donnambrownuk

When I first discovered Hyperbole and a Half, I had been going through a little bit of a dark time. I found the Adventures in Depression post and the blog was like a huge mug of hot chocolate and some hot apple pie on a cold day. It was so comforting, warming and kicked a huge dent in my loneliness.

Somebody, somewhere, understood. More than that, this person was immensely talented and they had a unique and incredible way to illustrate (in both the literal and figurative senses) things that were incredibly hard to explain.

I wasn't remotely surprised to find, when spending more time on Hyperbole and a Half, that it was full of amazing things. Funny things, inspiring things, heartwarming things. And I wasn't remotely surprised to find the book Hyperbole and a Half was the paper equivalent of a giant ball pool, made of marshmallows and filled with Skittles. It's a hug in book form, full of warmth and goodness but also wry humour, a healthy dose of fun-poking and wonderful wonderful illustrations.

Like The Oatmeal, Hyperbole and a Half is spreading colour and inspiration in a world that can seem unbearably heavy and drab at times. Buy this as a gift. Who for? Anyone. Everyone. Buy it and make a new friend purposefully to give them this book. Buy it and leave it as a Random Act of Kindness. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your dog!

You can't buy happiness, but you can buy Hyperbole and a Half and a vanilla latte and - for a winter's afternoon - that's just about close enough.