Fowl Language: The Struggle Is Real by Brian Gordon

*I received this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in return for a fair review.*

This is the second book in the series and second book I've read by this author.

Like the first book, this is a collection of funny little drawings with words on them focused on birds - humanized birds who are parents to baby ducks. Well, the ducks area also humanized. hmms. I probably could have worded that better. Right, so - a collection, as noted, of humorous comic strips about parenting.

There's an introduction - mentions some tips. Including:

If you forget to priortize care for yourself, it's gonna bite you in teh ass one way or another.

If your kid will tolerate it, swaddle the crap out of them. It totally helped my son calm down as a baby. I'd still do it, but he's in fourth grade now, and evidently that's frowned upon.

hehe - 'if all else fails, try the cathartic act of bitching about your children by drawing them as ducks'

To remind readers, and/or show new readers, what the comci is like, I insert a panel:

(if the insertion works - that's the latest panel on the website for Fowl Language.

hehe - non-parents 'T.G.I.F'. Parents - 'T.G.I.M.' (at least while school is in session) - and TGIF becomes OMGIF

Lots of funny comics here. I kept having burst of laughter explode out of me.

Last time I did a review for a book in this series it consisted mostly of me giggling. I'm not really sure what else to put here other than another review of me giggling. So: Imagine me - giggling.

Parent tells kid that he sounds like a broken record. Kid wants to know what a record is. Then what a CD is, etc. hehe. Parent starts mumbling.
Kid 1: I think he's buffering.
Kid 2: Try refreshing him.

Parent: here comes the plane!
Kid: I don't like the way planes taste, either.

Publication Date: October 10 2017

Rating: 4.56

September 2 2017

If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men by The Oatmeal

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I've read several things by 'The Oatmeal', though only one previous book. Most of what I've read I've spotted here or there posted by others in threads on the internet, or in his own twiter feed, and occasionally on The Oatmeal's own website. I've generally tended to find the material to be humorous so when I spotted one of his books pop up on Netgalley, I . . . after a certain amount of time, jumped on it (the hesitation was based on the book being 'just' 36 pages).

So, let's open it up and see if it's any good, eh? The other book I've read by him involved cats plotting to kill you, so it seems fitting for the next book I read by him to be about dogs. Specifically, as the title indicates, comics arranged around the concept of what humor might be found by imagining the author's dogs (author of the book, not author of this review) as middle aged men.

Right, okay now I'll open the book. Or I well when I figure out where I lost the thing. Tabs everywhere, but where art thou book? Found it.

Well so far I've snorted when I saw two men bouncing around acting like dogs, specifically when they sat on the same sofa as another man and licked him. I assume this other man is supposed to actually be human, though it is hard to tell if you make both humans and dogs look like humans. Maybe 'The Oatmeal' should have made the humans look like dogs so it'd be easier to tell them apart?

And now I'm ill. Barfing isn't something I like to see. By anyone or anything. A barfing catepillar would be horrible to watch. A dog that looks like a human who eats too much too quickly and then barfs? Yeah, I'm ill now. Thanks.

Hmm. Then the barfing comic is followed up by watching the middle aged man be coached to stare at another man like shape and stare at them in the eye. Then poop. Yes, the author should have made the humans be dogs or something. I just assume that the boy scout is supposed to be human, but . . . the dogs are human so . . . is the boy scout also a dog? A human? A dog-human?

Oh. Well. Then one of the 'dogs' accidentally goes missing and a 'lost' poster is put up. Noting that a middle-aged man has gone missing. So . . it's not just the readers who see these middle-aged men as middle-aged men. Everyone does. So . . this is creepier than I thought it was. Because these are not dogs who the reader sees as middle aged men. These are actually middle-aged men acting like dogs. As I said, creepy.

Hmm. Then the book is completed. As I noted somehwere along the way, this is only 36 pages in length (though I think the last page was actually not as far as 36 pages in).

So, to recap, I snorted (once), was made ill, felt creeped out, then came to the realization that the middle-aged men were in fact middle-aged men acting like dogs. Not actually dogs that the reader is suppsoed to see as middle aged men. So felt even more creeped out.

Sadly I did not find this humorous.

June 28 2017

Pearls Hogs the Road: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury by Stephan Pastis

Pearls Hogs the Road: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury
by Stephan Pastis
Pages: 264
Date: April 25 2017
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Pearls Before Swine

Review
Rating: 4.44
Read: 4/8/2017-4/9/2017

*I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for a fair review.*


This is a Treasury instead of a Collection which means that it contains two of the smaller 'collections'. Which two? hmms. Not sure. I do know that it contains "18 months' worth of Pearls strips." because the introduction says so. That tidbit plus the part wherein three of the comic strips were "drawn by Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, who, in 2014, ended a 19-year hiatus fromt eh comics page to draw three Pearls Before Swine strips."So, if nothing else, this Treasury contains that important bit of comics - three Waterson drawn comic strips. - And then I read the introduction. And it was hilarious. All about attempting to contact Bill Watterson, workign with him, etc. And then the introduction indicated where I could find the Watterson strips so obviously . . . I finished reaing the introduction. But once that was done, I hurriedly turned to those pages and gazed upon them (okay, I wrote that I did. Now I'll go gaze upon them; and so I read those three strips, and they were brilliant). And then I read the rest of the book. The end. Yay screamed . . . um . . . something screaming.

That was a neat hook to use, to pull myself into and through writing something, anything. Otherwise . . . what exactly do I write? 'The comic strips were good, they were funny - when the were, occasionally flat, enjoyable experience' - seems the safest without me going line by line and writing a 900 page treastise on Stephan Pastis's comic book. Because that's what I tend to do when I review comic books I pick up from Netgalley - ramble in a text box while reading. Occasionally inserting things like '*giggles* - you had to be there'. Fun, right? So - glad I had a hook to sink into the fish shaped . . . um . . . I need another word than hook, I already used it. mmphs.

Well, there is obviously something else I could mention - there are little wiggly lines underneath the comic strips - they form letters/words/sentences - Pastis has left thoughts on his comic strips. I do not recall if I've seen his thoughts before in such a manner. This is what I get for reading collections instead of treasuries, I assume. And there are some rather hilarious bits in those sentences (as, for example: "Whenever I'm unsure about something in the strip, I check Wikipedia, because whoever does the page for Pearls knows more about the strip than I do."). Occasionally I found myself laughing loudly - and realize that it wasn't because of the comic but because of the words under it. And then I'll giggle a few times, later, and realize it was because of the comic and not the words (see, this is what I was saying earlier, this is kind of boring. I stop now).

Rating: 4.44

April 8 2017

The Trouble with Women by Jacky Fleming

The Trouble with Women
by Jacky Fleming
Pages: 128
Date: September 20 2016
Publisher: Andrews McMeel
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.65 out of 5.0
Read: July 31 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in return for a fair review.*

I'm no sure how well known it is, but Jane Austen, when she was a kid, wrote a parody of English History. I read it a while back. I mention it here and now because this book here, 'The Trouble With Women' reminds me of Austen's work. It also reminds me of things I see passed around at times - mostly passed around by teachers, but occasionally others. Those 'things' being passed around are exam answers - humorous exam answers. Not because the person answering the question were so witty, but because they were so earnestly . . . . dim. No, I'm not saying this book is dim, I'm saying there's a similar feel among all three things I've mentioned - Austen's short work, this book, and humoroius exam answers. That, of course, being earnestly stated opinions stated as facts of little baring with actual facts. The difference between this book and Austen's on the one hand, and the humorous exam answers on the other, is that the Austen book and this were intended to be humorous (the humorous intention of the exam answers is unknown though assumed to not be the intention of the exam answerer).

This book here dives right in. Noting how, in the beginning, there were no women. Just men. Studying stuff. Then a few women were around, but they had small heads, so men were still the ones 'doing things' of historical importance. And . . so forth.

Randomness seen as I read: 'Jean-Jacques Rousseau, keen flasher.' Eh? heh.

Ah, so that's why women sat side-saddle - 'to avoid a Sexual Awakening.' Must be hard to get a bicycle to work sitting on it side-saddle.

'Women were more concerned about their skirts getting caught up in the wheels, and sat astried wearing Bloomers which turned them into Lesbians.' - this one made me laugh out loud, it did. Of all the things to turn a woman into a lesbian, bloomers never crossed my mind until now. Or sitting upon a bicycle while wearing bloomers.

hehaha - 'Big frocks were an early form of handbag'.

The book's text is handwritten notes. Not always the most easily deciphered handwritting, at that. Slowed me down at times, that did.

Annie Oakley had dainty feet. hehehe

Ah corsets. Invented by someone who wished to cause women to suffocate and die, I assume.

'In the end it was simpler just to disguise yourself as a man.'

I am both vaguely depressed now that I've completed the book, and feeling this slight desire to know how certain men, historical men, men with flowing beards and genius hair, kept from having random people slam things into their testicles. I fear that I shall never know the answer to this question. For man deserved several swift 'corrections' administered directly to their testicles.

This has been both a humorous and depressing book to read.

July 31 2016

Business Cat by Tom Fonder

Business Cat
by Tom Fonder
Pages: 128
Date: September 27 2016
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Business Cat

Review
Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0
Read: July 31 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in return for a fair review.*

My first book by this author. A book about business, a cat; specifically a business cat and the humor inherent in such a concept.

hehe - like, for example, a cat sitting calmly in his seat at his desk looking around, up, down, around, ten calmly reaching over and pushing a coffee cup off his desk. Why? Because he is a cat.

Or leaving a dead bird for an underling. Then calmly stating 'you've earned it.'

Or rubbing against the legs of a potential business partner - 'turning on the charm'.

Or sitting on the floor in the bathroom . . . right, I need to stop babbling like this.

A mostly funny book, though I personally might have enjoyed it better if it had actually been a cat instead of a human with a cat head in place of a human head. Plus, the guy's 'cat' is a cat with a human head - quite frankly that was super disturbing.

Some of the jokes wer quite hilarious, some were funny, some where meh. Depends on how they hit you at the time, of course - for whatever reason, the liter box in the dinning room that the cat headed person showed to his human guest - the expression on her face, and the expression on the face of her husband who was sitting at the table eating with her right behind him - struck me as hilarious at the time.

And some of the jokes were confusing. Like the cat sitting in a waiting room holding a magazine titled 'Body Shame'. Confusing.

Other than the few meh and or confusing strips, this is a rather humorous great book. Though I recommend reading it in smaller snippets than I did.

July 31 2016

Cat vs Human Fairy Tails by Yasmine Surovec

Cat vs Human Fairy Tails
by Yasmine Surovec
Pages: 128
Date: September 6 2016
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Cat vs. Human

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 31 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in return for a fair review.*

10 stories involving cats. In fairy tails; or, retellings of fairy tails, this time with cats.

We have:
Rapunzel
A blond woman is bored and in a castle. She has long hair that she dangles out of a window. As anyone who has cats know, cats just love dangling thingies. And so, every time Rapunzel lets her hair dangle, cats climb up (and, eventually, one man).

Hmms. Really really short. Somewhat expected a little more.

Goldilocks
hehe, Goldilocks is a cat in this one. *nods*

heh - 'oh goodie! beds!'

hehehe - where the cat finally finds to sleep . . .

The cat expresions in this one are great.

The Ugly Kitten
Vaguely better moral, I suppose than 'ugly duckling and swan' since one involves someone being transformed into a beauty and then everyone liking them; as opposed to here. With an ugly kitty turning into an ugly cat, and being loved despite that.

The Princess and the Kitty
'I'm really amazing and I deserve the best.' - sometimes the main character is a cat, sometimes a human. Which do you think started off their story with this comment? Hehe, no, was human (kinda).

The Princess and the Pea
heh - princess be a cat.

heh - the solution to the pea problem was quite cat like.

Jack and the beanstalk
'what th-?'
'don't ask'
hehehe


The Little Mermaid
um. hmm.


The Pied Piper
heh

Sleeping Beauty
'I I must touch it' - hehehe

aww

The Little Match Girl
hehe

Overall - some cute stories, some fun stories, and a few meh stories.

http://www.catversushuman.com/

Not in the book, but an example of the art and um stuff.

July 31 2016

Fowl Language: I Used to Be Cool and Do Cool Things by Brian Gordon

Fowl Language: I Used to Be Cool and Do Cool Things
by Brian Gordon
Pages: 128
Date: March 22 2016
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Series: Fowl Language
Webcomic address: http://www.fowllanguagecomics.com/?pw_highlight_code=74798

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: February 20 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a fair review.*

My first book by this author. I was looking around Netgalley to see what they had available to be 'read now' and spotted this book here in the humor area. Glanced at a few reviews over on Goodreads - which included several pictures from the book - and found the pictures humorous. So I selected this book to read.

Like the last book I attempted to read through Netgalley, I ended up starring at the provided file with confusion. Well, took me a while, but I've finally figured how to open a acsm file. See, it kept trying to load in the Adobe PDF thingie already on my computer. But that specific one couldn't read acsm files. So . . . . eventually I found something that read acsm files, downloaded it. Then realized that I had downloaded the program to my phone. Which didn't help me any. Eventually I figured out how to download Adobe Digitial Editions to my PC so now I can actually read this here book. Yay me. So then, the book itself.

First off I'll note that I've read several parenting/family themed comics/books, which this book here falls within, but am not myself a parent. I do have a nephew, so . . ..

From the introduction: 'I remember thinking that this crap was WAY less magical than I had been promised.' - hmm, confusing that. Having an actual human 'suddenly' appear where no human existed before - that's magical. Parenting? Who said parenting was magical?

Huh. I see now. Apparently everyone but him in his social circle had 'easy babies' but he had a 'hard baby'. Then he found out his experience wasn't, in fact, the sole experience of having a 'hard baby' out there. I see now why he got confused, if his social circle had magical babies and he didn't. Hmms. Magical babies. Odd concept that. If I had something like that in my life, not that I would (as in, I know my own genetics, a magical baby ain't coming out of me), I'd think that my baby had been replaced by an alien - or someone else's kid. If, I mean, the baby was magically easy. (yeah, I know, he actually concludes that his social circle were lying, not that there were magical babies out there).

Heh. Well, that bodes well. I moved from the introduction to the first actual comic and burst out in laughter. Odd, I am, but still. I laughed. Yay, my brain thinks.

'Who hates naps?!' - hehehe

'stupid genetics' - hehehe

hmms. I might accidentally die by laughter.

hehehe - 'Why I don't get invited to baby showers anymore' - hehehe

ha-hahe - 'evidently I was friggin' Hitler in a former life.'

hmms. Okay, some just flew over my head. Like the Advent Calendar one.

hehehehehaha - 'not a single piece of your Halloween candy was poisoned...'

'Three'. heh

'I don't wanna be a tree stump!' hehehe

Okay, I need to stop randomly laughing at stuff in this review. Needless to say, there's a lot of very funny stuff going on in this here book. It's funny, it is.

'But we're outside!!!' hehehehe. oops, was supposed to stop doing that, I was.

hehehehe - 'Holy crap, I'm raising a politician.'

This is/was a really really funny little comic book. All should read. *nods* Don't have to be a parent, I know, because I'm not a parent and I laughed really loudly.

February 20 2016