Essays & Memoirs Audiobooks | Comedy

A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir Audiobook

In these hilarious essays, the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor learns how to take a beating. "I always wanted to punch his face before I read this book. Now I just want to kick him in the balls."-Larry David If there's one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it's being able to take a punch-metaphorically and, occasionally, physically. From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and "seeing the sights" (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump. You'll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You'll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he's written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you'll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian-from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall. For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother's experience on the scene of the Twin Towers' collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy-with a face you can't help but want to punch.

Colin Jost (Author), Colin Jost (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why: Essays

These impossibly cheerful essays on the routine horrors of the present era explain everything from the resurgence of measles to the fiasco of the presidency. In Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, acclaimed satirist Alexandra Petri offers perfectly logical, reassuring reasons for everything that has happened in recent American politics that will in no way unsettle your worldview. In essays both new and adapted from her viral Washington Post columns, Petri reports that the Trump administration is as competent as it is uncorrupted, white supremacy has never been less rampant, and men have been silenced for too long. The 'woman card' is a powerful card to play! Q-Anon makes perfect sense! This Panglossian venture into our swampy present offers a virtuosic first draft of history-a parody as surreal and deranged as the Trump administration itself. Written with devastating wit that reveals a persistent, perhaps manic optimism about her benighted country, Petri's essays have become iconic expressions of rage and anger, read and liked and shared by hundreds of thousands of people. Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why shows why she has emerged as the preeminent political satirist of her generation.

Alexandra Petri (Author), Rebecca Gibel (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Detective in the Dooryard: Reflections of a Maine Cop

Tim Cotton has been a police officer for more than thirty years. The writer in him has always been drawn to the stories of the people he has met along the way. Dealing with the standard issue ne’er-do-wells as a patrol officer, homicide detective, polygraph examiner, and later as the lieutenant in charge of the criminal investigation division certainly provides an interesting backdrop—but more often he writes about the regular folks he encounters, people who need his help, or those who just want to share a joke or even a sad story.The Detective in the Dooryard is composed of stories about the people, places, and things of Maine. There are sad stories, big events, and even the very mundane, all told from the perspective of a seasoned police office and in the wry voice of a lifelong Mainer. Many of the stories will leave you chuckling, some will invariably bring tears to your eyes, but all will leave you with a profound sense of hope and positivity.

Timothy A. Cotton (Author), Timothy A. Cotton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood

Brought to you by Penguin. Drag superstars Trixie Mattel and Katya have long captivated fans with their stunning looks, onscreen chemistry, and signature wit. In Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood, the pair channel that energy into an old-school etiquette guide for ladies. In essays and how-to sections peppered with hilarious, gorgeous photos, Trixie and Katya will advise readers on beauty and fashion and tackle other vital components of a happy home, such as money, entertaining and friendship; sharing advice and personal stories in high-concept fashion. Informative, humorous, and heartwarming, Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood is the book that their fans have been waiting for. ©Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Katya Zamolodchikova, Trixie Mattel (Author), Katya Zamolodchikova, Trixie Mattel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cheer the F**K Up: How to Save your Best Friend

Brought to you by Penguin. This book will definitely make you laugh and might just make you cry, but it could also help save a life. Cheer the F**K Up is a bold, brilliant and very personal account of a young comedian’s experiences with mental health. An ode to the importance of friendship, Jack Rooke takes us on a mission to better understand the reasons why so many people are struggling, and how we can all feel better equipped in knowing how to support that one friend we might be that bit more worried about. Part comedic memoir, part advice guide, this book is a fresh and timely take on a huge issue very close to Jack’s heart – in 2015, while working as an ambassador for a male mental health charity, he lost one of his best friends to suicide. Taking you on a journey through his life and experiences with grief, sexuality, depression and more, Jack offers his own frank and powerful advice on how best to have meaningful conversations about a loved one’s state of mind. Hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, Cheer the F**K Up will definitely make you laugh and might just make you cry, but it could also help save a life. 'Cheer the F**K Up is, without a doubt, the most meaningful and funniest book I have ever read on mental health and loss. Jack is a genius (fact) and he weaves together themes of love, grief, sexuality, trauma, growing up, mental health and friendship in a memoir that will stand the test of time. If you are a human living on this planet YOU NEED THIS BOOK! It has never been more important and never been more needed.' - Scarlett Curtis 'Once you've had the pleasure of reading a work by Jack Rooke, you'll have spent time with one of the funniest, warmest, most caring people I've ever known, and he'll feel like your new favourite friend. This book deals with difficult topics in such a beautiful, thoughtful and hilarious way. It's the book we all need in our lives.' - Nicola Coughlan © Jack Rooke 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Jack Rooke (Author), Jack Rooke (Narrator)

Audiobook

Japanese Dream: Singer, Songwriter and Author from Kyoto, Japan

A dream I wish to have in the night most isn’t about dating a Hollywood star, or making a great hit with my song. It’s not about my parents saying to me with tears “We were wrong. We’re sorry.” either. It’s about numbers. I once saw a woman on TV who won 4 million dollars by the lottery with the numbers she had seen in her dream. Shortly after that, I myself saw numbers in my dream and began to buy a lottery ticket with those numbers. I won $10 for several times and $100 once, if not 4 million dollars. Since then, I’ve always waited for numbers to appear in my dream, the numbers for the jackpot. And the other night, new numbers appeared in my dream for the first time in months. I was convinced that the time had come. I rushed to the only lottery stand in this small town and got a ticket for five consecutive drawings with those numbers. I lost them all. I went out again in the snow with my partner for five more drawings. At the stand, he found that he had left an ATM card at home, which was necessary to get a lottery ticket. He acted as if he had lost 4 million dollars on the spot and looked up the sky with despair. I’d never thought the numbers from my dream gave him so much hope. I ended up coming back again to get a ticket before the next drawing day. While I rely on my dream numbers and keep meeting the deadline for each drawing rigidly, a possibility of the jackpot is practically none…

Hidemi Woods (Author), Hidemi Woods (Narrator)

Audiobook

All Things Reconsidered: How Rethinking What We Know Helps Us Know What We Believe

If we ask just one question, does everything fall apart? In All Things Reconsidered, popular podcaster Knox McCoy uses a unique blend of humor, pop culture references, and personal stories to show how a willingness to reconsider ideas can actually help us grow ourselves, our lives, and our beliefs. In this laugh-out-loud defense of reconsideration, Knox dives into topics like: - Are participation trophies truly the worst? - Is it really worth it to be a ride-or-die sports fan? - Do we believe in God because of the promise of heaven-or the threat of hell? - Does prayer work? Is anyone even there? This book is the catalyst we need to courageously ask the questions that will lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves-and God. It's time to start reconsidering.

Knox Mccoy (Author), Jamie Golden, Knox Mccoy (Narrator)

Audiobook

Weird but Normal: Essays

Birth control. Body hair removal cream. Boobs. It’s all weird, but also pretty normal. Navigating racial identity, gender roles, workplace dynamics, and beauty standards, Mia Mercado's hilarious essay collection explores the contradictions of being a millennial woman, which usually means being kind of a weirdo. Whether it’s spending $30 on a candle that smells like an ocean that doesn’t exist, offering advice on how to ask about someone’s race (spoiler: just don’t, please?), quitting a job that makes you need shots of whiskey on your lunch break, or finding a more religious experience in the skincare aisle at Target than your hometown Catholic church, Mia brilliantly unpacks what it means to be a professional, absurdly beautiful, horny, cute, gross human. Essays include: • Depression Isn’t a Competition but Why Aren’t I Winning? • My Dog Explains My Weekly Schedule • Mustache Lady • White Friend Confessional • Treating Objects Like Women With sharp humor and wit, Mia shares the awkward, uncomfortable, surprisingly ordinary parts of life, and shows us why it’s strange to feel fine and fine to feel strange.

Mia Mercado (Author), Mia Mercado (Narrator)

Audiobook

Censorship Now!!

Ian F. Svenonius’s new collection of sixteen essays and stories, entitled Censorship Now!!, is reorganizing people’s ideas about censorship; Ikea; documentary film-making; the Berlin Wall; the film Heathers; the twist; the frug; the mashed potato; shaving one’s body; Apple, Inc.; Nordic functionalism; the supposed benevolence of the Wikipedia; hoarding; college rock; the origins of the internet; and more. It’s an underground smash which has been met with horrified gasps in all respectable quarters and gog-eyed enthusiasm in artist garrets the world over.

Ian F. Svenonius (Author), Ian F. Svenonius (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Only Way Is West: A Once In a Lifetime Adventure Walking 500 Miles On Spain's Camino de Santiago

Can an email address scribbled on €20 change a life? Yes! From the Back Cover What would you do if you're given a €20 note in Greece with an email address scribbled on it: 1. Spend it? 2. Slip the suspect counterfeit bill into an enemy’s birthday card? 3. Send an email, hoping it will lead to you finding everlasting love? Brad, a hopeless romantic, chose the latter. Two years later, his love life remains a disaster and his career is misfiring. As he’s about to walk Spain’s fabled Camino de Santiago to ponder some profound life changes, Brad receives a reply. Incredibly, it’s from a woman who lives on the pilgrimage path, far away from where the money first crossed his palm. She invites him to sleep… ‘on her house.’ Hiking 900km on the Road to Santiago to a blind date with the mystery €20 woman, Brad has the adventure of a lifetime. His heart is warmed by fellow pilgrims and natives who give him more reason than ever to believe in the kindness of the human spirit; he befriends a hilarious Hungarian who speaks English in song titles and has his raison d’être revealed to him by a barefoot Mayan mystic. Will he meet his happily-ever-after along the way too? Mainstream Media Praise:'An inspiring, touching, heartfelt and funny memoir that made me howl with laughter throughout. A wonderful read.' - Kevin Hand, BBC London. Praise in Amazon Reviews for The Only Way Is West:★★★★★ 'I loved this book. For anyone interested in the Camino, this is a must read.' - Kate ★★★★★ 'Probably the best book I've ever read.' - D Clay. ★★★★★ 'I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down.' - Georine

Bradley Chermside (Author), Bradley Chermside (Narrator)

Audiobook

Одесские дачи

Обычный вопрос: почему концерт номер два? Обычный ответ: потому что в одну аудиокнигу, все шлягеры Жванецкого никак не вмещаются. Его тексты, почти все наперечет, помнятся на слух, просятся на язык. По сути, мы имеем дело с современным фольклором, который изменил к лучшему не только нашу речь, но и, хочется думать, нашу жизнь.

михаил жванецкий (Author), михаил жванецкий (Narrator)

Audiobook

Концерт №2

Обычный вопрос: почему концерт номер два? Обычный ответ: потому что в одну аудиокнигу, даже в двух CD, все шлягеры Жванецкого никак не вмещаются. Его тексты, почти все наперечет, помнятся на слух, просятся на язык. По сути, мы имеем дело с современным фольклором, который изменил к лучшему не только нашу речь, но и, хочется думать, нашу жизнь.

михаил жванецкий (Author), михаил жванецкий (Narrator)

Audiobook

Essays & Memoirs Audiobooks in Comedy