Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me

Title: Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel with Josh Young
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction, Humour
Rating: 5/5

From the publisher: A frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir that reveals the Deal or No Deal host’s ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD–and how it has shaped his life and career.

I absolutely loved Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me. I grew up watching Bobby's World and have watched Here's the Deal, and knew that the book would be funny but it's so much more than that. Mandel reveals some of his darkest moments and the two instances where he truly felt embarrassed, both of which involve his daughter. He talks about his childhood and the cruel things he did to his younger brother in order to get attention, about the humiliation he heaped on friends as a joke and his struggle with OCD and ADHD. And towards the end of the book, he talks about his recent health scares and admits that as of early 2009, he didn't know if he'd still be alive to see the book published. It's utterly heartbreaking at points and fall-off-your-chair hilarious at others.

Mandel's writing is smooth and entertaining. Each chapter reads as its own story, so it's easy to find a place to break if you absolutely must put it down, though you won't want to. The middle of the book is filled with pictures that are amusing, narrated with funnier captions, and help illustrate the stories throughout the book. My only complaint has to do with the shortness of the book, but I suppose this means I may be able to look forward to a sequel.

I absolutely recommend Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me to other readers. Whether you're a child of the nineties (and watched Bobby's World), a fan of stand-up comedy, a Canadian or just like a good story, this is the book for you.

How to Catch and Keep a Vampire

Title: How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful by Diana Laurence
Genre: Entertainment, Humour, How-to, Romance
Rating: 3.5/5

Have you seen every episode of Forever Knight, Blood Ties, Buffy and Angel? Read every book by Stephenie Meyer, Charlaine Harris and Anne Rice? Wanted your own dark and immortal lover to keep you warm at night? Then this book is for you. In How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful, Diana Laurence draws on personal experience to reveal the secrets to finding and keeping your own vampire lover.

This book is a terrific, tongue-in-cheek guide on how to maintain a relationship with a vampire. With chapters on the pros and cons of dating a vampire versus a mortal, how to introduce your new undead boyfriend to your family, and FAQs About the Undead, How to Catch and Keep a Vampire covers everything you'd want to know. Moreover, some of the advice given is also relevant for relationships with mortals; don't let your partner push you around, communicate and compromise with them, and listen to your instincts.

One thing I was disappointed in was that the advice is mostly female-oriented, there is little for the man interested in finding his vampire bride, though there is a case study dealing with Dan, his vampire girlfriend and an encounter with an Anti-Vampire Person. I also felt Laurence pushed her examples a little too far sometimes, as in Case Study 106 when Aidan pulls a fishing pole from a picnic basket. Though, I have to admit I was amused by the imagery of the vampire equivalent of Mary Poppin's magic bag.

I absolutely loved the design of the book, the pages are just beautiful to look at. The paper stock is thick and smooth, and the image of the red satin ribbon repeats intermittently throughout and is reflected in the red text. Overall, I found How to Catch and Keep a Vampire both interesting and humorous. A must read for anyone fascinated with vampires.

For more information check out the book's website or Sellers Publishing.