in the Machine. 02 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Gideon’s speech is modern and biting, there are darkly funny moments, and the friendships and loyalty resonate in a lovely way.

Sutanto's Vera Wong is playful, brusque, bossy, and connects an unlikely cast of characters, all murder suspects, into a heartwarming friendship that feels like family. Vera Wong is running a largely unvisited tea house, lamenting her grown son's lack of time for her, and grumbling about the new "French" bakery that's just opened down the street in Chinatown. When a dead body shows up in her tea house, Vera takes charge of the investigation of what only she is certain is a murder. She slips potential evidence into her pocket, gathers and questions those she thinks are suspects, and bosses around the police. Marshall, the deceased, was a petty, obnoxious, verbally abusive, selfish, belittling jackass. (It's not clear why anyone put up with him, but he is described as having been handsome and as having fooled absolutely everyone with a nice-guy act.) As the truth comes out about Marshall's activities and his final evening, it becomes clear that each character has a possible motivation for having offed Marshall, so to Vera, each is a potential killer. She throws dinner parties and facilitates get-together to study her subjects. And along the way, Vera's brusque truth-telling inspires an unlikely group of friends to form a special bond that's more like that of a family. This was absolutely my favorite part of the book. I can't help comparing this lighthearted fiction about the formation of a group of unlikely friends to another recent read of mine, The Lonely Hearts Book Club. In that book, I kept feeling stopped by wondering why the heck anyone would continue delving daily into the orbit of a brutally grumpy and unappreciative character. But in Vera Wong, while Vera is pushy she is also deeply caring, helpful, and serves as a connector--and the unlikable character in the story died before the book begins. I listened to the playful, heartwarming Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers as an audiobook, narrated by Eunice Wong. This was a fast read (listen), and while the denouement didn't completely hold together for me and the loose ends were tied up with extreeeeeemely tidy bows, the story was really about the relationships and Vera's coming into her own, and I adored these aspects. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Jesse Q. Sutanto is also the author of Dial A for Aunties, Four Aunties and a Wedding, The New Girl, Well, That Was Unexpected, The Obsession, I'm Not Done with You Yet, and the Theo Tan series for young readers.

It's perfectly charming, funny, quirky, and sweet, yet it deals with grief and fear, hope and forgiveness And he's funny. And kind of cute. Too bad she's got her sights set on Michael. Michael is the plan, and all the funny, swoony, disastrous, ridiculous moments Liz and Wes are sharing Better Than the Movies is funny funny funny and so lovely and sweet, I adored the whole story, the characters

This story within a story is playful and satirical while providing deep issues to contemplate. It's different and captivating and silly and sobering. How could we be readers, how could we be lovers of the impossible and the imagined, and not want to swell up with a new character, pull it onto land from a sea we made, and trick it by disappearing behind our hands? I've been so very excited for this book for ages, and I'm glad to finally be diving in! (See what I did there?) Penelope Schleeman is an English teacher struggling to make ends meet when her feminist novel American Mermaid becomes a bestseller. Penny is hooked on the promise of a big payday and leaves her teaching position in Connecticut to move to Los Angeles and turn her novel into a script. There is nothing mythological about this: Have you ever seen a mother spring up from a table when her child, two floors above, has a fall? Mothers move in the dark at night, while men fumble for the lights. But others' visions for the story involve her eco-warrior main character morphing into a teen beauty wearing a clamshell bra, wiping away her complex hero's dark motivations, and erasing much of what makes the story worth telling. Then mysterious threats and unexplained feminist changes begin appearing within the script, aimed at the writers who know how to make a shallow, profitable movie--but who are picking apart what made her novel sing in the first place. Penny begins to suspect that she has unleashed a power within her story that somehow allows her mermaid character Sylvia to manipulate the real world. Even the posed explanations don't fully hold water (I'm sorry, but I can't stop the puns), making the reader wonder about the nature of multiple mysterious occurrences. "You have to be like your namesake." "Penelope Gruber, my mom's best friend from growing up? I should be an eye doctor outside of Tampa?" "No, the original Penelope. From the Odyssey. Who undoes her own tapestry every night. Never finishes it. The men never get to possess her." This story within a story echoes back and forth with linking elements including explorations of power, femininity, and the weight of perception. The Penny-in-Los-Angeles storyline offers some hilarious (and often cringey) peeks at the world of movie-making as the script writers aim to ruthlessly distill the story to cinematic visuals rather than a tale buoyed (I know, I know) by substance and reflection. The excerpts from the book within a book of American Mermaid show glimpses of the novel that is the basis for Penny's trajectory--while digging into themes of climate change, greed, and dangerous assumptions about ability and motivation. The story culminates in tragedy or triumph, depending on your point of view. "Why does she have to be unconscious when she goes underwater? Why don't we get access to that? Can't a woman retain her clearheadedness even when she's doing battle?" American Mermaid is playful, yet there's a lot of meat on the bones of the often satiric story to dig into. It made me laugh and also made me think. (The imaginary blurbs in the Epilogue purely made me laugh--they're so disturbingly plausible and silly.) This is weird and wonderful, and I hope Langbein has more books in the works. I received an electronic version of this title, published March 21, courtesy of NetGalley and Doubleday. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? You can find other wonderfully oddball books I've read and reviewed here and here.

Sittenfeld's funny and sweet take on an unlikely romance sparked by a longtime SNL-type weekly skit show being immersed in the rhythm of show weeks and of skit pitches and power dynamics; and I loved the funny Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me.

Less series, I was pleasantly surprised by the heart and vulnerability beneath the absurdities and funny turns, and excruciatingly slow growth in emotional maturity lead to appealing vulnerability, lots of funny

I laughed out loud multiple times; Kal is funny without trying too hard, and his tone is accessible even In and among these scenes, Sedaris shares strange, sweet, funny, pivotal moments with each of his living I love to laugh at Sedaris's darkly funny reflections about the world and society--and at his recognition Yet McCurdy is witty, often funny, and candid. This is a heartwarming, funny, poignant, sassy tribute to a life fully lived and to a determination love

For my full review, check out We Must Not Think of Ourselves. 06 Funny Story by Emily Henry Funny Story Henry offers funny banter that made me laugh, some steamy moments, and a sweet love story. I listened to Funny Story as an audiobook (narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan). Second: Starter Villain is playful, darkly funny, big-hearted, and wonderfully weird. This was playful, smart, funny, and weird. Click here for my full review of Starter Villain.

01 Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn This fun, darkly funny, feminist story about a retiring audiobook and highly recommend immersing yourself in Michelle Obama's voice as she shares calm, wise, funny

apart, but in the decades to come, when one of them feels adrift and lost, they come together in sassy, funny I loved the way Rowley dove into dark humor; funny banter; not always practical but deeply held connections This is deep but funny with an edge, and the book is never cloyingly sentimental although it's wonderfully

book of essays and memories touches on his start as a boy doing standup in bars, his drug habits, and funny I recently mentioned my memoir love (again) and how I've been drawn to memoirs by funny people lately

This was funny, sweet, steamy, and poignant--a fantastic summer light-fiction read that I loved. The premise sounded like a slam dunk for me, and the reality of the book was a funny, poignant, banter-filled

It's a little dark, consistently fascinating, sometimes funny, and very satisfying. Bardugo doesn't take the easy way out with the plot, and the dialogue here is funny and smart. It's dark and darkly funny, with twists, turns, and satisfying relationship growth. 04 The Folk of the

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading What You Can See From Here, Mariana Leky's novel about loss, grief, and change when a small village is faced with an omen of death; I started Elizabeth Strout's just-published novel Oh William! about Lucy Barton, her first husband, and their inexplicable, unbroken bond; and I'm listening to The Best of Me, David Sedaris's most recent collection of oddball memories and stories that mix humor and absurdity with a hint of poignancy. Which books are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 What You Can See from Here by Mariana Leky Selma has dreamed of an omen, an okapi. Someone in her small village is about to die. As her superstitious neighbors imagine that they may be destined to end their earthly stay, they struggle with unresolved issues, unspoken desires, secrets, and lies. Those around Selma work to quickly come to terms with their finite existence, and young and old members of the community consider their lives with new eyes. Yet somehow the village's loss, when it does occur, takes everyone by surprise, and Selma's granddaughter, Luisa, is forever changed by the events that follow. Leky writes about love, loss, grief, and understanding in What You Can See from Here. 02 Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout Elizabeth Strout is one of my favorite authors, and this recently published book is her newest in the interconnected Lucy Barton web she's woven. In Oh William! Lucy examines her relationship with her first husband and considers how he has always been somewhat of a mystery to her. Yet the two have remained connected through the years, and the closed-off William has always leaned on Lucy for support, despite the fact that he has been married two other times since Lucy, including to his current wife--and Lucy is remarried as well. Now William has uncovered a family secret that shakes him, and he asks Lucy to travel with him to investigate the truth. Strout gorgeously mines small moments that make up a life, and Oh William! is leaning toward being an exploration of love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, and unshakable bonds. Check out my reviews of Strout's My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything Is Possible, and Olive, Again. 03 The Best of Me by David Sedaris I'm listening to this collection by David Sedaris. I prefer to take in my Sedaris books by listening to the author's snarky, silly, spot-on, sometimes gross, and often farcical takes on the world. Whether Sedaris is reliving specific, frequently oddball memories and mining them for poignancy and also laughs, or presenting his own distorted versions of morality plays, he does so with dark humor but also, frequently, with heart. The section of limericks centered around dogs and their rude behavior isn't my favorite so far, but I often suspect that Sedaris is toning down his reflections for the comfort of his audience, and this felt like an absurd vignette he simply couldn't resist.

Second: Starter Villain is playful, darkly funny, big-hearted, and wonderfully weird. Story by Emily Henry Funny Story  is the perfect rom-com read. Henry offers funny banter that made me laugh, some steamy moments, and a sweet love story. I listened to Funny Story  as an audiobook (narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan). For my full review of this book, please see Funny Story .

Robinson's 1971 classic for young readers is a wonderful read-aloud during the Christmas season. "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" We read aloud Barbara Robinson's 1971 holiday classic every Christmas season around here, and I love it every single time. There are some old-fashioned elements, but for me, the big heart of this story outweighs the outdated aspects. The trouble-making Herdmans (they're known for shoplifting, brutalizing and intimidating classmates and teachers, smoking cigars, and drinking jug wine, among other things) appear on the scene of the Sunday School Christmas pageant because it's rumored that refreshments are served there. Their participation in the pageant causes an uproar in the staid, traditional production and in the community that expects the same version year after year. But the Herdmans' lack of context for the Christmas story means they ask probing questions. Where is the King Herod character, and does he (fingers crossed) die a grisly death at the end? Why does someone besides Mary get to name Jesus, and why wasn't his name something reasonable like Bill? And why would a baby want gifts of oil and gold--wouldn't a ham be better and more useful? The Herdmans' challenges to the story and the traditional pageant roles--as well as to the community's expectations--bring out heartwarming truths and unexpected reflections. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? We saw our local children's theatre production of this story a few years ago, and it was a true joy watching an actress play the role of tough, questioning Imogene Herdman as she plays gruff, protective new mother Mary. Gladys Herdman's shouted "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" is a favorite moment in the story.

I'm generally in for memoirs, and lately I've been drawn to memoirs by funny people. Meeting like-minded creative types interested in both funny writing and reflecting diversity led to opportunities I laughed out loud multiple times; Penn is funny without trying too hard, and his tone is accessible

This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me. This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me.

ICYMI: This funny, wry, silly, sweet, heartbreaking story feels light on the surface but has deep meaning Less is absurd, very funny, and a little heartbreaking--light on the surface but with plenty of meaning

This collection of previously published Sedaris works is a gold mine of discomforting, edgy, offbeat observations--with more heart than I expected. I loved this audiobook. I listened to this collection by David Sedaris as an audiobook. I prefer to take in my Sedaris books by listening to the author's snarky, silly, spot-on, sometimes gross, and often farcical takes on the world. Whether Sedaris is reliving specific, offbeat memories and mining them for poignancy and also laughs, or presenting his own distorted versions of morality plays, he does so with dark humor but also, frequently, with heart. The section of limericks centered around dogs and their rude behavior wasn't my favorite, but I sometimes suspect that despite his edgy moments and curious observations, Sedaris may tone down his reflections for the comfort of his audience, and this felt like an absurd vignette he simply couldn't resist. I was drawn in by the mix of tones represented here, and by the introspection and vulnerability Sedaris intermingles with the off-kilter, singular, sometimes excruciating moments he draws readers into. I hadn't read (or listened to) a good number of these selections, and I was repeatedly surprised and delighted with Sedaris's depth...then often cringed at an eccentric, discomforting observation that promptly followed. I enjoyed the roller coaster and was taken with this collection. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Sedaris is also the author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Calypso, Naked, Holidays on Ice, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and many other books.

The title may be a little self-conscious, but the book itself is darkly funny, with wonderfully paced

The story is heartwarming, funny, with strong friendships, plus it's steamy and romantic at times without The Soulmate Equation is often funny, and the best-friendship between Jess and Fizzy (Felicity) is one of the funniest aspects and was one of my favorite elements.

With funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, fantastically bizarre elements; imperfect and wonderful friendships

It's a little dark, consistently fascinating, sometimes funny, and very satisfying. Bardugo doesn't take the easy way out with the plot, and the dialogue here is funny and smart. It's dark and darkly funny, with twists, turns, and satisfying relationship growth. 04 The Folk of the

language and pacing is so lovely, the World War II settings so exquisitely laid out, and the dialogue so darkly funny, I loved this!

Lane's story is zany and wonderful, with lots of glimpses into behind-the-scenes celebrity details--and a layer of heart and poignant reflection that surprised me. "This book is not about Carrie Fisher." Author Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher's personal assistant in real life, and in this novel, Byron's main protagonist Charlie is assistant to a sci-fi-blockbuster-famous actress who played Priestess Talara. Kathi Kannon is a character with a big, wacky personality who also struggles with addiction. She's Hollywood royalty, and her former movie star mother lives in a home on the same compound. So I was definitely picturing Carrie Fisher as Kannon throughout this story. I heard the dialogue in her voice, I had a mental image of Debbie Reynolds as her mother, and Star Wars was in my mind as the enormously popular movie series that made the actress famous. This is a novel, but the spirit of the book felt authentic to what we know about Carrie Fisher's strong, wonderfully unique personality and some of her life challenges. Charlie is searching for meaning and direction--and he doesn't much mind the social cachet of being assistant to a high-profile celebrity. Kathi tends toward outrageous excess and could use a loyal companion who cares enough to set limits toward a goal of her self-preservation. We see practical Charlie learning to roll with and embrace Kannon's spicy banter and often outrageous wishes. The story is zany and wonderful, with lots of glimpses into glamorous (and often tedious) celebrity details. There are fun and frenetic scenes about meeting the varied demands of an enormous star, and Lane explores the characters' challenges of striving to maintain balance in an odd employer-assistant relationship that blurs the lines of the professional and personal. As Charlie becomes more deeply involved in the ups and downs of Kathi's life, he finds himself more and more reluctant to drop her name into conversation to wow a party crowd, or to use tidbits of her life to perk up his first-date conversations. He's growing loyal to her and fully entrenched in her life, and it's not clear whether he could ever move on without hurting himself or Kannon or both. I would have been happy with a fake behind-the-scenes look at celebrity and the star-assistant dynamic. What surprised me was how much heart and reflection Lane injected into the story to flesh out a deeper, poignant relationship. I very much cared about Kathi and Charlie's struggles together and as individuals, and I laughed a lot. I adored this. What did you think? I loved this fictionalized peek at life with a beloved star. Have you read anything like this? What other titles might fit the bill? I mentioned this book in my Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 10/13/20 Edition.

Sally Gould's memoir is named after a darkly humorous term of affection for paramedics in Australia (

I loved spending time with the uproariously funny Thomas. I loved spending time with the uproariously funny Thomas as he recounts how he's navigated situations

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to Sarah Rees Brennan's darkly playful dive into life as a villain For other books that take a sympathetic, darkly playful view of a villain, check out Hench and Starter

Faizal's supernatural fantasy Blood and Tea series; I'm reading Endling , Maria Reva's Ukraine-set darkly

In darkly playful Agatha Christie style, they're in a locked-room (well, -castle) mystery, and it seems

I love a woman PI, unorthodox investigative methods, and a darkly playful tone, but I ultimately wanted

Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read some entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic fantasy review of The Shadow of the Gods . 02 A Power Unbound (Last Binding #3) by Freya Marske Marske's quirky, funny book, check out The Stolen Heir . 04 Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan Sarah Rees Brennan offers a funny This is so funny, sometimes dark, and it has lots of heart. For other books that take a sympathetic, darkly playful view of a villain, check out Hench and Starter

motivated by religious fanaticism, and both Patch and Saint's futures are shaped by their ties to the darkly

The tone of The Enchanted is sometimes gorgeously, darkly ethereal and other times so grim and alluding

characters' quirkiness, concerns, love for each other, and plenty of heart in a heartwarming, often funny Their quirkiness is most often funny, but their many adorable inside jokes sometimes left me feeling Newman's smart, funky voice comes through in Wreck .

motivated by religious fanaticism, and both Patch and Saint's futures are shaped by their ties to the darkly

title in Gillig's Stonewater Kingdom series, a shadowy, eerie tone gave way to heartwarming, sometimes funny irresistible a character as ever, and he shows uncanny wisdom and self-sacrifice alongside his very funny

wonder, a bonkers fever dream, a heartwarming tale, an intriguing mystery that ticked all of my boxes, a funny For my full review, please see Everything Is Tuberculosis . 02 Bunny (Bunny #1) by Mona Awad Bunny begins But then the Bunnies invite Samantha to their "Smut Salon" and into their hive mind of dottiness. James's debut novel is poignant, funny, heartbreaking, often surprising, and heartwarming. James crafts a tender, funny story with zing about a secretly trans high school teacher in a small town

This didn't make The Golden Enclaves the most darkly fun, deeply emotional, or captivatingly paced book

Ellie Black . 03 Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan Sarah Rees Brennan offers a funny This is so funny, sometimes dark, and it has lots of heart. For other books that take a sympathetic, darkly playful view of a villain, check out Hench and Starter

Cosimano's mystery has a wonderfully quirky setup and campy tone, and Finlay's missteps add to the darkly cute bartender she runs into during her various schemes, who do not)--all of this makes the book feel darkly

The tone is very different, but the superhero element of this book reminded me of Hench, a darkly charming

Western; a captivating multigenerational family story told through two timelines; the final book in a darkly There are funny, tangled, heartwarming exchanges. Cosimano's mystery has a wonderfully quirky setup and campy tone, and Finlay's missteps add to the darkly All of this makes the book feel darkly playful. And that ending!

Lynn Painter delivers funny, charming banter and an opposites-attract tension in this heartwarming rom-com Painter delivers charming and funny banter, emotional growth, deep friendship, plausible missteps that

title in Gillig's Stonewater Kingdom series, a shadowy, eerie tone gives way to heartwarming, sometimes funny Benjamin In Chloe Benjamin's haunting, beautiful novel Under Story, Laurel is a biologist who studies fungi

The emotions and drives of the story feel real, but the tone is darkly playful. The emotions and drives of the story feel real, but the tone is darkly playful.

01 The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Desai's first novel in decades is a 688-page tale Sunny is a journalist in New York City, eager to escape his overbearing family home in India. I listened to the 688-page The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny  as a 25.5-hour audiobook. You can read my full review by clicking this link . 02 Bunny (Bunny #1) by Mona Awad Bunny begins with But then the Bunnies invite Samantha to their "Smut Salon" and into their hive mind of dottiness.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton The emotions and drives of the story feel real, but the tone is darkly

Fisher is candid, funny, charmingly offbeat, and she's mastered the art of honest self-examination. His voice in this memoir is honest, funny, and poignant, and he and his many stories are just irresistible Short comes across as charming, nutty, grounded, and really endearing in this fun, funny memoir. 06 It's It's Okay to Laugh is a darkly humorous account of the author's numerous and condensed life-altering that break up her story felt jarring to me, but her account was honest, raw, sad, and sometimes very funny