audiobook: 

Learn how to write and give a flawlessly funny speech for any occasion with Emmy-winning comedy writers Carol Leifer and Rick Mitchell. With a foreword by Carol Burnett.

Giving a speech about someone is hard. Giving a funny speech that people are actually going to pay attention to is even harder. In How to Write a Funny Speech for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Graduation & Every Other Event You Didn’t Want to Go to in the First Place, Leifer and Mitchell will teach you how to write the perfect speech so you can look awesome, make some people laugh, and get it over with.

Quick and easy to use, this book is broken into short chapters full of priceless tips and advice. Leifer and Mitchell will walk you through how to:

• Properly write, phrase, and deliver your speech so you not only flatter your subject but also keep the rest of the audience interested (and maybe you’ll even get a standing ovation, but we can’t guarantee that—that would be cool, though, right?).
• Nail down how to get started so people actually pay attention to you (in a good way).
• Figure out how to deliver and perfect comedic nuances with a crash course in what you should and shouldn’t say so you don’t scare the compression socks off grandma.

Hear from these seasoned comedy writers as they dish out public speaking advice that will make you look like you totally do this all the time. Take a closer look at a handful of successful real‑life speeches from real‑life people, annotated for a better understanding of why other people were better than you so you can be better than them. Enjoy bonus content like Carmela’s retirement toast to Tony Soprano and Homer Simpson’s speech at Bart’s graduation. And if, in the end, you still have no idea what to say about your niece at her Bat Mitzvah, there’s a handy fill-in speech template at the back so you can spend more time figuring out what you’re going to wear.
 
Happy writing!

EXPERT AUTHORS: As a successful comedy writer, Carol Leifer has been Emmy‑nominated for her writing on such classics as Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, and the Oscars, and won a Writer’s Guild Award for her work on Modern Family, among many other accolades. She is a writer/co‑executive producer for the Emmy‑winning HBO show Hacks and a writer/consulting producer for HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Rick Mitchell has written for TMZ and had a six‑season stint writing for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, winning him five Daytime Emmys. Delivering speeches at countless organization benefits, weddings, and more, the pair are seasoned speech-givers ready to help you successfully write and deliver your own.

EASY TO USE: This practical book on writing and delivering a funny speech is divided into short, easy-to-read sections with plenty of tips, advice, and templates, making the task much less daunting for anyone and everyone.    

HANDY PUBLIC SPEAKING REFERENCE BOOK: A timeless aid for writing and delivering a speech at any point in life, How to Write a Funny Speech … is a useful book to give, receive, and keep.

Perfect for:

• Anybody who needs to write a speech celebrating a friend, family member, or couple
• Best men and maids/matrons of honor for weddings or vow renewals
• Family and friends of graduates, retirees, or honorees
• Bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah celebrants

The only thing better than reading a great book is reading a great book and then talking about it with friends, over excellent snacks and drinks. For book clubbers everywhere, bestselling author and illustrator Jane Mount adds to the special joy of book club life with a new addition to her beloved Bibliophile line: an irresistible literary journal packed with bookish art and inspiration to record, remember, and rank all the titles your book club reads. 

With generous pages of book club meeting notes, this journal will help you track event dates and everything about meetings, including:

• Which books you read and who selected them
• Each book’s genre and reading format
• Details like favorite (and least favorite) characters and best quotes
• Notes on questions for the group and highlights from the discussion
• Ratings, from one to five stars, including writing quality, characters, and plot
• Who hosted and what food or drink were served

Throughout, you’ll find illustrated lists (graced with Jane’s delightfully chatty handwritten notes!) of brilliant books from various genres to inspire club picks and celebrate the wonderful world of literature. And, because no Bibliophile book would be complete without copious extras, you’ll also find plenty of prompts and activities—like a place to record titles you want your club to consider, a list of discussion questions, a bingo game, an illustrated overview of celebrity book clubs, and a delicious section to record the best-ever snack your club has enjoyed!

We Just Click is a sweet and humorous look at love within the zany LEGO universe.

Fifty pairs of iconic Minifigures answer the timeless question: “I knew we clicked when . . . ,” sharing heartwarming moments of romance, friendship, and love.

• We Just Click features a different diverse relationship on each spread.
• Highlights what our favorite Minifigures love about each other with delightful, punny humor
• Has a little something for the LEGO lover in each of us
• We Just Click is a lighthearted, humorous exploration of love within the LEGO universe, in all of its forms.

It’s almost as if Minfigures were made to fit together.

• Features a diverse range of relationships and representation of love
• Perfect lighthearted gift for friends, parents, and children—celebrates love in all its forms
• Great for nostalgic LEGO lovers, newfound fans, and those who loved The LEGO Movie

Newborns and toddlers will love snuggling up with Baby Axolotl! A tiny salamander that has captured hearts around the world with its ever-present smile, the axolotl is the perfect ambassador for kids to learn about underwater life. In these pages, Baby Axolotl swims, sinks, and savors the sunrise. Featuring a plush finger puppet that peeks into each lovingly illustrated page, this addition to the bestselling Finger Puppet board book series offers parents and children a fun, interactive way to play and read together as little ones build a lifelong love of books (and nature!).

Perfect for: Parents and caregivers looking for an interactive and educational way to entertain little ones Gift-givers searching for cute, distinctive presents for birthday parties, baby showers, or holidays Fans of axolotls, salamanders, frogs, and other amphibians Nature lovers of all ages Fans of finger puppet books for babies and toddlers

Recipes include:

C-3POat Pancakes Parfait de Resistance Maz Kanata Frittata Luggabeast of a Quiche Reysin Bread Breakfast Poe’Boy Kanjiklub Sandwiches Breakfast Tako-danas
© and TM Lucasfilm Ltd. Used Under Authorization

© and TM Lucasfilm Ltd. Used Under Authorization

Here comes a gratitude-themed board book featuring the construction characters kids know and love! Young readers can lift the flaps to reveal delightful details as the construction crew gathers pumpkins, sets a scarecrow straight, and prepares the barn for a grateful harvest—all while feeling thankful for each other. Sherri Duskey Rinker, the bestselling author of the many popular Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train books, teams with illustrator Helen Morgan to bring playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations to another exciting tale of teamwork, sure to satisfy construction fans everywhere.

The Oceano Penguino is a five-story cruise ship with twenty-four rooms, each containing its own exciting story. Follow along as one penguin family embarks on their very first vacation, navigating new seas and helping the cruise crew find missing treasure along the way. This grand illustrated adventure book is full of penguin characters—from Captain Penguino to Phantom Thief Lupenguin—and countless small and surprising details to discover: Where has Chibi Pengi run off to? What movie is showing in the cinema? Is that a dragon helping the penguins practice for the dance party? Most importantly, who stole the Golden Mermaid statuette? Curious kids can explore the clever illustrations on each page and follow clues to help solve the shipboard mystery.

With so many wonderful details, they can even go back on the Penguin Cruise over and over again and find new things every time. Best of all, all the penguin storylines come together at the end for a special surprise! So, waddle on board and enjoy the ride.

Inside the musical tin are twelve timeless tales for you and your child to enjoy every year, and with no batteries needed to make the song play, this set can become a treasured keepsake to pass down and enjoy through generations. Perfect for ages 3+, reading these stories together is sure to become a Christmas tradition that you and your child will enjoy again year after year, making memories that will last a lifetime. Made using FSC materials printed with vegetable inks.