Book ~ "An Embarrassment of Critch's: Immature Stories from My Grown-Up Life" (2021) Mark Critch

From Goodreads ~ One of Mark Critch's earliest acting gigs was in a Newfoundland tourist production alongside a cast of displaced fishery workers. Since, he's found increasing opportunities to take his show on the road. In "An Embarrassment of Critch's", the star of CBC's "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" revisits some of his career's - and the country's - biggest moments, revealing all the things you might not know happened along the way: A wishful rumour spread by Mark's father results in his big break; two bottles of Scotch nearly get him kicked out of a secret Canadian airbase in the United Arab Emirates; and for anyone wondering how to get an interview with the Prime Minister and Bono (yes, that Bono) on the same evening, Critch might recommend a journey to the 2003 Liberal Convention.

Critch's top-secret access to all of the funniest behind-the-scenes moments involve many of the charismatic and notorious politicians we love to see blush, including fearless leaders Justin Trudeau, Stephen Harper, Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien, celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and Robin Williams, and other colourful figures he's met over years of pulling off daring skits at home and abroad. 

Remember when MP Carolyn Parrish took her boot to George W. Bush Jr.'s head in an interview? Or when Critch asked Justin Trudeau where the best place to smoke pot on Parliament Hill was before pulling out a joint for them to share? There's more to each of those stories than you know. Though Critch has spent years crisscrossing the country - and the globe - with the explicit aim of causing trouble everywhere he goes, like the best journeys, this one takes him right back home. 

Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work on the CBC comedy series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  I must admit that I've never watched This Hour Has 22 Minutes but I do know who Mark Critch is ... he was in The Grand Seduction, a fun movie I've seen quite a few times (in fact, I just watched it again a couple weeks ago).

I like reading bios/autobios, he's Canadian and I grew up in the Atlantic provinces so that's why it caught my eye.  Plus I'd read his first book, Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir, and liked it

This book picks up when Critch was trying to figure out what to do with his life.  He knew he wanted to entertain and his first big job was with a theatre group in Trinity, a small town in Newfoundland.  His big break came when he got a two week gig writing for This Hour Has 22 Minutes in 2003 and he's still there!  Over the years, he has met many people, travelled to many places all over the world and have had many adventures, and it was interesting to read about it.  He has a lot of guts and this bodes him well when he has to charge up to get interviews from unsuspecting people.

I liked this book.  I liked the writing style and thought it was honest and amusing at times.

Book ~ "Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir" (2018) Mark Critch

From Goodreads ~ A heartfelt and outrageously funny memoir about Newfoundland, family and being the weirdest kid in school

What could be better than growing up in the 1980s? How about growing up in 1980s Newfoundland, which as Mark Critch will tell you, was more like the 1960s. Critch takes us to where it all began in this tremendously funny and warm look back on his formative years. A "recovering Catholic," he recalls his many misadventures growing up on the outskirts of a small town. And when your radio-star dad is the talk of the town and your mom can't stop talking at all, life at home is always entertaining. 

Best known as the "roving reporter" for CBC's "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", Mark Critch has photo-bombed Justin Trudeau, interviewed Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle (while impersonating Alan Doyle), offered Pamela Anderson a million dollars to stop acting, and crashed White House briefings. But in this hilarious debut, we learn that Critch has been causing trouble his whole life. Son of a Critch will have you longing for life in Canada's most unique province - even if you've never been there - and marvelling at how one person's childhood could be so ridiculously funny. 

Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work on the CBC comedy series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  I must admit that I've never watched This Hour Has 22 Minutes but I do know who Mark Critch is ... he was in The Grand Seduction, a fun movie I've seen quite a few times.

I like reading bios/autobios, he's Canadian and I grew up in the Atlantic provinces so that's why it caught my eye.

This book focuses on Mark's childhood.  His stories about growing up in Newfoundland, being in a Catholic school, living on the outskirts of town, having a dad who was who was on the radio (the station was next door), being a weird naïve kid (someone put a condom in his sandwich and he had no idea what it was) and more were amusing.  There are lots of pictures of him and his family over the years.

I liked this book ... I found it funny and I liked the writing style.  Fans of Critch and This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Newfoundlanders will probably really enjoy it.