On My Radar:

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes
by Jessica Pan
Andrews McMeel
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

What would happen if a shy introvert lived like a gregarious extrovert for one year? If she knowingly and willingly put herself in perilous social situations that she’d normally avoid at all costs? Writer Jessica Pan intends to find out. With the help of various extrovert mentors, Jessica sets up a series of personal challenges (talk to strangers, perform stand-up comedy, host a dinner party, travel alone, make friends on the road, and much, much worse) to explore whether living like an extrovert can teach her lessons that might improve the quality of her life. Chronicling the author’s hilarious and painful year of misadventures, this book explores what happens when one introvert fights her natural tendencies, takes the plunge, and tries (and sometimes fails) to be a little bit braver.

On My Radar:

Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks
Gavin Aung Than
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

Zen Pencils is an exciting and unique new comic form that takes inspirational and famous quotations and adapts them into graphic stories. From icons like Confucius, Marie Curie, and Henry David Thoreau, to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge, to contemporary notables like Ira Glass, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Neil Gaiman---their words are turned into sometimes heartwarming, sometimes sobering stories by cartoonist Gavin Aung Than. Be inspired, motivated, educated, and laugh as you read famous words as never before!

Gavin Aung Than, an Australian graphic designer turned cartoonist, started the weekly Zen Pencils blog in February 2012. He describes his motivation for launching Zen Pencils: "I was working in the boring corporate graphic design industry for eight years before finally quitting at the end of 2011 to pursue my passion for illustration and cartooning. At my old job, when my boss wasn't looking, I would waste time reading Wikipedia pages, mainly biographies about people whose lives were a lot more interesting than mine. Their stories and quotes eventually inspired me to leave my job to focus on what I really wanted to do. The idea of taking these inspiring quotes, combining them with my love of drawing and sharing them with others led to the creation of Zen Pencils."

"Zen Pencils deftly blends the inspired thoughts of our great creative and moral thinkers with its own fresh visual wit. Because these work as pithy history lessons illuminating timeless human truths, it's no wonder Gavin's engaging comics go viral!" —Michael Cavna, Washington Post's Comic Riffs

"Sometimes all it takes is a clear, original vision and a talented hand. Gavin Aung Than and his genius of Zen Pencils gives us that together, and so much more." -–Chris Hadfield, retired astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station

"If you read this book and don't get a lump in your throat and a stirring in your heart at least once, check your pulse. You're dead." —Philip Plait, The Bad Astronomer

"Gavin has the amazing ability to make words and ideas come alive. He teaches, inspires, and brings a whole new level of creativity to the quotes that hold a special place in our hearts." —Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW Author of the No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, Daring Greatly

"Zen Pencils is a visual demonstration of joy and courage. Buy it for inspiration, and keep it for regular reminders of living bigger." — Chris Guillebeau, New York Times Bestselling Author of The $100 Startup

On My Radar:

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You
by The Oatmeal

Andrews McMeel
Trade Paperback

From the publisher website:

Jesus Rollerblading Christ—another helping of TheOatmeal! Mrow, MOAR kitty comics. Mr. Oats delivers a sidesplitting serving of cat comics in his new book, How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You.

If your cat is kneading you, that's not a sign of affection. Your cat is actually checking your internal organs for weakness. If your cat brings you a dead animal, this isn't a gift. It's a warning. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You is a hilarious, brilliant offering of cat comics, facts, and instructional guides from the creative wonderland at TheOatmeal.com.

How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You presents fan favorites, such as "Cat vs. Internet," "How to Pet a Kitty," and "The Bobcats," plus 15 brand-new, never-before-seen cat jokes. This Oatmeal collection is a must-have from Mr. Oats! A pullout poster is included at the back of the book.

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Learn Something New Every Day: 365 Facts to Fulfill Your Life
by Kee Malesky
John Wiley & Sons
Hardcover

From the publisher website:

What was the greatest thing before sliced bread?¹ What color did carrots used to be?² Why do many American spellings differ from their British counterparts?³ What does it mean "to have one's eyes lined with ham"? ⁴ If you know the answers to these questions, then you're John Hodgman. If you had to look for them below, you need this book.⁵
 
Kee Malesky, author of All Facts Considered, returns with a year's worth of facts on the arts, history, language, natural history, religion, and science to build up your brain. From "What is the only sea without coastlines?" to "How did the tradition of April Fool's Day begin?", this book is the best way to know more stuff than that other guy.⁶
 
Learn Something New Every Day is the ideal gift for anyone with an inquisitive mind and an appreciation of the wonders of the world around us. But don't give it to them. You don't want them to know more than you do.

1. Bagged bread. 2. Purple. 3. Blame—or thank—Noah Webster. 4. That's the Italian expression for "can't see the wood for the trees." 5. You'd enjoy it too, Mr. Hodgman. 6. Discovering more than one fact per day can cause increased confidence. We've probably already put you at risk with the four above. Learn safely.