Penguins with People Problems: Review Haiku

You're going to wish
you'd gotten this in your stocking.
(Commence guffaws.)

Penguins with People Problems by Mary Laura Philpott. Penguin, 2015, 112 pages.

Irrationally Yours: Review Haiku

Perfect stocking stuffer/
Secret Santa gift for
your acquaintances.

Irrationally Yours by Dan Ariely. Harper, 2015, 240 pages.

Qwikpick Papers: Review Haiku

Ridonkulous fun

from three low-income kids with
imagination.

The Qwikpick Papers: Poop Fountain!
The Qwikpick Papers: The Rat with the Human Face
by Tom Angleberger. Amulet, 2015, 144 pages; 160 pages.

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances: Review Haiku

I swear I'll get back
to running again this year.
BELIEVE IN THE BLERCH.

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by The Oatmeal. Andrews McMeel, 2014, 148 pages.

What If? Review Haiku

The perfect gift for
your favorite nerd. Plus,
the robot apocalypse.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. HMH, 2014, 320 pages.

Comics Squad: Recess: Review Haiku

All my (and my kids')
favorites in one handy volume?
Yes please. More please.

Comics Squad: Recess! edited by Jennifer L. Holm et al. Random House, 2014, 144 pages.

Wild Things: Review Haiku

Worth it for the
James Marshall shoe story alone.
Read it and weep, folks.

Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson, and Peter Sieruta. Candlewick, 2014, 288 pages.

Top Secret Twenty-One: Review Haiku

Same old same old, but
I appreciate Steph's
tolerance of weirdos.

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich. Bantam, 2014, 352 pages.

Notes to Boys: Review Haiku

Cringeworthy declarations
of endless love -- too much
of a muchness.

Notes to Boys: And Other Things I Shouldn't Share in Public by Pamela Ribon. Rare Bird Books, 2014, 264 pages.

Best American Comics 2013: Review Haiku

Sign I'm more GN-literate:
I've read loads of
these picks already.

The Best American Comics 2013, edited by Jeff Smith. HMH, 2013, 400 pages.

Takedown Twenty: Review Haiku

Nothing really
happened in this one, right?
The giraffe was a nice touch.

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich. Bantam, 2013, 320 pages.

Hyperbole and a Half: Review Haiku

Buy it for the simple dog;
keep it for the honesty.
And the CAAAAAAAAAKE.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh. Touchstone, 2013, 384 pages.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: Review Haiku

Don't we all want to
run away from prep-school moms
and our own failures?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Little Brown, 2012, 326 pages.

The Potty Mouth at the Table: Review Haiku

If you can't say
anything nice, come sit next to
Laurie Notaro.

The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro. Gallery Books, 2013, 320 pages.

Gulp: Review Haiku

Spit to poop and
everything in between. (Go ahead --
make a fart joke.)

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach. Norton, 2012, 352 pages.

Amazing Greek Myths . . . and Where Do Presidents Come From: Review Haiku

Solid choices for
the visually-inclined
scholars in your house.

Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders (2010) and Where Do Presidents Come From? And Other Presidential Stuff of Super-Great Importance (2012)
by Mike Townsend. Dial, 160 pages.

The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days: Review Haiku

Not as funny as
I'd hoped, alas -- although the
jean-patch bit was great.

The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days by Ian Frazier. Macmillan, 2012, 256 pages.

Notorious Nineteen: Review Haiku

That's more like it, Stephanie --
less slapstick absurdity,
more donuts.

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich. Bantam, 2012, 320 pages.

Friendkeeping: Review Haiku

A bit precious, but
meaningful to those of us
of a certain age.

Friendkeeping: A Field Guide to the People You Love, Hate, and Can't Live Without by Julie Klam. Riverhead, 2012, 240 pages.

How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You: Review Haiku

The short answer? Yes.
The long answer? Also yes,
with handy pictures.

How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman. Andrews McMeel, 2012, 136 pages.