book review you can't joke about that

Server Busy

Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown in the image below.

Type the characters you see in this image:

Select your cookie preferences

We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie notice . We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements.

If you agree, we'll also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie notice . Your choice applies to using first-party and third-party advertising cookies on this service. Cookies store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. The 96 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Click "Decline" to reject, or "Customise" to make more detailed advertising choices, or learn more. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences , as described in the Cookie notice. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy notice .

• Film, Television & Music
• Actors & Entertainers

Buy new: £21.13

Amazon global store.

• International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
• Manufacturer warranty will not apply. Please review Amazon’s return policy, which usually offers free returns within 30 days of receipt.
• Learn more about Amazon Global Store.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

You Can't Joke about That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together Hardcover – 18 April 2023

Purchase options and add-ons.

What happens when we can't joke about some of the most important stuff in life?

In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public.

In You Can't Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We've created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we're all in this together. When someone says "you can't joke about that," what they really mean is "this is a subject that makes people sad or angry."

Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don't want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents.

This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Read it because you want to get to know her better. Read it because it's the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Read it because you want to laugh out loud... even at the kind of stuff we're afraid to say out loud. Just read it, and you'll be glad you did.

• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Broadside Books
• Publication date 18 April 2023
• Dimensions 15.24 x 2.26 x 22.86 cm
• ISBN-10 0063270420
• ISBN-13 978-0063270428
• See all details

Product description

Kat uses her acerbic wit to destroy the mythos that anything is comedically off-limits. She gives me hope for the future of satire and I'm honored to call her my friend. -- Ben Kissel, Last Podcast Network

My mom first introduced me to Kat Timpf, and this book shows why I'm so glad she did. Kat delivers biting, savage commentary with enough heart to make it hard to stay mad at her. By targeting everything she's not supposed to target and laughing at stuff that's supposed to be too dark, she shows us why it's important to respect all kinds of speech. -- Jerry Only, bassist for the Misfits

In You Can't Joke About That , Kat Timpf takes us on a personal journey into the power of comedy. With sometimes gross anecdotes and an impeccable use of semicolons, she reminds us that intent and forgiveness matter, free speech is an indispensable cultural value, and laughter is the best medicine for so much of what ails us. I learned a lot about Kat in this book and found myself agreeing throughout, which is genuinely extraordinary. I can't wait to recommend it to everyone. -- Justin Amash, former member of the US House of Representatives

A ruthlessly honest exploration of comedy and cancellation in our era of outrage. By courageously exposing her every foible, Kat, a free-speech absolutist, makes the case that no topic is off-limits. From ostomy bags to death, Kat catapults us through her most extraordinary decade and teaches us that when we give people the freedom to take risks and speak freely, we find connection with those around us. -- Dr. Drew, television host, addiction medicine specialist, and New York Times bestselling author of It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward

Kat Timpf lays herself hysterically bare in her first triumphant book. The best Kat is bare Kat, and this honest and beautifully written love letter to free speech makes me love her even more. -- Kennedy, Fox News cultural icon

About the Author

Kat Timpf is the co-host of Gutfeld! and a Fox News contributor. She's also worked at National Review and Barstool Sports, and was a stand-up comedian for long enough for this to be her third time quitting. You may recognize her from her more than 10 years of studying and writing about speech, or from being the worst waitress you've ever had. She lives in New York City with her husband Cam, their dog Carl, and her cat Cheens.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Broadside Books (18 April 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063270420
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063270428
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.26 x 22.86 cm
• 842 in Political Humour (Books)
• 10,978 in Theatre & Performance Artist Biographies
• 12,825 in Actors & Entertainers Biographies

About the author

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 68% 17% 9% 3% 3% 68%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 68% 17% 9% 3% 3% 17%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 68% 17% 9% 3% 3% 9%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 68% 17% 9% 3% 3% 3%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 68% 17% 9% 3% 3% 3%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

You Can't Joke About That

Why everything is funny, nothing is sacred, and we're all in this together.

• 4.1 • 102 Ratings

Publisher Description

What happens when we can’t joke about some of the most important stuff in life? In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public. In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says “you can’t joke about that,” what they really mean is “this is a subject that makes people sad or angry.” Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don't want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents.   This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Read it because you want to get to know her better. Read it because it’s the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Read it because you want to laugh out loud… even at the kind of stuff we’re afraid to say out loud. Just read it, and you’ll be glad you did.

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

You Can’t Joke About That is more than just a book about the politics of comedy—it’s a tribute to the healing power of humor. Author and frequent Fox News contributor Kat Timpf dives into her own life as a comedian, explaining how she’s turned the lowest points in her life, like being down and out in L.A. or working chaotic service jobs, into darn good jokes. Timpf uses her personal experiences (including a near-death experience that has left her living with a colostomy bag) to build a careful argument for why no topic should be off-limits for comics. She also mines the stories of comedians like Joan Rivers and Dave Chappelle being “canceled” for their off-color or potentially hurtful jokes, making a libertarian argument that the foremost question about the appropriateness of comedy should be whether or not the joke is funny.

Customer Reviews

Keep laughing.

Great job! Been in some of similar situations you helped make me smile about them! Love the book and you! Great insight into life!

Kat’s book, eh

I love Kat, but her writing style made this a start-stop read. Better luck next time.

You can’t joke about that

Cringy and not funny.

More Books Like This

More books by kat timpf, customers also bought.

Share This Title:

: Volume Number

You can't joke about that, why everything is funny, nothing is sacred, and we're all in this together.

On Sale: April 18, 2023

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio. Here is a link to download the audio instead.

Spend $49 on print products and get FREE shipping at HC.com

Digital Audio, MP3

What happens when we can’t joke about some of the most important stuff in life?

In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public.

In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says “you can’t joke about that,” what they really mean is “this is a subject that makes people sad or angry.”

Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don't want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents.  

This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Read it because you want to get to know her better. Read it because it’s the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Read it because you want to laugh out loud… even at the kind of stuff we’re afraid to say out loud. Just read it, and you’ll be glad you did.

a.type == 'pdf' || (a.type == 'link-url' && a.subtype == 'custom-link'))">Resources

• Apple Books
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Google Play

Product Details

accessibility

• Audiobooks.com
• Audiobooks Now
• Book Passage
• Book People
• Books & Books
• Brookline Booksmith
• Changing Hands
• Harvard Book Store
• Hudson Bookseller
• Hudson Booksellers
• Porter Square Books
• Schuler Books & Music
• Tattered Cover Book Store

How our ebooks work

Ebooks purchased here are fulfilled by our partner, glose..

Please note that:

• For all ebook purchases, you will be prompted to create an account or login with your existing HarperCollins username and password. This ensures accurate delivery of your items.
• To access you ebook(s) after purchasing, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly on your browser by logging into Glose.com . To log in, select OTHER SIGN IN/LOGIN OPTIONS and then click SIGN IN/LOG IN WITH HARPERCOLLINS, using the same email address and password used for your HarperCollins.com account.
• Ebooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook).
• For more information about ebooks purchased on HarperCollins.com, click here for our FAQs .

UPCOMING EVENTS

Recommended for you.

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

YOU CAN'T JOKE ABOUT THAT

Why everything is funny, nothing is sacred, and we're all in this together.

by Kat Timpf ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2023

Those in the choir will enjoy the preaching; others may still find a few notes that resonate.

A libertarian TV personality defends comedy against a wide array of charges.

“When someone says ‘You can't joke about that,’ what they really mean is ‘this is a subject that makes people sad or angry,’ ” writes Timpf at the beginning. In the "sad" category are the deaths of close relatives and pets. In the "angry" column are racism, sexism, transphobia, body positivity, and the like. "Candor and comedy really do connect us as humans," writes the author. It’s a good point, but it’s difficult to ignore the politicized backdrop of the author's commentary, featuring repeated references to her essays for the National Review and position with Fox News. Some of Timpf’s arguments are marred by logical fallacies. For example, a woman asked her how her mother felt about her grandmother's death. Sadly, Timpf's mother had also recently died, and she felt awkward saying so. If you don't understand why, she recommends, “the next time you’re at a party, just try breaking a small-talk silence with the question ‘So, who here do you think is gonna die first?’ ” The other person will likely "get weird," as she claims, but this does not prove the point that there is a widely enforced social stricture against talking about death. Elsewhere, the author makes solid, well-researched points in defense of freedom of speech. For example, in an amply documented chapter about the removal of problematic past episodes of TV shows from streaming services, she writes, "Although some people may see erasing what’s become unacceptable as a sign of progress, signs of progress are exactly what you are erasing." Timpf recounts plenty of dust-ups and scandals involving comedians including Chris Rock, Norm MacDonald, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and more. "Comedy is my religion," she writes, but the relentless politicization of comedy makes this a less powerful call for unity than it might be.

Pub Date: April 18, 2023

ISBN: 9780063270428

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Broadside Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 18, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & CELEBRITY | POLITICS | ISSUES & CONTROVERSIES | GENERAL CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

Share your opinion of this book

by Elie Wiesel & translated by Marion Wiesel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2006

The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the...

Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children. 

He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions. 

Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2006

ISBN: 0374500010

Page Count: 120

Publisher: Hill & Wang

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | HOLOCAUST | HISTORY | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | GENERAL HISTORY

More by Elie Wiesel

BOOK REVIEW

by Elie Wiesel ; edited by Alan Rosen

by Elie Wiesel ; illustrated by Mark Podwal

by Elie Wiesel ; translated by Marion Wiesel

THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES

by Amy Tan ; illustrated by Amy Tan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2024

An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.

A charming bird journey with the bestselling author.

In his introduction to Tan’s “nature journal,” David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, nails the spirit of this book: a “collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words.” For years, Tan has looked out on her California backyard “paradise”—oaks, periwinkle vines, birch, Japanese maple, fuchsia shrubs—observing more than 60 species of birds, and she fashions her findings into delightful and approachable journal excerpts, accompanied by her gorgeous color sketches. As the entries—“a record of my life”—move along, the author becomes more adept at identifying and capturing them with words and pencils. Her first entry is September 16, 2017: Shortly after putting up hummingbird feeders, one of the tiny, delicate creatures landed on her hand and fed. “We have a relationship,” she writes. “I am in love.” By August 2018, her backyard “has become a menagerie of fledglings…all learning to fly.” Day by day, she has continued to learn more about the birds, their activities, and how she should relate to them; she also admits mistakes when they occur. In December 2018, she was excited to observe a Townsend’s Warbler—“ Omigod! It’s looking at me. Displeased expression .” Battling pesky squirrels, Tan deployed Hot Pepper Suet to keep them away, and she deterred crows by hanging a fake one upside down. The author also declared war on outdoor cats when she learned they kill more than 1 billion birds per year. In May 2019, she notes that she spends $250 per month on beetle larvae. In June 2019, she confesses “spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing. How can I not?” Her last entry, on December 15, 2022, celebrates when an eating bird pauses, “looks and acknowledges I am there.”

Pub Date: April 23, 2024

ISBN: 9780593536131

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024

GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | NATURE | GENERAL NONFICTION

More by Amy Tan

More About This Book

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

ISBN: 0063270420

ISBN13: 9780063270428

You Can't Joke about That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together

Select Format

Select condition, recommended.

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Like New

Book Overview

What happens when we can't joke about some of the most important stuff in life?

In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public.

In You Can't Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We've created all... Read Full Overview

Related Subjects

Customer Reviews

You can't joke about, words don't suffice, popular categories.

• Teen and Young Adult
• Literature & Fiction
• Mystery & Thriller
• Sci-fi & Fantasy
• Large Print Books
• Rare & Collectible Books
• ShareBookLove
• Educator Benefits
• Librarian Benefits
• e-Gift Cards
• View Mobile Site
• Shopping Cart
• Order History

Partnerships

• Library Program
• Help & Support
• Shipping Costs
• Return Policy
• Website Suggestions
• Our Purpose
• Social Responsibility
• Testimonials

Sun 18 Aug 2024

2024 newspaper of the year

@ Contact us

Your newsletters

Liz Truss finally learns you can’t be in on the joke when you are the joke

The best way of defusing embarrassment is self-deprecation - a tactic utterly alien to her.

Recall for a moment your worst-ever professional failure. Remember the creeping dread as you realised what you’d done, the looks on the faces of your colleagues, the inescapable knowledge there was nobody else to blame. I’m sure it felt horrendous. And given embarrassment is an emotion whose power does not fade with time, I apologise for bringing it all back. But there is some comfort in the likelihood no one else has even thought about it in years. They’re certainly not going around reminding everyone, the minute you set foot in public.

With all that in mind, then, imagine how it must feel to be Liz Truss . At an event on Tuesday night, she was interrupted by laughter, and turned to find, behind her, a banner featuring a familiar salad vegetable with googly eyes , and the caption “I crashed the economy”. The lettuce, of course, was made famous by the Daily Star , which predicted – correctly – it would outlast the Truss premiership, and set up a livestream so you could watch it rot. The banner was the work of campaigners Led By Donkeys.

The ex-PM was not amused , storming off the stage muttering, “that’s not funny.” Citation, I fear, needed, but you can understand her irritation. Truss’s premiership was a small part of a long political career – it lasted two months, two years ago. All she wants is to explain her plan to Save the West . The West, alas, won’t let her.

It’s hard to have too much sympathy for Truss’s embarrassment, given what she did to the economy. It’s also, frankly, unnecessary since she resolutely refuses to feel any such thing. A list of those she’s blamed for her failure – the OBR , OECD , “global left” , “anti-growth coalition” et al. – would fill my wordcount and beyond. It would not include herself.

Even if she hasn’t noticed, though, Truss’s post-Downing Street career has piled humiliation on humiliation, in a manner that would have a weaker, more self-aware politician leaving the stage, deleting their social media and possibly changing their name.

The news that Anthony Seldon, who’s written a book on every PM since Blair, felt Truss unworthy of her own volume, and would instead be offering a single chapter in the Sunak one. The widespread sniggering at her appearance at a conference for “Popular Conservatism”. The interview in which the BBC’s Chris Mason, hardly a rottweiler, put it to an obviously baffled Truss that, “Your time as prime minister left the UK as an international laughing stock.” Her success in persuading the voters of rural South West Norfolk to back Labour for the first time since 1959. It’s all gone terribly well.

Farewell, Liz Truss, you won't be missed

Truss could easily, if she so wished, sink into obscurity: just this month, a presenter interviewed a businessman attending Goodwood live on ITV without apparently noticing that the woman besides him had once been prime minister.

Truss, though, does not want obscurity. She wants to be a transatlantic thought leader, and spent much of the spring promoting her book Ten Years to Save the West, to the delight of a Conservative Party that was hoping we had forgotten she existed. Much fun was had with the fact she was outsold by an air fryer cookbook , but the depressing truth is most books are (apparently in the week Ten Years was published, the non-fiction top 20 included six air fryer cookbooks).

It was telling, though, that the book was published by Biteback – a fine purveyor of specialist political works, to be sure, but a choice that raised questions about why it went to none of the big commercial publishing houses. The book failed to make a splash: at the giant CPAC conference in Washington, Truss addressed a half-empty hall . The West remains sadly unsaved.

The most awkward thing about this latest stunt is her utter refusal to see the funny side. The best way of defusing embarrassment is self-deprecation – but such a tactic is utterly alien to the former Prime Minister. In a tweet on Wednesday, she reasserted her claim that, “What happened last night was not funny”, and described Led By Donkeys, the very embodiment of extremely online centrist dad-dom, as “far left activists”, who “disrupted the event… to intimidate people and suppress free speech”. Who exactly was intimidated by the picture of the lettuce, and why it did not also count as free speech, remained strangely undiscussed. Whether this self-importances comes from a misplaced belief there is still a way back, or a simple lack of self-awareness, is not entirely clear.

But there is no way Liz Truss is back. She’s done. And you can’t be in on the joke when you are the joke.

Most Read By Subscribers

11 New Summer Books You Can Still Add to Your Reading List

We've got your next beach read right here.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

There’s something truly special about summer reading. Whether you call them "beach reads," "summer flings" or simply "great books of the season," the best books of summer 2024 will transport you to a sunny getaway, no matter the weather.

No matter your summer reading style, you're sure to find something to love on this list. Grab a stack of these books to take with you wherever the sun leads you before Labor Day — and when you’re finished, dive into the Good Housekeeping Book Club for even more feel-good reads.

'Plays Well With Others' by Sophie Brickman

“Mother Inferior” Anne Lewin is a sassy New York City-based advice columnist who gets completely swept up in the madness of the elite kindergarten admissions process. With three kids under 5, a workaholic husband, and a cunning archrival, her life turns into chaos — but it’s pure comedic gold for readers.

'Sandwich' by Catherine Newman

Rocky's annual summer week in Cape Cod takes on an unusual poignancy — not just because of menopause, but also due to the deep emotions she feels for her aging parents, adult children, sweet husband, her cat Chicken and a few long-held, sorrowful secrets. Books with this kind of warmth and humor are truly rare.

'There Are Rivers in the Sky' by Elif Shafak

Braiding together the stories of three narrators across millennia and continents, and tracing the journey of a single drop of water, this powerhouse author has crafted a rapturous feat of storytelling. From the ancient shores of the Tigris River to a houseboat on the Thames in 2018, an immersive adventure awaits you.

'House of Glass' by Sarah Pekkanen

Did that little girl push her nanny out the window? As the lawyer assigned to the case, Stella quickly realizes there are plenty of other suspects, including the heiress mother, the landscaper father, the live-in grandmother and the nanny’s boyfriend. On the other hand, little Rose is pretty darn creepy. If you love trying to predict twists, this is the thrill ride for you.

RELATED: The Best Thrillers and Crime Books

'The Summer Pact' by Emily Giffin

A trio of college friends are devastated when the fourth member of their group, a star athlete, commits suicide. Now in their early 30s, with their own lives in flux, the three fall back on the pact they made years ago to stick together. Reuniting for a blissful getaway in Capri, they discover that life still has major surprises in store.

'Long Island Compromise' by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Good Housekeeping 's July book club pick, Long Island Compromise centers on the kidnapping of a wealthy factory owner and the decades of family trauma that follow his return. But if anything has ever proven that laughter is the best medicine, it’s this book. The saga of the Fletchers in their ritzy Long Island suburb delivers brilliant psychological insight and spot-on cultural context along with dialogue so funny, it hurts.

'The Queen City Detective Agency' by Snowden Wright

Black ex-cop Clementine Baldwin and her white partner, Dixon Hicks, are the Nick and Nora of Meridian, MS. Hired by the mother of a recently deceased prison inmate to prove his death was no accident, they follow a trail that leads straight to the heart of the Dixie Mafia — complete with plenty of wit and bourbon along the way.

'The Same Bright Stars' by Ethan Joella

Head down to the Delaware shore with Jack Schmidt, the 52-year-old owner of a family restaurant he’s worked at since boyhood. A corporate chain wants to buy him out, and Jack, who feels "old" at 52, is tempted. The unlikely temptress is Nicole, the chain’s loud but intriguing representative who won’t take no for an answer. But what about the loyal Schmidt’s crew, whose livelihoods depend on Jack? When an ex reappears with shocking news, this endearing man realizes that his life is changing, whether he likes it or not.

'Slow Dance' by Rainbow Rowell

Shiloh and Cary are low on money, long on baggage and high on each other — the relationship they put on hold 14 years ago is reignited at the wedding of a mutual friend. The tension builds through atmospheric flashbacks to their 1990s high school days and Rowell’s signature saucy banter.

'The Next Mrs. Parrish' by Liv Constantine

In this sequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish , Constantine’s magnificent evil creation, Amber, is back. The husband she stole in the last book is finishing up his prison sentence, but she’s dreading his return — especially since she blew through all his money while he was locked up. Her plan to leave their baby with the nanny and disappear is foiled, and now the women whose lives she’s ruined are coming for her. Good luck, ladies!

'And So I Roar' by Abi Daré

The 14-year-old “girl with the louding voice,” whom we met in this young Nigerian author’s debut book , is back. Adunni’s rescuer and mentor, Tia, has helped her win a scholarship to a school in Lagos, but the backward, patriarchal ways of the village are not through with her yet — and their terrifying representatives are literally at the gate.

Lizz (she/her) is a senior editor at Good Housekeeping , where she runs the GH Book Club, edits essays and long-form features and writes about pets, books and lifestyle topics. A journalist for almost two decades, she is the author of Biography of a Body and Buffalo Steel. She also teaches journalism as an adjunct professor at New York University's School of Professional Studies and creative nonfiction at the Muse Writing Center, and coaches with the New York Writing Room. 

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} All the Best Books to Read Next

A Full List of Our GH Book Club Picks

The Most Inspirational Books to Read Now

How to Start a Book Club, According to an Author

Tamron Hall Has Major Career News to Share

There's a New 'Hunger Games' Book in the Works

How to Get Free Books from Barnes & Noble

Laura Jarrett on Her Kids' Book With Poppy Harlow

Craig Melvin Discusses His New Book for Kids

Luis A. Miranda Jr. on Family and His Latino Roots

'Today' Star Al Roker Talks Work-Life Balance

Essential LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride

Raygun becomes viral sensation during breaking performance at 2024 Paris Olympics: Social media reacts

Breaking , more commonly known as breakdancing, made its debut as an Olympic sport this week at the 2024 Paris Games , with 17 B-girls and 16 B-boys making their way to France with the hopes of securing a gold medal.

On the first day of competition, viewers from across the world were treated to a different kind of introduction — not to the sport itself, but one of its athletes.

Though she was a long way from winning a gold medal, likely no breaker Friday captured the imagination of the international audience more than Rachael Gunn, an Australian breaker who competes under the name “Raygun.”

REQUIRED READING: Follow USA TODAY's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics

Raygun went 0-3 in her head-to-head competitions Friday — falling to Logistx of the United States, Syssy of France and eventual silver medalist Nicka of Lithuania by a combined score of 54-0 — and failed to record a point across those three matches, but for what she lacked in smoothly executed moves, she made up for in the hearts she won over with her demeanor.

Raygun’s short-lived Olympic experience made her a celebrity, one who people became even more enamored with once they learned more about her.

The 36-year-old Gunn, who was one of the oldest qualifiers in the breaking competition, has a PhD in cultural studies and is a college professor at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her research focuses primarily on breaking, street dance and hip-hop culture while her work draws on “cultural theory, dance studies, popular music studies, media, and ethnography.”

“In 2023, many of my students didn’t believe me when I told them I was training to qualify for the Olympics, and were shocked when they checked Google and saw that I qualified,” Gunn said to CNBC earlier this month .

Unlike much of her competition in Paris, Gunn took up break dancing later in life. She didn’t enter her first battle until 2012.

On Friday, a person who began the day as a little-known academic ended it as a viral worldwide sensation.

Here’s a sampling of the reaction to Raygun and her performance:

2024 PARIS OLYMPICS: Meet the members of Team USA competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Social media reacts to Raygun’s breaking performance at 2024 Paris Olympics

I could live all my life and never come up with anything as funny as Raygun, the 36-year-old Australian Olympic breakdancer pic.twitter.com/1uPYBxIlh8 — mariah (@mariahkreutter) August 9, 2024

Give Raygun the gold right now #breakdancing pic.twitter.com/bMtAWEh3xo — n★ (@nichstarr) August 9, 2024

my five year old niece after she says “watch this!” : pic.twitter.com/KBAMSkgltj — alex (@alex_abads) August 9, 2024

I'd like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think "huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too" pic.twitter.com/p5QlUbkL2w — Bradford Pearson (@BradfordPearson) August 9, 2024

The Aussie B-Girl Raygun dressed as a school PE teach complete with cap while everyone else is dressed in funky breaking outfits has sent me. It looks like she’s giving her detention for inappropriate dress at school 🤣 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/lWVU3myu6C — Georgie Heath🎙️ (@GeorgieHeath27) August 9, 2024

There has not been an Olympic performance this dominant since Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint at Beijing in 2008. Honestly, the moment Raygun broke out her Kangaroo move this competition was over! Give her the #breakdancing gold 🥇 pic.twitter.com/6q8qAft1BX — Trapper Haskins (@TrapperHaskins) August 9, 2024

my dog on the lawn 30 seconds after i've finished bathing him pic.twitter.com/A5aqxIbV3H — David Mack (@davidmackau) August 9, 2024

My wife at 3AM: I think I heard one of the kids Me: No way, they are asleep *looks at baby monitor* pic.twitter.com/Ubhi6kY4w4 — Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) August 9, 2024

me tryna get the duvet off when i’m too hot at night #olympics pic.twitter.com/NM4Fb2MEmX — robyn (@robynjournalist) August 9, 2024

Raygun really hit them with the "Tyrannosaurus." pic.twitter.com/ZGCMjhzth9 — Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) August 9, 2024

Raygun (AUS) https://t.co/w2lxLRaW2x — Peter Nygaard (@RetepAdam) August 9, 2024

Advertisement

Supported by

A Man Goes to See His Daughter’s Play. Turns Out It’s About Him.

In Jo Hamya’s second novel, “The Hypocrite,” a 20-something playwright puts her absent, aging writer dad on blast.

• Share full article

By Joumana Khatib

Joumana Khatib is an editor at the Book Review.

• Apple Books
• Barnes and Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Bookshop.org

When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

THE HYPOCRITE , by Jo Hamya

Even bad, absent daddies can set aside ego to appreciate the trappings of a classic. In “The Hypocrite,” Jo Hamya’s sharp and agile new novel, an unnamed, aging writer admits the brilliance of a nearly 10-minute sex scene to open his daughter’s latest play. It’s a shame the actor thrusting onstage is a venereal, self-regarding avatar of the writer himself, otherwise he’d tell his daughter how clever she was.

We are in London, in the summer of 2020. The city is cautiously stirring to life after months of lockdown. The play has been warmly received by critics, and its 20-something playwright, Sophia, is unquestionably talented. Also: wounded, blinkered, petulant.

Her father is a middle-aged novelist of moderate renown who is said to “offend people for a living,” and whose views aren’t quite prehistoric but are premodern enough that I’d prefer not to hear his feelings about women breastfeeding in public. At a glance, he resembles Martin Amis during a low moment. He saw Sophia only intermittently during her childhood, hasn’t published a book in years, hasn’t navigated the shifting cultural tides terribly well. Settling into his seat at the theater, he had no idea what he was in for.

Their longest stretch of time together, a Sicilian vacation a decade earlier in which Sophia took dictation for his novel-in-progress, is the play’s subject. Her memory is ferociously loyal, but unsparing: She nails precise details of the dill-scented kitchen where they worked, his cherished purple shirt, the sexual encounters he thought he’d kept secret. Within moments, the humiliation sets in — he is reduced to a version of himself that had sex “like a pig and wrote like a dictator,” as the audience howls with laughter.

Still, there are crumbs of mercy. Thank God Sophia hasn’t cast someone who can replicate the sputtering of his orgasms.

And thankfully, nobody in this appropriately claustrophobic story emerges the clear hero. No one is that doomed L-word, likable. Hamya bats our sympathies between characters: Sophia, the neglected child who craves both her father’s approval and his artistic toppling; her father, who seems baffled by how quickly he’s encountered irrelevance; and Sophia’s mother, who is justifiably fed up after loving two self-engrossed yet profoundly un-self-aware writers.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

All The Biggest Moments From the 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony

Including an acrobatic show and performances by Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and more

Ahead, catch the biggest moments from the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony.

Yseult closes out the ceremony by singing “My Way.”

The broadcast shifted back to the Stade de France for the closing ceremony’s final segment: an enchanting version of “My Way” belted out by Yseult. Dressed in Dior, the French singer wore a black belted jacket with a matching column skirt. She accessorized with a chic hat, black leather gloves, and sparkling heart-shaped earrings.

As the final notes rang out, fireworks exploded over the stadium, ensuring that the Paris Olympics went out with a bang.

Snoop Dogg brings out Dr. Dre.

Snoop Dogg—a fixture at this year’s Games—brought his Long Beach style to the stage as he rapped “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Performing next to a couple of sand sculptures, he brought out longtime collaborator Dr. Dre for their 1999 anthem “The Next Episode.”

Billie Eilish performs “Birds of a Feather.”

Keeping her performance short and sweet, Eilish appeared on another beachy stage to sing her recent single “Birds of a Feather.” She wore her usual baggy uniform, although this time, she was outfitted by Ralph Lauren—just like Team USA.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off the Los Angeles performances.

After the Olympic flag was delivered to Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers represented their hometown with a rendition of their hit “Can’t Stop.”

Tom Cruise pulls off some Mission: Impossible –style stunts.

Tom Cruise delivered the Olympic flag to Los Angeles in a very Tom Cruise way. After rappelling off the roof of the Stade de France, the actor hopped on a motorcycle and drove the flag out of the stadium.

A pretaped segment then showed Cruise on a Mission: Impossible –style journey. He parachuted into Los Angeles, grabbing a tool kit to affix colorful fabrics to the Hollywood sign. After he finished, the final two O ’s in the iconic landmark (plus three extras) replicated the Olympic rings.

H.E.R. performs the U.S. national anthem.

After the Olympic flag was passed from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass—signifying the handoff of the Games from the French to the American city—Grammy-winning R&B singer H.E.R. took the stage to sing the U.S. national anthem.

She wore a strapless all-white look, matching her custom guitar. After belting out the final notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” she paused and began strumming the Mission: Impossible theme song as Cruise descended from the roof of the stadium.

Phoenix performs alongside surprise guests.

After the dancers had been cleared off the futuristic stage, French indie band Phoenix performed its hit “Lisztomania” surrounded by athletes. DJ Kavinsky and Belgian singer Angèle then joined the band to play “Nightcall,” before launching into “If I Ever Feel Better,” featuring a verse from Cambodian rapper VannDa.

Fellow French rockers Air then showed up to play “Playground Love.” The surprise guests continued with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig hopping onstage to sing “Tonight,” his duet with the Phoenix. Phoenix closed out its set with “1901,” which saw frontman Thomas Mars jump into the crowd of moshing Olympians.

Hundreds of acrobats take the stage.

Hundreds of acrobats and dancers flooded the stage in France, joining the Golden Voyager’s interpretive dance. Some descended upon the stadium from the sky, while others climbed onto the stage.

They then began climbing on five rings situated around the stage, inching them closer and closer together while they danced. As they performed flips and elaborate dance moves, the rings were raised into the air to symbolize the rebirth of the Games.

A piano then emerged from underneath the set, dangling vertically as Alain Roche played the instrument suspended in midair. French singer Benjamin Bernheim joined the acrobats on the rings for a powerful rendition of “Hymn to Apollo.”

The Golden Voyager rappels into the stadium.

An acrobatic performance showcased the Golden Voyager, a character dressed in a stunning golden costume with alienlike antennas. He rappelled from the top of the stadium before doing an interpretive dance while surrounded by smoke.

Shortly after, he was joined by some of the characters from the opening ceremony, including one bringing up the Greek flag. The national anthem of Greece—where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896—played as the performers honored the Games.

A light-and-smoke show transported the audience to another universe in which the Olympics did not exist—until the Golden Voyager brought them back with his performance. A statue depicting Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, joined him onstage.

Marathon runners receive their medals.

For the first time, the women’s marathon event concluded the Olympics. Marathon runners Sifan Hassan (of the Netherlands), Tigst Assefa (Ethiopa), and Hellen Obiri (Kenya) took center stage to get their medals. Hassan took home the gold while wearing a hijab—despite the fact that France does not allow the athletes to wear the headscarf—as Assefa won silver and Obiri took bronze.

Athletes dance along to “We Are the Champions.”

As the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” played, pairs of athletes began to file into the Olympic stadium while carrying their respective countries’ flags. Swimmer Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead carried the flag for the United States.

Other competing athletes followed—decked out with all their medals—singing and dancing along to Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Team USA looked especially excited.

French singer Zaho de Sagazan begins the closing ceremony.

The closing ceremony kicked off with French singer Zaho de Sagazan performing the famous French song “Sous le Ciel de Paris” in the Jardin des Tuileries, next to the Olympic cauldron.

As she sang, French swimmer Léon Marchand walked around the Olympic cauldron and picked up the Olympic flame, which was set to be put out after the closing ceremony.

Maya Ernest is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to features that investigate personal style, social media trends, and thoughtful consumption. 

2024 Paris Olympics & Paralympics

The Best Memes From the 2024 Paris Olympics

USA Gymnastics Fights for Jordan Chiles’s Medal

Billie Eilish Performs at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Princess Kate Makes Appearance in Olympics Video

The Most Romantic Moments From the Paris Games

Brittney Griner Wins Her Third Olympic Medal

All the Major Moments From the 2024 Olympics

All the Celebrities at the Paris 2024 Olympics

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Wins Olympic Gold Medal

How to Watch the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony

Surprising Breakout Stars From the 2024 Olympics