Brand new books we would binge-watch if they were streaming shows

How about this one: Readalikes for TV watchers?

Why not?

Maria Semple's laugh-out-loud Seattle stories, the 2012 epistolary Where'd You Go, Bernadette and her latest (also sort of an epistolary), Today Will Be Different, could easily translate into a series full of quirky, likable but totally unrelatable characters delivering droll zinger after droll zinger. I could see fans of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt diving into a weekend of uninterrupted viewing, with candy (and snark) for dinner. Until it gets optioned for two seasons on Netflix, check it out at the library! I did read it mostly in one sitting--so technically I binge-read it.

Jonathan Safran Foer's latest novel, naughty parts and all, would translate PERFECTLY to the small screen. For readers I highly recommend the audiobook version over the text--the text is great but the audiobook narrator totally nails Foer's jokes with serious comedic skill. I could not stop listening to this while completing a seemingly never-ending bookshelf building project on my porch even though, out of context, the aforementioned naughty bits would be pretty blush-inducing if overheard by my neighbors. This is a story of a family in crisis and everything that came before and will be after, paralleled by a disaster in the middle east after a massive earthquake hits Israel. Not convinced? Give it 100 pages. Fans of Arrested Development will want lock the doors and turn off their phones until this is over.

May the Verse Be With You: Still re-imagining the bard after 400 years

Shakespeare created timeless tales and had a great sense of humor so we think that he would appreciate these irreverent and inventive retellings of his work--and you will too.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher

This Quirk Books series for young adults does a clever job of retelling George Lucas' Star Wars films in the style of Shakespeare. Check out the Bard's version of the opening crawl:

YOLO Juliet

Part of the OMG Shakespeare series, YOLO Juliet is Romeo and Juliet adapted for modern teens. Its characters text with emojis, check in places, and update their relationship statuses. You'll LOL over how well the Bard translates into modern life.

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore

A comic send-up of Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, The Serpent of Venice features Pocket (the hero of Fool) in a mashup of Othello, Merchant of Venice, and The Cask of Amontillado. Fans of Edgar and William rejoice...or wince.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

A reimagined Hamlet set in the North Woods of Wisconsin in the 70s. Edgar, mute and speaking only in sign, is forced from his family home to survive in the wilderness.


Celebrate all things Shakespeare throughout April at RPL! Check the calendar for event and program information.

As promised: Nonfiction for Ugly Crys, Humor edition

I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

Sometimes I wonder if a book still holds up after a bunch of years. I read this in college (kind of a long time ago) and I distinctly remember laughing so hard I did that thing where you laugh so hard you don't make any sound and also cry a lot. Or is that just me? I'm pretty sure it's still funny even after all these years. Bill Bryson doesn't always hit his target but this book about his observations on returning to the US after decades abroad is outrageously funny. A perfect read for those times when you're feeling a little weird and just need some perspective.

Oh Stefan...

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt

I read this on an airplane and was nearly thrown off mid-flight for snorting so unattractively. It's a sinus thing? I craughed (see below) and people may have switched seats. Anyway, this well known story of a murder trial in Savannah with the best cast of characters in narrative nonfiction ever, is still one of my most recommended books for just about anybody.

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

This book is a brutally honest, painfully hilarious memoir about being a woman written by the funniest woman in the universe. The whole universe, you guys. Read How to Build a Girl too if you don't believe me. I'm not going to hear any arguments from anyone--I will just walk away as if I am an action hero and anyone who disagrees the proverbial burning building. (See below)