What I'd Say to the Martians: And Other Veiled Threats by Jack Handey (2008)

Oh man, I LOVE Jack Handey.

He is the perfect, miniaturist, humorist with perfect petite humorous essays. And I love the call-forwards to The Stench of Honolulu with Doctor Ponzari and his friend Don. 

I love Handey's crazy, crazy world. And his humor is like perfectly crafted little jewel boxes. And there's a gem on every danged page.

That's all there is to say.  

Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day (2011)

I recently read about a huge advance that Sylvia Day got for a recent book and decided I'd better check out her work.  Day is one of the authors who got very popular after the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon and her books were published with covers suspiciously similar in appearance.  (By the way, you should really read Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!*'s GIF-laden GoodReads review of Fifty Shades.  It's stinking hilarious.)

Back to the book.  And I have to tell you:

OOH, Sylvia Day writes a good romance. Pride and Pleasure is a Regency-set romance with a great plot, about a heiress who's been through six seasons and has no desire to marry.  However, (there's always a however) she's in danger by someone, so she hires Jasper Bond, thief-taker, to pose as her suitor and track down whoever is trying to scare her. Fabulous simmering of chemistry and tension, strong, likable characters, and of course, great dishy love scenes. Quite well done!

[I don't love that cover, though.  It makes the characters look inert and vapid--neither of which they (or the plot) are.]

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (2013)

"Imagine: pretzels sold on the street!  It's as if anything is possible.  Do they also sell hopes on the street?  Do they sell hugs and dreams and height-boosting vitamins?  Or hot dogs?  I bet you they do."

Straight from the children's section, this is a hilarious novel about 13-year-old Nate who runs away to New York City to audition for E.T. the Musical, with the help of his devoted friend and fellow musical theater lover Libby.  

Utterly endearing characters, fascinating backstage look at the world of auditioning for musical theater, surprisingly complex relationships and characters, and OH, so much love for musical theater and for New York City.  Followed up by Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, just as endearing and hilarious.  A few more words from Nate:

"And by the way, this isn't one of those things where I tell you that, in life, we're each both a little good and a little bad, all just trying our hardest.  That's kid's an a-hole, and I'm not.  Sometimes people are just a-holes, and you have to decide, every day, which kind of kid you are.  (Not to get all preachy on you.)"