Books can be fun. Here are some fun books …
Book Report: “One Day” by David Nicholls
The novel “One Day” by David Nicholls gives us a glimpse of the friendship between Emma and Dexter over a 20 year span from 1988 to 2008. We see a snapshot of their lives on July 15th (St. Swithin Day) of each year.
The friendship starts right after graduation and continues into their mid-lives. In a sense, this is a coming of age story. We see how both of them change and their perspective in life changes as they progress through life stages.
Like any relationship, there are its ups and down. Half-way through the book one can’t help but root for them to get together. Will they always be “just friends”? Or will they ever get married, have kids, and live happily ever after? Even at halfway through the book, we do not know. It is this need to know — to see what become of them — that propels us to the end of the book.
So I will not ruin the story for you by telling you what happens. Just read or book or buy the DVD. A movie released in 2011 is based on this book starring Anne Hathaway as Emma and Jim Sturgess as Dexter.
Here is the DVD …
PermalinkBook: “Piled Higher and Deeper: A Graduate Student Comic Strip Collection” by Jorge Cham
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Jorge Cham, who is a Phd graduate from Stanford University, writes and draws these humorous comics about the life of graduate students. We laugh because there is often some nugget of truth to the comics.
His website PhdComics.com has archives of his comics. |
Books with Titles that Reference Itself
Some books have titles that reference itself. In other words, the title of the book is about the book itself, which in many cases tells you nothing about the book itself (unless you read the subtitle).
There are books that tell you to have it, read it, not read it, not open it, hide it, buy it, steal it, burn it, tear it, write in it, eat it, and not eat it.
A book that explicitly says it is a book, and one that explicitly says that it is not. Book that says it has monsters in it, cats in it, and no cats in it.
A book that says that it bites and another that warps space and time. Book that tells you that it will make you money and another that it will save your live.
Why Did I Buy This Book?: Over 500 Puzzlers, Teasers, and Challenges to Boost Your Brainpower
In some cases, the title has a self defeating purpose. I actually saw someone returned a book back to the bookstore with the title “Why Did I Buy This Book”.
I Can’t Believe I’m Buying This Book: A Commonsense Guide to Successful Internet Dating
Here is another one.
This Book Is Not Good For You
Does a book that says it is not good for you attract more or less buyers?
Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover?: 100 Fresh Takes on Familiar Sayings and Quotations
Buy This Book: Studies in Advertising and Consumption
Of course, they want you to buy this book. The hard-cover version cost $150 dollars. But then some may have to buy it for their class, because this book looks like a textbook.
Well, at least that is better than the next book which tells you to steal it.
Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You about the Internet
Instead of telling you to buy it. This book tells you to steal it. A look at the dark side of the net.
If You’re Trying To Get Better Grades & Higher Test Scores In Social Studies You’ve Gotta Have This Book: Grades 4-6
This books tells you that you got to have it. But does not say whether to steal, borrow, or buy it. I’m assuming you should buy it.
If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to Write, You’Ve Gotta Have This Book
Another book that says you gotta have it.
You’ve GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life
But this one didn’t say you have to have it. You just have to read it.
Don’t Read This Book!
Now this one tells you not to read it.
This Book Is Not Required: An Emotional Survival Manual for Students
But this one says it is not required.
This is Not a Book
Here is a book that claims it is not a book. Hmmm… I wonder what is it. Currently, I can not see inside in since the “Look Inside” feature is not available on Amazon.
This Is a Book
And one that tells you it is a book. It is by comedian Demetri Martin. His audiobook version is called “This is an AudioBook”.
The Name of this Book Is Secret
This book will not tell you the title of the book.
What Is the Name of This Book?: The Riddle of Dracula and Other Logical Puzzles
And this one makes you guess its title.
This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All
If you borrowed this book from the library, then you better return it.
This Book Bites! : Or, Why Your Mouth Is More Than Just a Hole in Your Head
This Book Warps Space and Time: Selections from The Journal of Irreproducible Results
More powerful than biting, this book warp space and time.
This Book is Broken: A Broken Social Scene Story
Do Not Open this Book!
This book rudely tells us not to open it.
Please Do Not Open this Book!
This book also says not to open it. But it says it politely with the word “please”. Why not open it? Maybe there is a monster in it.
The Monster at the End of this Book
Yep, this book does have a monster at the end of it. Not a mean monster, I hope.
There Are Cats in This Book
Here is one with cats in it.
There Are No Cats in This Book
And one with no cats.
Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold and Published This Very Book
Hide This Spanish Book
Please Write In This Book
This book says you can write in it.
Tear Up This Book! The Sticker, Stencil, Stationery, Games, Crafts, Doodle, And Journal Book For Girls!
Another tells you to tear it up.
Burn This Book: PEN Writers Speak Out on the Power of the Word
More dramatic, this books tells you to burn it.
Eat This Book
This books says to eat it.
Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America
And this one says not to eat it.
If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to Know if Your Child’s Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency
But if you kids eat this book, it’s okay.
Attention! This Book Will Make You Money: How to Use Attention-Getting Online Marketing to Increase Your Revenue
Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life
Better than that is this book that tells you it can save your life.
And finally, a book that I can not mention or show here. You have to go to amazon to see what the title of that book wants you to do with it.
PermalinkComics about Graduate Students
The comics by Jorge Cham collected in these books are quite funny. It shows the humor of academic life of a graduate student. If you have ever been in grad school, then perhaps can relate to some of the comic strips.
Author Jorge Cham had been a Graduate Student at Stanford University where he later got his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Now he writes and draws comics about life in academia. You can see his comics on his site at phdcomics.com.
Because of his engineering studies, some of his strips has some “technical humor”. For example, there is a parody of Newton’s first, second, and third laws of motion.
The strip also does parodies of popular U.S. movies and television…
- The Thesis is a parody of the movie The Matrix
- Radiers of the Lost Dissertation is a parody of the movie Radiers of the Lost Ark
- Who Wants to Marry a Grad Student is a parody of the television show Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire
- A Smithmas Carol is a parody of A Christmas Carol
- Cingradella is a parody of Cinderella
You can get a sense of the humor of the strips by looking his 200 Most Popular Comics.
The comic’s protagonist is a black haired male that wears glasses and is never named strip. So he is often referenced as the “Nameless Hero” in other publications. The other major characters in the strips are Cecilia (an engineering student who admits that she’s a geek), Tajel (a female student in the social sciences), Mike Slackenerny (who is lazy and has been in grad school for a long long time), and faculty adviser Prof Smith.
He had mentioned that the comics are drawn directly into digital form using a graphic pen tablet.
PermalinkHumor Books
On a light side, here are some humor books to lighten your day…
Piled Higher and Deeper: A Graduate Student Comic Strip Collection
Comics about life in academia. The comics are smart, some of which are science related. Written and drawn by Jorge Cham who did his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.
Dairy of a Wimpy Kid
Funny comics and story of protagonist Greg Heffley in his pre-teen years. These series of book inspired an movie based on it.
The Best of The Joy of Tech comics
Selection of the best humor from The Joy of Tech online series by Nitrozac and Snaggy which provides you with a humorous look at the tech world.
Sunny Side Down: A Collection of Tales of Mere Existence
Book by Lev Yilmaz who had done YouTube comic drawing videos that was a great hit on the Internet. For example, see his video about procrastination.
Book: “Sleepwalk with Me”
The book “Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories” is by comedian Mike Birbiglia who did an New York City show of the same name.
The “sleepwalk” in his title refers to his real-life sleepwalking condition where he jumped out of a two story building while in his sleep.
Mike is also the comedian that slept in a Macy’s window for a week during a Downy promotion for Clean Sheet Week. See on Facebook and on YouTube. It is a bit ironic since he does have a sleep walking problem and this is a window that is in public view.
You can learn more on his website sleepwalkwithmike.com And Hubpages has a good article about Mike Birbiglia.
If you don’t have time to read the whole book, read the front flap. It’s funny. If you have more time, read the back flap also which is about Mike Birbiglia. That’s funny too.
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