Tag: Cultural Ethnic and Regional Humor

Discover Ireland’s Quirky Side: ‘Weird Ireland’ by Brinsley McNamara

‘Weird Ireland: An Unofficial Guide to the Island’ is the new book by Brinsley McNamara. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Travel guides are essential tools for explorers seeking to navigate unfamiliar destinations. They provide detailed insights into local attractions, history, culture, cuisine, and practical travel tips. Whether in print or digital form, these guides help travelers plan their itineraries by highlighting hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path locations, ensuring that visitors experience a destination beyond the typical tourist spots.

For readers who love learning more about specific destinations, including lesser known, but just as fascinating, locations and oddities, consider the new book by Brinsley McNamara that’s all about Ireland’s more eccentric points of interest.

Brinsley McNamara is a writer, video maker and adventurer. He is the protagonist of the Weird Ireland social media channel where he wanders around the Emerald Isles looking for weird and fascinating stuff to document and quests to complete. He plans on clearing Ireland before moving onto elsewhere. Brinsley hails from County Westmeath, a place immortalized in the book “The Valley of the Squinting Windows” by Brinsley McNamara, who also hailed from the same spot. “Weird Ireland: An Unofficial Guide to the Island” is his first book. (Mobius & Laurence King Publishing, 2025)

A hill in County Down that cars roll up?
A bridge in County Mayo that plays music?
A chair that can cure madness in County Louth?
Giant monster sightings on the lakes and seas of Ireland?
The sensational summer of the moving Mary statue in County Cork?
Even Irish ice pop lore?

From the social media phenomenon Weird Ireland comes a journey through strange and fascinating stories from across the island, as Brinsley McNamara shares his oddity obsession in the distinctive voice fans have come to love – witty, precise, and straight up weird.

UFOS and fairy forts, whispering arches and matchmaking festivals, relics and Sheela na Gigs, standing stones and moving statues, lake monsters and healing rocks, it’s all featured in this strictly off-the-beaten-track journey into the bizarre.

Featuring illustrations by acclaimed Dublin illustrator Eoin Whelehan, this is a book to be cherished by all seekers of the strange, rare and peculiar.

Book of the week: ‘Karen the Origin Story’ by Andre Johnson

‘Karen the Origin Story’ is the second book in the Amish Sovereignty series by Andre Johnson. Photo: Andre Johnson, used with permission.

Literature and fiction does not always have to be so serious. Humor is essential to lighten life’s heavier moments, especially when dealing with history and everyday life. By now we have all heard of the term ‘Karen’ in modern slang. It usually refers to a middle class white woman who is seen as extraordinarily entitled or demanding. Today’s book highlight is “Karen the Origin Story” by Andre Johnson and it touches on that subject; it is available on Amazon. If you enjoy the lighter side of fiction, consider this humorous title by Andre Johnson.

Andre Johnson is the author of “Karen the Origin Story,” book 2 of 3 in the Amish Sovereignty series which also includes “Amish” and “Karen the Horror Story.”

“Karen the Origin Story” Noah and Anita are fraternal Amish twins. These twins and two of their friends go on their Rumspringa. While on Rumspringa, the group realizes that things are a little different and that they really like chili cheese fries. Midway though Rumspringa, they realize that they need to make a difference before going home. (Andre Johnson, 2024)

For anyone unfamiliar with Rumspringa, it is a rite of passage and period of growth for Amish young people during which they face fewer restrictions on their behavior and are not subject to the usual community norms. It usually begins at age 16 and ends when a youth chooses to either be baptized in the Amish church or leave the community. (Google)

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New book release: ‘How to Tame a F*ck Boy’ by Emmanuel Simms

‘How to Take a F*ck Boy’ is the new book by Emmanuel Simms. Photo: Amazon

Relationships can be complicated but dating is a whole other level of messy, especially in today’s modern world. Nowadays, there are a myriad of books out there that offer advice on navigating these troublesome waters but at least they bring the topic to the table and get people talking. If you are looking for a unique book on relationship advice, consider Emmanuel Simms’ new book “How to Tame a F*ck Boy.” The title might be off-putting, but the term is just another way of saying ‘bad boy’ or ‘bad girl.’ In reality, it is a real, raw, and relatable guide that “acknowledges the messiness of modern love, yet offers actionable advice (and a few laughs) to navigate it.” It is a short read filled with personal stories, humor, and practical advice. It is available on Amazon.

Emmanuel Simms MFA is an American writer best known for his book “The Rules of a Successful Failure.” In his writing, he explores social issues such as race and discrimination within minority communities. Simms has an urban tone in his writing, which allows him to explore these complex topics in a way that is both informative and relatable for his readers. (Emmanuel Simms, 2023)

Simms grew up in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood. He witnessed firsthand the effects of discrimination and poverty on minority communities. This shaped his view of the world and inspired him to write about these issues in his books. In “The Rules of a Successful Failure,” Simms uses his personal experiences to explore what it takes to overcome adversity. He offers readers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by minorities in society and provides valuable advice on how to overcome them.

Simms’ writing is important because it offers a rare look into the lives of minority communities. His insights can help readers to better understand the difficulties faced by these groups and can provide hope to those who are struggling to overcome them. His new book “How to Tame a F*ck Boy : 12 Steps for Taming Your F*ck Boy,” the first in the #RelationshipGoals Mastery series, is a humorous and insightful look at navigating the complex world of modern dating.

“How to Tame a F*ck Boy : 12 Steps for Taming Your F*ck Boy” (#RelationshipGoals Mastery Book 1) – In the exhilarating dance of modern relationships, Emmanuel Simms offers a bold and candid guide to understanding, navigating, and potentially taming the enigma known colloquially as the ‘F*ck Boy.’ Through “12 Steps for Taming Your F*ck Boy,” Simms delves into the dynamics that make these relationships both enthralling and tumultuous. Drawing from a mix of personal anecdotes, humor, and practical advice, this book doesn’t just shed light on the allure of the F*ck Boy but also offers tangible steps for those hoping to find balance in such partnerships. Whether you’re caught in the throes of a whirlwind romance, seeking clarity, or just in for an entertaining read about modern love’s complexities, this book is your compass. Dive in and discover a blend of humor, wisdom, and raw truths that will resonate, provoke thought, and maybe even guide you to a healthier, happier relationship dynamic.

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New book release: ‘Gone With The Wig’ by Lily M. Lipstick

‘Gone With The Wig’ is the new novel by Lily M. Lipstick. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Halloween season is officially here along with everything Halloween themed including parties, stories, and novels of all types. If you like fun Halloween stories that revolve around LGBTQ+ characters, consider “Gone With the Wig” by Lily M. Lipstick. In this new novel, Drú Dylan and her cousin Sam are preparing for her Uncle Hunter’s annual Hot Buns Halloween party. It is always the biggest and most over the top party in town and draws all types of party goers. But alas, trouble is brewing as her Uncle Hunter’s nemesis is planning to crash the party. If this sounds like your kind of read, check it out and find out what happens in this humorous adventure novel. It is available on Amazon.

“Gone With The Wig” – Eighteen-year-old Drú Dylan can see the future. Tonight is her Uncle Hunter’s annual Hot Buns Halloween party, a tribute to his Dancing Queen Decade, aka the “Big Hair I Don’t Care” ‘90s. As always, he swears it will be G-rated; it won’t be. And it does not take psychic powers to predict that any party held at a gay bakery built on land that happens to be the home of a thousand confederate soldiers is bound to cause chaos in this Virginia beach town. It does every year. (Amazon, 2023)

That is why Drú and her cousin Sam have their own annual competition: gazing into their crystal ball and predicting exactly what kind of chaos will be unleased at this year’s bash. Drú has a record to defend—but even she can not predict what will happen when Uncle Hunter’s trigger-happy nemesis Rich McCarthy and his sons try to crash the party before its even started.

It is a race against the clock to make sure Uncle Hunter’s big night goes off without a hitch. Old skeletons are dragged out of the closet as Drú and her family prepare for the greatest and gayest Hot Buns Halloween party yet.

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