Booktalked at the March 10, 2009 meeting of the MLS Readers Advisory S.I.G.

The group met on March 10, 2009 to discuss fiction that was written expressly to be humorous.  Obviously, what one person thinks is funny, someone else just doesn’t get.  We discussed classic humor authors Wodehouse and Leo Rosten.  Part of what we found funny with these authors is how predictable they become as you read more and more of them.  There is a sense of, “oh, no!  Here it comes again!”  as Bertie becomes engaged one more time or one of Mr. Parkhill’s students brings up a particularly knotty grammatical question. 

We read mysteries that were funny.  The humor in most of these series revolves around wacky families and the complications of these relationships as the hero(ine) is trying to solve crimes.  Again, familiarity breeds laughs, as we like to see our favorite side characters make their appearance.  Funny dialogue is also part of the equation.

Humorous romance seemed to depend on funny situations such as the “meet cute” or other awkward moments or funny dialogue.

Science Fiction or Fantasy was often funny because of its clever use of literary or folklore allusions in the works of Jasper Fforde, Terry Pratchett or Connie Willis.  Other authors like Douglas Adams or Christopher Moore are wacky and over-the-top. 

Other books we read were satires or dark humor.

What We Read:

Warren, Adam, Empowered, Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 2007-2008. Empowered (Emp for short) is the newest member – well, associate member – of the Super-Homeys.  She is not only saddled with a less than ideal superhero name, she is stuck with an extremely tight, revealing supersuit.  In addition to magnifying her already shaky body image issues, the supersuit is maddeningly fragile and as it shreds under fire Empowered’s superpowers fade away, leaving her tied up and waiting to be rescued.  This racy graphic novel series is a hysterical riff on superhero conventions and sexual politics.Audience:  Adult and older YA.  Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Buckley, Christopher, Supreme Courtship, 2008, 285 p.
In this novel of political satire, when every eminent and qualified jurist President Vanderdamp nominates for the Supreme Court is shot down by Senator Mitchell, the egocentric head of the judicial committee, the president nominates television judge Pepper Cartwright, complete with Texas twang, folksy sayings, and red boots.  Things become complicated when Pepper and the Chief Justice fall in love, the obstreperous Mitchell goes on television to play the president and a constitutional amendment limiting presidents to one term passes moments before Vanderdamp is re-elected.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Evanovich, Janet, Plum Spooky.
Grandma Mazur plays only a minor role in the latest humorous mystery/adventure featuring Stephanie Plum, but Carl the monkey livens things up instead. The mysterious Diesel is back, looking for a man named Wulf in the spooky Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
Recommended for adults and young adults.  Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Hiaasen, Carl. Stormy Weather, 1995.
After a hurricane hits south Florida, the vultures descend. Chaos reigns as the story follows a group of characters who are trying to get ahead, get revenge, or get away. A satirical humorous novel where everybody gets what they deserve. Jennifer Asimakopoulos, Indian Prairie Public Library

Moore, Christopher, The Stupidest Angel:  A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, 2004, 275 p.
In a small Northern California town in the days before Christmas, a young boy witnesses someone in a Santa Claus suit being murdered and buried in the local graveyard.  When a beautiful but vapid angel appears to grant the boy’s wish, a misunderstanding causes all of the town’s dead to rise on Christmas Eve and start to attack, for purposes of feasting upon them, all the local residents at the community Christmas party.  Crazy ex’s, sword wielding former “B” movie stars, and a giant fruit bat are all part of the fun in this irreverent take on saccharine holiday fare.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Phillips, Susan Elizabeth, Natural Born Charmer.
Dean Robillard is driving down a rural highway when he spots Blue, who’s wearing a beaver suit with a beaver head under her arm, stomping down the road. Blue Bailey is a portrait painter and just moved to Colorado to join her boyfriend, but poet Monty’s already found someone else. Dean is a professional football player, and finds cranky Blue’s refusal to be impressed by his wealth and fame refreshing. Both have mother issues; one was a rock groupie and alcoholic, the other an activist currently in South America. Dean and Blue end up at Dean’s house in Tennessee, being renovated by, surprise, Dean’s mother April. Then his eleven year old half-sister turns up, soon after her mother’s death.  This is a heartwarming, funny, sensual romance.
Recommended for adults. Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Rosten, Leo.  The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N.  1937
In Mr. Parkhill’s class at the American Night Preparatory School for Adults, where he teaches basic English to new immigrants, Hyman Kaplan is a “problem case”.  The irrepressible Kaplan isn’t content to memorize the rules of grammar and English usage that Mr. Parkhill patiently explains; he argues that the superlative of “better” is “high-cless”, and insists on exuberantly writing his name with asterisks between each letter.  Through a series of vignettes, Rosten tells the funny, touching story of a group of newcomers to America and their struggle to fit in.  A small warning: though the humor is gentle, some readers may consider this older book’s view of new Americans to be not quite politically correct. Debbie Darwine, La Grange Public Library

Shepherd, Jean, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, 1966, 264 p.
These nostalgic short stories about growing up in Holden (Hammond), Indiana in the 1930s and 40s are gently humorous rather than laugh-out-loud funny. Young Ralphie, grows up with Mom, Dad, and younger brother in a working class town in northwestern Indiana.  Ralphie relates incidents with the innocence and exaggeration of the young.  Several of these stories were made into the classic movie A Christmas Story.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Strohmeyer, Sarah. Bubbles Unbound, 2001.
Bubbles Yablonsky (yes, that’s her real name) is a single mom hairdresser trying to make a better life for her daughter. Her latest community college course – journalism – pays off when she stumbles across two allegedly related murders and has to battle a corrupt police force and influential town leaders to get the story told. Bubbles’ quest for the truth is aided by her quirky mother, her mother’s conspiracy theorist friend, and a mysterious AP photojournalist. First in a series. Fans of Meg Cabot’s “Heather Wells” mystery series, Janet Evanovich, or Sophie Kinsella may enjoy this book. Jennifer Asimakopoulos, Indian Prairie Public Library

Trillin, Calvin.  Tepper Isn’t Going Out.  2001
New York City resident Murray Tepper loves to read the newspaper…in his parked car, with the meter running.  Though he scrupulously obeys the labyrinthine parking laws, he manages to alarm the mayor, who is always on the lookout for “the forces of disorder”.  Though a few people are annoyed because they feel he is wasting good parking spots, to much of the city he becomes a folk hero—an everyman who refuses to be bullied—and they are hungry for the wisdom they feel he can impart.  This story of a quiet man’s legal and ethical battle against greater powers is charming and very amusing. Debbie Darwine, La Grange Public Library

Westlake, Donald, Baby, Would I Lie?, 1994. Branson, Missouri, home of Country Music USA, is also the home of country star Ray Jones.  Ray’s theater, and his twice daily shows, are suddenly the most popular attraction on the strip – ever since Ray was accused of murdering one of his employees.  Enter The Press in the form of a National Enquirer clone and a New Yorker clone, personal rivals due to reporters who know each other and both competing to get the real story.  Is Ray Jones innocent?  If so, innocent of what, exactly? Audience:  Adult and YA.  Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Wodehouse, P.G.  Jeeves  and the Tie That Binds, Jeeves, Bertie Wooster’s brilliant and proper butler, may have made an error. In a complicated story set at the country house of Bertie’s Aunt Dahlia, the main things that have Jeeves and Bertie concerned are a missing book from Jeeves’ club that details the eccentric behaviors of the employers of London’s butlers and valets, the presence of two of Bertie’s former fiancées, and the overly suspicious Earl of Sidcup. First published in 1971, this book still has plenty of humor and appeal for modern readers.
Recommended for adults and young adults.  Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Wodehouse, P. G. Leave it to Psmith, 1924.
In 1920s England, a large cast of characters descends on Blandings Castle for somewhat nefarious reasons. A comedy of errors featuring convoluted connections includes characters from both Wodehouse’s Psmith series and the Blandings Castle books. Jennifer Asimakopoulos, Indian Prairie Public Library

Wodehouse, P.G., Something Fresh, 1915.The dotty Lord Emsworth, his perfect twit of a son, the Honorable Freddy Threepwood, and his lordship’s secretary The Efficient Baxter are all introduced in this first of the Blandings Castle novels.  Two imposters are present at Blandings, both after the latest edition to Lord Emsworth’s collection – a very rare Egyptian scarab – and both for the very noblest of reasons.  An absolute classic example of Wodehouse’s gently satiric take on the dim upper classes and the more plebian characters who usually save the day.  Wonderful! Audience:  Adult and YA. Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library