8 Hilarious Books to Read by FUNNY Lady Authors!

8 Uproarious Books By Funny Ladies You Must Read

“Are women funny?” 

Well, allow ME, to set the record straight!  I have eight (8) hilarious books written by none other than....WOMEN!  

Please be warned that you will crack up in random places, your eyes might tear up and others around you WILL THINK YOU ARE CLINICALLY INSANE!   But, who cares, right! A great, funny book makes the whispers fade away!

Here's to starting a GREAT DAY:

1. Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty by Diane Keaton

Let’s start with one of my personal most anticipated books of this season (only one week left!) If her first book Then Again is any indication, Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty will be at once moving and hilarious. This one focuses on lessons learned working in a beauty-obsessed industry, complete with comical if mortifying incidents such as a makeup artist telling her she needs to get her eyes fixed. Yikes.

Kindle Price:

$9.99

2. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Yes, it’s not new this season. And yes, this book has deservedly become the archetype for humorous female memoirs. Obviously the book is phenomenal in itself, but I will put a strong plug in for the audiobook on this one. Read by Tina herself, it is unbearably hilarious. In all seriousness, I had to pull my car over on the highway I was laughing so hard.

Kindle Price:

$6.99

3. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by  Jenny Lawson 

If you’re familiar/in love with The Bloggess but have not read her memoir, I suggest you do so immediately. Don’t take my word for it though, Jenny wrote her own GoodReads review: “I wrote this book so I think I’m required to like it. But I’d like it even if someone else wrote it. Although if they did I’d sue them for stealing my life story. How confusing. Much like the book.” Just do it.

Kindle Price:

$7.99

4. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying by Carol Leifer 

Published just a few weeks ago to rave reviews and much admiration from comedy’s elite, this book is a gem. Carol Leifer has written and performed for some of the best TV comedies—to multiple Emmy nominations—including Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, and the greatest show of all time, Seinfeld. This collection of bold and hilarious essays chronicles Carol’s career as she paved the way for women in what was an exclusive all-boys club. If you don’t believe me, ask Jerry who said “If you don’t buy this book right now you’ve got to be a total schmuck.”

Kindle Price:

$9.99

5. Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple 

If you’re in more of a novel mood, Where’d You Go Bernadette? is a fantastic choice. Between Semple’s beautifully-done mixed-media style and her quirky and hilarious characters, you will fly through this story. One of the many moments at which I laughed aloud: “This is why you must love life: one day you’re offering up your social security number to the Russian Mafia; two weeks later you’re using the word calve as a verb.”

Kindle Price:

$7.99

6. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling 

I am ashamed to say this is still sitting in my To Read pile, but I have only heard the best things about it from friends, family, book reviewers and celebrities. One of them must be right. Plus, Mindy Kaling is a comedy goddess, and we share a deep understanding of each other: “There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.”

Kindle Price:

$4.99

7. The Most of Nora Ephron by Nora Ephron 

Another recent book that I cannot wait to dig into, an all-encompassing and no doubt comically genius collection of all that is the brilliant Nora Ephron. This book is a fitting tribute to her incredible career, including essays on everything from being flat-chested to politics, the screenplay for When Harry Met Sally, her bestselling novel Heartburn, and a never before published play, Lucky Guy. Put simply, this is a comedic master-class from the singular mind of Nora Ephron.

8. Everything Is Perfect When You’re a Liar by Kelly Oxford 

One of the year’s first and most loved debuts, Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar put Kelly Oxford squarely on the map as one of the funniest humor writers in the game. To get a glimpse of what this absolutely fantastic collection is like, head over to her Twitter for gems like “It sucks that we all have to get old and die, also that tomorrow is Monday.”

Kindle Price:

$10.99

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Also posted on: https://kam0900.wordpress.com

15 Places To Find Job Openings

Although networking is a great way to learn about job openings, checking sites that list advertised openings is also very helpful. The following are 15 places to check for available positions during your job search.

• Indeed (This job search engine pulls job listings from across a variety of sites and publications.)
• Monster.com (The bigger the city that you live in, the more openings that you will see generally. Very small locations may be grouped into a region.)
• CareerBuilder
• US.jobs (Offered by the National Labor Exchange,  this site provides access to listings of private and government employers. Also, found on the site are links to individual state job banks.)
• TweetMyJobs (Set up some simple search criteria, and this site will bring listings of job openings to you via mobile, Twitter or e-mail.)
• LinkedIn (Make your own online career profile and learn of the latest job openings across a variety of fields).
• Dice (Excellent site for searching for tech jobs.)
• Vault.com (In addition to job listings, find lots of job search advice and company information.)
• SnagAjob
• USAJOBS (A site that specializes in federal job opening information via the Office of Personnel Management.)
• Elance (Helpful site for finding freelance work.)
• Guru.com (A freelance employment site with emphasis on technology, creative arts, and various other business fields.)
• FlexJobs (Source for telecommuting, part-time, and freelance positions.)
• CoolWorks.com (Check this site out for summer and seasonal job openings.)
• Trade Association Websites (Check the sites of trade associations in your field. If you are not sure what associations are in your field, do a quick google search or stop by the library and check out theEncyclopedia of Associations.)

Recipe of the Day: Boston Cream Pie - POKE CAKE

BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE

 The recipe is so super simple and uses a boxed cake mix, pudding, and store bought frosting. SUPER simple.

INGREDIENTS
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (plus box ingredients)
2 small boxes (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 cup Milk
1 container Chocolate Frosting

DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake in 13×9″ pan according to box directions.
Use spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
Combine milk and pudding mix and whisk until well blended.
Pour pudding over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
Refrigerate cake for several hours to allow pudding to settle and set up.
Open frosting container and remove foil seal.
Microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat this until frosting is pour able.
Pour over pudding layer and spread with spatula to cover completely.
Refrigerate for at least several more hours.

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

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8 Cool Jobs you can get as an ENGLISH Major

8 Cool Jobs You Can Get With an English Major

“Oh, you’re an English major? So you’re going to be a teacher, right?”

Maybe you are an English major with the hopes of becoming a teacher, but maybe not! Wherever there is communication—whether it’s in the form of speeches, presentations, commercials, print ads, podcasts, broadcasts, instructions, brochures, press releases, newspapers, magazines or books—there is a need for people to create, edit and revise that content. And that’s where you come in, English majors!

1. B2B content writer

What it is: B2B marketing, or business-to-business marketing, is used for one business to sell goods or services to another business (as opposed to businesses selling something to a consumer). A growing number of B2B clients are interacting with companies through social networking channels, such as Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn, and someone has to capture the interest of those customers through well-written content.

Why your English degree is valuable: With a little business and social media expertise, your English major can take you far in the world of B2B marketing. 

If you have a knack for strategics and marketing, strong writing skills will help you flourish in B2B content writing.

2. Editor

What it is: Editors plan, coordinate and revise material for publication in books, newspapers, magazines orwebsites. They review story ideas and edit drafts, deciding what will appeal to readers the most.

Why your English degree is valuable: Editors must ensure that all written content is free of grammatical or spelling errors, so strong language skills are a must!  Writing skills are also important, as editors should be able to express ideas clearly and logically.

3. Paralegal or legal assistant

What it is: Paralegals do a variety of tasks in order to support lawyers, such as maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research and drafting documents. They may work in any field of law and may support a single lawyer or a large group of attorneys. The American Bar Association maintains a list of accredited paralegal programs.

Why your English degree is valuable: Paralegals must be able to document and present their research to their supervising attorneys, so speaking and writing skills are essential. Your English training will also have developed your critical thinking, research, citation and writing skills, which you’ll need in a legal profession. Your education will also need to include computer skills and the basics of American government and legal research, but your English degree is a great start!

4. Technical writer

What it is: Technical writers produce instruction manuals and other supporting documents to communicate complex information more easily. They also distribute technical information to customers, designers and manufacturers. Experience with a technical subject, such as computer science, Web design or engineering, can help.

Why your English degree is valuable:   In order to take that difficult-to-understand information and translate it for colleagues and consumers who have nontechnical backgrounds, an English major’s communication skills are a must. Technical writers must be able to think about a product in a way a person without technical experience would think about it.

5. Journalist

What it is: Journalists inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally and locally. They can report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television or radio.

Why your English degree is valuable: Solid, effective communication skills cannot be overrated, especially in the field of journalism.  Journalists need to be able to report news in writing, so strong writing skills are necessary!

6. SEO Content Writer

What it is: SEO (search engine optimization) content writing is a process of creating optimized web content to target specific audiences. Every website has a specific target audience and requires a different type and level of content, and it is the job of the SEO content writer to produce content that is relevant and searchable.

Why your English degree is valuable:  To raise a page’s ranking and content relevancy for search engine hits, content has to be well written. SEO content writers are essentially professional bloggers who write with a specific client in mind, so great writing skills are necessary to create website content that will boost the company’s page rank.

7. Copywriter

What it is: Copywriting is essentially the bridge between creative writing and advertising. It involves proofreading and editing copy, creating ads, writing digital and print copy and taking part in social media campaigns.

Why your English degree is valuable: When it comes to sending a message, no one can do it better than an English major. 

Every business, big and small, utilizes a creative department, and your English major will give you the creativity you need to stand out from other applicants.

8. PR writer

What it is: PR, or public relations, is the strategic, marketing-based field that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and the public. PR writers create company newsletters, press releases and content for social media. The writer’s responsibilities include media relations, publicity and reputation management of an organization.

Why your English degree is valuable: Since PR requires you to be a mediator between the public and your organization, strong oral and communication skills are important. PR also requires a strong background in research, problem solving and reading comprehension—all skills you’ll have acquired from your English studies.

Lucky for you English majors, you’re able to utilize several skills that work well within today's demanding business world.  Expand your repertoire, and the number of jobs available to you will open up as well.

While these positions may not lead to writing the next great American novel, combining your creative mind with an entrepreneurial spirit can give you a career you may have never imagined—and one that shock all those people who told you a liberal arts major wasn’t practical!

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

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