Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good

For anyone curious about the life and times of film director and über-geek Kevin Smith—who in his early 20s made a debut splash with the independent film Clerks—this audio version of his memoir breaks down 41 years of rule-breaking and chronicles Smith’s work as filmmaker, comic book store owner, and podcaster. Offering up an amazingly fun and loose performance that often boasts the spontaneity of a podcast, Smith takes listeners through his life story with good-natured—if occasionally brutal—honesty. In his narration, Smith occasionally strays from the text, starting during the introduction when he apologizes for background noise and confesses that he is under the influence: “If you gotta read your own book: be stoned.” Smith’s genuine enthusiasm lends his narration an intimacy that would be difficult for another performer, no matter how talented, to achieve. Listeners are likely to feel that instead of listening to an audiobook, they’re engaged in a conversation—albeit one-sided—with Kevin Smith. A Gotham hardcover. (Mar.)