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[[Category:New Reviews|Humour]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->{{newreview|authorclass-"wikitable" cellpadding=Mario Giordano"15" <!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE--><!-- van LENTE -->|title=Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions-|ratingstyle=4"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|genre=Crime|summary[[image:1683690346.jpg|link=Poldi had not long been widowed when she decided to move from Bavaria to Sicily with the intention of drinking herself to deathhttp://www.amazon. She could, of course, have done this in Germany, but she felt that a sea view was essentialco. Once there, new friends, family already resident on the island and the corpse of a young man, his face blown off by a shotgun, whom she found on the local beach, intervened to give her life some meaninguk/dp/1683690346/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente]]=== [[image:4star. For a while she was a suspectjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], but that (and her wig) were no obstacle to her falling [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for Commissario Vito Montana who was assigned to investigate the case. Assisting him (or having him assist her) came naturally to Poldi many people, and before long there was an investigative when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, he's looking for both that and sanctuary with other fans and personal partnershipcreators, plus the chance of maybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. At least so far as Poldi was concerned.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908524693</amazonuk>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]]}}{{newreview|author= Grady Hendrix<!-- Coulton -->|title= My Best Friend's Exorcism-|ratingstyle= 5"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|genre= Horror[[image:1473669588.jpg|summarylink=1988, Charleston, South Carolinahttp://www.amazon.co. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinnyuk/dp/1473669588/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-dipping goes disatrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act...different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries - and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single questionalign: Is their friendship enough to beat the devil?left;"||amazonuk=<amazonuk>1594748624</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Kevin MacNeil|title=The Brilliant and Forever|rating[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton]]=== 3.5|genre= Humour[[image:4star.jpg|summarylink= You know sometimes when someone tells a joke, everyone else laughs, and you're sat there wondering what was so funny?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846973376</amazonuk>}}Category:{{{newreview|author= Christopher Fowler|title= Bryant and May: Strange Tide|rating= 3.5}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General Fiction|genre= CrimeGeneral Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|summary= The thirteenth outing for Bryant and May is looking very much like it will be their last. Arthur Bryant is on compassionate leave whilst tests are continuing, which are likely to confirm that he is suffering from AlzheimerHumour]], [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]] Lex Coulton's. His condition debut novel is worsening almost by the day, memory lapses are morphing into full-scale hallucinationsa story about mistakes, failures, and relationships.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857523422</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Kevin Smith|title=The Voyage of the Dolphin|rating=5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Dublin 1916: Among the unrest main protagonist, Frances Pilgrim, is a sixth form English teacher who has recently fallen out with her best friend Jackson, a work colleague, and anti-British feeling worsened by is grappling with the threat increasingly eccentric behaviour of conscription into a war seen as nothing to do with the Irish, Trinity College faculty has other distractionsher mother. They'd like a trophy; This relationship is complicated by the skeleton of an Irish 'giant' to be precise. The only glitch is fact that the main trophy contender, Bernard MacNeillFrances's skeleton, is somewhere difficult to access and all seasoned explorers are otherwise engagedfather disappeared at sea when she was five years old. There may be hope though[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton|Full Review]] <!-- van LENTE -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1683690346. They turn to Fitzmaurice, a student not good enough for anything elsejpg|link=http://www.amazon. Fitzmaurice agrees, picking his friends Crozier and Rafferty to go with him. So… ''Gentlemen, lace up your strongest boots and pack your warmest underwear – we're all off to the bloody Arctic!'' Whether battle cry or epitaph, three men and a dog… and an iguana… are going anywayco.uk/dp/1683690346/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  |amazonukstyle=<amazonuk>1910124826</amazonuk>"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||amazonus=<amazonus>1910124826</amazonus>}}{{newreview|author=Tony Hawks|title=Once Upon a Time in the West… Country|rating[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente]]===3|genre=Travel[[image:4star.jpg|summarylink=I have often complained in a jokey voice to my partner about life in the sticksCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], and the way she moved me from an inner[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Comic-city flat to slumming it in the suburbs with fewer bussesCons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, no takeaways within walking-andwhen Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-keeping-food-hot distanceCon, and no he'Polish' shops s looking for a can both that and sanctuary with other fans and creators, plus the chance of beer whenever you fancy onemaybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. Things are different with Tony HawksHowever, when his rival is found dead, as here he has purposefully decided Mike is forced to up sticks from London navigate every dark corner of the con in order to Somewhereclear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, Devon – a tiny village where the people who built their own homes decades ago still live in themdoing so, where slugs are may just unravel a lot more of dark secret behind a problem for the wannabe lettuce-grower than they are for the metropolitan commuter, and where village halls have the power to turn you into both a Pol Pot dictator if you get on their committee and into a quivering, bruise-inducing wreck if you're the wrong gender at a Zumba class…legendary industry creator. [[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444794809</amazonuk!-- Curran -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle=Marian Keyes"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|title=Making It Up As I Go Along|rating=4[[image:1683690133.5jpg|genrelink=Entertainmenthttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1683690133/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  |summarystyle=Oh, how the book reviewing gods like to give, and equally like to take away. Here before me is a brand, spanking new collection of journalism by the wonderful Marian Keyes – but it"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[My Lady's a proof copy, so there's no photo of the authorChoosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris]]=== [[image:4star. Even if over the years I have stopped reading her novelsjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], I have always turned to the author picture to remind myself such sights exist in this world. Himself is [[:Category:Historical Fiction|Historical Fiction]] You are a lucky man, for surelass of twenty eight. But beyond sounding like a letchPlucky, what can I say about this – penniless and in Regency era London the beautyrace is on to find a suitable suitor - or else doom yourself to life as an eternal spinster. Along your journey you's third large dose of essaysll be accompanied by Lady Evangeline Youngblood - a fiesty noble eager to save you from a life alone, web columns and other journalism? I can start with agreeing that I am not the target audiencefired by a rogueish sense for adventure. When it comes to suitors though, but ityou's easy enough ll have to see from these pages exactly what make the target is. So much like that test you do – you know ultimate decision between witty, pretty and wealthy Sir Benedict Granville, wholesome, rugged and caring Captain Angus MacTaggart, or the onemad, that formulates decisions about the age bad and commonality of all things in space to come up with how many billions of planets are likely to have alien life on – you can narrow things down quite readily hereterrifyingly sexy Lord Garraway Craven. With orphans, werewolves, long lost lovers and still come up with a huge numberancient Egyptian artifcats along the way, it's clear this isn't going to be an easy decision...[[My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0718182529</amazonuk!-- Jester -->}}{{newreview|author= Jean-Yves Ferri|titlestyle= Asterix and the Missing Scroll (Album 36)"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating= 5[[image:Jester_Forever.jpg|genre= For Sharingleft|summarylink=Asterix is those rarest of book series; one designed for kids which is actually even funnier when you are an adulthttps://www.amazon.co. I used to love Asterix as a child, but now that I reread them I can't help but wonder why, because they are so full of hilarious jokes that I definitely wouldn't have understood when I was younger. I laughed loud and hard to myself twice within the first two pages of Asterix and the Missing Scroll, so I'd definitely say that this was uk/gp/product/1510704361?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1510704361]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Forever After: a hit.|amazonukdark comedy by David Jester]]===<amazonuk>1510100458</amazonuk>}}[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{newreviewrating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Paranormal|author=Spadge Whittaker|title=Braver Than BritainParanormal]], Occasionally|rating=4[[:Category:Horror|Horror]], [[:Category:Fantasy|Fasntasy]]|genre=Humour|summary=In which Spadge researches Britain's top ten fears Michael Holland is a cocky and brash young man who dies and faces them all over gets made the course offer of a yearhis lifetime; immortality. We're quite follow Michael, a fearful society, you know. And the things we fear most are, in order: heights grim reaper and his friends Chip (acrophobiaa stoner tooth fairy), snakes and Naff (ophidiophobia), public speaking (glossophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), small spaces (claustrophobia), mice (musophobia), needles (trypanophobia), flying (pteromerhanophobia), crowds (agoraphobiaa stoner in the records department) as they grapple with their long lives and clowns (coulrophobia)finding a clean surface to sit on in their flat.[[Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0993429904</amazonuk!-- Stibbe -->}}{{newreview|author= Mike Bullen-|titlestyle= Trust"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating= 4[[image:Stibbe_Xmas.jpg|genre= General Fictionleft|summarylink= Greg and Amanda are happyhttps://www. Unmarried, but together thirteen years and with two young daughters, they are very much in loveamazon. Dan and Sarah aren't so fortunateco. Their marriage is going through the motions, and they're staying together for the sake of their troubled teenage son. Following a business conference away from home, one bad decision sends a happy couple into turmoil, and turns an unhappy couple into love's young dream. As secrets and betrayals threaten to send both relationships out of control, there's only one thing that can keep everything from falling apartuk/gp/product/0241309824?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0241309824]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: Trustleft;"||amazonuk=<amazonuk>0751559253</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Dan Rhodes=[[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe]]===|title=When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow|rating=[[image:4.55star.jpg|genrelink=General Fiction|summary= Two people are on a train on their way toCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], [[:Category:Short Stories|Short Stories]] Christmas – the time of all things, traditional trauma. You only have to think about the turkey for that – once upon a WI meeting where the ladies of All Bottoms will be lectured time it was leaving it sat on the non-existence of God. One of the two people is Professor Richard Dawkins, rampant atheist, hectoring scientist chappiedownstairs loo to defrost overnight, and allif that failed the hair-round devotee of dryer shoved inside it treatment was your next best bet. Nowadays it's all having to make sure it'Deal or No Deal''. The other is Smee, his monos suitably free-named assistantrange and organic – but not too organic that you can go and visit it, amanuensis or 'male secretary'. Smee will come and get too friendly with it to the fore when the weather sets in and the train journey has want to be abandoned some way short of its ultimate destinationeat it. Christmas, Upper Bottom. Instead the pair fetch up at the isolated yet friendly community of Market Hortonthough, and the only option for accommodation is taken – yes, the died-in-the-wool non-believer has to be housed by of course also a retired vicar and his wifetime of great boons. This clash of titanic opinions, peppered with social faux pas aplenty will provide It's cash in hand for a particularly English kind lot of farcical comedyplump people who can hire red suits and beards, but one it was always a godsend for postmen with all the legs thank-you letters to go aunties you saw twice a decade that your parents made you write out in long-hand as far a child, and as for the makers of Meltis Newberry Fruits – well, did they even try and sell them any other Good Books have reached in time of the past…year? [[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe|amazonuk=Full Review]] <amazonuk>1910709018</amazonuk!-- Doescher -->}}{{newreview|author=Rob Temple-|titlestyle=Very British Problems Abroad"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating=4[[image:Doescher_Will.jpg|left|genrelink=Humourhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/159474985X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=159474985X]]  |summarystyle=Meet, if you haven"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[William Shakespeare't already, s the phenomenon of Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Very British ProblemSeventh by Ian Doescher]]=== [[image:4.5star. In this format they're in pithy little comments (ofjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] A long time ago, ooh, about 140 characters in length, for some reason…) and detail the minor things in life that we like nothing more than to inflate a galaxy far away, there was a man called William Shakespeare, who was able to create a major factor series of lifedramatic histories full of machinations most foul, rulers most evil and rebellious heroes and heroines most sturdy. They can involve mannersYou may or may not have noticed the cinematic version of his original stage play for ''The Force Doth Awaken'', staring but here at things until they mend themselves, hitting things ditto, or last we get the fact that nobody apart from you actual script, complete with annoying-in-different-ways-to-before droids anew, returning heroes from elsewhere in his oeuvre, and I know how to queue properlypeople keeping it in the family til it hurts. And if the idea hits the world outside our shoresyou need further encouragement, then – well, you certainly have a book full don't forget his audience only demanded three parts of content regarding our attitude and ineptitude abroad.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0751558494</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewHenry VI – here the series is so popular we're on to part seven – surely making this over twice as good… [[William Shakespeare's the Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh by Ian Doescher|author=Fraser McAlpineFull Review]]|title=Stuff Brits Like|rating=4<!-- Goss -->|genre=Humour-|summarystyle= With over 100 chapters on different aspects of Britain and Britishness, this book is both fascinating and hilarious"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Goss_600. Just looking at the list of subjects is enough to produce a sardonic twist of that stiff upper lip: the chapters cover topics that range from offal to curry, from pedantry to banter, from conkers to rugbyjpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co. There may be many chapters but this is no academic tome uk/gp/product/1785942719?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag- each chapter is just two to three pages long, each is written with endearing affection, each is easy and satisfying - and quirkily funny - to read.|amazonuk21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>1857886348</amazonuk>1785942719]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle= John Samuel"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title= What I Tell You in the Dark|rating= 3.5|genre= Humour|summary=[[Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred: A man called Will is fighting fiercely against corruption – desperate to expose his companyCollection of Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and Russell T Davies]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Children's dodgy dealings to the press. Overcome with doubt Rhymes and fear, he goes to kill himself. ButVerse|Children's Rhymes and Verse]], at the exact moment he attaches his noose to the back of the door[[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], he is saved[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Consider the Doctor. By a curious housemate or a concerned girlfriend? NoJust how many birthday and Christmas gifts must he have to hand out each year, by an Angel. Not the white-feathered guardian Angel you may expect, but one who wishes were he to help Will achieve his ends, and so possess the body of the hapless Will keep in order to finish what he started. It goes without saying that the Angel is hoping things go better than they did touch with the last guy he possessed – even half of his companions? He would certainly need a hapless young man from Galilee called Jesus…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0715650505</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= John Niven|title= The Sunshine Cruise Company|rating= 4.5|genre= Humour|summary= Susan Frobisher and Julie Wickham live in a small Dorset town. Friends since schoolfew novelty gifts for some of them, say, for example, whimsical books of verse that pithily encapsulate the life of a Time Lord and that of some of his friends and enemies. As luck would have it, they live fairly uneventful lives – Susan he has a lovely house and a lengthy marriage the space in his TARDIS to accountant Barrystock up in advance, whereas Julie is doing slightly less well so my advice to him – sorry, her – living in a council flat would be to pop along to his local Earth-based book emporium and get himself ready. And if you're working in an old people's home. When Barry is found dead trussed up in on a shorter timescale, with a sex dungeonshorter lifespan, it transpires that he has been leading a hidden life for yearsand thinking perhaps just one gift season ahead, and his expensive fetishes lead to well my advice is pretty much the bank moving to take Susan's homesame. Struck by both desperation and a sense [[Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of injustice, Sue Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and Julie conspire to rob a bank, taking along their friend Jill – a devout Christian conflicted due to lack of money and a terminally ill grandson, and Ethel – a foul mouthed resident of the nursing home longing for adventure.Russell T Davies|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0434023183</amazonuk!-- Ingram -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle=Marie Phillips"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|title=The Table Of Less Valued Knights[[image:Ingram_Kammie.jpg|rating=4.5left|genrelink=Fantasyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785451995?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1785451995]]  |summarystyle=Sir Humphrey has been demoted from King Arthur's Round Table to the Table of Lesser Valued Knights"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram]]=== [[image:4star. The only way to get his comfier seat back is to redeem himself via jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Pets|Pets]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] It was something of a quest. Therefore relief when damsel Elaine seeks help to find I encountered Annie Ingram and her kidnapped fiancé, Humphrey and his ward, the teenage giant Conrad, eagerly set forthcocker spaniel Kammie. Meanwhile in the kingdom of TuftYou see, new Queen Martha Annie knows something which has run away after been self-evident to me for a disastrous wedding to… a… well… disastrous Prince Edwin. She may long time: dogs are perfectly capable of communicating with humans and not realise it yetjust on a level of food!, walk! or play!. You do require extensive training to become fluent, but she too most dogs will be perfectly willing to give their time to teach you and all you have a job for Humphrey!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099555875</amazonuk>to do is listen. Annie has studied hard: Kammie has trained her well and the pair have allowed us to share some of their conversations. [[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram|Full Review]]}}{{newreview<!-- Harris -->|author=Tim Flannery-|titlestyle=The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Harris_Glass.jpg|ratinglink=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1908943823/ref=nosim?tag=3thebookbag-21]] |genre=Historical Fiction|summarystyle=Meet Archie Meek. He's about to leave the Venus Islands, where he's lived for the last five years, and return to Sydney, where he'll take his office in the museum and fill it with all the cultural artefacts he's found and wildlife he's plucked or pickled"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Breaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris]]=== [[image:3star. That's not to ignore the fact he'll count as something quite alien himselfjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], with [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Teenager Liam Glass is mugged and stabbed yards from his filled-out frame, nearly allCamden flat. As the boy lies comatose, desperate journalist Jason Worthington scrabbles for the inside scoop, tired police officer Andy Rockham searches for a missing tape, harried politician Jamila Hasan fights for re-over suntan election, distraught mother Katrina Glass waits by her son, and totemic tattoo, gym-owner Royland simply finds himself in amongst other changes to his bodythe wrong place at the wrong time. But what's We follow this? When he gets back, he finds one host of the main Venus Islands artefacts that caused him to go there ensemble characters in the first place, a hugebleak, macabre ceremonial fetish mask, purloined as corporate artwork. And some kaleidoscopic satire of the curators he wishes to work alongside have vanishedmodern media. Is the weird society [[The Breaking of the museum he's returning to, perchance, even weirder, stranger and more violent than the cannibalistic society he's waving farewell to?Liam Glass by Charles Harris|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1922079308</amazonuk!-- LENTE -->}}{{newreview|author=Roman Dirge-|titlestyle=The Cat with a Really Big Head"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Lente_10.jpg|ratinglink=3http://www.amazon.co.5uk/dp/1683690222/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] |genre=Graphic Novels|summarystyle= How many picture books are there about cats? And how many do you know that you would really NOT prefer your children to see? If the answer "vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Nine comedians are invited to a remote Caribbean island under the second question is 'none – yet'guise of working with Dustin Walker, scratch that last worda comedic legend. The title piece in this collection isEach fits neatly into one of the archetypal comic stereotypes: Steve, by the author's own admissionwashed-up has-been who has fallen far from his early days; Zoe, his imagining of the Joseph Merrick (the 'Elephant Man') of rising female star with a new stand-up special coming soon; Dante, who went from being a kid on the feline world – who struggles streets to sneak up behind a mouse when the shadow of his head is a total giveawayhardest working road comic in the business; Oliver, and who can hardly even eat with dignity as bending down to the child-like prop comic who can't get any respect from his bowl would break his neck. peers; Janet, the insult comic who is past her prime; If that's too dark or oddball for youTJ, try the second major piece, which has nightly variety show host with a most revealing foreword – ''Dedicated to a certain girl… I hope your life is filled with wonderful accomplishmentsreputation for harassing his female colleagues and guest acts; Ruby, love and all the magic you desire… ultra- But I hope your death is slow feminist YouTuber and Blogger with a chip on her shoulder; and horrible.William, whose redneck character ''Billy the Contractor''|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782762876</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Val Hennessy|title=Not Far From Dreamland|rating=4is a far cry from his real personality as a posh millionaire.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=Ronald Tonks has reached that stage in life which I call upper middle age: youOf course, all nine agree because ''ve qualified when God almighty walks down on a beam of light and asks for your pension but not yet got help, what the hell else are you going to the free television licence barrier. What Ronald say?''has'' got is a roof that leaks (there's good reason why his home is called 'the shack'), a dog who is going bald (in patches) and money that's in very short supply[[Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]] <!-- Scott -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Scott_Eliz.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co. On the plus side he has friends, mostly platonic and usually in much the same boat as Ronald. But are they downhearteduk/dp/1788037006/ref=nosim? Well, they are occasionally, but mostly they're generously optimistic and out to make the most of what they've gottag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Elizabeth, usually bought from charity shops William... and jumble salesMe by S Lynn Scott]]=== [[image:4. ''Not Far From Dreamland'' is the story of a year (2012) in the life of Ronald Tonks, his friends and relatives.|amazonuk5star.jpg|link=<amazonuk>0704373874</amazonuk>Category:{{{rating}}}{{newreviewStar Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|author=Harry HarrisonHumour]] |title=BillAlly is an ordinary woman with teenage children, a husband and a job. Then comes the day when ordinariness flies out of the Galactic Hero|rating=3window.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Meet Bill. HeIt's not a simple farmer – well, he coincidence that it''is'' taking a correspondence course s the same day she finds Queen Elizabeth I in the pantry and the Bard of Avon in being a Technical Fertiliser Operator – but fate has something else in storeher bath. And so does the mechanised, technological, industrial military, which needs several billion grunts to fight the Chingers, in mankindWhat's first inter-galactic war. Stillshe going to do? Well, at least he gets medals just for signing up. After Elizabeth and Will have their own ideas about that it's all downhill! [[Elizabeth, William... and the likes of Petty Chief Officer Deathwish Drang can only make that a straight line down. Really, what hope is there?Me by S Lynn Scott|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>147320531X</amazonuk!-- Rodford -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle=Ian Doescher"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|title=William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace[[image:Rodford_Surgeon.jpg|ratinglink=4http://www.amazon.co.5uk/dp/178565005X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  |genrestyle=Humour"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||summary= Join us, good gentles, for a merry reimagining of `Star Wars Episode 1==[[The Surgeon' as only Shakespeare could have written it. 'Tis a true Shakespearean drama, filled with sword fights, soliloquies and doomed romance…all in glorious iambic pentameter and coupled with gorgeous illustrations. Hold on to your midichlorianss Case: The plays the thing, wherein you'll catch the rise of Anakin!George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by E G Rodford]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1594748063</amazonuk>Category:{{{rating}}}{{newreview|author=Attaboy|title=The Book of HugsStar Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|rating=4Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|genre=Humour]] |summary=A hug's In the second instalment of this series, Private Investigator George Kocharyan has been hired by a hugwell-known local man to track down some missing valuables. Bill Galbraith, OK? You either do, or you dona world-famous surgeon at Cambridge's Addenbrooke't. Some people might be s Hospital who hosts a little more enthusiastic about the process whilst others are more elegant popular medical television programme, has had his briefcase stolen by his live-in the execution of the hugdomestic servant, but basically you just get on and do Aurora. According to Galbraith, this briefcase contains confidential notes concerning an important patient of his at the hospital. George agrees to look into the theft, assuming it will be a relatively easy and then forget straightforward case – little does he know, he's about it, right?to enter a world of deceit and dysfunction. [[The Surgeon's Case: George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by E G Rodford|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk!-- Jordan -->0867197978</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Christopher Fowler-|titlestyle= Bryant and May – The Burning Man"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Jordan_Tiny.jpg|ratinglink=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1760293814/ref=nosim?tag=4thebookbag-21]] |genre=Crime|summarystyle= The Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) has a new set of overlords"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan]]=== [[image:5star. For reasons that were explored in the previous couple of outings they have been transferred to the City Of London Police. The Met are still the big players in the area. City of London Police only police the old cityjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]], the square mile[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] As predicted by Caroline and Janice's mother on Caroline and Henry's wedding day, the financial district in other wordstheir marriage is over, that has very little in 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 way awkwardness of street crime, because no-one lives there anymore and the people who work girls' schoolteacher being the other woman for a start. Then there are, by 's that mistaken identity moment involving the neighbours. At least Janice is well adjusted and largeover her ex-husband Alec. She still dreams of him, either too rich to need to stealyes, or too smart to have to do but it's so on over! Just as well really… guess who's at the streets.door? [[Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857522043</amazonuk!-- Taylor -->}}|-{{newreview|author| style=Catharina Ingelman"width: 10%; vertical-Sundbergalign: top; text-align: center;"|title=The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again! [[image:Taylor_Scilly.jpg|ratinglink=3http://www.amazon.co.5|genreuk/dp/178475515X/ref=Humour|summarynosim?tag=Following the success of ''thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules'', the League Life of Pensioners are back – and this time, they’re in Vegas! I haven’t read the first book but it was on my list when the opportunity arose to review this onea Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor]]=== [[image:4.5star. The idea of the League of Pensioners marching towards a fairer world through fun and frolics was hugely appealing to me and this is a stand alone novel so I thought I would dive straight in with this one.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447274903</amazonuk>jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}}{{newreviewStar Reviews]] [[:Category:Travel|author=WinshlussTravel]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]|title=In God We Trust|rating=4Meet the Isles of Scilly.5|genre=Graphic Novels|summary=To start with, (I know they should be called that – the author provides a rhetorical test. How about God and Adam playing badminton day in and day out, until one gets bored and decides handy guide to create Eve? Or the defeater etiquette of Goliath their name, their nature and the saviour of the Israelites being one Conan the Barbarian? Or this as a test – Jesus Himself failing to have a successful session location, etc.) For our more distant readers, they're several chunks of tequila slammers with Gabriel due to granite rock out in the holes through His hands? I barely need mention that in these pages God does battle with SupermanAtlantic, where Cornwall is pointing, with just 2,200 permanent residents. They're big on tourism, for you to have answered the test and put yourself firmly big on growing flowers in one of two camps for this book the tropical climate the Gulf Stream bequeaths them – one very much opposed although the weather is bad enough to turn any car to buying it, and one very much in favoura rust bucket within years.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0861662350</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=David Walliams They're so wee, and Tony Ross|title=The Queen's Orangso idyllic-Utan|rating=5|genre=For Sharing|summary=The Queen felt trapped in the palace with all those stuffed animals which she has been given on foreign tours. There are mountains of them and every seeming, especially at night she , you can be mistaken for thinking there would dream of escapingbe no need for a police presence. When her birthday drew near the family dutifully asked her what she would like as a presentBut there is – at least two working at any one time. The Prince was thinking And one of a goldthem in recent years has been Colin Taylor, diamond encrusted stairlift whilst who has done his official duty – alongside maintaining a well-known online existence, which has brought to life all the Duke was considering a great big bottle whimsical comedy of brandyhis work. [[The Royal Baby had some decorated thimbles in mind, but the Queen became just Life of a little snappish as she explained that what she really wanted was 'One's own orang-utan'. And she didn't mean a stuffed one, either.Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008135134</amazonuk!-- Lloyd -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle=Jack Sheffield"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|title=Silent Night[[image:Lloyd_Twas.jpg|ratinglink=3http://www.amazon.co.5uk/dp/1472125118/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] |genre=General Fiction|summarystyle=I read a couple of Jack Sheffield’s books about five years ago, and enjoyed them very much. They were written in a similar style to those popularised by, for instance, James Herriot or [["vertical-align:Categorytop; text-align:Gervase Phinnleft;"|Gervase Phinn===[['Twas the Fight Before Christmas: A Parody by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees]], told mostly in the first person, describing the author’s first couple of years as Headmaster at a small village primary school in Yorkshire=== [[image:3.5star. The village of Ragley is fictional, as are most of the characters, but the incidents and situations encountered are based on the author’s experience.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0552167045</amazonuk>}}jpg|link=Category:{{{newreview|author=J Robert Lennon|title=See You In Paradise|rating=3}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]|genre=Short Stories|summary=Lennon writes with a relaxed, easy style It's Christmas Eve and his characters are instantly recognisable as people from everyday walks of life, without being in any way stereotypical. Many Mum has arranged everything. All she now has to do is await the arrival of the people in these stories are dealing with normal frustrations, relatives and Lennon is cleverly detached enough not to make them individuals that you're obviously supposed to root for (the only exception is food shopping delivery. Little does Mum know that those two elements alone have the industrialist in the eponymous tale, who is an archetypal capitalist fat cat)potential to ruin everything. There are some very clever characterisations – in '[['Weber’s Head'', for example, Twas the narrator is a flawed individual whose opinions of his housemate are gradually revealed to be unreliable and unfairFight Before Christmas: A Parody by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees|Full Review]] <!-- Phinn -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Phinn_Virgin. For me, the most unsettling story is ''No Life'', because it portrays a decent couple at the mercy of people more powerful and influential than them. There is no supernatural or bizarre element at work here, just ordinary characters at the mercy of social power.jpg|left|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1781253358<http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1444779400/amazonuk>ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Lynne Truss"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=Cat out of Hell|rating=3|genre=Horror|summary=Meet Alec Charlesworth. He[[The Virgin Mary's retired and decamped to an isolated coastal cottage with just his dog and loving memories of his colleague wife, now that she has died before her time. But the fusty librarian cannot rest too long before engaging in exploring some unusual computer files that were pinged across Got Nits by someone at the college he worked at, just before he leftGervase Phinn]]=== [[image:4.5star. Bizarrely they show photographic and audio evidence of a talking cat called Roger, replete with Vincent Price voice – although they are also damaged by being included alongside some bad screenplay attempts about said cat. Worryinglyjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], we soon see what at the most only [[:Category:Anthologies|Anthologies]] Christmas in our house is the time we tend to get on a few of the characters canplane and head to either sun or snow, anywhere that this cat is being accompanied by unusual and unexpected death – much like Alec's wife. It's only when Roger testifies far, far away from the madness at home, last minute dashes to having been pushed through the ends of endurance shops on Christmas Eve, and out the other side food cupboard stockpiles that we begin to doubt where would imply supermarkets are shutting for a month, nor a mere 36 hours. But I do remember the true evil in this story lies…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099585340</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Jimmy Hansen feeling of Christmas when I was younger, back when it was magical, and Mychailo Kazybird|title=Wallace & Gromit : The Complete Newspaper Strips Collection Vol 2|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary=For 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 there are two important areas of right back to the cover wonder of this book where three letters are arranged in meaningful waysChristmas as a child. [[The first is with the SVirgin Mary's Got Nits by Gervase Phinn|Full Review]] <!-- North --U>|-N in their obligatory red and white font. No minor paper could hold Wallace and Gromit, their adventures have to be in what is (unfortunately) the most widely read tabloid in the country. And elsewhere is C| style="width: 10%; vertical-Balign: top; text-E, suggesting that even the storytellers at Aardman Animations who are not household names are feted align: center;"|[[image:North_Romeo.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0356508536/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Romeo and revered /or Juliet by Ryan North]]=== [[image:3.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] 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 the quarrelling, or Death by Tybalt (him) or a long life running an establishment curing murderous women, such as artistic experts, raising many laughs and much money for the country courtesy of their creative output. Together these short collections of letters show just how much WaG are major creations, and if the proof was needed this much longer collection of their daily comic strips provides it in spades.a Lady M (her). [[Romeo and/or Juliet by Ryan North|Full Review]] <!-- DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -->|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782760822</amazonuk>}}