Blog Archives
Hanawalt, Lisa – Hot Dog Taste Test
How is it possible that I’ve been writing reviews on this website for 18 years now and there’s nothing here by Lisa Hanawalt? It boggles my mind. Granted, most of you already know who she is and buy her books, so this won’t be new information to you. But even if you’ve already read this, read it again! Trust me, it’s as funny as you remember. No, this is more for the few who have somehow never heard of her, who have never seen Bojack Horseman (you’ve had plenty of time to see that by now, come on people) or her new show Tuca & Bertie. She’s A writer on Bojack, but she’s the HEAD writer for Tuca & Bertie, meaning it’s a lot more like her humor, and you should all watch it. Good lord, have I really not mentioned her comic yet? Yeesh. Hot Dog Taste Test is a collection of strips and stories, roughly 90% of which had me laughing out loud. Yes, literally! I could only read so much of this book at once, as it was causing me physical pain from laughing. If there’s a stronger recommendation to be had, I don’t know what it could be. It’s tough to even describe her style, but I’ll make a fumbling attempt at it. Some pieces in here are food reviews of a sort, mostly in text but with illustrations, of her trip to Las Vegas, her family vacation to Argentina, her time swimming with otters (and how she knows that she’s experiencing the high point of her life while she’s swimming with them), a review of some of the many street vendors in New York City, and her day spent at one restaurant and its owner. There are also paintings (I’m currently trying to limit myself to just buying two of them), several pieces that are all text (like her attempt at corporate logos or her famous baking tips), and what sure looks like the first appearances of Tuca in Bertie in raw form. I haven’t read a book this funny in ages, so this absolutely gets the highest possible recommendation from me, whatever that is. Huh, turns out I really should have made up a ratings system years ago. Whoopsie! $24.95
