Stand-up is all well and good, but observational humor that’s funny and warm would possibly work very best in books. And Tom Papa, whose loyal audiences are packed with “date night” couples of every age, has perfected the shape. In We’re All In This Together, Papa’s thirty-seven short essays take on these universal American topics, among others:
–Love for Your First Car (“To Buy or Lease”)
–The Truth about Personal Hygiene (“How You Know When It’s Time to Go”)
–Date Nights (“Will You Go Out with Me?”)
–Unfamiliar Hotel Rooms (“Why Nothing Works”)
–Pets (“Cats–Ancient Menace”)
–Drinking (“There’s no Cure for a Hangover”)
–Ducking your Circle of relatives, even Although you Love Them (“The Lesson of Mark Twain’s Cigars”)
Tom Papa’s books make readers laugh, but–crucially–feel better about themselves whilst doing it. And whilst there’s thematic overlap with Papa’s stand-up, with a few exceptions, the entire writing here is fresh for our book.