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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Loved it; very funny and totally useless.
I bought this book at one of John Hodgman's live shows, knowing full well I was waiting to buy it directly from him rather than a few weeks earlier from my local bookstore. So obviously I'm already showing my bias.
I love John Hodgman and his comedy and his writing and his podcast. He's the "older white male" who makes me have faith in that category of person. He is intelligent, insightful, open, (I hate this word, but he's pretty damn) woke, and honestly civil in his discourse, which is a precious commodity these days.
I, naturally, really enjoyed this book. If you've enjoyed any of his other books, it stands to reason that you'll like this one, too.
Two chapters or essays that specifically stand out as my favourites are:
- Secret Family: where John discusses his time living in Paul F Tompkins and Janie Tompkins' spare bedroom like their adopted adult child while working in LA (away from home and his family). I'm arguably one of PFT's biggest fans (self-proclaimed) and ANY mention of him completely delights me, but this insight into their friendship and lives (like Paul ironing his shirts in the living room while watching the news) are just so sublime.
- Disney Jail: anything Disney related gets me excited. Not to mention the seedy underbelly that is behind-the-scenes at Disney. So the delight John shares with his son with regards to the knowledge of Disney Jail existing is wonderful (and so much like something my father and I would do or say). The endless musings of how you might get thrown into Disney Jail were delightful and I will never not think of John Hodgman when I see the treehouse or evil queen.
There are definitely other stories that standout. Some mildly political, some whimsical and silly, and some just straight up about showing love for Maine and the North Eastern US. I think that's a given with John Hodgman. And it's as comforting as an old favourite cozy sweater.
I give this book 2 famous corgis, 1 pin I bought at his show that displays a hot dog and reads "not a sandwich", and a wholesome love of beloved airline. (aka 5 stars).
I love John Hodgman and his comedy and his writing and his podcast. He's the "older white male" who makes me have faith in that category of person. He is intelligent, insightful, open, (I hate this word, but he's pretty damn) woke, and honestly civil in his discourse, which is a precious commodity these days.
I, naturally, really enjoyed this book. If you've enjoyed any of his other books, it stands to reason that you'll like this one, too.
Two chapters or essays that specifically stand out as my favourites are:
- Secret Family: where John discusses his time living in Paul F Tompkins and Janie Tompkins' spare bedroom like their adopted adult child while working in LA (away from home and his family). I'm arguably one of PFT's biggest fans (self-proclaimed) and ANY mention of him completely delights me, but this insight into their friendship and lives (like Paul ironing his shirts in the living room while watching the news) are just so sublime.
- Disney Jail: anything Disney related gets me excited. Not to mention the seedy underbelly that is behind-the-scenes at Disney. So the delight John shares with his son with regards to the knowledge of Disney Jail existing is wonderful (and so much like something my father and I would do or say). The endless musings of how you might get thrown into Disney Jail were delightful and I will never not think of John Hodgman when I see the treehouse or evil queen.
There are definitely other stories that standout. Some mildly political, some whimsical and silly, and some just straight up about showing love for Maine and the North Eastern US. I think that's a given with John Hodgman. And it's as comforting as an old favourite cozy sweater.
I give this book 2 famous corgis, 1 pin I bought at his show that displays a hot dog and reads "not a sandwich", and a wholesome love of beloved airline. (aka 5 stars).
funny
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Read for the Popsugar 2020 Challenge prompt: Book Recommended by Media
What better book than one strongly recommended by the host of one of my favorite podcasts, Judge John Hodgman (pay no mind to the fact that this is a John Hodgman book) :)
This was so much fun, and an audiobook I could actually focus on the whole way through without zoning out. I listened to it at work and there were so many times I was tempted to close my office door so people couldn't hear me laughing!
What better book than one strongly recommended by the host of one of my favorite podcasts, Judge John Hodgman (pay no mind to the fact that this is a John Hodgman book) :)
This was so much fun, and an audiobook I could actually focus on the whole way through without zoning out. I listened to it at work and there were so many times I was tempted to close my office door so people couldn't hear me laughing!
July is the perfect month for memoirs, and especially serial ones. As I approach my last year of graduate school, i reflect back to my first year, and how i filled the preceding summer with professional wrestling content. Mick Foley’s multi-memoir sequence “Mankind” and “Foley is Good” stood out as a perfect pair of recollections, heavily connected and practically indistinguishable in terms of quality or character. (There may be a third Foley memoir that I never got around to, but that’s what my next life is for.)
So it is with my present July fling with John Hodgman’s books. As I said in my review of Vacationland, they’re surprisingly sweet and generous for an author known for oddball characters and a background in juvenilia. The charm and wit persist in this book, which breaks new ground discussing Hodgman’s career and experience of fame, while also recalling many details from Vacationland that reward the reader coming straight from that work.
These books are an absolute pleasure, and well worth their relatively short page counts.
So it is with my present July fling with John Hodgman’s books. As I said in my review of Vacationland, they’re surprisingly sweet and generous for an author known for oddball characters and a background in juvenilia. The charm and wit persist in this book, which breaks new ground discussing Hodgman’s career and experience of fame, while also recalling many details from Vacationland that reward the reader coming straight from that work.
These books are an absolute pleasure, and well worth their relatively short page counts.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Between the asides about being an only child to the discussion of defunct hockey team logo design, I felt seen.