Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Humour]]__NOTOC__{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Michael RollDean Koontz|title=Save Our ShopThe Bad Weather Friend|rating=34.5|genre=Paranormal|summary=Benny is having a terrifically bad day. He loses his job, he loses his fiancee, and his house gets trashed. Oh, and someone has delivered a really weird, disturbing coffin-sized object to his home, and it's possible that whoever or whatever was inside is the thing that has trashed his house! The thing is, Benny is the very last person to deserve all this bad luck. He is a nice person. A really nice person. So fortunately for Benny it turns out that the delivery to his house is a new friend, a bad weather friend called Spike, who has been sent to help him since Benny is clearly under attack from nefarious forces for being a good person. Spike is going to take care of Benny, and will certainly take care of Benny's enemies, if he, Benny, and Harper (a waitress slash Private Investigator who finds herself roped into Benny's wild adventure) can figure out who exactly they are.|isbn=1662500491}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1529153050|title=Britain's Best Political Cartoons 2022|author=Tim Benson|rating=4

|summary=William Bridge was a talented artist - just a little too talented, as it turned out because the sub-editor could see ''exactly'' who Seeking some light relief from the cartoon character was meant current political turmoil which is coming to be seem more and that more like an adrenaline sport, I was why he ceased to be a journalist rather suddenly. He wasnnudged towards 't 'Britain'exactlys Best Political Cartoons of 2022'' spoiled for choice when it came to his next employment and that was how he found himself helping his Uncle Albert in the village shop, but there were pluses and minuses about the job. The biggest plus was Sharp eyes will have noted that he met and fell in love with Sally, who was also helping Uncle Albert. The first of we're not yet through the minuses was that there was more than a little opposition to year: the match cartoons run from Sally's stepmother, the redoubtable Lady Courtney4 September 2021 to 31 August 2022. And then Who can imagine what there was the armed robbery, the arrival of Albert's brother Neil who for urgent and perfectly valid reasons needed will be to be known as Aunt Isabel, the American security expert and his daughter whose expertise was come in an entirely different area and some dodgy dealings about the future of the shop. No real problems there, then.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1291387382</amazonuk>2023 edition?

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1785633074|title=Straight White MaleStaggering Hubris|author=John NivenJosh Berry|rating=4.5

|summary=In Kill Your FriendsMembers of Parliament like us to believe that the country is run by politicians, John Niven delivered a scathing headed by the Prime minister - the ''primus inter pares'' (that's for those of you who are Eton and hugely entertaining satire on Oxbridge educated) but the reality is that the ''prime'' movers are the music industryspecial advisers - the SPADS - who are the driving force behind the government. We are in the privileged position of having access to the memoirs of Rafe Hubris, the man who was behind the skilful control of the Covid crisis which was completely contained by the end of 2020. In Straight White Male You might not know the name now but he's turned his attention will certainly be the man to Hollywood and academia with similarly impressive resultswatch.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0434022861</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=0571365884|title=Unfaithfully YoursMy Mess is a Bit of Life: Adventures in Anxiety|author=Nigel WilliamsGeorgia Pritchett

|genre=General FictionAutobiography|summary=When Nigel Williams first really burst on to the best-seller listGeorgia Pritchett has always been anxious, even as a couple of decades ago, it was with a book set in Wimbledon that really quite tickled a younger me – and my motherchild. But then he produced two more in She would worry about whether the monsters under the same series, and we soon decided he bed were comfortable: it was a bit the sort of a one-trick pony, life where if she had nothing to worry about she would become anxious but such occasions were few and could never be sure how much of the trilogy we'd read, or be too eager to read morefar between. Flash forwardOn a visit to a therapist, and Williams has certainly branched out – his setting this time is Putney. Wimbledon Common is now Putney Heathas an adult, and so on. But here he provides an epistolatory novel – when she was completely unable to speak about what was wrong with her it was suggested that she should write it down and if there's one kind 'My Mess is a Bit of novel to make me prick up my ears it is one built from letters. It a Life: Adventures in Anxiety'' is the blatant tworesult -and-fro timing of the narrative, and the succinctness that characters or so we are formed with, that strike me as obvious benefits of such a book – and Unfaithfully Yours has those and many moregiven to believe.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1472106741</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan EvisonJohn Boyne|title=The Revised Fundamentals of CaregivingEcho Chamber

|summary= Ben hasnMeet George Cleverley. He is self-defined as "one of the few television personalities over the age of fifty without a criminal record". He starts this book a bit worried when his mistress tells him she't worked for s carrying his child, but then his author wife is getting her kicks with the Ukrainian partner "Strictly Come Dancing" paired her with. They have three children, who are a while and sosad-sack with absolutely no social skills whatsoever, deciding on a career change, trains to become girl who hangs around with a caregiver. His first client is Trevvirtue-signalling, a 20 year old Duchene Muscular Dystrophy sufferer keyboard warrior "wokester" who hasnwants to save the world't the sunniest s homeless with out-of dispositions. In fact Trev is angry-date food, self-centred and goes through caregivers like a knife through milkfit young lad doing the gay hustle thing. HoweverAdd in a few other characters – therapists, Benlawyers, needing a jobrandom transgender types – that all have two very different connections to his life, holds on tight and tries you have something that suggests an almost farcical approach to encourage Trev to live a littlethe modern world. Eventually Trev complies and dictates a way forward: a road trip. A road trip with a houseboundWhat suggests the farcical approach even more, illhowever, angry person is not what Ben had in mind at all. Meanwhile it gradually becomes clear to us that Trev isn't the only one who has to learn to live a little differentlyfact this is bloody funny.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781851751</amazonuk>0857526219

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Krister JonesStephen Clarke|title=The Satanic DiariesSpy Who Inspired Me

|genre=HumourGeneral Fiction|summary=We travel with Satan through This is a morose time in his lengthy existencespoof spy story, that isn't about James Bond. Or Ian Fleming. His wife has divorced him But it features a man called Ian Lemming, who dresses well and his Chief 'likes the ladies' and who works for the secret service, but in the planning side of Security (Himmler) seems to be going even madderthings more than the active service. To top it off Lemming finds himself put on a mission with a female spy called Margaux, and the pair end up stranded in Normandy, his therapist is insisting that his anger issues need with Margaux on a desperate mission to be dealt with unearth traitors in the resistance network, and is forcing him Lemming desperately trying to keep a diaryup with her!|isbn=2952163855}}{{Frontpage|author=Afonso Cruz and Rahul Bery (translator)|title=Kokoschka's Doll|rating=2. Following 5|genre=Literary Fiction|summary=Well, this looked very much like a disastrous holiday book I could love from the get-go, which is why I picked my review copy up and an even worse attempt flipped pages over several times before actually reading any of it. I found things to get back into datingpotentially delight me each time – a weird section in the middle on darker stock paper, he takes a chapter whose number was in the diary with him 20,000s, letters used as he goes narrative form, and so on . It intrigued with the lam subterranean voice a man hears in disguise wartorn Dresden that what little I knew of it mentioned, too. But you've seen the star rating that comes with this review, and lives for a while paycheck to paycheck as a security guard for a cash and carrycan tell that if love was on these pages, it was not actually caused by them. So what happened?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1909224340</amazonuk>1529402697

{{newreviewYou don't get many better opening sentences than that, do you? We first met His Excellency and The Ambassador's Wife in [[Sorting the Priorities: Ambassadress and Beagle Survive Diplomacy by Sandra Aragona|author=Graeme Simsion|title=Sorting the Priorities]] and we learned what it was like to be moved around countries like accompanying baggage by the Italian Government but the time has come for HE to retires and for Sandra Aragona to become The Rosie Project|rating=5|genre=Humour|summary=Australian Professor Wife of Genetics Don Tillman is passably good looking, successful Former Ambassador... They have left The Career and tallsettled in Rome. If he were an animal heWell 'd be highly sought after for breeding purposes. Unfortunately hesettled's human rather overstates the situation and although popular (well… he their dog, Beagle, has two friends anyway) he can't get a second date… from anyone… at all. Being a scientist he sets out on a logical quest for a mate. The Wife Project begins no intention of slowing down any time soon, despite being sixteen and seems to be progressing… until Rosiedeaf.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0718178122</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jami AttenbergB08GFSK2WZ|title=The MiddlesteinsKarma Trap|author=Lisette Boyd|rating=54|genre=General Women's Fiction|summary=Edie Middlestein almost George Jackson is thirty-three years old, absolutely gorgeous to look at - and single. She's not had sex for eight months and she's stuck in the karma trap: an awful lot of bad luck is being visited on her and she has a real talent for attracting drama. Her life's chaotic: she dealt with the leak from the shower by putting something down at the bottom of the stairs to absorb the water - then the shower fell through the American dream within roof whilst she was in it and left her grasp, stark naked, staring at the pervy postman. She trained as a lawyer, only has to take her mother's dog out for a husband, a daughter who followed walk for her to end up with dog poo spattered across her professional footsteps face - and a son married to an ambitious wife photo being taken by someone who provided him with two high-achieving childrenshares it around the office. There are just two flies in the ointment preventing the dream}} {{Frontpage|author=David C Mason|title=Pandora's arrival: 1Gardener|rating=3|genre=Crime|summary= John Cranston is a gardener, although what he did before he became a gardener, he claims, is classified. Edie That is just as well because he is so morbidly obese that she has about to undergo surgery; and 2. this is be caught up in a criminal / spy / terrorist plot, where only he can save the moment her husband chooses to leave herday. Apart from that…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846689325</amazonuk>0956180523

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=William NicolsonJester_Forever|title=The Romantic EconomistForever After: A Story of Love and Market Forcesa dark comedy|author=David Jester

|genre=AutobiographyHorror|summary=William Nicolson was Michael Holland is a student - well cocky and brash young man who dies and gets made the offer of his lifetime; immortality. We follow Michael, a student of economicsgrim 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 be accuratesit on in their flat.}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1683691172|title=William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls|author=Ian Doescher|rating=2. He had an uncanny knack of losing girlfriends 5|genre=Humour|summary=A long time ago, in a galaxy far too quicklyaway, all the last Star Wars films were crunched up against Shakespeare, and the marriage seemed a perfectly suitable one having departed . So much so – so easily did the plots and characters converse in Shakespearean dialogue, and behave with Shakespearean stage directions – that the producers tried again, with [[William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future! by Ian Doescher|Back to the Future]] no less. And that worked. But simultaneously they put a personal best time of six weeksreal test out. Actually A film I doncan't think that even really remember seeing was too bad - transcribed into the original Elizabethan lingo. A cult following I've encountered a lot of men who only ever managed about thirty minutes - but it worried Will and he considered applying what he had learned as an economist to his relationships with never followed whatsoever was given the fair sexbrand new, yet oh so ancient, dressing. Girls were something of a mystery to him but he Here was sure that if he used his ability the true challenge – would I manage to reduce a complex world to a set of rational principles then he should be enjoy this, based on to a winner. Or two.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780721021</amazonuk>little foreknowledge? Oh damn those shiny gold stars for letting the game away…

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sir Compton Mackenzie168369094X|title=Whisky GaloreWilliam Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future!|author=Ian Doescher

|summary=The inhabitants A long time ago, in a publishing house far away, [[:Category:Ian Doescher|someone]] thought it wonderfully wacky to rewrite the story of Great Todday Star Wars in Shakespearean pentameter, colliding two entirely different genres and neighbouring Little Todday enjoy embrocation provided by styles in such a tot or two of whiskyclever way they seemed perfectly suited. Unfortunately this is war time. To date It was then duly repeated for all the sacrifices other films in the Hebrides have included their young men main Star Wars cycle, and a token black-out (the harbour lights remain on so there seems little point) but more follows. The water of life itself is becoming scarcer and theyclearly someone're approaching Lent. The timing is unfortunate as they don't exactly give it up s buffing their quills ready for LentEpisode Nine, but drink extra as Shrove Tuesday approaches in the spirit title of which became public knowledge the seasonday before I write. SoIn the hiatus, however, as supplies dwindle the effort has been made to extinctionsee if the same shtick works with other texts, imagine their surprise when a ship containing practically a million bottles of it en route and to America founders off the coastriff on other seemingly unlikely source materials in iambs. The community launch a covert armyAnd could we have anything more suitably unsuitable-like operation seeming than Back to liberate the alcohol fightingFuture, planning to outwit not the Germans but the islands' Home Guardwith its tales of time travel, bullying, HM Customs and Excise and an inept British Intelligence officer. Easy thenparent/child strife like no other? Well, an easier task than that which local headmaster George Campbell has. He wants to get married but his mum won't let him.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780270925</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Kevin Smith1473669065|title=Jammy DodgerQueenie Malone's Paradise Hotel|author=Ruth Hogan

|summary=ItTilda returns to Brighton, to tidy away the remains of her mother's 1980s Belfast and Artie McCann has it sortedlife after her death. Having left uni with a literature degreeWhilst there, she returns to the Paradise hotel, a love of poetry haven for eccentrics and no real urge for hard workmisfits. A place where people can be themselves, he and his mate Oliver discover the joy let go of Art Council grantsthoughts that torment them elsewhere. All they need to do is establish Little wonder that Tilda cannot forgive her mother for banishing her as a literary magazine and bring out an issue (very) occasionallychild, from this place of wonder. This frees them up for reliving With the best bits help of their former student lifestyle Queenie Malone, caring, and discussing the comparable merits of biscuit varieties. However things start gregarious, Tilda begins to go awry; not all pick apart the magazine's would-be contributors are happy (or unarmed) tricky and life begins to appear more unsettled. There is a way out but it will take some hard work, an actor uncertain relationship she had with her sometimes cruel and a remedy for that smell of rotting milkdistant mother.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908737085</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Mike Henley1683690346|title=One Dog and His ManThe Con Artist|author=Fred Van Lente

|summary=Boobadoodle is Comic-Cons are a place of wonder and sanctuary for many people, and when Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, he's looking for both that and sanctuary with other fans and creators, plus the chance of doodlesmaybe, just maybe reuniting with his ex. On boobs. Fifty doodles on a variety of boobsHowever, when his rival is found dead, some belonging Mike is forced to navigate every dark corner of the authorcon in order to clear his name – from cosplay flash mobs and intrusive fans to zombie obstacle courses – Mike must prove his innocence and, some to her friends. Quite good friendsin doing so, I imaginemay just unravel a dark secret behind a legendary industry creator.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846059267</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Stephen Clarke1473669588|title=The Merde FactorFalling Short|author=Lex Coulton

|summary=MeetLex Coulton's debut novel is a story about mistakes, if you haven't alreadyfailures, Paul Westand relationships. Before now we've had four chances to meet him and see his struggles The main protagonist, Frances Pilgrim, is a sixth form English teacher who has recently fallen out with all things French – their cuisineher best friend Jackson, their language, their social life a work colleague and their bureaucracy – in order to run an English-styled tea-room in is grappling with the trendier side increasingly eccentric behaviour of Parisher mother. Four books then, and we might have expected him to have settled down into some form of success – were it not for This relationship is complicated by the fact this is a comedy series. But no, he seems to still be in France on borrowed time, on borrowed (or sub-let) land, and things are certainly not turning out tres belle for himthat Frances's father disappeared at sea when she was five years old.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780890338</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Drummond Moir (compiler)1683690133|title=Just My Typo: From 'sinning with the choir' to 'the large hardon colliderLady's Choosing|author=Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

|summary=Warning: this book can seriously damage your reputation. Laughing in pubic will be the least You are a lass of your worriestwenty-eight. You will reach the stage where teas run down your face Plucky, penniless and you snort in politically incorrect fashion at Regency-era London the disfigured man who has always had a car race is on his face, or the one who could not to find the cash to buy a house and had suitable suitor - or else doom yourself to burrowlife as an eternal spinster. YouAlong your journey, you'll snigger at the charmless who become harmless but 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 will be up comes to suitors though, you as 'll have to whether make the ultimate decision between witty, pretty and wealthy Sir Benedict Granville, wholesome, rugged and caring Captain Angus MacTaggart, or not you agree that love is just a passing fannythe mad, bad and terrifyingly sexy Lord Garraway Craven. Personally I felt very sorry for With orphans, werewolves, long lost lovers and ancient Egyptian artefacts along the man who studied and became way, it's clear this isn't going to be an unclear physicisteasy decision... |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444759973</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alan Tyers and BeachStibbe_Xmas|title=I Kick Therefore I am: The Little Book of Premier League Wisdom|rating=4|genre=Sport|summary=You remember Ronnie Matthews, don't you? He's the footballer who celebrated his one – and so far, only – international match by booing his way through the Faroe Islands' national anthem, then getting a red card for chatting up the lineswoman. He still thinks he contributed well to a vital friendly, however. He's the player whose career in piddling his way through continuously lesser and lesser clubs for far too long has only been matched in the recent game by Steve Claridge. And still he's bucking the trend – he's the only author smart enough to realise that four-hundred page, ghost-written biogs are unnecessary, for he's crammed all his life, career, philosophy and response to Twitter into an hour's read.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408832763</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewAn Almost Perfect Christmas|author=Barry Fantoni|title=Harry Lipkin, Private Eye: The Oldest Detective in the WorldNina Stibbe|rating=5|genre=Crime|summary=Harry Lipkin may not be the fittest private investigator in Florida once you take into account his indigestion and his arthritis, but at 87 he's definitely the oldest4. Despite this he still manages to make a steady living, picking up the little jobs that don't interest the police and Norma Weinberger's problem comes into that category. Small but expensive knick-knacks seem to be going missing from around the house so could it be a light-fingered member of staff? The suspects (the gardener, the butler, the maid and the chauffer) each have their own story and motive, leaving Harry to get the four down to a short list of one. A task that's perhaps a little harder than it sounds.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846972272</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Alan Clark|title=Rory's Boys|rating=5

|summary=Rory Blaine, grandson Christmas – the time of Lady Sybil Blaine is gaytraditional trauma. 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, free, single and loving if that failed the hair-dryer shoved inside it, as he tells himself a dozen times a daytreatment was your next best bet. He may be middle aged but heNowadays it's still got all having to make sure it. He's a partner in a successful advertising firm suitably free-range and organic – but not too organic that you can go and sovisit it, so over having been thrown out of home when he was a teenager; yes, over and get too friendly with it to want to eat it – totally and completely. When he hears his grandmother Christmas, though, is dying, he decides it's of course also a time to remind her (and her considerable wealth) of his existencegreat boons. The tardy but intensive attention seems to pay off when heIt's left the ancestral pile. But cash in hand for a lot of plump people who can hire red suits and beards, it was always a godsend for postmen with all the stately home wasn't left thank-you letters to him quite aunties you saw twice a decade that your parents made you write out in the way that he thought. There are so many strings attached it resembles long-hand as a marionette: if he wants to keep it he must transform it into child, and as for the first retirement home for elderly gay gentlemen makers of Meltis Newberry Fruits – well, did they even try and he also seems to have acquired his first resident, whether he's wanted or not.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1906413886</amazonuk>sell them any other time of the year?

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Serge BlochDoescher_Will|title=You are What You EatWilliam Shakespeare's the Force Doth Awaken: And Other Mealtime HazardsStar Wars Part the Seventh|author=Ian Doescher|rating=34.5

|summary=We last saw Serge Bloch's talents A long time ago, in [[Reach for a galaxy far away, there was a man called William Shakespeare, who was able to create a series of dramatic histories full of machinations most foul, rulers most evil and rebellious heroes and heroines most sturdy. You may or may not have noticed the Stars and Other Advice cinematic version of his original stage play for Life's Journey by Serge Bloch|Reach for the Stars and Other Advice for Life's Journey]] when The Force Doth Awaken'', but here at last we saw lots of whimsical advice for get the Boy and actual script, complete with annoying-in-different-ways-to-before droids anew, returning heroes from elsewhere in his dogoeuvre, Rogerand people keeping it in the family til it hurts. This time he wants us to look at what we eat. BoyAnd if you need further encouragement, don's mother has told him that he t forget his audience only demanded three parts of Henry VI – here the series is what he eats - so hepopular we's very careful about what he puts re on his plate, because you might end up with a pea-pod mouth and a tomato tummy. Roger looks to have fared rather better - with a bone for a body. He at least seems to have a smile on his face!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1402797605</amazonuk>part seven – surely making this over twice as good…

{{newreview|author=Philip Reeve|title=Goblins|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Poor Skarper. He's such a loser. In the violent and bloodthirsty goblin world where fighting and eating and taking other people's loot are all-time-favourite, number-one activities, he has a terrible handicap. He thinks. In fact, he's pretty clever, for a goblin, to the extent that he uses the goblins' bumwipe heaps for . . . reading. Yup, you heard me. Reading. The foolish hatchling works out that the black squiggles Move on the mouldering heaps of soft and crinkly stuff left, long ago, by the ancient inhabitants of the tower, are written words, and instead of going out raiding like any sensible goblin, he creeps off to a quiet corner to work out what they mean. Silly, eh?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407115278</amazonuk>}}[[Newest LGBT Fiction Reviews]]