Akron Public Library

In 1995, Iowa native Bill Bryson took a motoring trip around Britain to explore that green and pleasant land. The uproarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, is one of the most acute portrayals of the United Kingdom ever written. Two decades later, Bryson-now a British citizen-set out again to rediscover his adopted country. In these pages, he follows a straight line through the island-from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath-and shows us every...

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.She has seen both these dreams come true.At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from...

When Mrs. Rogers leaves Amelia Bedelia alone in the house on her first day of work, she follows the directions left for her very carefully, but ends up with most unusual results.

Ephron returns with her first book since the astounding success of "I Feel Bad About My Neck," taking a cold, hard, hilarious look at the past, the present, and the future, bemoaning the vicissitudes of modern life, and recalling with her signature clarity and wisdom everything she hasn't (yet) forgotten. A humorous collection of personal essays discusses the author's career in journalism, divorce, a long-anticipated inheritance with unanticipated...

Christopher Robin had a friend named Edward Bear. One day Edward Bear said he would like an exciting name all to himself. Without stopping to think about it, Christopher Robin said that he was Winnie-the-Pooh. To follow are stories of wonderful times with characters who live in the same woods.

"Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Earnest, while Algernon has also posed as Earnest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend--the "rivals" to fight for Earnest's undivided attention and the "Earnests" to claim their beloveds--pandemonium breaks loose"--P. [4] of cover.

Collecting material from half a century in comedy, a chronologically arranged selection of favorite skits and memories by the iconic funny-man includes selections from his original "Catch a Rising Star" performance. "Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub "Catch a Rising Star" as a twenty-one-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything. "Whenever I came up with...

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, bestselling author, and failed Wheel of Fortune contestant Dave Barry has questions-lots of them-and sets out to find the answers. If you've ever wondered things such as, "Just how does Oprah have the power to turn a 1957 Hotpoint toaster manual into a #1 bestseller?" or "What makes people want to eat animals they would never consider petting?" then this book is for you. Barry fans will appreciate this best-of collection...

"Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author of Dave Barry Turns 40 now shows how to age gracefully, taking cues from his beloved and highly intelligent dog, Lucy. Faced with the obstacles and challenges of life after middle age, Dave Barry turns to his best dog, Lucy, to learn how to live his best life. From "Make New Friends" (an unfortunate fail when he can't overcome his dislike for mankind) to "Don't Stop Having Fun" (validating...

The American humorist, author, and radio contributor shares his most memorable work in a collection of stories and essays that feature him shopping for rare taxidermy, hitchhiking with a quadriplegic, and hand-feeding a carnivorous bird.