November 4 - 6: Humorous Titles

Last month, I listened to Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez, which is the sequel to his novel Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. The main character Sal is a wise-cracking middle school magician whose secret is that he can access the multiverse to pull in objects - or people! Gabi has a sick brother and the cure involves exploiting that same multiverse, which has … detrimental effects that lead to the sequel. The premise is delightfully bonkers, but all the gags and characters make it even funnier. If you’ve never read a book with a sentient, artificially intelligent talking toilet before, this is a good one to start with.

For Redbeard’s Readers Book Club, we recently read books around the theme of “running away from your problems,” cuz dang, who doesn’t want to do that these days? I read Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple and it was just the spot of sarcasm, hilarity, and adventure I was hoping for. Bernadette is a brilliant agoraphobe with an acerbic wit and a distaste for the other private school moms who think she’s the worst thing since Starbucks going corporate. Her daughter, Bee dotes on her mom, and when Bee earns a trip to Antarctica with a spectacular report card, Bernadette goes into full meltdown and disappears. Told in a series of emails, texts, and post-its, this is really a unique, whirlwind read.

For fans of Janet Evanovich who are looking for similar funny, romantic suspense, try Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer’s novel Agnes and the Hitman. Agnes is a food columnist caught in a battle to keep her house and livelihood. Pitted against a take-no-prisoners rival and possibly the mob, Agnes gets in over her head, but dreamy hitman Shane arrives to help her straighten things out. The characters are enjoyable and the authors create quite a few truly amusing scenarios. It's pure escapist entertainment and the audiobook is a raucous and lively listen.

Your libraries have these and many other titles to tickle your funny bone. Remember - you can put these books on hold for curbside pick-up or find similar books at www.valleylibraries.org. Our digital collections like Libby also have a ton of hilarious selections and downloadable books are still the safest way to use your library. If you do come into the building, remember masks and social distancing are required.