Here’s another one I came across. I have it, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Holes by Roberto Casati and Achille C. Varzi.
Try to get a copy with the Boris Artzybasheff illustrations. The only thing in the world cooler than a copy of THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO is a copy of THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO with Artzybasheff illustrations.
http://www.bpib.com/artzybas.htm
By the way, I thought it was a Russian.
Goodness, I was away when this thread started. OK, thanks to bookfinder.com, these can all be found now!
Three 1930s crime potboilers—“13 Women,” “13 Men” and “Call Her Savage,” all by Tiffany Thayer. So hard-boiled ya could roll 'em on the White House lawn.
“Show Girl” and “Hollywood Girl,” both by J.P. McEvoy, 1929 and '30. Hilarious, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”-like comic novels.
“Now, Voyager” bu Olive Higgens Prouty. If you loved the movie, you’ll love the book.
“Little Me” by Patrick Dennis. A scream. Several screams, in fact.
Always loved Patrick Dennis. . . light reading but fun.
Anybody read “Uncle Mame” yet? Is it worthwhile? Turns out Dennis had a life more amazing than anything he ever wrote.
your humble TubaDiva
“Anybody read ‘Uncle Mame’ yet? Is it worthwhile?”
Funny you should ask, dear—I am having dinner with the author, Eric Myers, tomorrow night. Excellent book, by the way (do you think I’d dine with crummy authors?).
I loved the Nicholson Baker books already listed here: he’s one of my favorite authors.
Another treasure: Microserfs, Generation X and Life After God, all by Douglas Coupland. A fine Canadian writer. Microserfs is my favorite: it’s about a bunch of young Microsoft employees who break out and start their own software company. Wonderful Generation X imagery and cultural references.
Anything by Carl Hiaasen. If you live in or love Florida, you’ll love this guy’s work. Favorites include: Tourist Season. And the one he wrote about Hurricane Andrew, Stormy Weather. (It’s mostly hilarious accounts of the insurance scammers who took over Dade County in the aftermath.)
Crab Apple: I forget the author. It’s a picture book – or it has about 10 words in it. Hysterically funny… about a little apple who is crabby and gets his due from a crabbier little worm.
Eistein’s Dreams was by Alan Lightman or something like that. Also a really good book; someone else mentioned here on page one, I think.
I’m nominating a whole collection of odd little books:
Everybody Poops
The Holes in your Nose
The Gass We Pass
All (I think) are by Shinta Cho. They teach kids about bodily functions & why we have them. The writing is kind of funny, but even better, the pictures are a riot.