Comedys dark king is the internet's newest book tastemaker with this author inked near his heart
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Set us as preferred Years ago, at the height of his success, Anthony Jeselnik couldn’t sleep.It was making him crazy.
Hoping to find relief, the comedian sought help from a therapist he assumed would guide him back to a healthy sleep schedule.Instead, he encountered an apathy that stunned him.“So what?” he recalls her saying.
“So what if you don’t sleep? If you wake up, read a book.Find ways to be productive in your loneliness.”The advice resonated.
Today, the comedian is still reading alone, only now he has a dog — and an audience.A lifelong reader, Jeselnik has transformed his literary habit into a popular online book club, Jeselnik Book Club, where he recommends novels and invites discussion on his YouTube channel.
His first video, posted in January and reviewing Jim Thompson’s “The Getaway,” garnered over 31,000 views.Each month, he chooses a novel and offers it up for discussion.“My goal was to curate and give people their best shot at enjoying reading,” he says.
It’s a valiant effort, considering that reading has been in a steady decline.Last year, it was reported that the number of American readers had declined by 40% over the previous two decades.
Books From romance and memoirs to mystery and fantasy, here are the 101 best book club picks, according to a survey of more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and book club fans.“People will say, ‘Oh, I don’t like reading books.’ You’re choosing the wrong books,” says Jeselnik, his voice likely ringing with his signature snark because he, for the most part, knows otherwise.In 2022, bestselling writer Isaac Fitzgerald, who recently released the anticipated “American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed,” witnessed the power of a Jeselnik recommendation.
“A friend texted me that Anthony Jeselnik, a comedian who...