An energetic, readable reminder that life is about much more than work and money.
Hilton and Huff present an anecdotal approach to increasing the real value of your life.
The authors commence their debut nonfiction collaboration with some of the stark questions every reader has likely asked at one point or another: “When was the last time you had a once-in-a-lifetime experience? What about just a memorable one? What about something you did for the first time? Was it months ago? Years?” Hilton and Huff provide context for these questions by pointing out that most people have experienced life-long conditioning on the subject of wealth, taught that a large reserve of currency is the bedrock of happiness. The authors seek to overturn this view, urging their readers to imagine their experiences are treasures and to take a “treasure map” approach to life, interrogating each decision with questions like “Does it make you grow?” or “Does it bring you joy?” rather than “Does it make you money?” Hilton and Huff flesh out their precepts with an array of stories relating their own experiences, such as Huff, who was expelled from high school and sank into drug addiction until he sorted out what was truly valuable in his life (“Instead of making excuses, I made plans and set goals”). The text employs clear, approachable prose filled with optimism and enthusiasm. In a series of fast-paced chapters, the authors offer dozens of strategies for increasing the nonmonetary value of every moment (including detoxing from digital overuse). But Hilton and Huff are quick to emphasize the practical right alongside the philosophical—the goal isn’t just to live like you’ll die tomorrow; it’s also about building for a better future. Readers feeling stuck in their routines will embrace this breath of fresh air.
An energetic, readable reminder that life is about much more than work and money.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9798988837411
Page Count: 316
Publisher: Someday Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An endearing underdog story that will have readers cheering for the author from a troubled beginning to a sweet, happy end.
The comedian and actor wasn’t kidding around when he titled his memoir.
Scheer, best known for his work on The League, Black Monday, and Veep, begins with some harrowing tales of abuse from his stepfather that he balances by recognizing how they helped make him the successful father, husband, and entertainer he is today. “All the chaos and abuse were so normalized that only in the retelling do I realize just how abnormal they were,” he writes, adding that there were moments when he felt victorious, “like the time I outran a pitchfork he threw at my back.” It’s these triumphs, cut with his self-deprecating humor, that makes Scheer’s memoir so charming and uplifting, despite the often difficult subject matter of his childhood on Long Island. Given his storytelling experience as an actor and a podcaster on How Did This Get Made?—which he co-hosts with his wife, June Diane Raphael, and fellow League actor Jason Mantzoukas—the author manages to make it all entertaining. Even his story about learning that he was lactose intolerant after a serious health scare at Disney World becomes hilarious in retrospect. Scheer also writes about his love of improv, especially with the Upright Citizens Brigade; the auditioning process; and his enjoyment of movies and working at Blockbuster Video. However, the author treats his higher-profile jobs, like his regular gig on VH1’s Best Week Ever, as asides to his life with his wife and family. It’s part of the serious point Scheer wants to make, despite the humor. He chronicles his journey through abuse and into the life he dreamed of to show how he did it: through therapy, self-acceptance, and prioritizing his family.
An endearing underdog story that will have readers cheering for the author from a troubled beginning to a sweet, happy end.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9780063293717
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperOne
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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