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[[Category:New Reviews|Humour]]==Humour==__NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->{{newreview|authorclass-"wikitable" cellpadding=Ludwig Bechstein, Axel Sceffler and Julia Donaldson"15" <!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE--><!-- van LENTE -->|title=The Gloomster-|ratingstyle=4.5"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|genre=General Fiction[[image:1683690346.jpg|summarylink=We've all been therehttp://www. Finding fault with everything around us, and perhaps picking on one particular irritant that gets us so rattled, tetchy and narked all we can do is invoke "Hell and damnation!" down on all creation - including, of course, ourselvesamazon. After all, our lot is so bad it won't make anything much worseco.|amazonukuk/dp/1683690346/ref=nosim?tag=<amazonuk>0571274242</amazonuk>}}thebookbag-21]]

To those of you who've not read Stella Gibbons' magnificient | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Cold Comfort Farm The Con Artist by Stella Gibbons|original novelFred Van Lente]], this is hardly likely to be a major shock - to the Gibbons fans amongst us, though, this is chilling news indeed. And when RobertPoste's child Flora returns to the farm - now a modernised monstrosity full of members of the International Thinkers' Group – sixteen years after her original visit, the news get graver and graver, as the cows Feckless, Graceless, Pointless, and Aimless have passed away of shame due to the disgrace of the bull Big Business. With the menfolk trying to make their fortunes abroad, and the women struggling, it's left to Flora to try to save the day once again.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099528681</amazonuk>}}==

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{newreview|author=Stella Gibbons|title=Cold Comfort Farm|rating=5}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|genre=Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|summary=Orphaned at 19, Flora Poste – a London sophisticate – is led to retreat to deepest Sussex to live off her relatives the Starkadders at the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, a mournful bunch who take her in as they couldn't refuse anything of 'Robert Poste's child', but seem less than happy with having to do so. As she meets the preacher Amos, his over-sexed younger son Seth, his flighty sister Elphine, and the hugely memorable – if barely seen – Aunt Ada Doom, the first person in literature to see 'something nasty in the woodshed' – she resolves to take the family in hand and solve their problems.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141441593</amazonuk>}}Humour]]

{{newreview|author=Philip Jose Farmer|title=The Further Adventures Comic-Cons are a place of Sherlock Holmes: The Peerless Peer|rating=4.5|genre=Crime (Historical)|summary=It's World War Onewonder and sanctuary for many people, and Britain has got wind of some brilliant scientific researchwhen Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, that has created a new bacterial weapon capable of wiping out the worldhe's supply of sauerkraut. But a dastardly German has stolen the formula. Before he can give a variant based on boiled meatlooking for both that and sanctuary with other fans and creators, cabbage and potatoes to plus the kaiserchance of maybe, just maybe reuniting with his most recent nemesis - Sherlock Holmesex. However, no less - must be brought out of beekeeping retirement. Cue an adventure and a halfwhen his rival is found dead, as he and Watson take Mike is forced to navigate every dark corner of the skies for the first time con in their hectic livesorder to clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, end up in darkest Africadoing so, and encounter may just unravel a dark secret behind a certain yodelling, long-haired nobleman, more than up to the name of King of the Junglelegendary industry creator...[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857681206</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Coulton -->|author=Alain Mabanckou-|titlestyle=Memoirs of a Porcupine"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating=4[[image:1473669588.jpg|genrelink=Literary Fiction|summary=The protagonist of this novel is an ordinary Congolese porcupine until Papa Kibandi performs an ancient ritual involving a hallucinogenic cocktail called ''mayamvumbi'', and transforms him into his son's harmful doublehttp://www. The insecure younger Kibandi becomes more and more embittered as his life goes on, and sends his porcupine to 'eat' anybody he feels the least bit threatened by, a process whereby that person's life essence is sucked out, killing them instantlyamazon. Over one hundred victims later and following his master's death at the hands of a vengeful baby, our narrator retires to the hollow of a baobab tree where he writes this confessionalco.|amazonukuk/dp/1473669588/ref=nosim?tag=<amazonuk>1846687675</amazonuk>}}thebookbag-21]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=Steve Hely"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title=How I Became a Famous Novelist|rating=4|genre=General Fiction|summary[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton]]==With an uncompromising title like 'How I Became a Famous Novelist', this clearly isn't intended to be a subtle book. So I can hardly complain when a cynical look at the writing industry swings raw punches in every direction. It just isn't my sort of humour, but equally, if you rave about 'The Office' you will likely enjoy this book far more than I have done.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849015724</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview[[image:4star.jpg|authorlink=Charles Lamb|title=Great FoodCategory: A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig and Other Essays|{{{rating=4}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General Fiction|genre=CookeryGeneral Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|summary=''A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig'' is a collection of food-related essays from the early 19th centuryHumour]], with a humorous bent. They[[:Category:Women're but a few pages each - a light read to bring a smile to your face, then on to the next little foodie treat.s Fiction|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241951003</amazonuk>}}Women's Fiction]]

{{newreview|author=ClientsFromHell.net|title=Clients From Hell|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary=Everyone whoLex Coulton's worked as a freelancer has debut novel is a story of about mistakes, failures, and relationships. The main protagonist, Frances Pilgrim, is a client from hell - that person sixth form English teacher who asked for something that was impossiblehas recently fallen out with her best friend Jackson, wanted it done yesterday for a fraction of the usual pricework colleague, or and is just plain angry about grappling with the work producedincreasingly eccentric behaviour of her mother. The website [http://www.clientsfromhell.net ClientsFromHell.net] has collated a number of such stories over This relationship is complicated by the fact that Frances's father disappeared at sea when she was five years, and has now published them as a bookold.[[Falling Short by Lex Coulton|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0982473931</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- van LENTE -->|author=Manu Joseph-|titlestyle=Serious Men"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating=4[[image:1683690346.jpg|genrelink=General Fiction|summary=Ayyan Mani is a Dalit, an untouchable, stuck in a flat in Mumbai's slums but hoping, somehow, for a better future for his sonhttp://www.amazon. Working at the Insitute of Theory and Research he uses all his cunning and wiles to stay ahead of the game amongst the Brahmin scientistsco. Does he have the intelligence, and nerves, to convince everyone that his son, against all odds, is a geniusuk/dp/1683690346/ref=nosim?|amazonuktag=<amazonuk>1848543085</amazonuk>}}thebookbag-21]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=Martin Millar"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title===[[The Good Fairies of New York|ratingCon Artist by Fred Van Lente]]=4|genre=Fantasy|summary=In this fairytale of New York, the Cornish fairy King's children are living in exile, hiding in Central Park from a nasty industrial revolution back home. They have friends from Ireland with them, and all have the ability to startle the local squirrels. Elsewhere two innocent scallywag fairies fleeing Scotland have arrived, and adopted a human each. Heather has joined up with Dinnie, the city's worst busker, a fat, alcoholic and lonely fan of TV ads for phone sex, while Morag befriends Kerry, a dying kleptomaniac beauty, just as alone for different reasons.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0749954205</amazonuk>}}

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{newreview{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|author=Gervase Phinn|title=TwinkleCrime]], Twinkle, Little Stars|rating=4[[:Category:Humour|genre=Humour|summary=I spent many of my teenage years reading James Herriot's books, and I found that this collection of anecdotes and poems by Gervase Phinn had a real flavour of Herriot about it. Perhaps it was just the setting, for Phinn was a school inspector in the Dales for many years, but I think he also has that knack of capturing a situation, and a character, and bringing out the humour without making the person appear ridiculous. Here he collates stories from his other books, some Christmassy and others not, and he relates them with several of his own poems interspersed between.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141036435</amazonuk>}}]]

[[Category:History]]{{newreview|author=Simon Garfield|title=Just My Type: A Book About Fonts|rating=4.5|genre=Humour|summary=A quality typeface is Comic-Cons are a bit like a good referee place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, and when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at a football match in San Diego Comic-Con, he's looking for both that you only really notice them if something has gone wrongand sanctuary with other fans and creators, plus the chance of maybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. A referee However, when his rival is there to facilitate the players on the pitchfound dead, not Mike is forced to be the star navigate every dark corner of the show (though watching Match of the Day these past few weeks you'd often beg con in order to differ). So it is with typefaces. A good type helps the reader, enhances the flow clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and makes the viewing experience easy intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and simple, in doing so, may just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator. Well sort of.[[The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846683017</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Curran -->|author=Bob Servant and Neil Forsyth-|titlestyle=Bob Servant"width: Hero of Dundee|rating=3.510%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|genre=Humour|summary=After [[Delete This at Your Perilimage: One Man's Fearless Exchanges with the Internet Spammers by Bob Servant1683690133.jpg|bursting into public consciousness]] as the scourge of email spammers, Broughty Ferry's resident polymath Bob Servant has returnedlink=http://www. This time, he expands upon the colourful life only hinted at in his previous oeuvre, Delete this at Your Perilamazon. And what a life it has beenco. He steers us from his humble beginnings, his broken family and traumatic schooldays, through the rise and fall of his window cleaning empire, and his role in Dundee's brutal cheeseburger wars. Along the way, we witness his struggles with, respectively, women ('skirt'), his simpleton sidekick Frank, and the demon drink.|amazonukuk/dp/1683690133/ref=nosim?tag=<amazonuk>1841589209</amazonuk>}}thebookbag-21]]

Plot, characterisation and all that other stuff you usually talk about? Nope – there| style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[My Lady's none of that, either.Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris]]===

Ah[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], so it's non-fiction? Well, calling it ''fact'' would be stretching things a little too far...[[:Category:Historical Fiction|Historical Fiction]]

SoYou are a lass of twenty eight. Plucky, come penniless and in Regency era London the race is on thento find a suitable suitor - or else doom yourself to life as an eternal spinster. What Along your journey you'll be accompanied by Lady Evangeline Youngblood - a fiesty noble eager to save you from a life alone, and fired by a rogueish sense for adventure. When it comes to suitors though, you'll have to make the ultimate decision between witty, pretty and wealthy Sir Benedict Granville, wholesome, rugged and caring Captain Angus MacTaggart, or the mad, bad and terrifyingly sexy Lord Garraway Craven. With orphans, werewolves, long lost lovers and ancient Egyptian artifcats along the way, it'iss clear this isn't going to be an easy decision... [[My Lady' it?s Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007362188</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Jester -->|author=Axel Scheffler-|titlestyle=How to Keep a Pet Squirrel"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|rating=4[[image:Jester_Forever.jpg|genre=Humourleft|summarylink=So, how do you keep a pet squirrel? Well, the simple answer is that you don'thttps://www. They're wild animals and not at all suitable for keeping in captivity, but accepted thinking didn't always run that wayamazon. It was whilst he was dipping into ''The Children's Encyclopaedia'' of 1910 that Axel Scheffler came across a small but indispensible guide to obtaining and caring for your pet squirrelco. His inventive mind came up with these beautiful illustrations to accompany the text and if you're looking for an amusing gift for an animaluk/gp/product/1510704361?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-loving adult then this book could well be the answer.|amazonuk21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>0571255981</amazonuk>}}1510704361]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=John Lennon"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works|rating=3|genre=Humour|summary=During the height of Beatlemania, John Lennon used to doodle or write short poems or nonsense stories to pass the time (and there must have been [[Forever After: a good deal of time to pass away on tour, if only waiting for screaming fans to leave them alone and go back home). Some of them were seen dark comedy by Tom Maschler, literary editor at Jonathan Cape, who encouraged him to produce more. The results were published in two very successful short books in 1964 and 1965.|amazonukDavid Jester]]===<amazonuk>0099530422</amazonuk>}}

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{newreview|author=John Lindsay|title=Emails From An Asshole|rating=4}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Paranormal|genre=HumourParanormal]], [[:Category:Horror|summary=Some classified ads are crying out for trolling. John Lindsay replies to them, spins them a yarn, and strings them along for as long as possible. Sometimes the advert is fairly innocuous and he emails them anyway. These are emails from an assholeHorror]], after all.[[:Category:Fantasy|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1402778279</amazonuk>}}Fasntasy]]

{{newreview|author=L C Tyler|title=The Herring In The Library|rating=4.5|genre=Crime|summary=Tall, elegant Ethelred Michael Holland is a gentleman, cocky and brash young man who dies and a third-rate authorgets made the offer of his lifetime; immortality. ElsieWe follow Michael, a grim reaper and his literary agent, is short friends Chip (a stoner tooth fairy) and dumpy, and not afraid to speak her mind. It is Elsie, Naff (a stoner in fact, who constantly assures her client he only occasionally aspires to the giddy heights of being second-rate. This could be the business partnership from hell, but not only do these two seem to get along, records department) as they even manage to solve crimes together. In this, the third outing for L C Tyler's eccentric sleuths, we are provided grapple with a locked room mystery, a cast of possible villains of the most stereotypical type, their long lives and finding a fresh, funny tale which will make you laugh so much you'll get clean surface to sit on in their flat. [[Forever After: a stitch.dark comedy by David Jester|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230714684</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Stibbe -->|author=A J Jacobs-|titlestyle=My Experimental Life"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"||rating=3[[image:Stibbe_Xmas.5jpg|genre=Humourleft|summarylink=A J Jacobs has a reputation for setting himself onerous taskshttps://www. His first book was about reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica; his second detailed a year spent according to the Biblical preceptsamazon. In My Experimental Life, he recounts nine briefer episodes of living outside his comfort zoneco.|amazonukuk/gp/product/0241309824?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>0099547422</amazonuk>}}0241309824]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=Jane Austen, Seth Grahame"vertical-Smith and Tony Leealign: top; text-align: left;"||title=Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel|rating=3|genre=Graphic Novels|summary[[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe]]==It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie story of any renown will not remain simply a zombie story. Before you can say ''the risen undead'' it will become a series of books, inspiring others, and/or lead to the same story being published in many different guises. Here, then, on its way to Hollywood, is Jane Austen’s story of Lizzie Bennet, the feisty young woman trying to ignore Mr Darcy while fighting off the ''manky unmentionables'' – at least she is until the hidden truths open up to her, just as the soft soils of Hertfordshire do to yield their once-human remains. And this time it’s in graphic novel form.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848566948</amazonuk>}}

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{newreview|author=Carl McInerney|title=The Funniest Football Joke Book Ever|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|summary=Who scored the most goals in the Greek Mythology League? The centaur forward. Badoom boom tshhhh. It's a football joke bookHumour]], packed to the gills with all sorts of cheesiness and silliness. Funniest ever? Perhaps not, but it's not too bad.[[:Category:Short Stories|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849391114</amazonuk>}}Short Stories]]

{{newreview|author=Paul Magrs|title=Hell's Belles|rating=3Christmas – the time of traditional trauma.5|genre=Humour|summary=The idea behind this series of novels is quite enchanting You only have to think about the turkey for that – once upon a time it was leaving it sat on the downstairs loo to defrost overnight, and amusingif that failed the hair-dryer shoved inside it treatment was your next best bet. FrankensteinNowadays it's all having to make sure it's daughter is living suitably free-range and organic – but not too organic that you can go and sleuthing in Whitbyvisit it, ably aided and abetted by her sidekickget too friendly with it to want to eat it. Christmas, the enigmatic Effiethough, and is of course also a growing menagerie time of younger accomplices, namely Michael and Pennygreat boons. Whilst the original idea showed huge promise, I felt that the author has rather overdone it It's cash in terms hand for a lot of outputplump people who can hire red suits and beards, in his desire to capitalise on his original success. Book two in it was always a godsend for postmen with all the series was quite disappointing, relying on sensationalism rather than adequate plot and character development. Book three was an improvementthank-and I'm delighted you letters to report aunties you saw twice a decade that thisyour parents made you write out in long-hand as a child, and as for the fourth book in the seriesmakers of Meltis Newberry Fruits – well, shows him returning to form with the promise we saw in the first did they even try and sell them any other time of the series.year? [[An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0755346467</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Doescher -->|author=Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul-|titlestyle=Winnie's Jokes"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"||rating=2[[image:Doescher_Will.5jpg|genre=Confident Readersleft|summarylink=Who turns off the lights at Halloween? The lights witchhttps://www. What does an Australian witch ride on? A broomerangamazon. Yep, it's a joke bookco.|amazonukuk/gp/product/159474985X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>0192729063</amazonuk>}}159474985X]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=The Harvard Lampoon"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=Nightlight: A Parody of Twilight |rating=3.5|genre=Humour|summary=Most people will have heard of the worldwide phenomenon that is [[Twilight William Shakespeare's the Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh by Stephenie Meyer|TwilightIan Doescher]]. The books by Stephenie Meyer and the film have made a legend of the romance between vampire Edward Mullen (Robert Pattinson plays the movie role) and teenage schoolgirl Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart).|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849013330</amazonuk>}}==

{{newreview|author=Steven Lowe and Alan McArthur |title=Is it Just Me or Has the Shit Hit the Fan?[[image: Your Hilarious New Guide to Unremitting Global Misery|rating=3|genre=Humour|summary=''The banks fell over like fat Labradors running over a wet kitchen floor.'' Surely that is the wackiest, most inappropriate simile for the credit crunch and all it has done for the world4. You won't get any such namby-pamby animal likenesses from these authors, instead with quite a potty mouth on them they will lambast the modern world, the entire banking system, all those who failed to see it coming, and those millions just seemingly waiting for us all to revert to high-interest, high-risk, high-lending capitalism, so they can get back on the expenses train, and back up the rich lists5star.jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1847443656</amazonuk>Category:{{{rating}}} {{newreview|author=Eoin Colfer|title=And Another Thing ... Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyStar Reviews]] [[:Category: Part Six of Three (Hitchhikers Guide 6) |rating=3.5Science Fiction|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Of all the big books announced for this year]], this one must have raised more eyebrows than many. Why try and write a new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book, when way before the end, its creator Douglas Adams was proving quite hopeless at such a task? And why approach an Irishman, Eoin Colfer, when the originals - tempered with their humour which could only be described as Monty Python doing a sci-fi Terry Pratchett, and with their cups of tea and dressing gowns, could only be described as very English? Well the answer is most evident - Colfer is a world-beater when it comes to knocking up a story.[[:Category:Humour|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0718155149</amazonuk>}}Humour]]

{{newreview|author=The Vampire Miles Proctor|title=The New Vampire's Handbook|rating=3.5|genre=Humour|summary=I shall start with A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, there was a man called William Shakespeare, who was able to create a predictionseries of dramatic histories full of machinations most foul, rulers most evil and rebellious heroes and heroines most sturdy. I will You may or may not become a vampire, have noticed the cinematic version of his original stage play for this imminent Hallowe'en'The Force Doth Awaken'', any festive fancy dress parties, or indeed for life as but here at last we get the lifeless undead. I will not need tips on filing my fangsactual script, or how complete with annoying-in-different-ways-to divert attention -before droids anew, returning heroes from the fact I cannot eat human food at dinner parties. Me elsewhere in his oeuvre, and my reflection people keeping it in mirrors will remain intactthe family til it hurts. But for those of And if you reading this at nightneed further encouragement, somewhere, flameproof cape at hand, with your distaste don't forget his audience only demanded three parts of garlic, publicity and presumably Henry VI – here the anaemic, series is so popular we're on to part seven – surely making this is over twice as good… [[William Shakespeare's the Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the sterling how-to lifestyle guide.Seventh by Ian Doescher|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224086464</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Goss -->|author=David O'Doherty, Claudia O'Doherty and Mike Ahern-|titlestyle=100 Facts About Pandas"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Goss_600.jpg|ratingleft|link=3https://www.5|genreamazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785942719?ie=Humour|summaryUTF8&tag=Sometimes the title says it all thebookbag- this is a book with 100 facts about pandas. Sometimes you need to note the author too - David O'Doherty won an Edinburgh Comedy Award, so this is a book of a 100 silly and untrue facts about pandas.|amazonuk21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>0224086324</amazonuk>}}1785942719]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=James May"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|title=Car Fever: Dispatches From Behind The Wheel|rating=4|genre=Lifestyle|summary=[[Doctor Who: Now, way back when I was younger, and watched TV a lot, I am sure I remember Top Gear as being a consumer programme. How times change. These days I am sure they destroy more cars than they review, and the three main people from the show are approaching superstar status, with their amenable personalities, awkward wardrobe choices and trenchant laddish charms. They've sprung their media entities from out We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of the studio, into other TV programmes, Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and the world of journalism, with chatty columns in the broadsheets allowing them free rein to witter to their heart's desire. And here, in one grandiloquent volume, and in time for Christmas, are many of James May's desires.|amazonukRussell T Davies]]===<amazonuk>0340994533</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith |title=Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|rating=[[image:4.55star.jpg|genrelink=HumourCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Children's Rhymes and Verse|summary=Ah, the benefits to a good book of a classic first line. Children'Call me Ishmael.' 'It was a bright cold day in Aprils Rhymes and Verse]], and the clocks were striking thirteen.' Who can forget Iain Banks' 'It was the day my grandmother exploded'? Or those timeless words by Jane Austen[[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.'[[:Category:Humour|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1594743347</amazonuk>}}Humour]]

{{newreview|author=Harry Hill|title=Tim The Tiny Horse At Large|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary=It's been a while since Tim Consider the Doctor. Just how many birthday and Fly's [[Tim the Tiny Horse by Harry Hill|last adventures]]Christmas gifts must he have to hand out each year, and changes are afoot were he to keep in Tim's tiny world: Fly is getting married to touch with even half of his girlfriend. Tim's companions? He would certainly need a little worried because they've only known each other few novelty gifts for some of them, say, for example, whimsical books of verse that pithily encapsulate the life of a weekTime Lord and that of some of his friends and enemies. The marriage goes aheadAs luck would have it, and Tim finds himself kicking he has the space in his heelsTARDIS to stock up in advance, so he gets a petmy advice to him – sorry, her – would be to pop along to his local Earth-based book emporium and get himself ready. And so the brief episodes in the life of if you're working on a horse who lives in shorter timescale, with a matchbox continueshorter lifespan, and thinking perhaps just one gift season ahead, well my advice is pretty much the same.[[Doctor Who: Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse (Dr Who) by James Goss and Russell T Davies|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571244157</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Ingram -->|author=Spike Milligan-|titlestyle=The Magical World of Milligan"width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"||rating=4[[image:Ingram_Kammie.5jpg|genre=Confident Readersleft|summarylink=Some people you just have to lovehttps://www. It's the lawamazon. Spike Milligan was always fantastic, and he's much missedco. He's got the perfect mix of nonsense, heart, and surreal humour. He speaks to people of all ages, and he's just plain lovely. |amazonukuk/gp/product/1785451995?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=<amazonuk>1905264844</amazonuk>}}1785451995]]

{{newreview|authorstyle=Christopher Moore"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"||title=You Suck|rating=4|genre=Humour|summary[[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram]]===You know that old adage about books and covers? Well this is a case in point. The title isn't great, but the cover design for the paperback imprint is, like, duh!, the pits. It is so uncool…so unrep-resent-ative of the book. This is not a cocktail thing. Not even a "Bloody Mary" thing.

Well, except for the tiny bit that is, but you'll discover that in due course[[image:4star.jpg|amazonuklink=<amazonuk>1841498092</amazonuk>Category:{{{rating}}}Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Pets|Pets]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]

{{newreview|author=Hugh Murr and Sid Nigtures |title=Cyber Sign Offs|rating=2|genre=Humour|summary=I admit I had the wrong end It was something of the stick a relief when it came to this book, before I opened it at leastencountered Annie Ingram and her cocker spaniel Kammie. I had assumed it was a collection of real-life on-line signatures - we've all seen themYou see, those straplines people have on all their forum posts. The obvious response would have Annie knows something which has been along the lines self-evident to me for a long time: dogs are perfectly capable of 'fair enough, but why is this a book in this day and age, communicating with humans and not just on a website?'. But no. This is a collection level of dialogues between two people - shall we call them Sue deNim and Allie Byefood!, who have a line walk! or two play!. You do require extensive training to become fluent, but most dogs will be perfectly willing to say give their time to each other, teach you and a made-up name (sorry, make that May Dupp-Name) with which all you have to sign it offdo is listen. Much jolly nonsense ensuesAnnie 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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1904312497</amazonuk>}}Full Review]]

{{newreview<!-- Harris -->|author=Tim Fitzhigham -|titlestyle=All at Sea"width: 10%; vertical-align: One Man. One Bathtub. One Very Bad Ideatop; text-align: Conquering the Channel in a Piece of Plumbingcenter;"|[[image:Harris_Glass.jpg|ratinglink=4http://www.amazon.co.5|genreuk/dp/1908943823/ref=Travel|summarynosim?tag=Once more my life is made easy by saying this book does just what it claims on the cover thebookbag- takes a narrator of zesty, wacky humour, throws him into an unlikely situation (a bath) and gets him to do something unusual (row it across the Channel - and then beyond). This despite the fact he was the world's worst sculler at University.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848090269</amazonuk>}}21]]

{{newreview|authorstyle="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Breaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris]]===Simon Brett [[image:3star.jpg|titlelink=BlottoCategory:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], Twinks [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Teenager Liam Glass is mugged and stabbed yards from his Camden flat. As the Exboy 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-election, distraught mother Katrina Glass waits by her son, and gym-owner Royland simply finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. We follow this host of ensemble characters in a bleak, kaleidoscopic satire of modern media. [[The Breaking of Liam Glass by Charles Harris|Full Review]] <!-- LENTE -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-King's Daughteralign: center;"|[[image:Lente_10.jpg|ratinglink=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1683690222/ref=nosim?tag=4thebookbag-21]]  |genrestyle=Humour"vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|summarylink=There Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Nine comedians are invited to a remote Caribbean island under the guise of working with Dustin Walker, a comedic legend. Each fits neatly into one of the archetypal comic stereotypes: Steve, the washed-up has-been who has fallen far from his early days; Zoe, the rising female star with a new stand-up special coming soon; Dante, who went from being a kid on the streets to the hardest working road comic in the business; Oliver, the child-like prop comic who can be few people 't get any respect from his peers; Janet, the insult comic who have written eighty books without me even having picked up one is past her prime; TJ, the nightly variety show host with a reputation for harassing his female colleagues and guest acts; Ruby, the ultra-feminist YouTuber and Blogger with a chip on her shoulder; and William, whose redneck character ''Billy the Contractor'' is a far cry from his real personality as a posh millionaire. Of course, all nine agree because ''when God almighty walks down on a beam of themlight and asks for your help, what the hell else are you going to say?'' [[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. At leastuk/dp/1788037006/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Elizabeth, William... and at lastMe by S Lynn Scott]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] Ally is an ordinary woman with teenage children, a husband and a job. Then comes the day when ordinariness flies out of the window. It's not a coincidence that it's the same day she finds Queen Elizabeth I in the pantry and the Bard of Avon in her bath. What's she going to do? Well, Elizabeth and Will have redressed their own ideas about that fault ! [[Elizabeth, William... and Me by S Lynn Scott|Full Review]] <!-- Rodford -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Rodford_Surgeon.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/178565005X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Surgeon's Case: George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by E G Rodford]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] In the second instalment of this series, Private 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, has had his briefcase stolen by his live-in domestic servant, 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 straightforward case – little does he know, he's about to enter a world of Simon Brettdeceit and dysfunction. [[The Surgeon's Case: George Kocharyan Mystery 2 by E G Rodford|Full Review]] <!-- Jordan -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Jordan_Tiny.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1760293814/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]], [[:Category:Humour|Humour]] As predicted by Caroline and Janice's mother on Caroline and have come 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 conclusion other woman for a start. Then there are 79 more 's that will be worth investigatingmistaken identity moment involving the neighbours. At least Janice is well adjusted and over her ex-husband Alec. Here we meet for She still dreams of him, yes, but it's so over! Just as well really… guess who's at the first time Blotto (posh idiotic son door? [[Our Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan|Full Review]] <!-- Taylor -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Taylor_Scilly.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/178475515X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Life of a dowager duchess) and Twinks 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. (posh brilliant genius sister I know they should be called that – the author provides a handy guide to Blottothe 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, their familywith just 2, their surroundings200 permanent residents. They're big on tourism, and big on growing flowers in the tropical climate the Gulf Stream bequeaths them – although the corpse inconveniently disturbing weather is bad enough to turn any car to a dinner partyrust 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]] <!-- 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]]  |amazonukstyle="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]] 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. [['Twas the Fight Before Christmas: A Parody by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees|Full Review]] <amazonuk!-- Phinn -->1845299353|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:Phinn_Virgin.jpg|left|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1444779400/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[The Virgin Mary's Got Nits by Gervase Phinn]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=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 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]] <!-- North -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:North_Romeo.jpg|link=http:/amazonuk/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 -->}|}