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[[Category:New Reviews|Humour]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->{{newreview|authorclass-"wikitable" cellpadding=Graham Fulbright"15" <!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE--><!-- van LENTE -->|title=Driving Mad: Maniacs, Morons and the Advanced Motorist's Club-|ratingstyle=3.5"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|genre=Humour[[image:1683690346.jpg|summarylink=I passed my driving test when John F Kennedy was in the White House and I've recently had to reapply for my driving licence having achieved a venerable agehttp://www. When I started driving the roads were kinder, more forgiving places - or put another way, the idiots were fewer and further betweenamazon. I don't know how long Graham Fulbright has been driving, but he certainly knows his motoring morons and in ''Driving Mad'' he brings us a fictional sample of their eccentricitiesco. Well, I'm pretty certain that they're fictional uk/dp/1683690346/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag- but these days you never know...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783062584</amazonuk>}}21]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=Mario Giordano"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title=Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions|rating=4=[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente]]===|genre=Crime[[image:4star.jpg|summarylink=Poldi had not long been widowed when she decided to move from Bavaria to Sicily with the intention of drinking herself to death. She couldCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], of course[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, have done this in Germanyand when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, but she felt he's looking for both that a sea view was essential. Once thereand sanctuary with other fans and creators, new friends, family already resident on the island and plus the corpse chance of a young manmaybe, just maybe reuniting with his face blown off by a shotgunex. However, whom she when his rival is found on the local beachdead, intervened Mike is forced to give her life some meaning. For a while she was a suspect, but that (and her wig) were no obstacle to her falling for Commissario Vito Montana who was assigned to investigate navigate every dark corner of the case. Assisting him (or having him assist her) came naturally con in order to Poldi clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and before long there was an investigative intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and personal partnership. At least , in doing so far as Poldi was concerned, may just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator.[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]]  |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908524693</amazonuk!-- Coulton -->}}{{newreview|author= Grady Hendrix-|titlestyle= My Best Friend's Exorcism"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating= 5[[image:1473669588.jpg|genrelink= Horror|summary=1988, Charleston, South Carolinahttp://www.amazon. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth gradeco. But after an evening of skinnyuk/dp/1473669588/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-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 21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text- 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?|amazonukleft;"|===[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton]]==<amazonuk>1594748624</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Kevin MacNeil|title=The Brilliant and Forever[[image:4star.jpg|ratinglink= 3.5Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General Fiction|genre= General Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|summary= You know sometimes when someone tells Humour]], [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]] Lex Coulton's debut novel is a jokestory about mistakes, everyone else laughsfailures, and you're sat there wondering what was so funny?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846973376</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Christopher Fowler|title= Bryant 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 May: Strange Tide|rating= 3.5|genre= Crime|summary= The thirteenth outing for Bryant and May is looking very much like it will be their lastis grappling with the increasingly eccentric behaviour of her mother. Arthur Bryant This relationship is on compassionate leave whilst tests are continuing, which are likely to confirm complicated by the fact that he is suffering from AlzheimerFrances'sfather disappeared at sea when she was five years old. His condition is worsening almost [[Falling Short by the day, memory lapses are morphing into full-scale hallucinations.Lex Coulton|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857523422</amazonuk!-- van LENTE -->}}|-{{newreview|author| style=Kevin Smith"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|title=The Voyage of the Dolphin[[image:1683690346.jpg|ratinglink=5|genrehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1683690346/ref=Historical Fiction|summarynosim?tag=Dublin 1916thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: Among the unrest and antitop; text-British feeling worsened align: left;"|===[[The Con Artist by the threat of conscription into a war seen as nothing to do with the Irish, Trinity College faculty has other distractionsFred Van Lente]]=== [[image:4star. They'd like a trophy; the skeleton of an Irish 'giant' to be precise. The only glitch is that the main trophy contenderjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], Bernard MacNeill's skeleton[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, is somewhere difficult to access and all seasoned explorers are otherwise engaged. There may be hope though. They turn to Fitzmauricewhen Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, a student not good enough he's looking for anything else. Fitzmaurice agrees, picking his friends Crozier both that and Rafferty to go sanctuary with him. So… ''Gentlemenother fans and creators, lace up your strongest boots and pack your warmest underwear – we're all off to plus the bloody Arctic!'' Whether battle cry or epitaphchance of maybe, three men and a dog… and an iguana… are going anywayjust maybe reuniting with his ex.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910124826</amazonuk>|amazonus=<amazonus>1910124826</amazonus>}}{{newreview|author=Tony Hawks|title=Once Upon a Time However, when his rival is found dead, Mike is forced to navigate every dark corner of the con in the West… Country|rating=3|genre=Travel|summary=I have often complained in a jokey voice order to clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to my partner about life zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, in the sticksdoing so, and the way she moved me from an innermay just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator. [[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]] <!-city flat to slumming it in the suburbs with fewer busses, no takeaways within walking-andCurran -keeping-food>|-hot distance, and no 'Polish' shops for a can of beer whenever you fancy one| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1683690133.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co. Things are different with Tony Hawks, as here he has purposefully decided to up sticks from London to Somewhere, Devon – a tiny village where the people who built their own homes decades ago still live in them, where slugs are a lot more of a problem for the wannabe lettuceuk/dp/1683690133/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-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…21]]  |amazonukstyle=<amazonuk>1444794809</amazonuk>"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|}}{{newreview|author=Marian Keyes|title=Making It Up As I Go Along|rating=4.5|genre[[My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris]]===Entertainment|summary[[image:4star.jpg|link=OhCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], how the book reviewing gods like to give[[:Category:Historical Fiction|Historical Fiction]] You are a lass of twenty eight. Plucky, penniless and equally like in Regency era London the race is on to find a suitable suitor - or else doom yourself to take awaylife as an eternal spinster. Here before me is a brand, spanking new collection of journalism by the wonderful Marian Keyes – but itAlong your journey you's ll be accompanied by Lady Evangeline Youngblood - a fiesty noble eager to save you from a proof copylife alone, so there's no photo of the authorand fired by a rogueish sense for adventure. Even if over the years I have stopped reading her novels, I When it comes to suitors though, you'll have always turned to make the author picture to remind myself such sights exist in this world. Himself is a lucky manultimate decision between witty, pretty and wealthy Sir Benedict Granville, for sure. But beyond sounding like a letchwholesome, what can I say about this – rugged and caring Captain Angus MacTaggart, or the beauty's third large dose of essaysmad, bad and terrifyingly sexy Lord Garraway Craven. With orphans, werewolves, web columns long lost lovers and other journalism? I can start with agreeing that I am not ancient Egyptian artifcats along the target audienceway, but it's easy enough clear this isn't going to see from these pages exactly what the target isbe an easy decision... So much like that test you do – you know the one, that formulates decisions about the age [[My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran 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 here, and still come up with a huge number.Larissa Zageris|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0718182529</amazonuk!-- Jester -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle= Jean"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-Yves Ferri|title= Asterix and the Missing Scroll (Album 36)align: center;"|rating= 5[[image:Jester_Forever.jpg|genre= For Sharingleft|summarylink=Asterix is those rarest of book serieshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1510704361?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1510704361]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left; one designed for kids which is actually even funnier when you are an adult"|===[[Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester]]=== [[image:4star. I used to love Asterix as a child, but now that I reread them I can't help but wonder whyjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Paranormal|Paranormal]], because they are so full of hilarious jokes that I definitely wouldn't have understood when I was younger. I laughed loud [[:Category:Horror|Horror]], [[:Category:Fantasy|Fasntasy]] Michael Holland is a cocky and brash young man who dies and hard to myself twice within gets made the first two pages offer of Asterix and the Missing Scrollhis lifetime; immortality. We follow Michael, so I'd definitely say that this was a hitgrim reaper and his friends Chip (a stoner tooth fairy) and Naff (a stoner in the records department) as they grapple with their long lives and finding a clean surface to sit on in their flat.|amazonuk=[[Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester|Full Review]] <amazonuk>1510100458</amazonuk!-- Stibbe -->}}{{newreview|author=Spadge Whittaker-|titlestyle=Braver Than Britain, Occasionally|rating=4"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Stibbe_Xmas.jpg|genreleft|link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241309824?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=Humour0241309824]]  |summarystyle=In which Spadge researches Britain's "vertical-align: top ten fears and faces them all over the course of a year. We're quite a fearful society, you know. And the things we fear most are, in order; text-align: heights (acrophobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), public speaking (glossophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), small spaces (claustrophobia), mice (musophobia), needles (trypanophobia), flying (pteromerhanophobia), crowds (agoraphobia) and clowns (coulrophobia).|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0993429904</amazonuk>}}left;"|===[[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{newreview|author= Mike Bullen|title= Trust|rating= 4|genre= General Fiction}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|summary= Greg and Amanda are happy. UnmarriedHumour]], but together thirteen years and with two young daughters, they are very much in love[[:Category:Short Stories|Short Stories]] Christmas – the time of traditional trauma. Dan and Sarah aren't so fortunate. Their marriage is going through You only have to think about the turkey for that – once upon a time it was leaving it sat on the motionsdownstairs loo to defrost overnight, and they're staying together for if that failed the sake of their troubled teenage sonhair-dryer shoved inside it treatment was your next best bet. Following a business conference away from home, one bad decision sends a happy couple into turmoil, and turns an unhappy couple into loveNowadays it's young dream. As secrets and betrayals threaten all having to send both relationships out of control, theremake sure it's only one thing suitably free-range and organic – but not too organic that you can keep everything from falling apart: Trust|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0751559253</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Dan Rhodes|title=When the Professor Got Stuck go and visit it, and get too friendly with it to want to eat it. Christmas, though, is of course also a time of great boons. It's cash in the Snow|rating=4.5|genre=General Fiction|summary= Two hand for a lot of plump people are on who can hire red suits and beards, it was always a train on their way to, of godsend for postmen with all things, a WI meeting where the ladies of All Bottoms will be lectured on the nonthank-existence of God. One you letters to aunties you saw twice a decade that your parents made you write out in long-hand as a child, and as for the makers of the two people is Professor Richard Dawkins, rampant atheist, hectoring scientist chappieMeltis Newberry Fruits – well, did they even try and all-round devotee sell them any other time of ''Deal or No Deal''. The other is Smee, his monothe year? [[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe|Full Review]] <!-- Doescher -named assistant, amanuensis or 'male secretary'. Smee will come to the fore when the weather sets in and the train journey has to be abandoned some way short of its ultimate destination, Upper Bottom. Instead the pair fetch up at the isolated yet friendly community of Market Horton, and the only option for accommodation is taken – yes, the died-in>|-the| style="width: 10%; vertical-wool nonalign: top; text-believer has to be housed by a retired vicar and his wifealign: center;"|[[image:Doescher_Will.jpg|left|link=https://www.amazon.co. This clash of titanic opinions, peppered with social faux pas aplenty will provide for a particularly English kind of farcical comedy, but one with the legs to go as far as any other Good Books have reached in the past…|amazonukuk/gp/product/159474985X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>1910709018</amazonuk>159474985X]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Rob Temple"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=Very British Problems Abroad|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary=Meet, if you haven[[William Shakespeare't already, s the phenomenon of Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Very British Problem. In this format they're in pithy little comments (of, ooh, about 140 characters in length, for some reason…) and detail the minor things in life that we like nothing more than to inflate to a major factor of lifeSeventh by Ian Doescher]]=== [[image:4.5star. They can involve mannersjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], staring at things until they mend themselves, hitting things ditto, or the fact that nobody apart from you and I know how to queue properly. And if the idea hits the world outside our shores[[:Category:Humour|Humour]] A long time ago, then – wellin a galaxy far away, you certainly have there was a book man called William Shakespeare, who was able to create a series of dramatic histories full of content regarding our attitude machinations most foul, rulers most evil and rebellious heroes and ineptitude abroadheroines most sturdy.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0751558494</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Fraser McAlpine|title=Stuff Brits Like|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary= With over 100 chapters on different aspects of Britain and Britishness You may or may not have noticed the cinematic version of his original stage play for ''The Force Doth Awaken'', this book is both fascinating and hilarious. Just looking but here at last we get the list of subjects is enough actual script, complete with annoying-in-different-ways-to produce a sardonic twist of that stiff upper lip: the chapters cover topics that range from offal to curry-before droids anew, returning heroes from pedantry to banterelsewhere in his oeuvre, from conkers to rugby. There may be many chapters but this is no academic tome - each chapter is just two to and people keeping it in the family til it hurts. And if you need further encouragement, don't forget his audience only demanded three pages long, each parts of Henry VI – here the series is written with endearing affection, each is easy and satisfying - and quirkily funny - so popular we're on to read.part seven – surely making this over twice as good… [[William Shakespeare's the Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh by Ian Doescher|amazonuk=Full Review]] <amazonuk>1857886348</amazonuk!-- Goss -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle= John Samuel"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Goss_600.jpg|titleleft|link= What I Tell You in the Darkhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785942719?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1785942719]]  |ratingstyle= 3.5"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|genre= Humour|summary===[[Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred: A man called Will is fighting fiercely against corruption – desperate to expose his company's dodgy dealings to the press. Overcome with doubt Collection of Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and fear, he goes to kill himself. But, at the exact moment he attaches his noose to the back of the door, he is savedRussell T Davies]]=== [[image:4. By a curious housemate or a concerned girlfriend? No, by an Angel5star. Not the white-feathered guardian Angel you may expect, but one who wishes to help Will achieve his endsjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Children's Rhymes and Verse|Children's Rhymes and Verse]], and so possess the body of the hapless Will in order to finish what he started[[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Consider the Doctor. It goes without saying that the Angel is hoping things go better than they did with the last guy he possessed – 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 Just how many birthday and Christmas gifts must he have to hand out each year, were he to keep in touch with even half of his companions? He would certainly need a small Dorset town. Friends since schoolfew novelty gifts for some of them, say, they live fairly uneventful lives – Susan has for example, whimsical books of verse that pithily encapsulate the life of a lovely house Time Lord and that of some of his friends and a lengthy marriage to accountant Barryenemies. As luck would have it, whereas Julie is doing slightly less well – living he has the space in a council flat and working in an old people's home. When Barry is found dead trussed up his TARDIS to stock up in a sex dungeonadvance, it transpires that he has been leading a hidden life for yearsso my advice to him – sorry, and his expensive fetishes lead her – would be to the bank moving pop along to take Susan's homehis local Earth-based book emporium and get himself ready. Struck by both desperation and And if you're working on a sense of injusticeshorter timescale, Sue and Julie conspire to rob with a bankshorter lifespan, taking along their friend Jill – a devout Christian conflicted due to lack of money and a terminally ill grandsonthinking perhaps just one gift season ahead, and Ethel – a foul mouthed resident of well my advice is pretty much the nursing home longing for adventuresame.[[Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and 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|rating=4[[image:Ingram_Kammie.5jpg|genre=Fantasyleft|summarylink=Sir Humphrey has been demoted from King Arthur's Round Table to the Table of Lesser Valued Knights. The only way to get his comfier seat back is to redeem himself via a quest. Therefore when damsel Elaine seeks help to find her kidnapped fiancé, Humphrey and his ward, the teenage giant Conrad, eagerly set forthhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785451995?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1785451995]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram]]=== [[image:4star. Meanwhile in the kingdom of Tuft, new Queen Martha has run away after a disastrous wedding to… a… well… disastrous Prince Edwin. She may not realise it yet, but she too will have a job for Humphrey!|amazonukjpg|link=<amazonuk>0099555875</amazonuk>}}Category:{{newreview{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Pets|author=Tim FlanneryPets]], [[:Category:Humour|title=The Mystery of the Venus Island FetishHumour]]|rating=3|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Meet Archie MeekIt was something of a relief when I encountered Annie Ingram and her cocker spaniel Kammie. He's about You see, Annie knows something which has been self-evident to leave the Venus Islands, where he's lived me for the last five years, a long time: dogs are perfectly capable of communicating with humans and return to Sydneynot just on a level of food!, 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 walk! or pickledplay!. That's not You do require extensive training to ignore the fact he'll count as something quite alien himselfbecome fluent, with his filled-out frame, nearly but most dogs will be perfectly willing to give their time to teach you and all-over suntan and totemic tattoo, in amongst other changes you have to his bodydo is listen. But what's this? When he gets back, he finds one of Annie has studied hard: Kammie has trained her well and the main Venus Islands artefacts that caused him pair have allowed us to go there in the first place, a huge, macabre ceremonial fetish mask, purloined as corporate artworkshare some of their conversations. [[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram|Full Review]] <!-- Harris -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Harris_Glass. And some of the curators he wishes to work alongside have vanished. Is the weird society of the museum he's returning to, perchance, even weirder, stranger and more violent than the cannibalistic society he's waving farewell to?jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1922079308<http://amazonuk>www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1908943823/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Roman Dirge"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=The Cat with a Really Big Head|rating=3.5|genre=Graphic Novels|summary= 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 to the second question is 'none – yet', scratch that last word. [[The title piece in this collection isBreaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris]]=== [[image:3star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], by [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Teenager Liam Glass is mugged and stabbed yards from his Camden flat. As the author's own admissionboy lies comatose, his imagining of desperate journalist Jason Worthington scrabbles for the Joseph Merrick (the 'Elephant Man') of the feline world – who struggles to sneak up behind a mouse when inside scoop, tired police officer Andy Rockham searches for a missing tape, harried politician Jamila Hasan fights for re-election, distraught mother Katrina Glass waits by her son, and gym-owner Royland simply finds himself in the wrong place at the shadow wrong time. We follow this host of his head is ensemble characters in a total giveawaybleak, and who can hardly even eat with dignity as bending down to his bowl would break his neck. If that's too dark or oddball for you, try the second major piece, which has a most revealing foreword – ''Dedicated to a certain girl… I hope your life is filled with wonderful accomplishments, love and all the magic you desire… kaleidoscopic satire of modern media. [[The Breaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris|Full Review]] <!-- LENTE -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text- But I hope your death is slow and horrible.''align: center;"|[[image:Lente_10.jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1782762876<http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1683690222/amazonuk>ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Val Hennessy"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title=Not Far From Dreamland|rating=4.5=[[Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente]]===|genre=General Fiction[[image:4star.jpg|summarylink=Ronald Tonks has reached that stage in life which I call upper middle ageCategory: you've qualified for your pension but not yet got {{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Nine comedians are invited to a remote Caribbean island under the free television licence barrierguise of working with Dustin Walker, a comedic legend. What Ronald ''has'' got is a roof that leaks (there's good reason why Each fits neatly into one of the archetypal comic stereotypes: Steve, the washed-up has-been who has fallen far from his home is called 'early days; Zoe, the shack')rising female star with a new stand-up special coming soon; Dante, a dog who is going bald (in patches) and money that's went from being a kid on the streets to the hardest working road comic in very short supply. On the plus side he has friendsbusiness; Oliver, mostly platonic and usually in much the same boat as Ronald. But are they downhearted? child-like prop comic who can't get any respect from his peers; Janet, the insult comic who is past her prime; WellTJ, they are occasionallythe nightly variety show host with a reputation for harassing his female colleagues and guest acts; Ruby, but mostly they're generously optimistic the ultra-feminist YouTuber and out to make the most of what they've gotBlogger with a chip on her shoulder; and William, usually bought from charity shops and jumble sales. whose redneck character ''Not Far From DreamlandBilly the Contractor'' is the story of a year (2012) in the life of Ronald Tonks, far cry from his friends and relativesreal personality as a posh millionaire.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0704373874</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Harry Harrison|title=BillOf course, all nine agree because ''when God almighty walks down on a beam of light and asks for your help, what the Galactic Hero|rating=3.5hell else are you going to say?'' [[Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente|Full Review]] <!-- Scott -->|genre=Science Fiction-|summarystyle=Meet Bill. He's a simple farmer – well, he ''is'' taking a correspondence course in being a Technical Fertiliser Operator – but fate has something else in store"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Scott_Eliz. And so does the mechanised, technological, industrial military, which needs several billion grunts to fight the Chingers, in mankind's first inter-galactic warjpg|link=http://www.amazon. Still, at least he gets medals just for signing upco. After that it's all downhill, and the likes of Petty Chief Officer Deathwish Drang can only make that a straight line down. Really, what hope is there?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>147320531X</amazonuk>uk/dp/1788037006/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Ian Doescher"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title===[[Elizabeth, William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace... and Me by S Lynn Scott]]=== |rating=[[image:4.55star.jpg|genrelink=HumourCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|summary= Join usHumour]] Ally is an ordinary woman with teenage children, good gentles, for a merry reimagining husband and a job. Then comes the day when ordinariness flies out of `Star Wars Episode 1the window. It' as only Shakespeare could have written s not a coincidence that it. 'Tis a true Shakespearean drama, filled with sword fights, soliloquies s the same day she finds Queen Elizabeth I in the pantry and doomed romance…all the Bard of Avon in glorious iambic pentameter and coupled with gorgeous illustrationsher bath. Hold on What's she going to your midichlorians: The plays the thingdo? Well, wherein you'll catch the rise of AnakinElizabeth and Will have their own ideas about that![[Elizabeth, William... and Me by S Lynn Scott|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk!-- Rodford -->1594748063</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Attaboy-|titlestyle=The Book of Hugs"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating=4[[image:Rodford_Surgeon.jpg|genrelink=Humour|summary=A hughttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/178565005X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Surgeon's a hug, OK? You either do, or you don'tCase: George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by E G Rodford]]=== [[image:4star. Some people might be a little more enthusiastic about the process whilst others are more elegant in jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] In the execution second instalment of the hugthis series, but basically you just get on and do it and then forget about itPrivate Investigator George Kocharyan has been hired by a well-known local man to track down some missing valuables. Bill Galbraith, a world-famous surgeon at Cambridge's Addenbrooke's Hospital who hosts a popular medical television programme, right?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0867197978</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Christopher Fowler|title= Bryant and May – The Burning Man|rating=4|genre=Crime|summary= The Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) has a new set of overlords. For reasons that were explored had his briefcase stolen by his live-in the previous couple domestic servant, Aurora. According to Galbraith, this briefcase contains confidential notes concerning an important patient of outings they have been transferred to his at the City Of London Policehospital. The Met are still the big players in the area. City of London Police only police George agrees to look into the old citytheft, the square mileassuming it will be a relatively easy and straightforward case – little does he know, the financial district in other words, that has very little in the way he's about to enter a world of street crime, because no-one lives there anymore deceit and the people who work there are, dysfunction. [[The Surgeon's Case: George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by and large, either too rich to need to steal, or too smart to have to do so on the streets.E G Rodford|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857522043</amazonuk!-- Jordan -->}}{{newreview|-|authorstyle=Catharina Ingelman"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-Sundbergalign: center;"|title=The Little Old Lady Who Struck Lucky Again! [[image:Jordan_Tiny.jpg|ratinglink=3http://www.amazon.5|genre=Humourco.uk/dp/1760293814/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|summary===Following the success of ''The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules''[[Our Tiny, the League 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 oneUseless Hearts by Toni Jordan]]=== [[image: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:{{{newreviewrating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|author=WinshlussHumour]]|title=In God We Trust|rating=4.5|genre=Graphic Novels|summary=To start with, a rhetorical test. How about God As predicted by Caroline and Adam playing badminton day in Janice's mother on Caroline and Henry's wedding day out, until one gets bored their marriage is over, albeit 15 years and decides to create Eve? Or 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 defeater of Goliath split and the saviour awkwardness of the Israelites girls' schoolteacher being one Conan the Barbarian? Or this as other woman for a test – Jesus Himself failing to have a successful session of tequila slammers with Gabriel due to the holes through His hands? I barely need mention start. Then there's that in these pages God does battle with Superman, for you to have answered mistaken identity moment involving the test neighbours. At least Janice is well adjusted and put yourself firmly in one over her ex-husband Alec. She still dreams of two camps for this book – one very much opposed to buying him, yes, but it's so over! Just as well really… guess who's at the door? [[Our Tiny, and one very much in favour.Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0861662350</amazonuk!-- Taylor -->}}{{newreview|author=David Walliams and Tony Ross-|titlestyle=The Queen's Orang"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-Utanalign: center;"|rating=5[[image:Taylor_Scilly.jpg|genrelink=For Sharinghttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/178475515X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  |summarystyle="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Queen felt trapped in the palace with all those stuffed animals which she has been given on foreign toursLife of a Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor]]=== [[image:4. There are mountains of them and every night she would dream of escaping5star. When her birthday drew near the family dutifully asked her what she would like as a present. The Prince was thinking of a goldjpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Travel|Travel]], diamond encrusted stairlift whilst the Duke was considering a great big bottle [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Meet the Isles of brandyScilly. The Royal Baby had some decorated thimbles in mind, but (I know they should be called that – the Queen became just author provides a little snappish as she explained that what she really wanted was 'One's own orang-utan'handy guide to the etiquette of their name, their nature and location, etc. And she didn) For our more distant readers, they't mean a stuffed onere several chunks of granite rock out in the Atlantic, where Cornwall is pointing, with just 2, either200 permanent residents.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008135134</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Jack Sheffield|title=Silent Night|rating=3.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=I read 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 couple of Jack Sheffield’s books about five rust bucket within years ago, and enjoyed them very much. They were written in a similar style to those popularised by're so wee, for instanceand so idyllic-seeming, James Herriot or [[:Category:Gervase Phinn|Gervase Phinn]]especially at night, told mostly in the first person, describing the author’s first couple of years as Headmaster at you can be mistaken for thinking there would be no need for a small village primary school in Yorkshirepolice presence. The village of Ragley But there is fictional, as are most – at least two working at any one time. And one of the charactersthem in recent years has been Colin Taylor, but the incidents and situations encountered are based on who has done his official duty – alongside maintaining a well-known online existence, which has brought to life all the author’s experiencewhimsical comedy of his work.[[The Life of a Scilly Sergeant by Colin Taylor|Full Review]] |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0552167045</amazonuk!-- Lloyd -->}}|-{{newreview| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Lloyd_Twas.jpg|authorlink=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1472125118/ref=nosim?tag=J Robert Lennonthebookbag-21]] |title=See You In Paradise|ratingstyle=3"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||genre=Short Stories==[['Twas the Fight Before Christmas: A Parody by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees]]=== [[image:3.5star.jpg|summarylink=Lennon writes with a relaxed, easy style Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] 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 the food shopping delivery. Little does Mum know that you're obviously supposed to root for (those two elements alone have the only exception is 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 themjpg|left|link=http://www.amazon.co. There is no supernatural or bizarre element at work here, just ordinary characters at the mercy of social power.|amazonukuk/dp/1444779400/ref=nosim?tag=<amazonuk>1781253358</amazonuk>thebookbag-21]]}}{{newreview|authorstyle=Lynne Truss"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title=Cat out of Hell|rating=3=[[The Virgin Mary's Got Nits by Gervase Phinn]]===|genre=Horror[[image:4.5star.jpg|summarylink=Meet Alec Charlesworth. He's retired Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], [[:Category:Anthologies|Anthologies]] Christmas in our house is the time we tend to get on a plane and decamped head to an isolated coastal cottage with just his dog and loving memories of his colleague wifeeither sun or snow, now anywhere 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 by someone at is far, far away from the college he worked madness athome, last minute dashes to the shops on Christmas Eve, just before he left. Bizarrely they show photographic and audio evidence of food cupboard stockpiles that would imply supermarkets are shutting for a talking cat called Rogermonth, replete with Vincent Price voice – although they are also damaged by being included alongside some bad screenplay attempts about said catnor a mere 36 hours. Worryingly, we soon see But I do remember the feeling of Christmas when I was younger, back when it was magical, and back when you knew exactly what at the most only a few season would bring with carol concerts and school nativities and Christmas parties. This book is an anthology of the characters canthose moments, that this cat is being accompanied and it took me right back to the wonder of Christmas as a child. [[The Virgin Mary's Got Nits by unusual and unexpected death – much like Alec's wife. It's only when Roger testifies to having been pushed through the ends of endurance and out the other side that we begin to doubt where the true evil in this story lies…Gervase Phinn|Full Review]] <!-- North -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-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/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 a Lady M (her). [[Romeo and/or Juliet by Ryan North|Full Review]] <!-- DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -->|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099585340</amazonuk>}}