• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

On the Shelf

Header Right

  • Library Home
  • My Account
  • How Do I?
  • Contact Us
  • Get a Library Card!

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

  • Read, Listen, Watch
    • Search the Catalog
    • eBooks and Audiobooks
    • Streaming Movies and Music
    • eMagazines
    • Search MD Libraries
    • Check Out a Hotspot
    • Check Out a Ukulele
    • Suggest a Title for Purchase
    • Recommended Reading
    • On the Shelf
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Library Services
    • Get a Library Card
    • Using Your Library Card
    • SMART Card
    • Curbside Pickup
    • Computers and Printing
    • 3D Printing
    • Meeting and Study Rooms
    • Makerspace at Leonardtown Library
    • Donate to the Library
    • Exam Proctoring
    • Notary Service
    • Tell Us Your Library Story
  • Research and Learn
    • All Online Resources
    • Genealogy and Local History
    • Language Learning
    • LinkedIn Learning
    • Cisco Networking Academy
    • Job Seeker’s Toolkit
    • Resources for Grant Seekers
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
    • Homework Help
    • Local Newspaper Archive
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Kids Events
    • Teen Events
    • Adult Events
    • Book Discussions
    • Computer and Technology Instruction
  • Kids
    • Kids Events
    • Virtual Storytime
    • Homework Help
    • Recommended Reading
    • Tumble Book Library
    • 500 by Five
    • Ready to Read
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • Teens
    • Teens at the Library
    • Teen Events
    • Homework Help
    • SMART Card
    • Recommended Reading
    • Resources for Parents and Educators
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • Library Policies
    • Library Administration
    • Board of Library Trustees
    • Strategic Plan
    • Libraries Stand Against Racism
    • Donate to the Library
    • Jobs at the Library
    • Volunteer at the Library
    • Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library
    • St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
    • Community Partners

Humour

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

July 5, 2019 by Shannon Leave a Comment

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Format: Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

This book is hilarious. The audiobook is exuberantly read by the author and her grit and honesty shine through from the very first line. Haddish unfurls an intense string of experiences that make readers feel a personal connection with her. She shares stories of her grade school bullies, her time in foster care, a mother with mental illness, experiences with sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Her hardships have been intense but through humor and bravery she refuses to fail.
Haddish opens her life to her us with no filter. The language is excessively profane but the blunt retelling of her experiences makes the reader feel spellbound by her strength and self confidence. This book leaves readers with the feeling that they can succeed through anything. If you’re looking for a gritty, uplifting read, this is a winner. Find it in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults Tagged With: African American, Audiobook, Biography, Comedian, Comedy, Digital Audiobook, Hardship, Humour, Tough Stuff, Uplifting

The Good Egg

June 26, 2019 by Jill Hutchison Leave a Comment

The Good Egg by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

This is one good egg! Literally. The main character is an egg, and he’s very good- the one good egg in a dozen, while the other eggs’ behavior is often kind of rotten. The good egg rescues kittens, helps the elderly, cleans up messes, and tries to convince his siblings to be good too. But the pressure of trying so hard to be perfectly good, and trying to change others’ behavior, eventually makes the little egg start to crack. It’s time for the good egg to take some time for himself. Spending time to relax and try a few new things helps the good egg to learn some important lessons: not to be so hard on others or himself, and that he doesn’t have to be perfect to be a good egg.

Find it in the catalog!

Filed Under: New for Kids Tagged With: Book, Humour, Picture Book

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

March 1, 2019 by Sara Leave a Comment

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

23-year-old designer April May lives and works in New York City. Leaving work in the middle of the night, she discovers a 10-foot-tall, Transformers-like statue on the sidewalk outside a Chipotle. She calls her friend and they make a video of April interviewing the statue she names Carl. By the next morning, she’s gone viral and Carls have appeared in more than 60 other cities around the world. What follows is a treatise on the nature of celebrity in the age of social media, and a discussion of humanity in a society rife with polarizing rhetoric. April establishes herself as a brand and struggles to maintain her own humanity, while the world tries to figure out what The Carls are, why they’re here, and what they mean for humanity.

There is a science fiction element to this story. The Carls are not your average street art. You’ll want to know how they got here and what their purpose is, but the bigger questions are about today’s society and culture and how fame, the internet, and the 24-hour news cycle impact all of us and our relationships with one another. Ending in a cliffhanger, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing leaves room for a sequel, which Green is reportedly working on.

Find it in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults Tagged With: Aliens, Book, Celebrity, Humour, Puzzles, Science Fiction, Social Media

Dumplin’

January 4, 2019 by Kati Leave a Comment

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Format: Book, Audio Book
Whose it for: Adults and Teens

Willowdean Dixon introduces self as “cashier, Dolly Parton enthusiast, and resident fat girl.”  She doesn’t consider her weight and stature to be a nuisance as some might think. “I mean, if it were 1642, my wide birthing hips would be worth many cows or something.” But in Clover City, Texas, football stars and beauty pageant queens reign supreme. Despite this, Will (nicknamed ‘Dumplin’ by her former beauty queen mom) has never struggled to love herself and her body… until she meets Bo Larson aka “Peach Butt” whose attention and affection give Will a whole new sense of self-doubt.  This insecurity is amplified when her best friend, Ellen, makes new “twiggy” friends, who make no secret of what they think of Will, her weight, and her friendship with Ellen.  In order to regain her confidence, Will does the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant.  Motivated by Will’s bravery, some other unlikely candidates join the cause and gain help from a few unconventional sources.

This book focuses mainly on the theme of body image, but touches on relationships, family life, and grief.  Dumplin’, though adorable and hilarious, teaches about body positivity and self-love, not only for the ample-bodied, but for anyone who views themselves as an obstacle rather than an asset. Find it in the catalog.

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Being Different, Body Positivity, Family, Grief, Humour, Self Love

Good Omens

November 26, 2018 by Catherine Leave a Comment

Read the Book, Watch the Movie!
Book: Good Omens
Mini-series: Good Omens
Release Date: Early 2019

The world is ending and the demon and angel from the Garden of Eden aren’t happy about it. They have come to like the human race (and the accouterments they get to experience on earth themselves) so they decide that they will simply have to work together to prevent the antichrist from bringing it all to an end. The only problem is that the antichrist was accidentally switched at birth and currently growing up in an idyllic British country village with no idea at all about his vast and unimaginable power. Don’t worry, the distant descendant of the only truly correct prophetess, Agnes Nutter is also working to track down the antichrist before everything quite literally goes to hell. Pratchett and Gaiman, two masters of both fantasy and humor, teamed up to write one of the most beloved books of our time. Now it is being translated for the screen by Amazon Prime staring David Tennant as the demon, Crowley, and Michael Sheen as the angel, Aziraphale. If you are looking for a story that will make you laugh out loud while also reminding you that the human race is full of hope, this is a truly wonderful book. Look for the mini-series in early 2019 on Amazon Prime. Find it in the catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Book, Book to Movie, Fantasy, Humour

Ten dead comedians

September 11, 2018 by Kimberle's Korner Leave a Comment

Ten dead comedians by Fred Van Lente
Format: Book
Who it’s for:  Adults

“Fred Van Lente’s brilliant debut is both an homage to the Golden Age of Mystery and a contemporary show-business satire. It is a darkly clever take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) and other classics of the genre. As the story opens, nine comedians of various acclaim are summoned to the island retreat of legendary Hollywood funnyman Dustin Walker.  These fictional comedians all will remind you of real life comedians in many ways. All nine arrive via boat to find that every building on the island is completely deserted. Marooned without cell phone service or wifi signals, they soon find themselves being murdered one by one. But who is doing the killing, and why?” -Publisher’s blurb

I picked this up because of the publisher – Quirk books. They have many fun, different books for all ages.

If you have read or seen the movies based on And Then There Were None, you know it’s a locked room mystery with a crazy, unbelievable, twisty ending.  I love Agatha Christie mysteries but I always tell people she cheats. The murder is always rather complicated. The murderer is a very fast MacGyver with the best luck. The timing is always just right. The murderer always figures out some hack to accomplish their goals. And the murderer is lucky that nobody sees them, except 1 person. Of course, that one person is eventually murdered. That is a Christie style mystery. I enjoy them but they cheat.

This parody is no exception. The murders are elaborate and take MacGyver type skills to pull off.  The murderer times things VERY well as they move from room to room. The ending is so fantastical you know nobody in real life could pull it off. But the story is an enjoyable mystery. The fact it is funny and satirizes showbiz is an added bonus.

I would recommend this book to mystery lovers, parody enthusiasts, folks in need of a laugh and those interested in the life of a comedian.

Find it in the catalog

Filed Under: Recommended for Adults, Recommended for Teens Tagged With: Book, Humour, Murder, Mystery, Parody

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 48
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

On the Shelf Home

 

Welcome to On the Shelf! Find reviews and recommendations for books, movies, music, library resources, and more. All posts from the Kid’s Book Blog have been brought over to On the Shelf, so your old favorites are still here!

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

Recent Posts

  • Chunky
  • Light of the Jedi
  • The Guest List
  • The Passover Guest
  • The Silent Patient

Categories

Tags

Adventure African American Animals Audiobook Award Winner Bears Bedtime Being Different Birds Book Cats Classic Clothes Colors Dogs Emotions Family Fantasy Fiction Food Foreign Culture Friendship Go Green History Holidays Humour Interactive Jobs Libraries or Books Mice Monsters Music Mystery New Baby Nonfiction On the Farm Picture Book Rhyming Romance School Seasons Things That Go Tough Stuff True Stories Weather

Archives

St. Mary's County Library

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. (Lexington Park Library only)

 

Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library

St. Mary’s County Library Foundation

Locations

Charlotte Hall Library
37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall, MD
301-884-2211

Leonardtown Library
23630 Hayden Farm Ln., Leonardtown, MD
301-475-2846

Lexington Park Library
21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD
301-863-8188

Quick Links

  • My Account
  • Search the Catalog
  • eBooks and Audiobooks
  • Streaming Movies and Music
  • Search MD Libraries
  • Online Resources
  • Events
  • Meeting Rooms
  • Mobile Print Service
Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility
FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog