The New Yorker 75th Anniversary Cartoon Collection
This 75th anniversary collection pulls together a variety of cartoonists ranging from James Thurber and his ever-battling sexes to Bruce Eric Kaplan and his modern urbans. Readers who are put off byThe New Yorker's reputation for stodginess may be pleasantly surprised: a city lot offers Extreme Parking, and one of George Booth's crotchety old ladies urges a silent ogler to "Whistle, you dumb bastard!" There are plenty of sight gags and silly puns (a worried buffalo complains about his cell phone's roaming charges), but don't expect to get through without picking up on a literary reference or two. Roz Chast revisitsEloiseat the Plaza hotel at the age of 46 and chronicles theDialogues of Platoover what to have for lunch. And of course noNew Yorkercollection would be complete without the sly ghoulishness of Charles Addams. The perfect book for anyone who has ever flipped through a copy ofThe New Yorkerjust for the cartoons.--Ali Davis