There are so many comedy books coming out today! Our deeply scientific analysis has concluded that it’s probably because November is, according to the crazies over in Corporate America, the beginning of the holiday gift-buying season. If you are responsible and love your friends and family, read through this list to figure out which book to buy each of them for the holidays. (Or you could do what I’m going to do, which is BUY ALL OF THEM FOR MYSELF and then get my family members like, a scarf that I buy on the street.)
John Hodgman’s That Is All
You’ve probably seen the promo video for this one already, because it featured so many celebrity guest stars that it broke your eyeballs. God, that was a pain, tinkering with your eyeballs, huh? Worst part of the body to have to fix, ‘cause you can’t even see what you’re doing. What am I talking about? Oh, right. So the book itself is the third piece of Hodgman’s Complete World Knowledge trilogy and should contain every piece of fake trivia you felt were missing from the first two books.
Buy it for: Classy gentlemen/women, people who are really good at trivia (so you can show them up by being all, like, “bet you didn’t know THESE facts.†That’ll wipe the stupid smirks off their trivia-bowl-winning faces).
Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
From The Office writer and actor Kaling, this book of essays about dating, her past, and BFF rules will appeal to fans of the conversational-confidante tone native to her Twitter and blog. And she’s finally given us what we’ve been waiting for since the announcement of the title with the release of this promo, which features several Office cast members…hanging out without her.
Buy it for: Every ladylike ladyfriend (or lady friend) you have.
Ben Schwartz and Amanda McCall’s Maybe Your Leg Will Grow Back!: Looking on the Bright Side with Baby Animals
The sequel to Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News with Baby Animals, this adorable picture book will help you find the optimism lurking around every dark corner, BEFORE IT FINDS YOU. I don’t know why I made that so scary. (Leftover Halloween energies?) And one of its charming co-authors is none other than Jean-Ralphio!
Buy it for: A troubled loved one who isn’t so troubled they can’t enjoy a good giggle over a baby penguin. If they’re more troubled than that, God help them. SPEAKING OF WHOM…
David Javerbaum’s The Last Testament: A Memoir
Already a grand success from his “It Getteth Better†video and his Twitter (also from that whole creating the world thing), God has chosen former Daily Show head writer David Javerbaum to co-write his final Testament. We interviewed Javerbaum earlier today to find out what God was like as a writing partner (short answer: pretty annoying).
Buy it for: Anyone you know who has a sense of humor about religion?
Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist Way
Chris Hardwick has written the website and the podcast(s) on nerds, and now he’s finally written the book on ‘em. He answers some of your burning questions on the book here, revealing that it cannot be used as a flotation device, but that it will teach you to “channel your nerd strengths and manage your time and life.†Which is almost as important.
Buy it for: Nerds.
Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp’s Marcel the Shell With Shoes On: Things About Me
This isn’t so much a promo video as it is a funny video that inspired this book about its central character. The book will hopefully answer all the things we’ve been dying to know since the video came out, such as “What does Marcel use for a hammock?†and “What does Marcel use for a shopping bag?†and “What does Marcel use for a swimming pool?†You can check out some of the pages here.
Buy it for: Children, adults who like delicate well-made small things and listen to, I dunno, Cocorosie. Are they still a group?