Upcoming reads: Judd Apatow on comedy, Aziz Ansari on sociology

Upcoming books by producer, director and writer Judd Apatow and actor/comedian Aziz Ansari are taking the comedy genre in new directions.

Interest is high for books that give a glimpse into the lives and minds of comedians, with Tina Fey's "Bossypants," Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" and Amy Poehler's "Yes Please!" among recent examples.

Following that trend, Poehler's "Parks and Recreation" co-star Aziz Ansari is readying a book for release June 14, although his approach -- as suggested by the book's unusual cover, revealed this week -- is a bit different.

As Ansari explains on his website, the comedian teamed up with New York University sociologist Eric Klineberg to design a research project that involved conducting hundreds of interviews and focus groups from "Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita."

What were they looking for? A deeper understanding of a subject he often brings to his stand-up routines: modern dating, love and romance.

Ansari Apatow

The cover of Ansari's new book "Modern Romance: An Investigation" and Apatow's "Sick In The Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy".

Coming on June 16, Judd Apatow's "Sick In The Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" (details of which were also revealed this week) is to be a collection of three decades of "intimate," "hilarious," "memorable" and "revealing" conversations Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin,""Bridemaids") has had with US comedy greats such as Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin and Roseanne, as well as Jon Stewart, Louis C.K., Roseanne and newcomer Amy Schumer.

The genre shows no signs of slowing down: a debut book by Billy Eichner, another "Parks and Recreation" alum and creator of the Funny or Die game show "Billy on the Street," was announced last year, with a release tentatively scheduled for 2017.