You Can’t Spell America Without Me:

You Can’t Spell America Without Me:  The Really Tremendous Inside Story of my Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump (A So-Called Parody) by Alec Baldwin and Kurt Andersen      

 Audio Book:  5hrs, 57mins        Paperback Book 384pgs.                                  

If you like political comedy you will enjoy this book.    Historical History meets tongue in cheek humor in this sometimes biographical sometimes spot on humorous comments that the Donald has made and ones that it is quite possible he was thinking about saying.    Nothing is off-limits in this hysterical send up and truly it is so funny.    From poking fun at Trump wanting to buy the white house and lease it back to the government to calling Trump towers the North White House and  Trump’s Miralago the Southern Whitehouse to referring to the Royal Family as the Queen and all those others, to explaining his riding in a golf cart filled with secret service while all the other world leaders in the group walked to their destination without body guards –“it’s not like anyone would want to assassinate them.”   This is such a hilarious spoof that is so true to character using Trump’s own words that are often funny on their own, “That Kim Jong-un is one tough cookie.”       Jabs are taken at Hilary Clinton, President Barack Obama, Chris Christie, German Prime Minister, Angela Merkel,  no person in politics is safe from becoming the butt of serious political humor.    From Fake news to often referring to his brilliant uncle, John Trump from MIT, to that Russian stuff, to his Slovenian current wife, Melania who was born and raised in Yugoslavia when it was still a communist regime before it became Slovenia which is probably why Melania and Putin had so much to talk and laugh about over dinner.    Totally irreverent about as politically correct as a certain President’s tweets – oh yeah, the tweets are brought up, too.   All that is the Donald is played with in this fun book.    I really enjoyed it, I highly recommend it for light hearted folk who love a laugh and for the politically oriented that allow a bit of fun poked at both sides under their radar.   I don’t think younger folks would get as much a kick out of the jokes as adults, but if you like Saturday Night Live (SNL) you will get the humor here.

 - Shirley J

When Did You See Her Last?

When Did You See Her Last? By Lemony Snicket     277 pages


In the fading town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl. Is the girl a runaway? Or was she kidnapped? Was she seen last at the grocery store? Or could she have stopped at the diner? Is it really any of your business? These are All The Wrong Questions.

This is the second book in the "All the Wrong Questions" series by Lemony Snicket. It's a parody of the noir genre and it's chock full of humor, strange people/places/things, and a mystery. I liked this book as much as the first. I'd read it before, but I haven't read the last two books in the series, so I'm looking forward to how this story unfolds to its completion.

Who Could that Be at This Hour?

Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket     258 pages

The adventure began in a fading town. Far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket started an apprenticeship for a secret organization shrouded in mystery and secrecy. He asked questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published that shouldn't be read. Not even by you. Seriously, we recommend that you do NOT ask your parents for this, the first book in his new ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS series.

This was a re-read for me. I haven't yet finished this series and I only read the first two books, so in order to refresh my memory before reading the last two, I wanted to revisit the first and second book of this series. It's a play at noir fiction for kids. I love the setting, the characters, and the absurd/strange mystery surrounding the town of Stained by the Sea. Lemony Snicket was one of my favorite authors to read as I was growing up, so it's nice to return (somewhat) to the world of A Series of Unfortunate Events, this time following the author of the series - Lemony - at the beginning of his career. Full of humor and an oddball cast of characters, this book is a hoot and a half.

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey, by Andrew Shaffer, 217 pages

Look, I'm not proud to have read the 50 Shades trilogy- but it gives me the authority to say that this is a fairly amazing and spot-on parody of the works of E.L. James.  Imagine, if you will, a young Anna Steal, who is so beyond naive that she is just outright dumb; and a constantly smirking Earl Grey, who is a young billionaire with dark secrets that turn out to really not be that dark this side of the 1950s.  There are some pretty hilarious pieces of writing in here- including an in-depth description of how elevators work, helicopter escapades, characterizations of Anna's friends that are much more interesting than those in the original, everything that happens in the Dorm Room of Doom, a guitarist almost killed with a 16-sided die, and repeated uses of the phrase "they gazed gazingly at each others gazes."  

Jesus Cow

The Jesus Cow by Michael Perry
304 Pages

Harley Jackson's cow gives birth to a calf, in a manger, on Christmas Eve, whose hide has the face of Jesus Christ on it.  In the opening paragraph Harley says "Well, that's trouble".

Harley is a low key individual who is suddenly swept up in the hype of the Jesus cow while trying to fight off a developer, find true love.  Perry catches the spirit of small town America, fighting off decay with people who just want to get along.