Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones 283 pages What a fun book! This award nominee kept me guessing and laughing. It was a mystery with a twist. These poor children were asked to hide their great-grandmother's dead body so that another grandma wouldn't sell the house and send them to boarding school. Of the things kids can come up with!! A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she's the dead body. Rosie and Baker are hiding something. Something big. Their great grandmother made them promise to pretend she's alive until they find her missing will and get it in the right hands. The will protects the family house from their grandmother, Grim Hesper, who would sell it and ship Rosie and Baker off to separate boarding schools. They've already lost their parents and Great Grammy -- they can't lose each other, too. The siblings kick it into high gear to locate the will, keep their neighbors from prying, and safeguard the house. Rosie has no time to cope with her grief as disasters pop up around every carefully planned corner. She can't even bring herself to read her last-ever letter from Great Grammy. But the lies get bigger and bigger as Rosie and Baker try to convince everyone that their great grandmother is still around, and they'll need more than a six-month supply of frozen noodle casserole and mountains of toilet paper once their wicked grandmother shows up! This unexpectedly touching read reminds us that families are weird and wonderful, even when they're missing their best parts.

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

Paper & Blood (Ink & Sigil #2) by Kevin Hearne, 302 p.

"There’s only one Al MacBharrais: Though other Scotsmen may have dramatic mustaches and a taste for fancy cocktails, Al also has a unique talent. He’s a master of ink and sigil magic. In his gifted hands, paper and pen can work wondrous spells.
But Al isn’t quite alone: He is part of a global network of sigil agents who use their powers to protect the world from mischievous gods and strange monsters. So when a fellow agent disappears under sinister circumstances in Australia, Al leaves behind the cozy pubs and cafes of Glasgow and travels to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to solve the mystery.
The trail to his colleague begins to pile up with bodies at alarming speed, so Al is grateful his friends have come to help—especially Nadia, his accountant who moonlights as a pit fighter. Together with a whisky-loving hobgoblin known as Buck Foi and the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, Al and Nadia will face down the wildest wonders Australia—and the supernatural world—can throw at them, and confront a legendary monster not seen in centuries."--Goodreads blurb

Kevin Hearne, with his accompanying narrator Luke Daniels, can do no wrong. Sometimes they're a bit eye-rolling-ly silly, but Hearne is hilarious, and Daniels can do voices like no other. I love the characters in this series...talk about all walks of life! We got to see Atticus (from Hearne's Iron Druid series) play a central roll in this book, as well as his sausage-loving dog Oberon. Whatever Hearne writes in this Fae universe, I will always read.
 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, 341 p.

"Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times." 

This was my first foray into books written by this author, who has been on my TBR list for a very long time. And wow, what an introduction to a spectacular writing style. This story, from so many different perspectives, is such an encompassing and intriguing read. This author is a master at writing characters that you are meant to not like, yet somehow finding yourself kind of liking. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Stomp by Uncle Ian Aurora

Stomp by Uncle Ian Aurora - 32 Pages

This book encourages body movement. Readers will be up and out of their chairs as they follow―and stomp―along with the children and adults featured in this rowdy read. From stomping really fast to stomping while you wiggle all your toes, this interactive title promises to be an engaging and fun read―perfect for group story times! The children and adults will have fun following along. 

  

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck - 160 pages

Joey and Mary Alice are sent for one week each summer to stay with their Grandma Dowdel in a small southern Illinois town.  You would think that nothing would ever happen in such a small town, but there's the corpse that won't rest peacefully, the revenge on a some teenage pranksters, a ride in a airplane, and much more.  Each of their seven visits is an adventure.

 I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it.  I'm not a huge historical fiction fan, but this one kept the action moving with humorous stories.  I thought the narration of the story was good.  One little quibble is that there were weird pauses in the narration that didn't always make sense. 

Smelly Socks

by Andrew Munsch - 32 pages

Tina gets a new pair of socks, but she loves them so much that she decides she is never going to take them off.  As expected, the socks begin to smell and her friends decide to intervene.

*This is a fantastic read aloud for a group.

Love Poems (for Married People) by John Kenney

Love Poems (for Married People) by John Kenney, 101 pages

I am not sure I have ever read such a funny poetry book, of course unless it was a children's book.  This was truly a hilarious book.  I am sure every married person could relate to these poems.  At times, though I found it confusing from whose point of view the poem was being written.

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, 450 p.

"A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.
But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.
In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic."

Great second book for this series. Felicity is a smart, strong willed young lady and will not take no for an answer, even in the face of devastation. Monty and Percy make wonderful appearances in this book, and new characters to love as well. I hope this series continues. Listened to this on audiobook and would recommend. 

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, 513 p.

"Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores."

I liked this book much more than I anticipated. It's funny and emotional and you love to love and hate Monty. Lots of great characters in this book, from aristocrats to pirates. The Montague family is one to remember. Couldn't wait to read the next in the series and picked it up right away. Listened to this on audio and would recommend. 

BETTE DAVIS CLUB by Jane Lotter

BETTE DAVIS CLUB by Jane Lotter - 415 pages

The morning of her niece’s wedding, Margo Just drinks a double martini and contemplates the many mistakes she’s made in her fifty-odd years of life. Spending three decades in love with a wonderful but unattainable man is pretty high up on her list of missteps, as is a long line of unsuccessful love affairs accompanied by a seemingly endless supply of delicious cocktails.

When the young bride flees—taking with her a family heirloom and leaving behind six hundred bewildered guests—her mother offers Margo fifty grand to retrieve her spoiled brat of a daughter and the invaluable property she stole. So, together with the bride’s jilted and justifiably crabby fiancé, Margo sets out in a borrowed 1955 red MG on a cross-country chase.

The wry humor is self-deprecating and true to life.

The Devil Is a Part-Timer, v.1 by Aiko Hiiragi

The Devil Is a Part-Timer, v.1 by Aiko Hiiragi - 177 pages

The Devil King was forced to retreat from battle and was trapped in an alternate dimension with his loyal commander.  He needs to recoup his magic powers to be able to return to his world and overtake it.  But for now, he is determined to rule Japan.  He has a plan and it all starts with his part-time job at the local fast food restaurant.

This is the first book in the manga series.  I found it hilarious.  I loved the fact that Maou believes he will be able to take over the world if only he gets promoted to full-time at the local McDonald's-like restaurant.  It's also amusing to see the interactions between Maou and Emi, the hero who followed him to defeat him forever.  Definitely a series I will keep reading.

The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld

The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld - 188 pages

Lavender knows it is her destiny to marry a prince, so she sets off for the dragon-infested forest certain a prince will save her and then marry her.
Lavendar's sister Eliza dreams of adventure.  Her dreams come true when she sets off after her sister and must rescue her from a kidnapper.

I believe this is supposed to be the first book in a series.  It was touted as a hilarious fantasy book for kids.  However, I didn't really find it all that funny.  It might be funny to the target age range but it definitely wasn't for me.

The Wayside School series by Louis Sachar

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar - 128 pages
Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar - 179 pages
Wayside Schools Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar - 168 pages

These books are collections of short stories about the students in Mrs. Jules' class on the 30th floor of Wayside School.

I had read the first book of short stories as a kid and remembered loving them.  So I picked it up on audio to listen to in the car.  They were as funny now as they were when I was a kid.  I also enjoyed the two other books which I had not read previously.

Assassination Classroom, v.4 by Yusei Matsui

Assassination Classroom, v.4 by Yusei Matsui - 194 pages

Irina's mentor has challenged her to an assassination to see who can kill Karasuma first.  Then a new transfer comes in - with tentacles and claiming to be Koro Sensei's little brother.  Next, it's time for the baseball exhibition.

Another hilarious entry in the Assassination Classroom series.

Assassination Classroom, v. 3 by Yusei Matsui

Assassination Classroom, v. 3 by Yusei Matsui - 192 pages

Koro Sensei continues to help his students -- rescuing kidnapped students, helping a new robot transfer student fit in, and assisting in a revenge scheme against other students who look down on his class.

President Squid by Aaron Reynolds

President Squid by Aaron Reynolds - 32 pages

Squid is running for president.  Obviously he would make a great president -- in fact he's giving the top five reasons why he should be president.

I don't usually review picture books on here but this book made me laugh out loud.  I thought it was a great take on the "presidential picture book".  I will definitely use it in a program if we do something with the elections this year.

Neil Patrick Harris : choose your own autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris : choose your own autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris  294 pages

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats, by Francesco Marciuliano

I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats, by Francesco Marciuliano, 112 pages

If there was ever a book that could be called pure fluff, this would be it.  Being an equal-opportunity-animal-lover, I thought it was cute. It had poems that highlight the weirdness of cats, from their jealousy of ownership, to their indifference to affection.  There were also obligatory "cute cat photos" throughout.  An easy read, and worth reading if you like cats and need a smile.

Off to be the Wizard, by Scott Meyer

Off To be the Wizard, by Scott Meyer, 276 pages

This is only at 3 libraries (according to Worldcat), which is a shame, because I absolutely loved it.  It is a mix of the humor and voice of Terry Pratchett, combined with the technology of Ready Player One (another excellent read).  Martin is just your average, twenty-something year old man who spends more time on computers than with people.  And when Martin stumbles across a file that proves that all of reality is just a computer file, he soon finds himself playing the part of a wizard in medieval England.  This book is funny (the author is the creator of "Basic Instructions," a webcomic that is also hilarious), the characters are relatable, and it was just a surprisingly fulfilling read.  I just hope there's a sequel!

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris 275 pages

This collection of largely autobiographical essays was an excellent audiobook.  The short stories make car trips breeze by, and I'm sure more than one fellow driver in traffic wondered what was making me laugh so hysterically.  Sedaris discusses everything- from searching for a stuffed owl and finding a taxidermied human arm, to his first colonoscopy; the election of 2008 when Sedaris was living in France to why he feels uneasy about eating Chinese food.  All of which were alot funnier than they sound, and often thought-provoking.