Borders® Buyers Recommend Quirky Humor Gifts More Than Ever This Season

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— When times are tough, the tough get laughing—at least according to the buyers at Borders. They have selected a group of quirky humor gift ideas—some irreverent, some downright silly and even some outrageous—that are sure to coax a much needed smile out of anyone this season. Ideas range from books to various gift and stocking stuffer items and are generally at lower price points, so there is something for every shopper—and Borders has put it all together on a big display table at the front of its stores focused on the “Weird, Wacky & Fun.”

Zan Farr, humor book buyer for Borders, says that the display of gift items includes dozens of books that encourage readers to laugh at themselves, at history, at others and the absurd. “We have books that help ease people’s minds in troubled times, books that are pure fun and books that bring out the alter ego in even the most serious readers. With appealing prices and interesting packaging, there truly is something for everyone on our Borders quirky humor table,” Farr noted.

Her personal recommendations include:

· “I Can Has Cheezburger” by Professor Happy Cat—“This little gem is a spin-off from the outrageously popular Web site www.lolcats.com. Open this book to any page and find crazy photos of real cats and curious captions from their owners. Somehow, it is hilarious and Borders customers love this book so much that we are the market leader in sales of this title.”

· “Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News with Baby Animals” by Amanda McCall and Ben Schwartz—“Trust us, no animals were harmed in the making of this book, but the adorable photos of baby animals do help deliver some quite unsavory news. In a handy postcard format, this book almost makes you wish you had some bad news to share with friends. For example, there is no better way to let them know ‘It’s only sunny because there’s a hole in the ozone layer’ than with a darling photo of two puppies playing in a wagon.”

· “XXX Porn for Women” by the Cambridge Women’s Pornography Cooperative—“Don’t get upset by the title, this triple x is for the extra large laughs only. They say that women consider emptying the dishwasher and taking out the garbage to be aphrodisiacs, and this book proves it. High quality photos feature extremely handsome (and often shirtless) men doing all the things that women would love to have handsome men (or even their husbands) do for them day in and day out--for example, a husband happily vacuuming the house while simultaneously cooking dinner and expressing undying love for his mate. What could be better than that for every woman on the gift list?”

· “Bro Code” by Barney Stinson (of TV hit “How I Met Your Mother” fame)—“It’s time to SUIT UP! For fans of this hit series, Stinson’s guide is a useful manual on exactly what Bros do and don’t do and helps address such sticky questions as: ‘Is it okay to hug a Bro?’ ‘If I’m invited to a Bro’s wedding, do I really have to bring a gift?’ If not the ‘Bro Code,’ then an equally hip choice for the guy in anyone’s life is the ‘Zombie Survival Guide’ by Max Brooks, which is also very useful and offers complete protection from the ‘living dead.’”

· “Too Fat to Fish” by Artie Lange—“This pal of Howard Stern has written the hit humor book of the season! Lange seems like a good guy who is something of a train wreck but fans have been flocking to book signings and he is touring hard. This is the perfect book for a ‘guy’s guy.’ If not ‘Too Fat to Fish,’ Tucker Max may fit the gift bill with his bestseller, ‘I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.’ Certainly not for everyone on your list, but if you have someone who appreciates debauchery, this raunchy ride just may be the perfect gift solution. For a female version of this same type of tale, look for Chelsea Handler’s ‘My Horizontal Life,’ which chronicles her, well, horizontal life.”

Shoppers will find much more than books on Borders’ “Weird, Wacky & Fun” gift table; they’ll also find a wide assortment of gift items, many of which make great stocking stuffers.

Category Manager Jason Dickman of Borders’ Paperchase gift and stationery group recommends a host of novelty gifts including:

· Glitter balls—“You have to see them to believe how mesmerizing these toy balls are. Impossibly tiny, colorful bits of glitter are suspended and swirl about inside a highly bouncy ball. Hours of fun and relaxation too!”

· Buddha—“Depictions of the ‘enlightened one’ have become iconic symbols today for those seeking peace and tranquility from within. This year, gift givers will find everything Buddha at Borders from novelty pocket Buddhas to Buddha banks and even desktop Buddhas that light up—now that’s true enlightenment!”

· Survival kits—“These indispensable kits—there’s one for ‘shemergency’ and ‘hemergency’ situations—contain essential items any guy or gal needs when traveling away from home.”

· Wacky toys—“Who can’t use an extendable ‘freeloader fork’ on Christmas morning to nab a pancake off a family member’s plate from three seats away? Or, how about a ‘rubber band shooter’ to startle a snoozing Uncle Harry? We have them both—and more crazy (but useful) toys—at Borders this holiday season.”

The Borders “Weird, Wacky & Fun” gift tables are featured now throughout the holiday season in all Borders stores nationwide and many items are also available online at Borders.com. For shoppers looking for more gift ideas, Borders and its expert buyers have come to the rescue this season with the “Wonderland of Perfect Gifts” shop at www.borders.com/gifts that identifies 80 different interest areas and provides specific gift ideas in every price range, covering everyone on any shopper’s holiday list with a total of more than 3,000 gift ideas and a completely unique shopping experience.