Move over Miss Lonelyhearts . . . Steven R. Schirripa, author of the runaway bestseller "A Goomba's Guide to Life, is back with more life lessons from the neighborhood. Recalling stories of his own colorful journey from the streets of Bensonhurst to the bright lights of Las Vegas and stardom as Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri in the HBO hit series "The Sopranos, Schirripa observes the finer points of amore in all its forms--love for his mother and her Sunday sauce, his wife and kids, his friends, his goomar on the side, even for his car (and he better not catch you eating in it, if you know what's good for you). Alternately touching, telling, and laugh-out-loud funny, "The Goomba's Book of Love proves that no one loves as fiercely (or as frequently) as a goomba.

Silk parachute pants. A gold lame jumpsuit. Ankle boots with fringe. Were these fashion-forward items sending men running in the opposite direction? Maybe, but Leandra Medine never cared. Slipping into drop-crotch shorts and a boxed sequin blazer in the dressing room of Topshop in downtown Manhattan, a brokenhearted Leandra had an epiphany. Looking in the mirror, she suddenly realized she didn't have a boyfriend because of the way she dressed. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that such outfits said a lot about her life-romantic and otherwise. Now, the acclaimed blogger and fashion darling recounts her most significant memories through the lens of her sartorial choices. With her signature sass, blunt honesty, and some personal photos, Leandra shares details of the night she lost her virginity right down to the pair of white tube socks she forgot to take off, as well as when and why she realized her grandma's vintage Hermes ostrich skin clutch could hold much more than just keys and a cell phone. Through it all, she proves you don't need to compromise even your most repellent qualities to find your way into that big white dress (and an organza moto jacket). See? You can have your yeti and wear it, too. Showcasing the singular voice that has won Leandra millions of fans, this book is a collection of awkwardly funny experiences, a sweet love story, and above all, a reminder to celebrate and embrace a world made for women, by women.

The multitalented writers, directors, producers, and actors (as seen on The League, Transparent, and The Mindy Project ) share the secrets of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir. “A book that anyone will love . . . You can enjoy it even if you have no idea who the Duplass brothers are.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times Whether producing, writing, directing, or acting, the Duplass Brothers have made their mark in the world of independent film and television on the strength of their quirky and empathetic approach to storytelling. Now, for the first time, Mark and Jay take readers on a tour of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir told in essays that share the secrets of their success, the joys and frustrations of intimate collaboration, and the lessons they’ve learned the hard way. From a childhood spent wielding an oversized home video camera in the suburbs of New Orleans to their shared years at the University of Texas in early-nineties Austin, and from the breakthrough short they made on a three-dollar budget to the night their feature film Baghead became the center of a Sundance bidding war, Mark and Jay tell the story of a bond that’s resilient, affectionate, mutually empowering, and only mildly dysfunctional. They are brutally honest about how their closeness sabotaged their youthful romantic relationships, about the jealousy each felt when the other stole the spotlight as an actor (Mark in The League, Jay in Transparent ), and about the challenges they faced on the set of their HBO series Togetherness —namely, too much togetherness. But Like Brothers is also a surprisingly practical road map to a rewarding creative partnership. Rather than split all their responsibilities fifty-fifty, the brothers learned to capitalize on each other’s strengths. They’re not afraid to call each other out, because they’re also not afraid to compromise. Most relationships aren’t—and frankly shouldn’t be—as intense as Mark and Jay’s, but their brand of trust, validation, and healthy disagreement has taken them far. Part coming-of-age memoir, part underdog story, and part insider account of succeeding in Hollywood on their own terms, Like Brothers is as openhearted and lovably offbeat as Mark and Jay themselves. “Wright. Ringling. Jonas. I’m sure you could name a bunch of famous brother teams. They’re all garbage compared to Mark and Jay. I can’t wait for you to read this book.”—from the foreword by Mindy Kaling

Good love relationship isn't really that important. In fact, it uses up a lot of time you could spend thinking about yourself . . . and doing things all alone or with your drunken, loser friends. That's why Ben Stein has written How to Ruin Your Love Life. Following up on the wild success of his pioneering ''do-the-opposite-of-what-I-say''self-help book, How to Ruin Your Life, he now brings you, in 35 easy to follow steps, ways to definitively and absolutely . . . ruin your love life. Learn from this book and for heaven's sake, do the opposite right now.

Bestselling author Delia Ephron shares a deeply personal collection of stories and essays, anchored by a loving remembrance of her sister Nora. In Sister Mother Husband Dog, Delia Ephron brings her trademark wit and effervescent prose to a series of autobiographical essays about life, love, sisterhood, movies, and family. In “Losing Nora,” she deftly captures the rivalry, mutual respect, and intimacy that made up her relationship with her older sister and frequent writing companion. Other essays run the gamut from a humorous piece about love and the movies—how one romantic comedy completely destroyed her twenties—to the joy of girl friends and best friendship, the magical madness and miracle of dogs, keen-eyed observations about urban survival, and a serious and affecting memoir of life with her mother and growing up the child of alcoholics. Ephron’s eloquent style and voice illuminate every page of this superb and singular work.

Cult writer, author, podcaster and preeminent “Weird Al” Yankovic historian Nathan Rabin loves the objectively terrible. He's spent the last quarter century celebrating the spectacular garbage that makes life worth living. Rabin began his obsession with the abysmal at the The A.V. Club in 1996, where he worked for eighteen years, primarily as the site’s head writer. Rabin left The A.V. Club in 2013 to become a staff writer for the short-lived but much loved film website The Dissolve before starting Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place in 2017. The Joy of Trash collects the best pieces from the Happy Place alongside 8 new entries on both seasons of Baywatch Nights, Shasta McNasty, Robert Evans’ Get High On Yourself, Adrien Brody’s ad-libbed introduction for Sean Paul on Saturday Night Live, and more. The Flaming Garbage Fire extended edition of The Joy of Trash combines brand new pieces on the notorious Easy Rider sequel Easy Rider: The Ride Back and the infamous Kelsey Grammer vehicle Gary the Rat with classics from the Happy Place archives on everything from a coffee table book celebrating kiddie cigarette pitchman Joe Camel to John Kricfalusi’s reviled “Adult” Spike TV Ren & Stimpy reboot to a lengthy closing essay that uses an ill-fated Blues Brothers convention to explore multi-generational depression, the blues and the author’s complicated feelings about his hometown of Chicago. The Joy of Trash: Flaming Garbage Fire Extended Edition is an even better book about very bad people and very bad entertainment from a true American original. PRAISE FOR The Joy of Trash “Being somewhat of an expert on Nathan Rabin’s entire body of work, I can honestly say that The Joy of Trash is absolutely one of the best non-weird Al rated books he’s ever written. Terrific.” -“Weird Al” Yankovic “This is not a condemnation, it’s a celebration of how, despite the pop-culture garbage we’re forced to wade through every day, we can still rise above it. And make fun of it. In a celebratory way. I think I mixed up my metaphors here.” - Patton Oswalt “Is anyone as adept at insightful dives into the bizarre avenues of pop culture as Nathan Rabin is with ‘The Joy of Trash’!?!” - Andrew Helm, writer of A Talking Cat!?! “Nathan Rabin does not merely poke fun at bad media. He exactingly, methodically lies each of its sins bare with the thrilling precision of Hercule Poriot revealing the true identity of the murderer. Except instead of explaining how some gardener shot poison through a blowgun he’s dismantling Loqueesha to its atomic components. It’s an incredible spectacle.” - Justin McElroy “Nathan Rabin is one of my favorite pop-culture critics and historians. He takes on the good, the bad, and what some might refer to as the “ugly.” To me, it’s all beautiful. Especially the ugly. Like a crab scuttling along this nation’s depths, he collects forgotten, shimmering, neglected objects and reveals them to a most grateful world." - Mike Sacks “I have been reading Nathan since I was a no-name improvisor riding the L Train. Now I am a no-name podcaster driving a station wagon, and STILL reading him. The Joy of Trash was a fast, funny, eye opening read. A dark trip down an awful memory lane. It seems made for me. I mean the dude even covers Steven Seagal’s book!” - Jon Gabrus “Nathan Rabin is one of the funniest pop-culture writers out there. He engages some truly twisted topics with a mix of humor, insight and true curiosity. Please read this fascinating and hilarious book so that his suffering will not be in vain!” - Jordan Morris

A guide to understanding the Shatnerverse and the world at large—the perfect gift for Star Trek fans and William Shatner lovers. You love William Shatner. You admire his many and varied talents. You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks. You want to learn his master negotiation techniques. You wish you could hang out with him. Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner. And now...you can (almost). To be Shatner, you must follow the rules included in this lively, entertaining, and thought-provoking volume. This collection of rules and fun factners, illustrated with stories from Bill’s illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque. Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?

A delightful collection from legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky—who currently appears on The Goldbergs , HBO’s Silicon Valley , and the serial podcast The Tobolowsky Files — “a series of true stories that wrestle with a big idea: how belief shapes our lives. Funny, smart, and moving, this is a wonderful account of our relationship with the unknowable” (Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin ). In My Adventures with God , Stephen Tobolowsky explores the idea that most people’s lives seem to fit into the template of the Old Testament. We all have powerful creation myths: tales of our childhood and family, our first battles won and lost. It is our Genesis. Then, like in the Book of Exodus , we go into slavery. Rather than building pyramids, we lose ourselves in fear and ambition—in first loves, first jobs, too many dreams mixed with too much beer. We eventually become free, only to wander in the wilderness. At some point we stop and proclaim to the universe who we are. This is our Leviticus moment. We reconcile what we thought we would be with what we have become. We often attempt a mid-course correction. Then, as in the Book of Numbers, we are shaped by mortality as we bear the loss of family and friends. Finally, we retell our stories to our children hoping to make sense of the journey, like Moses did in Deuteronomy. Tobolowsky’s stories tell of a boy growing up in the wilds of Texas, finding and losing love, losing and finding himself—all told through the prism of the Torah and Talmud, mixed with insights from science, and refined through a child’s sense of wonder. My Adventures with God is a “fast-paced, precise, wide-ranging, and impressive book draws on the I Ching, Talmud, Einstein, Grimms’ Fairy Tales , and reruns of SportsCenter to create counterpoints when discussing his life of faith. This is a well-told, must-read…for anyone interested in a comedic adventure with the divine” ( Publishers Weekly ).

In Fractured English, bestselling author, Richard Lederer shares his collection of language gems, presented in his signature style-uncut, unpolished, and one hundred percent genuine. Fractured English is the only place you'll encounter this student's complaint: "I pass my testes. My grades should be hirer" or this headache of a headline: "Legislators Tax Brains to Cut Deficit." "Some people are bird-watchers. I watch word-botchers," declares the author as he expertly guides you through his world of loopy language. Enjoy more classic Ledrerer with Crazy English, a romp through the logic-boggling byways of our language, where you'll discover the names for phobias you didn't know you could have, the longest words in our dictionaries, and the shortest sentence containing every letter of our alphabet. You'll laugh as you learn that the English language is the only language in which you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway, and your nose can run and your feet can smell! Crazy English is perfect laugh-out-loud entertainment, guaranteed to keep you figuratively glued to your seat while you fall heels over head in love with our lunatic language.

A delightfully unexpected, lovingly curated ode to the unique collective nouns that adorn our language, from “a leap of leopards ” to “a murder of crows ” and beyond, from the inimitable voice behind Inside the Actors Studio “I am madly in love with collective nouns! They make language so colorful and ticklish. . . . [ An Exaltation of Larks ] possess[es] an embarrassment of riches (wink wink!).” —Lupita Nyong’o, The New York Times For those who have wondered if the familiar “pride of lions” and “gaggle of geese” were merely the tip of a linguistic iceberg, James Lipton has provided a definitive answer: here are hundreds of equally pithy, often poetic terms he has unearthed and collected into one exhaustive volume. Over years of painstaking research, he embarked on an odyssey that has given us a “slouch of models,” a “shrivel of critics,” an “unction of undertakers,” a “blur of Impressionists,” a “score of bachelors,” a “pocket of quarterbacks,” and many more. Witty, beautiful, and remarkably apt, An Exaltation of Larks is a brilliant compendium of more than 1,100 resurrected or newly minted contributions to that ever-evolving species, the English language.

Traditionally, women share their secrets with their hairdressers. But what about their manicurists, masseurs, chi gong teachers, and tattoo artists? In Damage Control , women wax poetic about the experts and gurus who help them love themselves, sharing stories of everything from friendships born in the make-up chair to the utter dismay of a truly horrible haircut. Minnie Driver finally meets a Frenchman who understands her hair . . . and tries to teach her not to hate it. Marian Keyes remembers the blow-dry that pushed her over the edge. Francesca Lia Block tells the ugly story of the plastic surgeon who promised to make her beautiful. Rose McGowan explains why it's harder to be depressed when you're glamorous . . . and shows how it takes a village to transform from mere mortal to movie star. Witty and wise, Damage Control is an intimate, sometimes dark, look at our experiences with the professionals who pluck, prod, and pamper every inch of our bodies—and a reminder why we surrender ourselves to their (hopefully) very capable hands.

and Sexual Satisfaction Ideal for fans of actor/comedian Ben Stiller (There's Something About Mary) and partner (ex) Janeane Garofalo, Feel This Book' tackles some pretty tough questions: Is Love Necessary? How Can I Make Money Off My Spouse? Why Can't I Sleep Around and Still Love You? Let it be your path, your compass and your sensible shoes, it's what self-help was meant to be. An ideal gift for anyone taking themselves too seriously.'

Eighteen holes worth of laughs from one of America's favorite joke collectors. Wilde captures the between-putt yuks and long-drive laughs in this hilarious joke book that will be appreciated by anyone who's ever played the game.

~ An Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award Winner ~ A Storytelling World Honor Book Once, when young Nasruddin was acting up in class by distracting his friends with endless antics, jests, and stories, his irate teacher uttered a curse: “Whatever you do or say, people will only laugh at you.” Now, eight centuries later, children, adults, and wise fools everywhere are still laughing at Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), one of the world’s most beloved folk characters. This entertaining and insightful retelling of more than a year’s worth of daily Mullah stories brings the famed Persian legend into the Twenty-First Century. Storytellers, folklorists, Sufis, comedians, wisdom seekers, and everyone who loves to laugh will be enriched and enlightened by the timeless wit, inscrutable wisdom, and uncommon sense of humor of Mullah Nasruddin. “Suresha identifies the real strength of Nasruddin’s stories in context to world literature and story performance, that is, its power to build bridges between cultures. … The point of these stories is to speak to the audience in the language and metaphors that are familiar.” — Storytelling, Self, Society “A contemporary reworking of the tales (the stories fit for a general audience, at least) … to Suresha’s credit he has maintained the direct, unadorned style that is a hallmark of folk tales. … a delightful break from the everyday world for an hour or two.” — Green Man Review “A fine pick and very highly recommended.” — Midwest Book Review “These hilarious, and at times, ribald folk tales of the Turkish wise fool take the reader to another time and place, and share the spiritual lessons of Nasruddin. … The teaching stories included in this volume help to build bridges between cultures by exemplifying Arabic wisdom and universal human humor.” — from the Preface by Ann Shapiro, Executive Director, Connecticut Storytelling Center

From Nathan Rabin, former staff writer for The A.V. Club and The Dissolve and the author of Weird Al: The Book, You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me, and The Weird Accordion to Al, comes The Fractured Mirror, an exhaustively researched exploration of American movies about filmmaking. This loving deep dive chronicles, with humor, wit, and affection, a solid century of cinema about cinema, with illustrations from Felipe Sobreiro ( The Return of the Blues Brothers ) and a foreword from legendary filmmaker Joe Dante ( Gremlins, Matinee ). As an homage to The Golden Turkey Awards, which included a fake movie along with a plethora of real-life stinkers, Rabin got bad movie luminaries like How Did This Get Made's Paul Scheer, Dan McCoy of The Flop House, Andrew Jupin of We Hate Movies and Author/Humorist Mike Sacks to create blurbs for movies that exist only in their imaginations. The Fractured Mirror covers over 500 movies, from internationally beloved classics to notorious flops. It documents Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star and Burden of Dreams, and everything in between. Movie history has never been so much fun! Praise for The Fractured Mirror "Nathan Rabin doesn't just write about Hollywood, he rewires how you watch it. The Fractured Mirror channels the same brilliance he brought to My Year of Flops and points it straight at showbiz itself. Every chapter left me itching to rewatch movies I'd written off, this time with brand-new eyes."- Paul Scheer "In this sparkling and essential compendium, one of America's all-time greatest cultural critics turns his keen eye and full heart to movies about American filmmaking, and thank goodness. This "casual epic," to paraphrase Rabin on Tarantino, deserves a spot on your shelf between Kael's FOR KEEPS and Peary's CULT MOVIES." - Julie Klausner, " The Fractured Mirror is an absolute feast for movie lovers, especially movie lovers who enjoy movies about making movies. And man, is it comprehensive! Possibly obsessive. But so much fun. Rabin's writing is smart, witty, and lively throughout."- Bill Corbett " The Fractured Mirror is such a fun, engaging read. Nathan's work always has a certifiable uniqueness and introspection that delivers laughs and deeper ways to rethink our views on film and pop culture."- Greg Sestero "Nathan Rabin's "The Fractured Mirror" sent me down a Proustian memory hole, bringing to mind not only how many of these titles our Tenna-Rotor (tm) brought in from distant New York, but of how films about filmmaking planted the absurd dream in my mind that I could someday join that crazy circus, myself. Hats off to Nathan - and to the next generation of filmmakers, his lovingly curated list will inspire!"- Steven E. DeSouza, screenwriter, 48 Hours, Commando, Die Hard

Judith Viorst is known and loved by readers of all ages, for children’s books such as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; nonfiction titles, including the bestseller Necessary Losses; and her collections of humorous poetry, which make perfect gifts for birthdays, Mother’s Day, graduation, Christmas, Chanukah, or at any time of year. Whatever became of Alexander after that famously bad day? And did you know that Judith Viorst is his mother? And what happens to her passion for household neatness and orderliness, her deep devotion to schedules, her compulsive yearning to offer helpful advice when Alexander— now grown up, married, and the father of three—moves his family into his parents’ house? What happens is controlled, and sometimes not so controlled, chaos, as lives and routines are turned upside down and the house is overrun with scattered toys, pacifiers, baby bottles, sippy cups, pink-sequined flip-flops, jigsaw puzzles, and fishy crackers. With her characteristic sparkle and wit, Viorst relates her efforts to (graciously) share space, to become (if only a little bit) more flexible, to (sort of) keep her opinions to herself, and even to eventually figure out how to unlock the safety locks of the baby's (expletives deleted) bouncy seat. She describes how she and her husband, while sometimes longing for the former peace and tranquility of unravished rooms and quiet dinners for two unaccompanied by cries of “Oh, yuck!” survived and relished the extended visit of the Alexander Five. She also opens our eyes to the joys of multigenerational family living and to the unexpected opportunities to grow that life presents—even under the most unlikely circumstances. Several generations of readers surely will relate to this funny and loving book, enhanced throughout by Laura Gibson’s delightful two-color drawings.

With fascinating etymologies and letter patterns for more than 1,000 everyday words, best-selling language writer Richard Lederer shines light on the most bedazzling, beguiling, and bewitching words in the English language. Chock-full of transfixing word histories, magical letter play, and hilarious puns, Amazing Words is an essential book for word lovers and verbivores. Dr. Lederer is the author of 60 books on language, history, and humor.

A witty political satire ripped from the headlines and written by Congressman Steve Israel, who's met the characters, heard the conversations, and seen the plot twists firsthand. Meet Morris Feldstein, a pharmaceutical salesman living and working in western Long Island who loves the Mets, loves his wife Rona, and loves things just the way they are. He doesn't enjoy the news; he doesn't like to argue. Rona may want to change the world; Morris wants the world to leave him alone. Morris does not make waves. But one day Morris is seduced by a lonely, lovesick receptionist at one of the doctors' offices along his sales route, and in a moment of weakness charges a non-business expense to his company credit card. No big deal, you might think. Easy mistake. But the government's top-secret surveillance program, anchored by a giant, complex supercomputer known as NICK, thinks differently. Eventually NICK begins to thread together the largely disparate and tenuously connected strands of Morris's life.

Comedy is full of famously funny Jews, from Groucho Marx to Larry David to Sarah Silverman. This smart and funny book includes tales from many of these much-loved comics, and will appeal to their broad audience, while revealing the history, context, and wider culture of Jewish joking.The Jewish joke is as old as Abraham, and like the Jews themselves it has wandered over the world, learned countless new languages, worked with a range of different materials, been performed in front of some pretty hostile crowds, and yet still retained its own distinctive identity. So what is it that animates the Jewish joke? Why are Jews so often thought of as "funny"? And how old can a joke get?With jokes from Lena Dunham to Woody Allen, as well as Freud and Marx (Groucho, mostly), Baum balances serious research with light-hearted humor and provides fascinating insight into this wellknown and much loved cultural phenomenon.

Short and pithy sketches on the weird and wonderful world of love. It doesn't matter if you're a caveman, a time traveller or a regular person. Sooner or later, someone's going to break your heart. The sketches in Simon Rich's new book are bizarre, funny, and - if you've ever been in love - all too familiar. From the invisible man stalking his ex, to Sherlock Holmes' only blind spot, The Last Girlfriend on Earth is always enchanting, often sweet, though occasionally awkward. Just like love itself.