Writing Humor

Penniless and downtrodden at the loss of his wife and one of his daughters, Samuel Clemens turned to writing. The short stories and essays in Letters from the Earth find Clemens—under the pseudonym of Mark Twain—at perhaps his most quizzical and questioning state ever. Written as diary entries, Twain penned a series of letters from the point of view of a dejected angel on Earth who observes the many curious natures of man. These pieces, gathered by Twain's literary executor, feature sharp takes on the inconsistencies of Christianity and farcical criticisms of American life.

An indispensable, richly informative, and always entertaining audio sourcebook on Provence, by the writer who has made the region his own. Though organized from A to Z, this is hardly a conventional work of reference. It is rather a selection of those aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle, in almost 20 years there, has found to be the most interesting, curious, delicious, or down-right fun.

At long last, a book of poetry for people who didn’t even know they liked poetry. And they’re in good company: author Lyndsay Rush didn’t know she liked it either. That is, until she embarked on an internet experiment under the Instagram username @MaryOliversDrunkCousin that turned into a body of work that struck a chord with women across the country; thanks to her signature wordplay, witticisms, and—against all odds—wisdom.

Not everyone loves to travel with family and friends. There's a certain freedom that comes with being on your own in a new place, far from all that you know. No waking up according to someone else's schedule, no eating at a restaurant that doesn't particularly appeal to you, and no getting sick and tired of your significant other or BFF. The only annoying travelers you may encounter on your journey into a strange new land? Everyone else. Join Alexander Zwick on his solo expedition through England, as he gives his humorous yet honest take on the realities of modern travel.

Dear Diary, It Got Weird Again The Works of Mr. Joe This isn’t a diary. It’s a legacy stitched from the strange, the sincere, and the sentences that refused to stay quiet. Inside are fragments that became foundations—moments of insight, humor, heartbreak, and clarity gathered over years and held together by a single thread: the need to make meaning in a world that doesn’t always offer it freely. This collection speaks to those who feel everything a little too deeply, think a little too sideways, and laugh in the middle of their most serious questions. It’s for anyone who’s ever ...

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BOUGHT is a light-hearted, informative account of a Scotsman’s relocation to the Spanish hinterland. When Jack Waldie and his wife Nicola buy a house in rural Spain they intend to start a new life there, away from the hustle and bustle of Glasgow, but when things go awry between them Jack chooses to keep the spacious old place and moves there to write his crime novels in peace. In the small village in an area known as Spanish Lapland, due to its ever decreasing population, Jack befriends key local people who refuse to allow their birthplace to die. When he’s ...

CAVEMAN: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM IN SPAIN is a humorous, thought-provoking new novel by the author of SPANISH JOURNALS: THE POSTHUMOUS DIARY OF AN EXPAT. Tom Worsley, retired postman of forty-three, is fed up of life in his Lancashire town and decides to head off to live in a cave in southern Spain. There he plans to get back to basics and lead a life of simplicity, cultivate his mind, and improve his Spanish. None of his new friends in the nearby village can dissuade him from pursuing his singular goal, but after his cave is discovered by outsiders, his life becomes a good deal more complicated.

UPCOTE, a self-styled gentleman of leisure who subsidises his state hand-outs with a little wheeling and dealing on the side meets the struggling SMYTHE and sets out to help his young protégé of fifty-three fulfil his true and hitherto well-concealed potential. With the help of Upcote’s indomitable Aunt Mabel and under the sceptical scrutiny of coin-obsessed café owner Bob, the two men set out to put their sartorial and cultural superiority on a sound financial footing. Dodging the slings and arrows of outraged punters our two heroes push, swerve and stumble onwards towards their dream...

Ian Moore is a stand-up comedian in the UK and a husband, father of three boys, farmhand and chutney-maker in France. He is a mod in both walks of life and most of his time is spent travelling grumpily between the two. Comedian, mod and professional grump Ian Moore has had enough. Tired of being unable to park anywhere near his cramped house in a noisy town he doesn’t like, he hatches a plan to move his wife and young son to a remote corner of the Loire Valley in search of serenity and space.

In What Just Happened?! Marina Hyde slashes her way through the hellscape of post-referendum politics, where the chaos never stops. Clamber aboard as we relive every inspirational moment of magic, from David Cameron to Theresa May to Boris Johnson.

Hello. It's Todd Barry. Yes, the massively famous comedian. I have billons of fans all over the world, so I do my fair share of touring. While I love doing shows in the big cities (New York, Chicago, Cleveland), I also enjoy a good secondary market (Rochester, Springfield, Toledo). There's something great about performing in a place where they don't expect to see you.

Handyman Saunders makes beautiful furniture, sells the pieces, and now is stealing them back. Roscoe, who lives life solely for his own amusement, befriends and confronts Saunders about his larceny. Thus begins an accidental sojourn which turns into an engrossing journey--a peculiar road trip of American eccentrics attracted to the unpredictable flame of lost love. A captivating tale of love, friendship, and adventure.

From the Author of "A Marriage Knot" REVIEWS FROM THE READERS : "I couldn't put the book down." "Every character is endearing... " "a pure blend of emotions" "I finished the book In one stretch . I couldn't stop .. "just the perfect light read... Happy, funny, feel good kinda book that brings a smile on your face... A simple straight love story with a HEA" "Written in simple language it's a heartwarming story which keeps a smile pasted on readers face." "I love it when writers can infuse humour into their writing and Shobana seems to be my new find in that"**********************************...

Pix just wants to hunt monsters, craft armor, and pay off her college loans. Her partner Jaz does too. She just wants to pet the monsters more. While wearing impractical hot pants armor. And wielding a sword so massive she needs magic gems to carry it.

Quincy is the most popular celebrity in the world. It’s the near future and times have changed. She decides to disappear from the limelight and ends up residing in a community for the cast offs of society, haphazardly run by a rogue priest and his psychiatrist lover. Almost immediately Quincy takes charge, and the residents aren’t happy, neither are their benefactors. But the priest is relieved and soon he and his lover depart, leaving Quincy to take over. It’s a strange time and even stranger place, and new people arrive, people Quincy has never thought about much less encountered in...

A collection of previously published inspirational and humorous short stories with positive and feel-good takeaway messages. Reflections of everyday life, each story is an easy and quick listen, but you will not want to pause this audiobook! In "Angels on Ice", the author shares inspirational lessons gleaned from surviving a near-death experience at age seven. Stories of home life, like "Freezer Bra" and "Reverse Engineering", are sure to tickle your funny bone and elicit chuckles!

Who would have thought the turn of the last Century would one day be ancient history? In "More Slightly Off the Mark, Why I Hate Cats, and Other Lies", former newspaper columnist Mark R. Hunter went back to collect his humor pieces from 2000 and 2001—the earliest ones to be put on a computer. In DOS format, on a floppy disk. The amount of change in just twenty years resulted in Hunter completely rewriting the columns, and inserting his present self (and his dog, Beowulf, through pictures) into the work—mostly to make fun of his older self. Along the way Mark riffs on everything from ...

Available to listeners for the first time, Sucker’s Portfolio showcases a collection of seven never-before-published works from Kurt Vonnegut, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Short, sardonic, and dark, these six brief fiction stories and one non-fiction piece are consummate Vonnegut with piercing satire and an eye for life’s obscene inanity. Also available for the first time is an unfinished science-fiction short story, included in the appendix.

LITERARY FAILS: Totally (sic!) has been a work in progress for several years. These handpicked 101 excerpts, selected from tens of thousands of actual query letters received by Martin Literary Management were sent by severely "misguided individuals" in their desire to become commercially published authors. Each section of the book and many individual letters are accompanied by fabulous original artwork in pen and ink. Every quoted letter in this book is verbatim, right down to the misspellings, the word spacing, and the typos. Only the responses represent wishful thinking. In other words-...

An action-packed urban fantasy adventure set on the islands of Hawaii! I'm Marcus Aries, and as the duly-appointed guardian of the Hawaiian Islands, it’s my job to ensure peace and balance between the world of the supernatural and the mortal realm. Things have been quiet lately, and I couldn’t be happier about it. That is, until the recently appointed kingpin of the Hawaiian cartel showed up and offered me a job I can’t refuse. Now I’m stuck trying to track down a murderer. To make matters worse, I've agreed to serve as a security consultant for the upcoming United Nations meeting. ...