6 Nonfiction Books Worth the Laugh (Feat. Recommendations by My Mom)

1/14/2018

Ashton's Nonfiction Books

Nonfiction is one of those genres that sometimes gets lost in the vast sea we call my brain; I just never think to read them. When I do choose to read nonfiction books, they usually end up in the pile of books that I am more likely to recommend to other people. So the question is this: Why do I not pick them up on a regular basis? To be completely honest, I do not have any idea what the answer is, but I do know that they deserve more praise than they get. Not only do they tell great stories, most of the time they are known for making us laugh.
Though I do not pick up nonfiction very often, my mom, on the other hand, reads quite a bit of it. So, what better post than this to make her guest-reviewing debut than today? Without further adieu, my mom and I are bringing you six nonfiction books guaranteed to make you laugh.

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Scrappy Little Nobody, by: Anna Kendrick

Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.”
At the ripe age of thirteen, she had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here’s the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out.” In Scrappy Little Nobody, she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candor and winningly wry observations.
With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can—from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and

baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial “dating experiments” (including only liking boys who didn’t like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual “man-child.”

Even before I read her book, Anna Kendrick has had a special place in my heart. Many of you might not know this, but I am a huge theatre nerd, especially when it comes to musicals. When I heard that she was coming out with a memoir, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Told through autobiographical essays, she talks about her life as a child actress, having to live in LA as an actress in between jobs, and other experiences that you would not think a movie star like her would’ve had. I feel like the book is not only hilarious, it also opened my eyes and grounded some of the people in Hollywood. Even though I try not to, we all put famous people up on a pedestal, just a little bit. Her writing was really in touch with my sense of humor, and it was nice to see that Anna is the same kind of person whom you think she is.

We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story, by: Josh Sundquist

Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.
For twenty-three hours.
In eighth grade.
Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?
The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places

As a high school student and holder of crushes past, this book was relatable on a whole new level. Each of Josh’s experiences was awkward, cute, funny, and something that everyone can identify with, even if you have not been in a real relationship. His use of graphs and a bit of self-deprecating humor as he looks back on his romantic experiences make this book stand out as one of my all-time favorite books. If you are looking for a nonfiction book with the feel of a young adult novel, you have come to the right place with this book.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops, by: Jen Campbell

This Sunday Times bestseller is a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments: 'Can books conduct electricity?'
'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'
A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor.
From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to 'Excuse me... is this book edible?: here is a book

for heroic booksellers and booklovers everywhere.
This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

When I stumbled upon this book, I just knew I had to get it. Jen Campbell’s accounts of people’s questions that they asked during her time working in an independent bookstore is an excellent read for any book lover out there. Some entries will make you shake your head, and others will have you laughing ridiculously hard. It is a great book to share with bookish friends either by sharing your favorite pieces or the entire thing. So if you finish this one and are craving more, there is also a sequel call More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops that is sure to keep you laughing long after you put it down.

Mom's Nonfiction Books

Ugh...I thought my days of writing book reports were over. That is until Ashton asked me to write a guest post on three non-fiction books I have read, enjoyed and found amusing. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to read, and it is nothing for me to sit down and plow through a book in one day. But non-fiction? And humorous? Really? You see, non-fiction is probably one of my least favorite genres to read for entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good non-fiction cookbook and even a “make yourself into a better person” self-help book. I even enjoy reading a book to grow in my professional life as a teacher/technology director/public speaker (I am looking at you Presentation Zen...I LOVE that book!). However, pound out three humorous non-fiction book reviews...just UGH!!! Since it is Ashton, I said yes. The things we do for our kids. #momoftheyear.
So let’s delve right in.

Bossypants, by: Tina Fey

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.
She has seen both these dreams come true.
At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon—from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

It has been a handful of years since I read this book, but I remember that I was reading it on a flight to somewhere, more than likely a technology conference, and trying not to laugh out loud as not to disturb the other cheapskates crammed into business class with me. I think I was able to fully appreciate this book because I was able to “get” many of the 80’s references. While Tina is four years older than me, I was a child of the 80’s. I enjoy Tina’s wit and her strong sense of self and her ability not to take herself too seriously. I remember at the time thinking Ashton would probably enjoy this book as well, but also recall that there was some inappropriate material that I just really didn’t want to know my daughter was reading. (No that is not an invitation to run out and grab a copy just to make your mother feel uncomfortable, Ashton.)*

*Thanks, mom.

Yes Please, by: Amy Poehler

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.

What did you expect? If you read a Tina Fey novel, you had better be prepared to read her counterpart’s novel as well. Yes, it was funny, Yes it also had many 80’s references since Amy is just one year younger than Tina. What I also enjoyed about this book is Amy’s references to growing up with two parents who were educators in a middle-class home. Me too. Well, if I were completely frank, we were lower middle class, I mean a teacher’s salary only goes so far when there are six kids in the house. Still, she seemed relatable to me. Aside from the being rich and famous and hilarious...none of which I am. In full disclosure, I did not actually READ this book. That's right; I am a slacker...kind of...I mean I listened to the audiobook while training for a marathon. So I should get some overachiever bonus points for that right? The only problem was while listening to the book, some parts made me laugh out loud. If you are a runner, you know this is kind of difficult when you are trudging along at mile 18 of a long run and trying to keep your mind in a “comfort zone.” Laughing out loud during a long run is sort of painful.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, by: Jenny Lawson

According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."
"Most of my favorite people are dangerously [screwed]-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club,

'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"

The little raccoon on the front cover of this book makes me laugh just looking at it. And I mean laugh until tears were streaming down my face as I lay in bed on a Sunday morning reading this book. Jennifer is a master storyteller. I could easily picture her descriptive and hilarious scenarios in my head. This book is about overcoming depression and anxiety, so how could it be so funny? Well, it is. Trust me on this one.

Those are our six nonfiction books to make you laugh out loud. Special thanks to my mom for helping me out with this post. Let us know what books we should add to our list, and if I should do more guest-written posts in the future!

A girl and her mom,
Ashton & Shannon

The first lesson every child of Athena learned: Mom was the best at everything, and you should never, ever suggest otherwise.

— Rick Riordan, The Mark of Athena

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