If you're looking for something funny, why not try one of these memoirs by a comedian or an actor in a comedy? In addition to offering some humor, you'll also get a peek into the life of a celebrity. All of these titles are available as e-books or as e-audiobooks (comedians are great at reading their own work) at https://mvlc.overdrive.com, with the exception of the last book on the list, which is available at https://bpl.overdrive.com. (You can use your MHL or MVLC card to borrow it from BPL--pick "Merrimack Valley Patrons" when you click "sign in" and then enter your usual library card number.)
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The last black unicorn
by Tiffany Haddish The stand-up comedian and co-star of The Carmichael Show presents a humorous collection of autobiographical essays that reflect her disadvantaged youth as a foster child in South Central Los Angeles, her discovery of her talent for comedy, and her struggles with gender, race, and class boundaries in the entertainment industry. |
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Always look on the bright side of life : a sortabiography
by Eric Idle The founding member of Monty Python and creator of Spamalot shares highlights of his life and career, from his boarding-school childhood to his landmark career in comedy, television, films, and theater. |
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Girl walks into a bar : comedy calamities, dating disasters, and a midlife miracle
by Rachel Dratch The former Saturday Night Live comedienne recounts her midlife career slump, long-distance relationship, and roller-coaster experiences of unplanned motherhood, which culminated in uproarious childcare activities and the bewilderment of friends and family members. |
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I can't make this up : life lessons
by Kevin Hart The award-winning actor and comedian presents an inspirational memoir on the importance of believing in oneself, sharing stories about the addiction and abuse that marked his childhood and how his unique way of looking at the world enabled his survival and successful career. |
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In such good company : eleven years of laughter, mayhem, and fun in the sandbox
by Carol Burnett The award-winning actress and best-selling author shares uproarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes from her 25-time Emmy Award-winning show, exploring the elements of what made the series so successful and the co-stars, guests, and off-camera talent that rendered it memorable. |
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Dad is fat
by Jim Gaffigan The popular comedian and actor shares his misadventures as an unlikely father of five, presenting full-length accounts of the experiences referenced in his popular tweets, from his formative years in a large Irish-Catholic family, to his middle-of-the-night diaper-changing foibles, to his struggles to lull tyrannical tots to sleep. |
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So close to being the sh*t, y'all don't even know
by Retta The Hollywood star of such hit series as Parks and Recreation and Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce presents an uproarious collection of essays that trace her upbringing by hardworking Liberian parents, the events that shifted her career focus from medicine to comedy, and the ways that her successes have been shaped by fear and circumstance. |
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As you wish : inconceivable tales from the making of The Princess Bride
by Cary Elwes In a twenty-fifth anniversary edition, the actor presents a behind-the-scenes account of the making of the cult classic film, sharing never-before-told stories and exclusive photographs as well as interviews with fellow actors and producers of the film. |
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Bossypants
by Tina Fey The breakout star of Saturday Night Live and Thirty Rock gives a humorous account of her life, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from her hit shows. |
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Born standing up : a comic's life
by Steve Martin The Emmy Award-winning comedian shares the stories of his years in stand-up comedy in a humorous memoir that recalls a first job selling guidebooks at Disneyland, his early magic and comedy act, his years of honing his craft, and the sacrifice, discipline, and originality it took to take him to the top, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s. |
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Yes please
by Amy Poehler A first-person account by the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live includes coverage of such topics as her relationships with caregivers and her friendship with Tina Fey. |
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Based on a true story : a memoir
by Norm Macdonald A possibly true memoir by the former SNL cast member, raconteur, gambler, and stand-up comedian traces his origins in a rural Canadian town, to his epically disastrous appearance on Star Search, through his eventual stumbles into fame, a personal account that is imparted to a deeply disturbed ghost writer. |
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The girl with the lower back tattoo
by Amy Schumer An uproarious collection of no-holds-barred personal essays by the Emmy Award-winning comedian reflects on her raucous childhood antics, her hard-won rise in the entertainment industry, and her struggles to maintain the courage to approach the world in unstintingly honest ways. |
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Paddle your own canoe : one man's fundamentals for delicious living
by Nick Offerman The actor known for roles in such productions as Parks and Recreation shares whimsical musings on a range of topics from love and manliness to grooming and eating meat, offering additional discussions of his life before fame and his courtship of his wife, Megan Mullally. |
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Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns)
by Mindy Kaling The Emmy-nominated writer and actress best known as Kelly Kapoor on The Office shares her observations on a wide range of topics from favorite male archetypes and her hatred of dieting to her loving relationship with her mother and the haphazard creative process in The Office writers' room. |
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My life as a goddess : a memoir through (un)popular culture
by Guy Branum A collection of side-splitting and illuminating essays by the popular stand-up comedian, alum of Chelsea Lately and The Mindy Project, and host of truTV's talk show The Game Show. From a young age, Guy Branum always felt as if he were on the outside looking in. Being gay and overweight, he got used to diminishing himself. But little by little, he started learning from all the sad, strange, lonely outcasts in history who had come before him, and he started to feel hope. Written with Guy's characteristic blend of wit, guile, and rumination, this is an unforgettable and deeply moving book by one of today's most endearing and galvanizing voices in comedy. |