The Good, the Bad and the Aunties

 The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

200 pp

The Aunties are back for a third madcap adventure.  Meddy and Nathan are on their honeymoon after successfully getting married in Four Aunties and a Wedding. They join the family in Jakarta for Chinese New Year where the aunties are in fine form.  Meddy’s mother won’t stop talking about grandchildren. During the party, Abi Lincoln shows up (having been invited by Fourth Auntie) to proclaim his love for Second Auntie.  Unfortunately, while giving out the red packets (envelopes with money in them) to the children, an important document intended for another person is given to someone and Meddy and the Aunties must figure out who received it. When they visit the important business woman who it’s destined for, she decides to keep Nathan as collateral until they can retrieve it. Meddy and the Aunties go to great lengths to recover it and get Nathan back. Then, Second Auntie is kidnapped and the Aunties, Meddy and Nathan must go all out to get her back.

For those who love the Aunties, The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties will not disappoint.  There were several times when I laughed out loud.  For the craziness, I am glad they are not my relatives.  For the loyalty, anyone would be lucky to have them.  I give it four out of five stars.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

384 pp

Everyone in Ern's family has killed someone, but not all are murderers. Erv is a writer of books to help writers write books in particular genres. He is joining his family at a ski resort in Australia (I did not know they had these!) for a family reunion since his brother is getting out of jail. Within 24 hours of arriving at the reunion, a body is found. Then (of course) a big storm comes in and cuts off all communication for the family with anyone outside of the resort.

Throughout the book, Ern recounts his different family members and who they killed.  I have read some reviews that said that they thought the book was like the  "Knives Out" series of movies.  Unfortunately, I thought the story required the reader to suspend belief several times and played upon cliches of the mystery/suspense genre.  Perhaps I read this at the wrong time to find the humor.

Reputation

Reputation  by Lex Croucher  336 pages

As I read in a promo, Reputation is "Mean Girls" crossed with Jane Austen.  Georgiana Ellers is abandoned by her parents at her aunt and uncle's home while they move to a seaside community for her mother's health.  Georgiana is bored to tears with all of the activities her aunt has for her which includes counting embroidery needles at the most exciting.  While at a party where a local couple are showing off their new painting, Georgiana encounters Frances who leads her into a world of alcohol and drug use along with some heavy petting not common in the Regency era for young girls.  When Georgiana declines to go along with Frances (and friends), She finds herself on the outside of the "in" crowd.

"Reputation" explores situations that are more modern and not typical to a Regency romance.  It definitely put a spin on what Regency readers are used to and thus, may not be for all readers who like this genre.

I Want to be Where the Normal People Are

 I Want to be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom   282 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Rachel Bloom has felt abnormal and out of place her whole life. In this exploration of what she thinks makes her "different," she's come to realize that a lot of people also feel this way; even people who she otherwise thought were "normal."

In a collection of laugh-out-loud funny essays, all told in the unique voice (sometimes singing voice) that made her a star; Rachel writes about everything from her love of Disney, OCD and depression, weirdness, and female friendships to the story of how she didn't poop in the toilet until she was four years old; Rachel's pieces are hilarious, smart, and infinitely relatable (except for the pooping thing). 

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After reading the praise from other comedians praising this book, I thought it would be hilarious however, there was nothing funny about it and I read to the end hoping to find what the praise was for but not one nugget did I find.   I would not recommend this book.   I felt it was a complete waste of time.

While this book did not deal specifically with comedy but instead dealt with Rachel's bouts of insecurity and self shaming, I tried to appreciate it from that aspect that she was sharing inner thoughts on her life, but, even so,  I could not like this book.   I could not find empathy here because it was not related in a way that I found others could share similar experiences with.  Maybe there are redeeming qualities to this work others will find that I did not but I stand by my original feeling that giving it a chance it just wasn't a worthy read and since I found it unappealing, I would not recommend it to others.

- Shirley J.

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

 

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb, 303 pages

After reading one funny book I was in the mood for another funny book and wanted to go with something I knew wouldn't disappoint me, so I went with an old favorite. I think this is at least my third time reading this.

What do you do when you're born with limitless intelligence but you still have to get through middle school and high school before you can fully realize your powers? If you're Oliver Watson you play dumb. To his family and classmates Oliver is an unexceptional student and is definitely not in the "cool" crowd. But he doesn't mind because when he's not playing the role of loser kid, he's running multinational companies and enjoying the benefits of his wealth by visiting the underground lair he accesses from his bedroom.

What I love about this book are the unbelievable (but unbelievably funny) situations a 7th grade genius deals with, especially if he's busy sending his least-favorite teacher secret messages, or he's busy subtly getting back at the school bullies, or he's visiting the permanently out of order stall in the boy's bathroom that has actually been redesigned so he can take a snack break. The laughs don't end, but there's more to the story: Oliver actually adores his mother, has a wonderful dog named Lollipop, and has a typical strained relationship with his father. It's to prove his character to his father that Oliver decides to run for class president. But when you're not a typical kid, even though there are so many ways to get short-term revenge, even Oliver has to deal with the consequences of his actions in a delightfully nutty middle school kind of ending. 

This book is a blast and is recommended for teens who will enjoy the sly humor and the ridiculous situations. And if you're an adult like me who needs smart fun on occasion, you'll love it too!

Failure is an Option

Failure is an Option by H. Jon Benjamin; 245 pages

H. Jon Benjamin is best-known as the voice behind the animated series "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers". And yes, in the book he admits he does not make Archer and Bob sound different in any way even though they are two very different characters.

This was light and funny. The premise, as the title suggests, is that failures aren't the worst thing that can happen and that sometimes it's okay to shoot for a failure. In these wacky times, I kind of get it. The chapters were short and funny. I would say that I didn't "learn" much but that wasn't why I picked it up. He told some funny stories from his youth to adulthood and it was a fun, quick read. I was impressed by his writing and his humor and I think Benjamin is a pretty smart guy. I was glad I read this on an e-reader because he used words difficult enough that I had to look them up in the e-reader's dictionary. 

And I did pretty much read the entire book with his Archer/Bob voice narrating it in my head. 

Books in the Stephanie Plum series

I must confess: Janet Evanivich’s Stephanie Plum series is my feel good place. I didn’t realize how far behind on the series I was until I noticed that I had to catch up on the most recent three books. The characters are quirky and the plots are implausible and each story reeks of every literary trope

known...I love it! There is absolutely no depth to any of these books, which makes them a perfect escape - highly recommend if you're in the mood for silly and predictable.

To anyone unfamiliar with Stephanie Plum, know that what New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum lacks in skill and experience, she makes up for with tenacity, luck, and her true talent... the ability to attract disaster, killers, and general nut jobs. If she needs help there is always her mentor, Ranger, a security expert with a dark past, and Trenton P.D.’s Joe Morelli, a homicide detective who shares a past - and sometimes a present - with Stephanie. Family and romantic partners, friends and colleagues, memeses, and supporting characters - human and otherwise - are all shake-your-head, laugh-out-loud, over-the-top additions to each story. 

Posted by: Regina C.  

Hardcore Twenty-Four

by Janet Evanovich   285 pages

Trouble comes in bunches for Stephanie Plum. First, professional grave robber and semi-professional loon, Simon Diggery, won't let her take him in until she agrees to care for his boa constrictor, Ethel. Stephanie's main qualification for babysitting an extremely large snake is that she owns a stun gun - whether that's for use on the wandering serpent or the petrified neighbors remains to be seen.

Events take a dark turn when headless bodies start appearing across town. At first, it's just corpses from a funeral home and the morgue that have had the heads removed. But when a homeless man is murdered and dumped behind a church Stephanie knows that she's the only one with a prayer of catching this killer.

Look Alive Twenty-Five

by Janet Evanovich   311 pages

There's nothing like a good deli and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World famous for its pastrami, cole slaw and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.

Twisted Twenty-six

by Janet Evonovich   306 pages

Grandma Mazur is a widow...again. This time her marriage lasted a whole 45 minutes. The unlucky groom was one Jimmy Rosolli, local gangster and heart attack waiting to happen...well, the waiting is over. When Jimmy’s former “business partners” are convinced that his widow is keeping the keys to their financial success for herself, Stephanie Plum has to find them quickly.

Disorganize Me

 

Disorganize Me by Sandra Hutchison  366 pages

 

I always look forward to a new Sandra Hutchison novel, and they are always worth the wait.  I have read Hutchison’s three previous novels.  I count her as one of my favorite novelists; she never disappoints. Her characters are well developed and human.  When I read a Hutchison novel, I always feel I could meet these people in real-life if I traveled to the town/city where they life.

 

I love the play on words created in the title. Protagonist Kathy White’s world is anything but organized. Things may be in there place, but the emotional aspect of her life is so cluttered that even her beloved Aunt Lucy wouldn’t have been able to straighten it. When she inherits a professional organizer’s business from Aunt Lucy, her life is completely turned upside down.

 

Along with the business, Kathy also inherits one of two of the novel’s antagonists: Diego, a day laborer who often helped Aunt Lucy when she needed extra muscle. She hires Diego to help her at the second antagonist’s, John’s, house. A hoarder, almost every inch of his home and garage are full. When Diego breaks his ankle at the job site, Kathy must deal with a whole different set of problems.

 

Since Diego cannot return to his third-floor apartment (reachable only by stairs), Kathy feels she must offer him her couch. She couldn’t bear the thought of him trying to live in his truck. The situation is uncomfortable for the pair, and gets more and more uncomfortable as they negotiate such simple things as going to the bathroom, eating and sleeping.  The situations are so human that they were often hysterically funny.

 

And then there is John, a grouchy old man who knows he needs her help, but refuses to acknowledge it. Before readers know it, John has taken up residence in Kathy’s tiny house with her and Diego.

 

At the core of this warmly comfortable novel, is the issue of immigration and roots. Diego is proud of his Puerto Rican heritage but finds his looks deter him from getting ahead…along with a felony conviction.  Kathy also discovers a secret her family has been harboring her entire life  that only adds to the complexity of the story.  I loved this novel and “Disorganize Me” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Fade Away

Fade Away by Harlan Coben, 328 pages

I listened to this as an audiobook.
Sports agent Myron Bolitar is back! This is the third book in the series. Myron is a former basketball star whose professional career was ended before it started. Another player injured his knee before his rookie season.

Now the owner of a team wants him to find NBA star Greg Downing who is Myron's former rival. He will go 'undercover' by signing and playing with the team. In the process of searching for Greg parts of his past will be dredged up and will stumble on another mystery. A dead woman is found. Is Greg involved and what is her real identity?

Definitely recommended reading. Once again, Coben weaves his mystery with wit and suspense. The narration was as good as the first two books in the series. There is not so much continuity that you have to read the books in order but it does help.

Drop Shot

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben, 310 pages

This is the second book in the Myron Bolitar series. Up and coming tennis star Duane Richwood is Myron's featured client in this book.

While Myron is watching one of Duane's matches at the US Open when he hears a gunshot. He goes to investigate and discovers that Valerie Simpson has been killed. She was a star professional tennis player but had a breakdown. She had recently had meetings with Myron and may have been trying to make a comeback.

Duane is somehow connected with Valerie but Myron doesn't know how and Duane starts acting strange. As Myron tries to figure out who killed her events from six years are dredged up and might be connected.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was as excellent as the first book. I would recommend this book to people who like humorous mysteries. The humor is dry and there are some hard boiled parts as well.

Fail Until You Don’t: Fight, Grind, Repeat

Fail Until You Don’t: Fight, Grind, Repeat by Bobby Bones          Audio Book:  5hrs., 20 mins        Hardback Book:  224 pages              

A  look at the life of Bobby Bones, radio personality, comedian, and a highly motivational speaker who does TED talks sharing his experiences in life both positive and negative and how he tries to find both the positives and the lessons in the bad and how he doesn’t let them keep him down any longer than the time frame he allows himself to wallow in self-pity – 3 days tops – after that he is back in the saddle and going for the positive.    He admits that there are times when things are so devastating that you need to lick your wounds and hide out from everybody but he only allows so much time for that then it is time to shake the negativity and surround himself with positive people and experiences.   He talks a lot about growing up with a mother who was a drug addict and a father who vamoosed early on and was never there for him until after growing up he contacted him once and Pops did show up.   They didn’t hug or anything, just kind of shook hands awkwardly.   He was glad to see his Dad was still a kick-ass looking long-haired musician type on a motorcycle, but, they haven’t communicated since that one short visit.  Bobby describes himself as looking like a gangly Harry Potter.   He does make jokes the whole way through and seems like the kind of person you would really like to have for a friend.    He has a lot of good motivational things to say and has a good perspective on life.   He sometimes brings God into his talks while acknowledging other people’s higher power.   Apparently he has quite a huge following on his syndicated radio program (15 million+ listeners).    An enjoyable read/listen with lots of good ideas for getting back up on the horse and riding anywhere you want to go.   Lots of inspiration on dealing with the haters in the world, lots of good historical sharing of public figures their admitted failures and how many tries it took them to finally succeed.   First Bobby Bones climbs up out of the hole then he turns around and helps the next person out.   Good read.   I would recommend his book to anyone whether looking to be motivated or not.  He has a genuine down to earth way of viewing life and an enjoyable sense of humor he shares freely. 

 - Shirley J

Well-Tempered Clavicle

Well-Tempered Clavicle by Piers Anthony, 320 pages

“Picka Bones and his sister Joy'nt are off in search of adventure with three creatures newly arrived from Mundania--and not the sort of creatures you might expect! Join them in a madcap quest, in this 35th tale of the land of Xanth.”  The author revealed in the note at the end that his daughter dies while he was writing this book and wasn’t sure if it had the same quality as the previous books.  I did not think that the story suffered, but the editing left a lot to be desired.  There were a lot of small mistakes that should have been caught and corrected because they were distracting, but overall, this was still a fun story and fans of Xanth won’t want to miss it.  Fantasy fans who are new to Xanth should start at the beginning anyway, but this is not the book to start with if they are jumping in to a later book.

Noir

Noir by Christopher Moore         Audio Book: 10 hrs., 35 mins         Hardback Book:  352 pages                   

I love this book.   I hated to see it come to an end.    The story is a riot – set in 1947, just after WWII in San Francisco, California with references to Roswell, New Mexico, too.    A couple of real entrepreneurs purchase a black mamba (named Petey) from a South African guy off a merchant ship, I don’t want to spoil what all is entailed, but it is a riot.   I so want anyone reading this book to be as surprised and delighted by it as I am and there is so much good stuff within these pages, let me tell you.    Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin has an Irish background but rumor has it he is Italian.   Sammy is a bar tender.   One night a dame walks in to Sal’s Bar where he works and his life is never the same again.   He has many friends he has made along the way all bringing special personalities and skills to the story.   Chinese Uncles, a fowl mouthed kid, men in black and a moon man all bring their flair to this rich broth of a story.    Flavored like a five-spice rat ( you will get the reference when you read it or listen to it on CD like I did),  this savory stew of terrific characters and extraordinary situations will have you guffawing!  I’m not kidding!    I laughed so much and I must highly recommend the audio book here because narrator, Johnny Heller is worth his weight in gold!   He has the 1940s banter down so pat I can’t praise his work enough – the man is a gem on the hatband of this great fedora wearing tale.   Please do give this book a read I think you will be so wrapped up in the story rolling with laughter you won’t ever want it to stop like I feel.    Edward G. Robinson meets Jimmy Cagney with a little Carol Lombard thrown in, Benjamin Buford Blue (“Bubba” from Forest Gump), Ken Jeong (from “the Hangover”) and every Bowery Boy and Stooge from Leo Gorcey to Curley Howard and you have got this masterpiece of goodtimes and good time chatter.   Christopher Moore, I applaud your writing, your dialogue is straight out of the mouths of the Guys and Dolls of 1940s history.   Rosie the Riviter hasnothing on you!  I love it!   Can’t recommend this book highly enough to the universe!

 - Shirley J.

Have a Nice Guilt Trip

Have a Nice Guilt Trip (The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman) by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serratella          Audio Book:  5 hrs, 50 mins.          Paperback Book:  320 pages       

Such funny stories these ladies share about their lives.   It is like being out having cocktails with the girls with everyone sharing hilarious true happenings n their lives.   Lisa tells tales on her body issues, how she sleeps with 5 dogs in her bed every night and her lack of dates (maybe that is why she says) and of course stories on the irrepressible Mother Mary.      Francesa is excited to have discovered a Farmer’s Market in her neighborhood and how her repertoire of unusual fruits and veggies is expanding and how her cooking is improving because of it.    There are tales about her beloved fur baby, Pip and a scary one, too – Francesca’s current boyfriend gave Pip a chicken bone!   Trying to make nice she downplayed it to the guy but inside she was freaking out.  Good news – the vet didn’t find the bone on Pip’s x-ray which Frnacesca had him do twice to be sure it was correct.   Pip lives!    Always delightful hearing the tales these two come up with.    So funny with a touch of nostalgia and melancholy to this book.   Mother Mary turned 90 years old but passed away after the book was written but before Lisa and Francesca had recorded the audio book version, so they were able to share the sad news with their fans in a recorded interview, while continuing to wax nostalgic and sharing the humor in Mother Mary flirting with her doctors all the way to the end.   Good book.    I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to laugh and to anyone who can laugh with and about those they love.    Another winner by the Mother Daughter writing team.

 - Shirley J.

Undead And Done

UndeadAnd Done by MaryJanice Davidson, 285 pages

“Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor continues her rule in Hell in the scorchingly funny finale to the Undead series from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.  It had been a well-kept secret for centuries, but now the existence of vampires is all over the news, thanks to Betsy Taylor's half sister (and the frustrated former Antichrist), Laura. Life for the undead will never be the same, and it's up to Betsy to do some damage control. But her interview on the local news doesn't exactly put out the fire. It more or less pours kerosene on it. With all the added attention on supernatural beings, the werewolves are more than a little agitated (never a good thing) and demand that Betsy gets her interview skills, and her family, in order. And while things go from bad to worse in the world, Hell continues to be hell--especially when Betsy's new parole program becomes about as complicated as you'd expect.  With a PR team launching a vampire-friendly campaign, the devil at large and out to make trouble, and mermaids on hand to see who falls--and how hard--the end isn't just near. It's here. And if anyone knows how to go out with a bang, it's the queen of Hell.” I really enjoyed this book.  I think it was one of the funniest in the series and I thought it did a great job of wrapping up the story.  I feel like this storyline really was done so I can’t even say that I’m going to miss the series.  I’m sure the author isn’t done writing and these characters may pop up from time to time so I probably won’t even miss them much either.  Anyone who likes supernatural humorous adventure and romance is going to love this author.

Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions

Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?: A Mother's Suggestions by Patricia Marx,  Roz Chast (Illustrations)    112 pages

Just in time for Mother's Day coming up in a few weeks!!

Patty Marx' mother knows better than other mothers.  Patty has never been able to shake her mother's one-liners from her mind, so she collected them into this book, illustrated by Roz Chast (one of my favorite New Yorker cartoonists).  These witticisms include gems like If you feel guilty about throwing away leftovers, put them in the back of your refrigerator for five days and then throw them out.

 This is a funny little book and it made me think of some of the things my own mother has said over the years.  She's never said "Write my eulogy now so I can correct it," but she has given plenty of advice over the years.  

Lost in the Cosmos

Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy, 262 pages

Walker Percy begins with a question.  Why is it that you (assuming you are reasonably well-educated by 1983 standards) are likely to identify a picture of Saturn or the Horsehead Nebula with less hesitation than a photo of yourself?  Why is it that distant objects which will never - despite the fantastic imaginings of astrologers and space travel enthusiasts alike - in any meaningful way affect your life are in some way more familiar than your own face?  Why is it that in many ways you are more mysterious to yourself than are the cores of faraway stars?  His answer is that there is an essential difference between yourself and the rest of the cosmos - unlike everything else, you live in an internal world of signs and symbols, related to but not identical with your external environment.  In this internal world it is your self which alone eludes all lasting signification - so far as we know, the human consciousness is "unique in its ability to understand the world but not itself."

Having thus laid out the problem, Percy invites the reader to explore different strategies to resolve it through a series of multiple-choice questions, many of them based on imaginary scenarios.  It is here that Percy's brilliance as a novelist has free play, and his vignettes are both incisive and wickedly funny, directly involving the reader and demanding that he make concrete decisions.

Blueprint For Disaster

Blueprint For Disaster by Darby Conley, 128 pages

The Get Fuzzy comics are hilarious.  This is a fun collection in which Bucky Katt tries to trap Fungo, the ferret next door, and loses his tooth.  Satchel is his usual sweet, bumbling self, and Rob just tries to keep the peace as much as possible.  Unfortunately, the library doesn’t own this volume, but fans will like several of the other Get Fuzzy collections the library does own.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race

Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein, 279 pages

In this newest adventure about Mr. Lemoncello, he has devised a new fact finding game for his trustees.  While the kids run around the country looking for the fun facts, trying to win the game, someone is planting evidence to try and discredit Mr. Lemoncello and steal his newest game idea.  Unless Kyle and his friends can prove Mr. Lemoncello’s innocence he may lose his library, and worse, his reputation.  I don’t know how Grabenstein can make each Lemoncello book better than the last, but he does.  I loved the latest book and hope that more are on the way.  Kids who like humor and adventure, not to mention mysteries and puzzles, will love this book and the others in the series.

How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents

How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disapointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang           AudioBook:  6 hours, 5 min    Hardback Book: 240 pages          

Jimmy O. Yang and his family immigrated from China to the United States when he was 14 years old.    He didn’t speak a lot of English when he got here, his mother never learned to speak English or understand it fluently and eventually she moves back to Shanghai to go back to a good executive position whereas in America she was reduced to lowly positions because of her lack of grasp on the English language.   Jimmy’s first culture shock was when he went to his first gym class.  Gym was his favorite class back home and exceedingly easy but when he got L.A. he teased mercilessly for wearing tighty whities (briefs instead of boxers)   and terrified of being gang-raped like he had seen in American Prison films back in Shanghai, when the guys in his gym class semi-circle around him like a pack of ravaging wolves and tell him to pull down his pants.   Jimmy was freaking out but he was outnumbered and didn’t know what to do, he might be able to fight 3 of them if he was lucky but, there were way more than 3 of them.   He slowly began to obey when one of the guys said, “Hey Man!  What are you doing!   Don’t pull them down that far, you just want them to sag and show the tops of your underwear that is the style here.   Those tighty whites have got to go.   Get you some boxers.”    And that is how he went from being terrified to being in fashion with the other guys in his school.    He learned to speak English by watching the BET channel on cable.  After which he made some friends, Pershians, Black, and Hispanic with the occasional Asian – he didn’t want to limit his chances at fitting in by hanging exclusively with other Asians and becoming unapproachable in the eyes of the other students, plus, there weren’t that many Chinese kids at his school, mostly Koreans.  He tells how his life went from then until now.   Lots of funny events,. Like the rap group called the Yellow Panthers that he and his crew (the Persians, Hispanic, and Black friends mentioned above) formed,  how he learned to beat box and come up with his own tunes which got a little play though he admits he wasn’t very good at but wanted to be a rapper so bad he kept trying.   He did actually sell one of the rap tunes he wrote himself to a guy that made porno films who had heard some of his tunes and particularly liked one of them and paid Jimmy to use it in one of his films.    He talks about living in L.A. and surviving his mother leaving him, his brother and his Dad to move back to China for work, he shares so many hilarious stories about the jobs he had over the years, his one-time dream job – to be a D.J. in a stripper bar he was able to achieve, then how he found his passion doing stand-up comedy.   His parents wanted him to go to college, get a degree in Economics and work on Wall St. but that wasn’t his path.   It was hard for him to tell them that he didn’t want to go to college, he didn’t want to study economics – he wanted to become a stand-up comedian.    His Dad said, “But Jimmy you are not funny.”   Always getting the unbridled true sentiments from his parents, jimmy didn’t let that stop him, he kept pursuing his dream of doing stand-up and he began to go to comedy clubs paying $5.00 for 5 minutes on stage to the club owners.   He invited his old boss from the stip club for his first paid stand-up comedy gig and the owner brought several of the strippers to the show.    They all hooted and hollered for him and the owner of the strip club remained a close friend and supporter as were the strippers who thought he was the most honest and kind person they knew.   Jimmy eventually did stints on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,”  and other shows eventually ending up with a recurring starring role on the HBO series, “Silicon Valley.”     There are so many funny moments described here and Jimmy gives a true look at the immigrant experience and describes for the reader what he had to go through when visiting Mexico with his buddies and trying to get back across the border before he got his green card.  He nearly got deported.   He talks about what he had to go through to become an American citizen.      Fun read and very informative on the immigrant experience and how to make it in Hollywood complete with recommended agent and agency who got him primo roles from the git go.     I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something that will make you laugh and go hmmmm at the same time.   It is an illuminating look into how Americans are perceived from a Chinese immigrant’s perspective – he was very disappointed in the fast food restaurants in America – in Shanghai they also serve fish dishes and duck and here in America where the restaurants originated they don’t!  Funny tales about bringing his lunch from home that was made up of homecooked Asian cuisine while his fellow students were gorging on French fires, and burgers, pizza, etc.  while he had grown up on the food and liked it that his Dad cooked for them, it got many odd looks from others in the school cafeteria.   Lots of amusing tales here.    I highly recommend this one.   Lots of laugh out loud humor and humor found in serious situations.  

 - Shirley J.