Member Reviews
This is a quick bathroom or coffee table book filled with haikus from comedians. A lot of great laughs.
While the title and description of Eating Salad Drunk was intriguing and amusing, I just didn't find the content to be something applicable to a book. If I had read some of these in an article on social media, I probably would have enjoyed it more.
Some of the haiku's were very funny, but many were just trite or not very clever. They just seemed to be trying too hard..
Disclaimer: I read this as a NetGalley ARC. No compensation was received other than the chance to read this book.
This book contains a selection of haikus, or short poems made up of three lines. The syllable count goes: 5 syllables for the first line, 7 syllables for the second, and 5 again for the third.
The haikus themselves were written by various comedians (some standup, some from television, some from podcasts and various other media), and the book itself has all author proceeds going to the nonprofit Comedy Gives Back. Topics the haikus cover include food, relationships, social media and more.
This book would be a nice gift idea, or possibly meant as a 'bathroom reader'.
Or, put another way:
A book of haikus,
For those in your life who say,
'Reading? Who has time?'
I absolutely love a clever haiku and that is exactly what this delivered! I actually requested this on NetGalley and then won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway, which ended up being perfect because this is an ideal little coffee table book and I’m really happy I can have a physical copy out for people to flip through. I honestly meant to savor it and only read a few poems each day, but I only made it last for about three days because it’s so easy to just keep reading!
I loved the way this collection was curated, with groupings like “Screentime,” “Nature Calls,” “The Struggle is Real,” and "Self Love & Loathing." It made the haikus even funnier. As with any compilation, there were a handful that I wasn’t as crazy about, but overall I thought this was so fun. So many of them made me laugh out loud and I can’t wait to go back through and reread my favorites. I also really loved the illustrations sprinkled throughout.
This book would make an excellent gift for yourself or honestly anyone else in your life. It’s just the lighthearted dose of reality that we need. And bonus, author proceeds go to @comedygivesback, a nonprofit that provides mental health, medical, and crisis support resources for comedians.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I got quite a few chuckles from these haikus and memorized a few to bring up at a later date. The best part is the proceeds go to help comedians with substance abuse issues. It's a total win/win situation!
This is a hoot! I'm so glad I got to read this and I think it's a wonderful idea for a wonderful cause. This would be a great gift for your goofy brother, or THAT uncle. These were all amusing, some laugh-out-loud funny (Damm, Dat Ass Dough!), and a few quite touching and poignant. It was a neat who's-who of comedians represented and I enjoyed the drawings that went with some of the haiku. I will definitely be looking for this when it comes out!
Many thanks the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.
“Tweets, ’grams, Snapchats, and TikToks—it seems everything these days can be boiled down to a few seconds or a minute of commitment as a consumer,” says Arpana Nancherla in her foreward.
It’s true, society today has no time for anything longer. We’re busy, busy, busy. And even looking at a meme for a second too long can seem unbearable. I have a number unread in my Instagram messages, and it seems the only time I get to indulge is on the toilet. Seriously. It’s pretty ironic that in the world of social media, we can spend hours scrolling then tell everyone that we have no time.
Gabe Henry states in his introduction, “From its earliest days, the heart of haiku poetry was humour.” He continues, “The roots of haiku, in fact, are right there in the word itself: haiku literally means “comic verse.”
This little book of gems had me laughing so hard within minutes I thought I’d wake my entire apartment building up. I lay awake into the wee hours submerged in this book, giggling myself to sleep, hanging onto every three line seventeen syllable haiku.
Hilarious and delicious, I gobbled Eating Salad Drunk from cover to cover within an hour, then wanted to read it all over again.
“Bought avocados.
Eleven organic ones.
Now I can’t pay rent.”
—Atsuko Okatsuka
As I neared the end, all I wanted was more. And then I realized I could literally just start all over again. I already want to order this book for friends, knowing exactly who in my life will love it as much as I did. It makes for a perfect gift.
Comic geniuses fill every page of Eating Salad Drunk. It’s bright, bold, and absolutely flipping brilliant. An easy read that is sure to bring a smile to your face. I enjoyed every minute, and my face hurts from laughing.
I adored this and it felt like a gift to get to read it early
I also love that all author proceeds from this book will benefit Comedy Gives Back, a nonprofit providing resources for comedians struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, and whose livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19. For information about how to donate, visit Comedy Gives Back.
Avocado Diaries
What a delightful little book! Very needed in this trying time of pandemic and politics. the drawings made me chuckle and the haikus made me LOL.
Hilarious book for anyone who enjoys this art form. One of my favorite fast reads in a long time with some familiar and new names providing their enjoyable sense of humor. Must read for anyone who loves comedy and poetry!
Oh Thank you NetGalley
And Saint Martins Press for the
Delicious E-Arc
Did I do that right? Lol This was a fun fantastic read about haikus from your favorite comedians. My personal favorites as from Ian Fidance about books. It’s not often I pick up a book of poetry so if you are like me pick this one up. It’s an enjoyable read whoever you are and whatever genres you prefer.
I enjoyed the funny haikus and the topics they explored in this book. I enjoyed reading the creative humorous ones and was interested to see what famous person wrote what.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this book! "Eating Salad Drunk" is a compilation of fun haikus written by a range of famous figures, such as celebrities and comedians. There's some drawings as well. Topics covered included romance, friendships, family, media/social media, screen time, food, self-love and loathing, etc. When I requested this book, I was interested by the title, as it sounded funny. I am actually surprised that I thought that this book was quite funny all the way through. Sometimes I find that these types of books are hit and miss. I suppose that this is actually a better bet! It would be something that I suggested to fans of comedians/comedy writing, celebrities, writers/poets, or just a fun gift.
This book is not very good and basically worthless. I wouldn't spend money on it and just look at twitter of people I find funny. I didn't find anything really entertaining or original in this book.
Entertaining but ultimately fails to live up to its potential. Most of the haiku (which is the plural of haiku, by the way, regardless of what the subtitle of this book is) were gently amazing rather than actually funny. A handful were dumb and another handful really landed for me.
Worth a quick read if you can get your hands on a copy at the library, but I wouldn't necessarily run out to buy it.
The strongest thing about this collection of hiakus is the way they are organized. That sounds like a weird compliment, but it's not. A lot of these poems would be boring if on their own, but the categories in which they have been organized gives them a greater meaning and connection. Good organization is desperately needed in poetry collections that have multiple authors since there is no one narrative voice or overarching overview.
My favourite section would probably be the "The Struggle is Real" section. I feel it in my soul.
"It's a lovely day
To go for a run! I should
Tell my friend who runs."
-Alyssa Limperis
Eating Salad Drunk is the sort of modern poetry book that the world needs right now. Going back to the origin of haiku, Henry discusses how Haiku was basically the Japanese version of a limerick. It was short, followed a specific structure, and used by the common person to pass along a good punch line. From the joys of binge watching to relationship advice to a healthy no. 2 this book covers it all. Written by a variety of authors, comedians, and other personalities, Eating Salad Drunk is a nice diversion and a way to give back. After all, all author proceeds go to Comedy Gives Back.
I love the confines of haiku poetry. It’s the whole approach of just saying what you have to say and be done with it. Life is short, didn’t you know? This book of haiku was funny and entertaining. Also, I love that the proceeds go to charity. Definitely a good book for a coffee table or waiting room.
This book is a delight and had me smiling or snickering pretty much the whole time I read it. It’s a quick, silly, little read that I definitely recommend to lift your spirits. I will totally be buying a copy when it comes out in September!
A collection of comedians take on haiku. I'd recommend this to readers who are looking for something light and funny.