Biography Humor

From author Tim Woodburn comes a very personal book that includes 50 outrageous, ridiculous, and true short stories designed to flip any bad mood into a good mood.

Martha Howald grew up on a farm, and she loved spending time with her dad. Even when he was loading manure onto a spreader, there she'd be with a little pitchfork, doing her part to clean up the mess from the cows and hogs. In fourth grade, she was thrilled when her older brother returned home from the army and started dating her favorite teacher - Miss Hill. The two would end up getting married, and Martha couldn't have been happier. Join Martha as she recalls funny moments, challenges conquered, and lessons learned over a life that's been not-so politically correct.

My Warped Italian Catholic Childhood is a comedic throwback to the '50s era. Little Rosemarie is a misplaced ward of the times. Her attempt to adapt to the traditions of her culture, coupled with the dogma of the Catholic church, is overwhelming. Because the tale is narrated through the eyes of an innocent child; her recollections are even funnier and engaging. Little Rosemarie trudges through her daily life questioning her puzzling existence. Guilt, sin, the devil, the lack of sex education, and the unmerciful instruction of The Sisters Of Mercy befuddle the sprite.

"The Opposite" wasn't just the classic Seinfeld episode in which George Costanza followed the opposite of his instincts to land success. The method behind the madness has been championed in industries worldwide and even likened to the rise of Trump. The award-winning writer who helped Costanza win, and first pondered "the opposite" in his own life, identifies traces of it in the legends he mined for anecdotes before the cameras rolled at his first high-profile Hollywood job.

"Non ho mai creduto alle sliding doors del destino, eppure la mattina in cui stavo per fare uno degli incontri fondamentali della mia vita, quello con Anna Marchesini, accadde qualcosa, o meglio non accadde qualcosa, il cui ricordo ancora mi gela il sangue".

"Olifson's witty and self-deprecating essays perfectly capture the frantic race to grow up just a little bit before your kids do." (Gemma Baker, writer/producer and co-creator of Mom)

Robo calls, ads for male enhancement, and an inbox filled with impossible amounts of spam. Technology may advance, but human beings are still made of the same stuff they've always been made of. So install your anti-virus software, delete your social media accounts, and strap yourself in for a bumpy ride as the author of Fair is a Place Where They Sell Cotton Candy dissects getting older in a modern world.

They blame you when they get in trouble. They seem like your parents' favorite. They are the only enemy you can't live without. Almost everyone has a juicy story about their siblings - even famous people. Meet those who got along, those who didn't, and everyone in between!

On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, Iestyn Edwards, bass baritone, boarded the HMS Victory to sing at a naval supper in the presence of Her Majesty. Stacks, Royal Marines commando, was there on duty. He was also on duty when Iestyn turned up in the middle of the Iraq war on a Combined Services Entertainment tour, this time in a tutu.... Despite trying to dry his ballet tights on the anti-blast wall, singing from a tank turret and confiscating the president of Estonia’s custard creams, the most unlikely friendship was formed.

What does a lonely girl in Japan do when she's bombarded with a lack of sleep and love on the brain? She makes some questionable online dating decisions, of course! Follow me, Cyndi, as I descend into some of the craziest days of my life. Dealing with creepy swipe-righters, fighting pharmacies for rubber prophylactics, getting lost in sleepy Japanese neighborhoods, staring at a bedazzled karaoke machine.... Oh, and meeting the one-night stand who would become the love of my life.

South Carolina secedes from the Union in 1861, but the sleepy city of San Francisco cares more about its war on rats. Bummer, a stray dog, has earned fame for his many rat kills. When one night he jumps in to save another stray (Lazarus) from the attack of a vicious dog, the new pair catch the attention of two rival reporters: Albert Evans with the Alta California, and Frank Gross with the Bulletin. This historical comedy traces the personal and professional competition that drove these two newsmen to serve as the personal biographers of two stray dogs, and how these animals captured the hearts of a city with their loyalty and kindness.

Road Dog is comedian, actor, and writer, Dov Davidoff's unflinching memoir told through reflections of twelve months on the road. Davidoff travels across the country from college campuses to local theaters doing stand-up comedy and telling it like it is. He's been known to wax poetic about everything from encounters with large fake breasts, to people who have too many kids, to magnum condoms the size of CD cases. He is hilarious and relatable and will have you laughing at yourself in no time.

A hilarious window into the world of comedian and social-media star Arron Crascall, as he embarks on a life-changing journey of discovering what truly makes him happy. In the same vein as his favourite TV show, The Wonder Years, old Arron (full of See Ya Later wisdom) meets young 13-year-old Arron and tackles all the big stuff. As he revisits some of the key moments in his life, Arron will give his young self some words of wisdom on how to navigate the big issue of being a contented and fulfilled grown-up.

Comedy, Tragedy, Therapy. Simon Amstell did his first stand-up gig at the age of 13. His parents had just divorced, and puberty was confusing. Trying to be funny solved everything. Read by Simon Amstell, and interspersed with footage from his stand-up tours, HELP is the hilarious and heartbreaking account of Simon's ongoing compulsion to reveal his entire self onstage. To tell the truth so it can't hurt him anymore. Loneliness, anxiety, depression - this book has it all. And more.

Having started on Radio 2 in January 2003, Jeremy Vine realised he was soon to take his 25,000th listener call to his lunchtime show. As the magic number approached, he decided to take stock of the wisdom his listeners have imparted over the airwaves by way of anecdotes on everything including love, life and poisonous plants. This is his hilarious memoir of lessons learnt from life, listeners and Len Goodman.

'I have just had one of those absolutely mad mornings when you go out to have a browse at tagines and end up coming home with a brand-new gas ring expander. I think I was probably as surprised as anybody. Sometimes life is just like that, isn't it?' Award-winning food writer Damien Trench takes you on a journey through his childhood and his early inspirations - culinary and otherwise - with occasional diversions to the present.

In Destined for Destiny, "George W. Bush" offers listeners an intimate, plainspoken, and sometimes articulate look at the character-shaping achievements that led to his inevitable rise to the office of president of the United States. Written from the heart, not from the brain, this definitive autobiography takes listeners on a journey through the 43rd president's life.

Trumped is a humorous look at Donald Trump the candidate and Donald Trump the man. If you don't know the difference between Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and a cow patty, this short book may be an eye opener. In less than 30 minutes, you will know more than the next 10 guys sitting beside you at the bar.

Mothers, immigration, marriage, parenthood, sports, political correctness, and our general attitudes toward each other - all are equally worthy of Dennis Miller's close inspection and ridicule. What's really going on in this country? Ask Dennis Miller. Or don't ask. He'll tell you anyway.

"Coleshanger people are pretty bad," said Uncle Edward. "They won't cross water after sunset. And they have to be in bed by midnight, otherwise they think that they'll be turned into baboons and apes. They also worship the flea." Written in 1952, Coleshanger is a humorous, whimsical, and charming recount of English village life in the early part of the last century, a tale waiting 70 years to be heard but still very much the story of us today.