channelled in Bloom's wonderful book which I would highly recommend, whether you are a previous fan of hers or not.' 5*

Anjelah Johnson had two dreams as a kid: to be an actress and to be a chola. You may know Anjelah Johnson for her viral sketch "Nail Salon" (over 30 million views) or her beloved ghetto-fabulous MadTV character Bon Qui Qui, but it's her clean humor and hilarious storytelling that make her one of the most successful stand-up comedians today. In Who Do I Think I Am? Anjeleh shares hilarious stories about her life, from her irrational fear of death ("Please Don't Die, Okay?") to growing up caught between two worlds ("I'm Mexican/Hella American") to her cultural pride ("Chola Wishes & Caviar Dreams"). Of course, like any good Latina, she offers a choice of stories that are mild ("I Love Jesus But I Will Punch A 'Ho), medium ("Chin-checked by Prince") and spicy ("I'm Dating You Cuz I'm Hungry"). The book follows Anjelah's unlikely journey as she transforms from a suburban kid with Aquanet-drenched hair into a conservative Christian who abstains from drinking and premarital sex, into a mall-famous Raider cheerleader, and then an actually famous comedian traveling the world and meeting people from all-walks of life. As she travels the world, Anjelah has eye-opening experiences, and she morphs from square, rigid Anjelah into "Funjelah," and learns that she can still ride with Jesus without squashing the other parts of her personality. Anjelah's stories explore subjects such as embracing--and sometimes trying too hard to embrace--your racial identity, finding your place in the world and chasing your crazy dreams, the messiness of an evolving faith, and searching for belonging and meaning. Through her journey, Anjelah discovers her true identity, found only in the all-encompassing love of God, and encourages readers to have the audacity to dream big and fight to achieve their goals, no matter what obstacles they may face.

A Sunday Times Best Humour Book of the Year 2017 How can you tell if your neighbour is speaking Muslim? Is a mosque a kind of hedgehog? Can I get fries with that burka? You can't trust the media any longer, but there's no need to fret: Don't Panic, I'm Islamic: Words and Pictures on How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Alien Next Door provides you with the answers. Read this book to learn how you too can spot an elusive Islamist. Discover how Arabs (even 21-year-old, largely innocuous and totally adorable ones) plant bombs and get tips about how to interact with Homeland Security, which may or may not involve funny discussions about your sexuality. Commissioned in response to the US travel ban, Don't Panic, I'm Islamic includes cartoons, graffiti, photography, colouring in pages, memoir, short stories and more by 34 contributors from around the world. Provocative and at times laugh-out-loud funny, these subversive pieces are an explosion of expression, creativity and colour. Contributors: Hassan Abdulrazzak, Leila Aboulela, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Shadi Alzaqzouq, Chant Avedissian, Tammam Azzam, Bidisha, Chaza Charafeddine, Molly Crabapple, Carol Ann Duffy, Moris Farhi, Negin Farsad, Joumana Haddad, Saleem Haddad, Hassan Hajjaj, Omar Hamdi, Jennifer Jajeh, Sayed Kashua, Mazen Kerbaj, Arwa Mahdawi, Sabrina Mahfouz, Alberto Manguel, Esther Manito, Aisha Mirza, James Nunn, Chris Riddell, Hazem Saghieh, Rana Salam, Karl Sharro, Laila Shawa, Bahia Shehab, Sjon, Eli Valley, Alex Wheatle.

Know someone who's as dramatic as a soap okra? Champion their 'shiitake happens' attitude with this little book of upbeat and adorkable fruit puns. #tatersgonnatate About the series This cute and colourful series of fruit-pun-filled gift books are the perfect pick-me-ups for you, your friend or your partner in crime. Do you need to avocuddle, or are you grapeful for someone who's a bit of a melon? Then share the clove with these little books: AvoCuddle, WhataMelon, You are my Raisin for Living, Don't Give a Fig, I am Grapeful, You are 24 Carrot Gold. *veg, nuts and seeds are fair game

The Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year. Anyone can be a success, but it takes real and original genius to foul up big time. These are the all-time greats, Gods in the field of failure, surreal artists, who spurn mere drab success ('I'm a winner, Lord Sugar') to explore the vast, magical, life-enhancing possibilities of getting it wrong. Any of us could make a mistake, but these great souls can turn the simplest everyday task into a scene of jaw-dropping wonder. These are the immortals. Stephen Pile, President of the Not Terribly Good Club of Great Britain and author of the number-one best-seller The Book of Heroic Failures, takes us on an all-new and mind-bendingly hilarious tour to celebrate the most spectacular and absurd failures of the last twenty-five years. Failure is everywhere. There are 235 stories in total spread from the Outer Hebrides to America, Ireland, Australia, Europe and Africa. The Syrian entry, for example, holds the world all-comers record as the driver who got most lost under satnav direction (5000 miles). From the most driving test failures (959), the most pointless election (in Dakota, in which not even the mayor voted), the worst robbery (when two different sets of bank robbers struck simultaneously) and the worst mugger (who left his victim $250 better off), to the holidaying rugby team of fifty-somethings from Dorchester who, due to a mis-translation, ended up playing the top team from Romania live on state TV, this is the ultimate book to make you feel better about yourself and the world around you. The Ultimate Book of Heroic Failures fails miserably at failing to be a runaway success amongst funny books.

A rip-roaring collection of Britain's finest political satire, from Hogarth and Gillray to Martin Rowson, Steve Bell, Peter Brookes and Nicola Jennings. Between Waterloo and Brexit, cartoons have been Britain's most famous antidote to the chaos of public politics. Skewering the issues and characters that have dominated the news over three centuries, these cartoons have united those who love, and those who hate their politicians. A wild journey through the scandals that made a nation, this is the ultimate book of sketches which have stood the test of time.

Half-and-half scarves? VARs? England winning penalty shoot-outs?

Modern football can be baffling. But if you're contemplating throwing it all in for the simpler pleasures of quantum mechanics, don't despair just yet: help is at hand.

In Goalless Draws, David Squires unpicks the modern game with an unmissable selection of his Guardian football cartoons from 2014 to the 2018 World Cup. From the ever-dizzying managerial roundabout to the absurdities of the transfer window, and from the annual tradition of poppygate to the 'stable genius' of José Mourinho, the result is a riotous reminder of all the pitfalls of the modern game, as well as everything that keeps us coming back for more.

Discover everything you've ever wanted to know about marijuana all in one place with this authoritative A-to-Z guide to cannabis! What's a wake and bake? Who is Mitch Hedberg? What does Louisa May Alcott have to do with cannabis? And what exactly is the difference between a bong and a bubbler? Now you can "weed" all about it and find all the answers and more with this entertaining and updated edition of Weedopedia, your guide to everything marijuana-from the best movies to watch while high to cannabis slang and terminology. Whether you're interested in learning more about all things marijuana, or if you want something entertaining to read while enjoying a toke, this book is the one-stop-shop for all your weed-related needs.

In her collection of autobiographical essays, fashion magazine editor Justine Cullen takes us on a hilariously candid exploration of her life so far - and all the mistakes she's made along the way. Semi-Gloss is an intimate, sharp and witty look at growing up and growing older from the kind of woman who seems like she has it all together - the glamorous job, the perfect family, the killer wardrobe. But, chipping away at that shiny, sparkly surface, Justine reveals the beautiful mess that lies beneath. A wildly entertaining and sometimes bumpy ride through a life well-lived, by one of Australia's most respected female voices.

Calvin and Hobbes are back in another thrilling adventure involving escapes from girls, parents, and snow goon monsters.

In Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, Calvin suffers a host of hardships. He gets attacked by his new two-wheeler bike. Hobbes gets kidnapped by Susie, a slimy girl. His father cancels Calvin's personal TV network. Self-multiplying deranged mutant killer monster snow goons threaten to take over the yard. And if that wasn't enough, the ethicated duplicate of Calvin's good side wreaks havoc with his reputation by doing good deeds.

Yet Calvin conquers all with his irrepressible spirit and a little help from alter-egos Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, and Tracer Bullet, private eye. Readers are delighted by Calvin's resourceful wit, which applies to everything from philosophical speculations to attempts to outsmart his parents.

Q: Define the term `antagonist'. A: Someone who tortures ants. Q: What are levees? A: Expensive jeans. Sharpen your pencils and have your rulers at the ready - it's time for more F in Exams! School years pass by and new students come and go, but there are always more exams to take. And with more test papers come more ingenious (and inappropriate) answers! Here again, for your amusement, we've collected the best of the New Class, as hilarious, heart-warming and cringeworthy as ever.

Crikey, the world according to Clarkson's been a funny old place of late . . . For a while, Jeremy could be found in his normal position as the tallest man on British television but, more recently, he appears to have been usurped by a pretend elephant. But on paper the real Jeremy remains at the helm. That's as it should be. For nearly thirty years he has been fearlessly leading the charge as one the best comic writers in the country. And in 2015, he shows no sign of slowing down. So, whether it's pondering: If Jesus might have been better off being born in New Zealand Why reflexive pronoun abuse is the worst thing in the world How Pam Ayres's head trumps Gordon Gecko's underpants Or what a television presenter with time on his hands gets up to Jeremy is still trying to make sense of all the big stuff. Circumstances change. Nothing's forever. But As I Was Saying provides glorious proof that Jeremy remains as funny, puzzled, excitable, outspoken, insightful and thought-provoking as ever. As if you ever doubted it . . . *** Praise for Clarkson: 'Brilliant... laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 'Outrageously funny... will have you in stitches' Time Out 'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

The heartwarming and hilarious part-memoir, part-guide from comedian and father-of-six Ashley Blaker, on parenting, adoption and raising children with special needs. ‘We had such a variety of experts visiting our home, we really needed a revolving door. All these professionals would watch our son playing while shaking their heads and making tutting sounds, like builders considering a bad job you wanted them to fix. “Tut tut tut. No speech, disordered social skills, sensory issues. This is going to cost you!!�’ Ashley Blaker has six children, three of whom have an SEN diagnosis. Between endless meetings, countless therapists, public humiliations, failed playdates, surreal monologues and occasional violence, it’s certainly not what anyone would call a ‘normal’ household – but would he want it any other way? Normal Schmormal is part-memoir, part how-to guide, highlighting the many challenges, as well as the hugely rewarding elements, of parenting children with additional needs. Written with humour, compassion and a lot of love, it’s a must-read for parents, carers and teachers of children with SEN, either looking for a bit of support or in need of a very big laugh.

Skreeusnaaks en uittartend soos net Deon Maas kan.

In hierdie boek ontsien Maas niks of niemand nie. Hy skryf onbeskaamd en doodeerlik oor allerlei eg Suid-Afrikaanse heilige koeie. Afrikaans op kampusse, selfies, baarde, banting, die Guptas en die sogenaamde Stellenbosch Mafia loop deur onder die uitgesproke skrywer se skerp pen. Sy blatante eerlikheid oor alles van mans se “menere” tot Julius Malema, gay huwelike en NG-dominees is verfrissend.

Dit is vlymskerp, omstrede en onvergeetlik.

Waterford Whispers is Ireland's biggest satirical website and entertains hundreds of thousands of people daily with its hilarious take on the news of the day. This ninth annual in the bestselling Waterford Whispers series looks back, in its own inimitable way, at the year that was.

From The New Yorker contributor and @drawingolive Instagrammer Olivia de Recat comes a heartwarming look at love, in its many forms. Drawing on interviews with "the best couples she knows"-young and old, from all walks of life-de Recat explores the question: what makes love work? But instead of trying to solve the puzzle of all relationships, ever, Drawn Together simply reflects the world back to itself, with stories of love and belonging, from pet names, to first date anxieties, to the enduring tales of life-long partnership. Throughout, Olivia gracefully weaves in her own experiences, exploring how sometimes finding love can mean learning to embrace yourself. A perfect gift for a partner, a couple celebrating an anniversary, or a friend who just went through a break up, Drawn Together is a hopeful, humorous, entertaining book that will inspire even the shiest among us to take a chance on love.

From cell phone users in yoga classes to Zoom yoga participants sneaking wine and cheese off camera to those folks who just can't help peeking during meditation sessions, The Lighter Side of Yoga presents the humorous and offbeat aspects of yoga through Mike Nevitt's satiric comics. The many true-to-life situations in the book are based on Nevitt's experiences and observations over a 30-year period as a full-time yoga and meditation teacher. Aside from providing good laughs, Nevitt aims to gently poke those teachers and students who might have a tendency to take themselves and the practice of yoga a little too seriously. Yoga and mindfulness practitioners will smile knowingly as they recognize the all-too-familiar scenarios which Nevitt skewers throughout the book. So settle into your favorite yoga pose and let The Lighter Side of Yoga get your chakras spinning!

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson--the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent--brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.

Based on the popular webcomic The Pigeon Gazette! Follow artist Jane Zei through the everyday rollercoaster of a quarter-life crisis-when high-flying optimism meets cold, hard adulthood during the journey from college to a full-time career. With favorites from viral webcomic The Pigeon Gazette, along with never-before seen comics, Success is 90% Spite is a reminder that there's nothing you can't achieve through hard work, persistence-and really wanting to prove someone else wrong. * A hilarious and high-energy collection that captures the all-too-real difficulties of life as a 20-something in a modern world * Comics follow Jane's endearingly awkward and whimsical efforts to navigate adulthood. * Covers a range of topics in both short, four-panel, and longer-form comics When life gives you lemons . . . throw those suckers back into life's stupid face and make your own success. From choosing Lord of the Rings over love, to mastering pooping etiquette in the workplace, Jane's existential adventures are told with an extra dose of narrative imagination, extended jokes on inane topics, and daydreams. * The Pigeon Gazette has been featured in articles by Huffington Post, Bored Panda, and Buzzfeed * Great gift for fans of funny webcomics, internet humor, and any millennial trying to make their way in the world * Add it to the collection of books like Adulthood Is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen, Am I There Yet?: The Loop-de-loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew, and It's All Absolutely Fine: Life Is Complicated So I've Drawn It Instead by Ruby Elliot

Readers of The Herald's Diary love a laugh, especially if they spot a sign with a double meaning, a hilarious misspelling, or an attempt at English abroad which didn't quite mean what was intended. Fortunately, with camera phones they could ensure the best of them lived on in The Herald's daily Diary column. This title features the funniest.

Uncommon times call for uncommon wisdom. It s inspiring to hear from people who ve graduated from the school of hard knocks, yet kept a sense of humor. People like Twain, Voltaire, Oscar Wilde. People who've said the thing so well that we all wish we'd said it. People who've been there, done that, and refuse to sugarcoat what they've learned. People who know, as Sherry Hochman puts it, that ""Every day is a gift even if it sucks.""
From Kathryn and Ross petras, curators of craziness (and surprising smarts), comes a timely collection of reassuring reality:
""Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?"" John Barrymore
""October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February."" Mark Twain
""I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."" Mother Teresa
""When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."" Dylan Thomas
""If you think you have it tough, read history books."" Bill Maher
And Voltaire: " "Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats."""