Random House New Releases - Humor

If This Sign's a' Hangin' . . . by Potter Style

2010-07-13T00:30:00-05:00

If This Sign's a' Hangin' . . . 36 Ways to Say Do Not Disturb
Written by Potter Style

Non-traditional book, 36 pages | Potter Style | Humor | $12.99 | 978-0-307-59088-6 (0-307-59088-7)

Lit Libs by Potter Style

2010-07-13T00:30:00-05:00

Lit Libs Mash Up a Classic
Written by Potter Style

Non-traditional book, 96 pages | Potter Style | Humor | $9.99 | 978-0-307-59090-9 (0-307-59090-9)

Garfield Says A Mouthful by Jim Davis

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Garfield Says A Mouthful His 21st Book
Written by Jim Davis

Trade Paperback, 96 pages | Ballantine Books | Humor | $14.00 | 978-0-345-49179-4 (0-345-49179-3)

Little Women and Werewolves by Porter Grand

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Little Women and Werewolves
Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

eBook, 368 pages | Del Rey | Humor - Parodies; Fiction - Fantasy - Historical | $13.00 | 978-0-345-52262-7 (0-345-52262-1)

Little Women and Werewolves by Porter Grand

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Little Women and Werewolves
Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

Trade Paperback, 368 pages | Del Rey | Humor - Parodies; Fiction - Fantasy - Historical | $13.00 | 978-0-345-52260-3 (0-345-52260-5)

Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Official Book Club Selection A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin
Written by Kathy Griffin

Trade Paperback, 368 pages | Ballantine Books | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Humor | $15.00 | 978-0-345-51856-9 (0-345-51856-X)

A Conversation with Kathy Griffin:

Q: State your name and profession.
KG: My name is Kathy Griffin, and I am a teller of d**k jokes. And a plumber.

Q: This is your first book. Had you ever considered writing anything before? A novel? Or a work of historical scholarship? Or a children's story?
KG: I had not considered it, because I'd always been told by the nuns at St. Bernadine's that my cursive was poor. A children' s story is an interesting idea. How's this for a title: "Waterboarding Pre-Teens: The Debate is Back On." I have a political side as well.

Q: You seem fairly obsessed with Oprah. Is this something you'll ever outgrow?
KG: I will never outgrow my obsession with Oprah. Just as she will never outgrow her cardigan sweaters. Oops, she already has. Now look, that sounds like a dig, but it's not. It's called a struggle, and I'm on it with her. I support her. (Not as much as she needs those underwire bras to support her, because she's got some serious ropes and pulleys going on there.) The point is, I worship her, and fear her at the same time. And believe me, that' s how she wants it. Don't be fooled.

Q: Did I miss something? Where's Celine Dion in this book?
KG: I didn't write about Celine Dion, only because of my fear of her husband Rene Angelil. I have an unfounded but constant fear that he could be in the French-Canadian mafia. Or have French-Canadian mafia ties, and by ties I don't mean les cravats. And I fear that I may be abducted, whisked away and held prisoner at a charming little brasserie in Montreal, forced to eat multiple Croque Monsieur sandwiches until I confess to knowing the lyrics to every single one of her songs.

Q: What do you think gays should take away from reading this book?
KG: I think the gays should be happy with this book. It talks a lot about being who you are, and I certainly mention a lot of gay people. I would say it definitely has strong gay themes, and the gay community should know that frankly it has been a moral struggle for me to even acknowledge the heterosexual community in this book at all. But I am slowly reaching out an olive branch to the heterosexual community, even though I believe everything they do goes against the teachings of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But I'm trying not to judge them.

Q: Describe your ideal, make-a-wish day of personal experiences with bats**t celebrities.
KG: Well, it would start with some sort of a fit in the hair-and-makeup trailer on a set. I heard a story that when Sharon Stone was working on "Casino," she got into such a fight with her hairdresser, that after he spent four hours doing this beautiful bouffant hairdo for her, she got up and walked in the sink and put her head underwater. I have no idea if that's true, but I hope it is, cause that's some awesome s**t I would love to see. Then it would go right to lunch, where I could witness an eating disorder. Maybe a Lohan is purging in a bush somewhere with her finger down her throat. Or perhaps there's an Olsen twin on a scale crying because she finally tipped 100. Any outburst over weight I would cherish. Also, it would be great to see an actress have a workload meltdown. So maybe at 2:00 some A-lister saying, "I can't handle this s**t anymore." Because I love when actors can't deal with a normal workday, and they think two in the afternoon is like midnight, so I would love to see somebody storming to their car, exhausted because they've put in a grueling four-hour workday of saying three lines and texting their nanny. Then it's maybe off to an illicit affair. At the top of my wish list would be following a rapper or a football player over to his baby mama's house where a screaming match ensues to the point where someone, maybe me, has to anonymously dial 911, and then I take a couple pictures, and I become an unannounced star witness later at the trial, entering Joan Collins-style in a smashing hat. And then at the end of the day it's a healthy round of clubbing with Janice Dickinson, and then on the way home we go to the Beverly Glen pharmacy and run into Paula Abdul. All three of us secretly take our small white-paper pharmacy bags and put them behind our backs and make uncomfortable small talk.

Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It's also her big chance to score that coveted book club endorsement she's always wanted. Are you there, Oprah? It's me, Kathy.)

Kathy Griffin has won Emmys for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, been nominated for a Grammy, worked and walked every red carpet known to man, and rung in the New Year with Anderson Cooper. But the legions of fans who pack Kathy's sold-out comedy shows have heard only part of her remarkable story. Writing with her trademark wit, the feisty comic settles a few old scores, celebrates the friends and mentors who helped her claw her way to the top, and shares insider gossip about celebrity behavior–the good, the bad, and the very ugly. She recounts the crazy ups and downs of her own career and introduces us to some of the supertalented people she encountered before they got famous (or, in some cases, after fame went to their heads). Word to the wise: If you've ever crossed Kathy Griffin at some point in your life, check the index for your name.

Along the way, Kathy reveals intimate details about her life before and after she made the big time. She opens up about everything from growing up with a dysfunctional family in suburban Illinois to bombing as a young comedian in L.A., from her well-publicized plastic surgery disasters to her highly publicized divorce, and more. Only in this book will you learn how the dinner table is the best training ground for a career in stand-up, how speaking your mind can bite you on the ass and buy you a house, and which people in Kathy's life have taught her the most valuable lessons–both inside and outside the entertainment industry. And as if all that wasn't enough, there are also dozens of exclusive and somewhat embarrassing photos from Kathy's own collection–featuring the diva of the D List herself, with her old nose as well as her new one, plus celebrity friends, foes, frenemies, and hangers-on for you to gawk at.

Refreshingly candid, unflinchingly honest, and full of hilarious "Did she really say that?" moments, Official Book Club Selection will make you laugh until you cry, or just puke up a little bit.

From the Hardcover edition.

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below by Mike Krahulik

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below
Written by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik

Trade Paperback, 208 pages | Del Rey | Comics & Graphic Novels - Graphic Novels; Humor | $15.00 | 978-0-345-51227-7 (0-345-51227-8)

Rules for Radical Conservatives by David Kahane

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America
Written by David Kahane

eBook, 192 pages | Ballantine Books | Humor - Political; Political Science - Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism; Political Science - History & Theory | $22.00 | 978-0-345-52187-3 (0-345-52187-0)

Rules for Radical Conservatives by David Kahane

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America
Written by David Kahane

Hardcover, 192 pages | Ballantine Books | Humor - Political; Political Science - Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism; Political Science - History & Theory | $22.00 | 978-0-345-52186-6 (0-345-52186-2)

Three Sheets by Zane Lamprey

2010-06-22T00:30:00-05:00

Three Sheets 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean Hangover
Written by Zane Lamprey

Trade Paperback, 208 pages | Villard | Travel; Humor | $15.00 | 978-0-345-51158-4 (0-345-51158-1)

You Know You're 60 When . . . by Debra Solomon

2010-06-08T00:30:00-05:00

You Know You're 60 When . . .
Written by Richard Smith
Illustrated by Debra Solomon

eBook, 128 pages | Broadway | Humor | $9.99 | 978-0-307-58763-3 (0-307-58763-0)

You Know You're 60 When . . . by Debra Solomon

2010-06-08T00:30:00-05:00

You Know You're 60 When . . .
Written by Richard Smith
Illustrated by Debra Solomon

Trade Paperback, 128 pages | Broadway | Humor | $9.99 | 978-0-307-58762-6 (0-307-58762-2)

Other People's Rejection Letters by Bill Shapiro

2010-05-11T00:30:00-05:00

Other People's Rejection Letters Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't Receive
Written by Bill Shapiro

Hardcover, 192 pages | Clarkson Potter | Humor | $22.50 | 978-0-307-45964-0 (0-307-45964-0)

What to Do When No One Has a Clue by Barbara Harrison

2010-05-11T00:30:00-05:00

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFG
Written by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

eBook, 160 pages | Clarkson Potter | Reference - Etiquette; Humor | $18.00 | 978-0-307-71767-2 (0-307-71767-4)

What to Do When No One Has a Clue by Barbara Harrison

2010-05-11T00:30:00-05:00

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFG
Written by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

Hardcover, 160 pages | Clarkson Potter | Reference - Etiquette; Humor | $18.00 | 978-0-307-46320-3 (0-307-46320-6)

Adland by James P. Othmer

2010-05-04T00:30:00-05:00

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet
Written by James P. Othmer

Trade Paperback, 336 pages | Anchor | Business & Economics - Advertising & Promotion; Humor - Topic - Business & Professional | $15.00 | 978-0-7679-2897-7 (0-7679-2897-0)

Liar's Poker meets The Tipping Point meets Mad Men-a hilarious, personal, and sneakily profound chronicle of the past, present, and future of the advertising business.

Adland is a book about advertising. Which is to say, it's a book about every issue and aspect of life on our morally conflicted, culturally challenged, ubiquitously branded planet.

On one level it's the wickedly funny, compelling personal chronicle of the rise and fall of a modern-day ad man; a riveting insider's look at the astonishing transformation taking place in advertising's hottest idea factories; and an introduction to the people whose job is to know what makes us tick, what makes us lean in, what we think we need and don't know that we want.

But take a step back from the tales of lavish shoots, agencies on the brink, and pampered mega-brands and Adland becomes much more: a snapshot of how we live our lives on this earth at this particular moment . . . thirty seconds at a time.

Funny, profound, deeply thoughtful, and utterly unique, this book is both a wildly amusing ride in Adland, brilliantly recounted, and an exploration of the value of life in the information age.

From the Hardcover edition.

Awkward Family Photos by Doug Chernack

2010-05-04T00:30:00-05:00

Awkward Family Photos
Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Trade Paperback, 192 pages | Three Rivers Press | Humor - Topic - Family | $15.00 | 978-0-307-59229-3 (0-307-59229-4)

Awkward Family Photos by Doug Chernack

2010-05-04T00:30:00-05:00

Awkward Family Photos
Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

eBook, 192 pages | Three Rivers Press | Humor - Topic - Family | $15.00 | 978-0-307-59228-6 (0-307-59228-6)

Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman

2010-05-04T00:30:00-05:00

Bad Mother A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace
Written by Ayelet Waldman

Trade Paperback, 224 pages | Anchor | Family & Relationships - Motherhood; Humor | $14.95 | 978-0-7679-3069-7 (0-7679-3069-X)

In the tradition of recent hits like The Bitch in the House and Perfect Madness comes a hilarious and controversial book that every woman will have an opinion about, written by America’s most outrageous writer.

In our mothers’ day there were good mothers, neglectful mothers, and occasionally great mothers.

Today we have only Bad Mothers.

If you work, you’re neglectful; if you stay home, you’re smothering. If you discipline, you’re buying them a spot on the shrink’s couch; if you let them run wild, they will be into drugs by seventh grade. If you buy organic, you’re spending their college fund; if you don’t, you’re risking all sorts of allergies and illnesses.

Is it any wonder so many women refer to themselves at one time or another as “a bad mother”? Ayelet Waldman says it’s time for women to get over it and get on with it, in a book that is sure to spark the same level of controversy as her now legendary “Modern Love” piece, in which she confessed to loving her husband more than her children.

Covering topics as diverse as the hysteria of competitive parenting (Whose toddler can recite the planets in order from the sun?), the relentless pursuits of the Bad Mother police, balancing the work-family dynamic, and the bane of every mother’s existence (homework, that is), Bad Mother illuminates the anxieties that riddle motherhood today, while providing women with the encouragement they need to give themselves a break.

Did Somebody Step on a Duck? by Jim Dawson

2010-05-04T00:30:00-05:00

Did Somebody Step on a Duck? A Natural History of the Fart
Written by Jim Dawson

eBook, 176 pages | Ten Speed Press | Humor - Essays | $9.99 | 978-1-58008-348-5 (1-58008-348-X)

Random House New Releases - Humor

If This Sign's a' Hangin' . . . by Potter Style

If This Sign's a' Hangin' . . . 36 Ways to Say Do Not DisturbWritten by Potter Style

Lit Libs by Potter Style

Lit Libs Mash Up a ClassicWritten by Potter Style

Garfield Says A Mouthful by Jim Davis

Garfield Says A Mouthful His 21st BookWritten by Jim Davis

Little Women and Werewolves by Porter Grand

Little Women and Werewolves Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

Little Women and Werewolves by Porter Grand

Little Women and Werewolves Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

Official Book Club Selection A Memoir According to Kathy GriffinWritten by Kathy Griffin

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below by Mike Krahulik

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below Written by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik

Rules for Radical Conservatives by David Kahane

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back AmericaWritten by David Kahane

Rules for Radical Conservatives by David Kahane

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back AmericaWritten by David Kahane

Three Sheets by Zane Lamprey

Three Sheets 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean HangoverWritten by Zane Lamprey

You Know You're 60 When . . . by Debra Solomon

You Know You're 60 When . . . Written by Richard Smith Illustrated by Debra Solomon

You Know You're 60 When . . . by Debra Solomon

You Know You're 60 When . . . Written by Richard Smith Illustrated by Debra Solomon

Other People's Rejection Letters by Bill Shapiro

Other People's Rejection Letters Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't ReceiveWritten by Bill Shapiro

What to Do When No One Has a Clue by Barbara Harrison

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFGWritten by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

What to Do When No One Has a Clue by Barbara Harrison

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFGWritten by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

Adland by James P. Othmer

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded PlanetWritten by James P. Othmer

Awkward Family Photos by Doug Chernack

Awkward Family Photos Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Awkward Family Photos by Doug Chernack

Awkward Family Photos Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman

Bad Mother A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of GraceWritten by Ayelet Waldman

Did Somebody Step on a Duck? by Jim Dawson

Did Somebody Step on a Duck? A Natural History of the FartWritten by Jim Dawson

If This Sign's a' Hangin' . . . 36 Ways to Say Do Not Disturb
Written by Potter Style

Lit Libs Mash Up a Classic
Written by Potter Style

Garfield Says A Mouthful His 21st Book
Written by Jim Davis

Little Women and Werewolves
Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

Little Women and Werewolves
Written by Louisa May Alcott and Porter Grand

Official Book Club Selection A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin
Written by Kathy Griffin

Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below
Written by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America
Written by David Kahane

Rules for Radical Conservatives Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America
Written by David Kahane

Three Sheets 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean Hangover
Written by Zane Lamprey

You Know You're 60 When . . .
Written by Richard Smith
Illustrated by Debra Solomon

You Know You're 60 When . . .
Written by Richard Smith
Illustrated by Debra Solomon

Other People's Rejection Letters Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't Receive
Written by Bill Shapiro

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFG
Written by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

What to Do When No One Has a Clue Advice for the Brave New World of OMFG
Written by Stephanie Pierson and Barbara Harrison

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet
Written by James P. Othmer

Awkward Family Photos
Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Awkward Family Photos
Written by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Bad Mother A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace
Written by Ayelet Waldman

Did Somebody Step on a Duck? A Natural History of the Fart
Written by Jim Dawson