If you’re one of those readers with a short attention span looking for some laughs, look no further. Sam Lipsyte’s fifth book, "The Fun Parts" is exactly what you need. This work of contemporary fiction is organized into thirteen short stories with outrageous characters and story lines.

As an esteemed writer hailing from New York, Lipsyte is a veteran when it comes to comedic writing. His previous works include "Venus Drive," "The Subject Steve," "Home Land," and "The Ask," all of which have received high praise and some have even been featured on the New York Times Bestseller and Notable Book lists.

"The Fun Parts" shows Lipsyte’s signature satirical and humorour writing style at its best because his stories are so out there. There are three stories which stuck out most to me because of their intentional shock values. “The Climber Room”, is about Tovah Gold, a 36-year-old pre-school teacher who would rather be writing poetry, but has to deal with a wealthy, demanding father who pays her a “call girl's fee” to babysit his daughter. In “Deniers,” Tovah makes a reappearance as a friend to Mandy Gottlieb, a recovering drug addict working as a dance instructor at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) taking care of her bedridden father who survived the Holocaust. In a twist of irony, Mandy reaches out to a mysterious man who happens to be an ex-Neo Nazi. Perhaps the most wild tale Lipsyte spins is “The Wisdom of the Doulas,” just what exactly is a doula is for the reader to discover. It will not be disappointing, I promise.

Almost all of the stories include characters who suffer from drug addiction, abandonment, mental illness, or self-loathing. This can at times put a damper on the stories because they feel sad and a little repetitive, yet each story is unique in its own plot and eccentricity. For example, in “The Republic of Empathy,” the reader experiences six different perspectives all connected in one short story that produces a distinct and unexpected conclusion. Ultimately, it is Lipsyte’s witty prose that serves as the comic relief to put the ‘fun’ into "The Fun Parts." At times the stories can seem very confusing and end abruptly with loose ends, but this is what keeps the book fresh and interesting. I highly recommend this to anyway with a sense of dark humor looking for a short and interesting read.

Reach Contributor Kara Prior here.