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===[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente]]===
[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]
Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, and when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, he's looking for both that and sanctuary with other fans and creators, plus the chance of maybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. However, when his rival is found dead, Mike is forced to navigate every dark corner of the con in order to clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, in doing so, may just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator. [[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]]
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===[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton]]===
[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General Fiction|General Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]]
Lex Coulton's debut novel is a story about mistakes, failures, and relationships. The main protagonist, Frances Pilgrim, is a sixth form English teacher who has recently fallen out with her best friend Jackson, a work colleague, and is grappling with the increasingly eccentric behaviour of her mother. This relationship is complicated by the fact that Frances's father disappeared at sea when she was five years old. [[Falling Short by Lex Coulton|Full Review]]
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===[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente]]===
[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]
Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, and when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, he's looking for both that and sanctuary with other fans and creators, plus the chance of maybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. However, when his rival is found dead, Mike is forced to navigate every dark corner of the con in order to clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, in doing so, may just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator. [[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]]
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As predicted by Caroline and Janice's mother on Caroline and Henry's wedding day, their marriage is over, albeit 15 years and two daughters further along than predicted. Indeed, this is definitely not a good weekend for Janice to be babysitting at Caroline's house. There's the split and the awkwardness of the girls' schoolteacher being the other woman for a start. Then there's that mistaken identity moment involving the neighbours. At least Janice is well adjusted and over her ex-husband Alec. She still dreams of him, yes, but it's so over! Just as well really… guess who's at the door? [[Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan|Full Review]]
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===[[The Life of a Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor]]===
[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Travel|Travel]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Meet the Isles of Scilly. (I know they should be called that – the author provides a handy guide to the etiquette of their name, their nature and location, etc.) For our more distant readers, they're several chunks of granite rock out in the Atlantic, where Cornwall is pointing, with just 2,200 permanent residents. They're big on tourism, and big on growing flowers in the tropical climate the Gulf Stream bequeaths them – although the weather is bad enough to turn any car to a rust bucket within years. They're so wee, and so idyllic-seeming, especially at night, you can be mistaken for thinking there would be no need for a police presence. But there is – at least two working at any one time. And one of them in recent years has been Colin Taylor, who has done his official duty – alongside maintaining a well-known online existence, which has brought to life all the whimsical comedy of his work. [[The Life of a Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor|Full Review]] <!-- DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE Lloyd -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Lloyd_Twas.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472125118/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[['Twas the Fight Before Christmas: A Parody by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees]]=== [[image:3.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}}Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]
{{newreview|author=Colin Taylor|title=The Life of a Scilly Sergeant|rating=4.5|genre=Travel|summary=Meet the Isles of Scilly. (I know they should be called that – the author provides a handy guide to the etiquette of their name, their nature and location, etc.) For our more distant readers, they're several chunks of granite rock out in the Atlantic, where Cornwall is pointing, with just 2,200 permanent residents. They're big on tourism, and big on growing flowers in the tropical climate the Gulf Stream bequeaths them – although the weather is bad enough to turn any car to a rust bucket within years. They're so wee, and so idyllic-seeming, especially at night, you can be mistaken for thinking there would be no need for a police presence. But there is – at least two working at any one time. And one of them in recent years has been Colin Taylor, who has done his official duty – alongside maintaining a well-known online existence, which has brought to life all the whimsical comedy of his work.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178475515X</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees|title='Twas the Fight Before Christmas: A Parody|rating=3.5|genre=Humour|summary=It's Christmas Eve and Mum has arranged everything. All she now has to do is await the arrival of the relatives and the food shopping delivery. Little does Mum know that those two elements alone have the potential to ruin everything.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472125118</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Ryan North|title=Romeo and/or Juliet|rating=3.5|genre=Humour|summary=For all those who think tragedy plots are too restricted and prescribed, read on. In these pages you too will see that Romeo had lots of options en route to hitting the bottle. Likewise, she could have turned away from her predestined path at no end of junctures. And to what result? Well, happy marriage and a kid called Ben, because the leads have just banged people[['s heads together and stopped Twas the quarrelling, or Death Fight Before Christmas: A Parody by Tybalt (him) or a long life running an establishment curing murderous women, such as a Lady M (her). Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0356508536</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]
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===[[The Virgin Mary's Got Nits by Gervase Phinn]]===
Christmas in our house is the time we tend to get on a plane and head to either sun or snow, anywhere that is far, far away from the madness at home, last minute dashes to the shops on Christmas Eve, and food cupboard stockpiles that would imply supermarkets are shutting for a month, nor a mere 36 hours. But I do remember the feeling of Christmas when I was younger, back when it was magical, and back when you knew exactly what the season would bring with carol concerts and school nativities and Christmas parties. This book is an anthology of those moments, and it took me right back to the wonder of Christmas as a child. [[The Virgin Mary's Got Nits by Gervase Phinn|Full Review]]
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{{newreview<!-- North -->|author= Kieran Crowley-|titlestyle= Shoot"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating= 4[[image:North_Romeo.jpg|genrelink= Crime|summary= I make something of a habit of being late to discover good writers, in this case getting to Crowley after he is no longer with ushttp://www. The result is that what is billed as ''an Famazon.Xco. Shepherd mystery'' with all the optimism of there being more to come has the poignancy of being, if not the last of a short line, certainly one of a few. F.X. Shepherd – he doesn't like his first name and prefers just "Shepherd" is, technically, a columnist. He's been sacked by one New York newspaper and is writing a weekly column for another. I don't know much about journalism, but I'm guessing one column a week doesn't pay much as a rule…which explains why Shepherd's soap-washed-foul-mouthed editor (read the book, you'll see what I mean) expects him to turn in some genuine journalism as well: front page, seat of your pants stuff. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783296518<uk/dp/0356508536/amazonuk>}}{{newreview|authorref=Gray Jolliffe|titlenosim?tag=The First Ever Christmas: And Who to Blamethebookbag-21]]|rating=5|genre=Humour|summarystyle=If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to tell anyone? Well, I really don't like Christmas"vertical-align: it's my least favourite time of year and whilst some people count down to the day itself, I look forward to that point when I can say that it's all over for another year. It's all too commercialised for me, with a coating of faux religion. I've never found it in the least funny top; text- that is, until I found Gray Jolliffe's ''The First Ever Christmasalign: And Who's to Blame''. Amazingly, I'd never encountered Gray Jolliffe either, but I'm a convert to his skills as a cartoonist (if not to the idea of Christmas) after reading this collection of Christmas-themed cartoons from his archive.left;"||amazonuk=<amazonuk>1445663503<==[[Romeo and/amazonuk>}}{{newreview|authoror Juliet by Ryan North]]=Jonathan Pugh|title=Pugh's New Year's Resolutions|rating=4.5|genre=Humour|summary=If there's one thing that's for certain, it's that the world is changing[[image:3. We're dating online, we're communicating in ways that make email seem redundant, and when we're shopping we just tell a website where and when it can be delivered, and how much leeway they have to swap our wishes for whatever it is they do bring us. But those changes are also supposed to be affecting us – we're supposed to use a smart watch to tell us if we're moving or not, we have to keep up with the latest fads, and we're supposed to prick our ears up and take note when the proverbial 'they' change their minds about what we're supposed to eat5star.jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1780722885</amazonuk>}}Category:{{{newreview|author= Luke Rhinehart|title= Invasion|rating= 4.5}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|genre= Humour ]] |summary=Super-intelligent furry aliens suddenly appear from another universeFor all those who think tragedy plots are too restricted and prescribed, read on. And they've come to earth to have fun. Alien Louie follows fisherman Billy Morton home one day, and he and his family quickly come In these pages you too will see that Romeo had lots of options en route to love hitting the playful alienbottle. But when Louie starts using their computer to hack into government and corporate networksLikewise, stealing millions she could have turned away from banks her predestined path at no end of junctures. And to give to otherswhat result? Well, they realise that Louie and his friends mean trouble. As Billy happy marriage and his family begin a roller coaster ride of fame and fortunekid called Ben, as well as a ranking high on because the FBIleads have just banged people's most wanted list, the Government soon decides that these aliens are terrorists, heads together and must be eliminated. Whilst the aliens are playing games they hope will help humans to see the insanity of stopped the American politicalquarrelling, economic and military systemsor Death by Tybalt (him) or a long life running an establishment curing murderous women, they soon come to realise that the Powers that Be don't play games: they make warsuch as a Lady M (her). |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785651757<[[Romeo and/amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Rod Greenor Juliet by Ryan North|title=Only Fools and Horses: The Peckham ArchivesFull Review]]|rating=4|genre=Entertainment |summary=We are in the world of one of the country's most famous and well<!--loved sitcoms – even if it was sortDO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -of killed off for Christmas 2003. Yes, there have been specials since, and more repeats to clog up the BBC schedules than is really pukka, but very few people failed to succumb to its charms at one time or another. I'm sure there have been books before now celebrating the stony-faced reception of ''that'' drop through the open bar hatch, and ''that'' chandelier scene, but this is much more meaty. Purporting to be the family archives, found dumped in Nelson Mandela House, the documents here were passed from pillar to post, from one council worker in a department with a clumsy acronym to another, from them to the police – and now here they are being published for their social history worth. Will enough readers find them of worth, as the series quietly celebrates its 35th birthday?>|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849909245</amazonuk>}}
