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Find out moreTitles to make you laugh out loud. Or just smile. Or both.
I was once lucky enough to see the late – and great actor Michael Bryant play Iago,his command of the text such that the whole play came alight - a reminder of how, without such brilliance, Shakespeare can be frustrating and boring for modern day audiences. 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare death and in place of such magical acting Geoff Spiteri enlightens us on Shakespearian language and euphemism, the construct of the plays,the plots and the characters. This short volume emphasises Shakespeare's humour and rudery, reminding us of his influence on our language with his words, magic and poetry. Geoff Spiteri's opening words are Does Shakespeare matter? Any doubts will be scattered by A Smidgeon of Shakespeare. Like for Like Reading. A Little Bit of Shakespeare Wit by Edward Green. The Shakespeare Book
Beautifully illustrated by renowned cartoonist Dorrance, this book is a welcome slice of light relief from all the fretting mums are expected to do these days. Francesca Hornak has taken a light-hearted, humorous look at the concerns and worries of the modern mother. You know, those kind of thoughts that just pop in to your head (usually at 3 in the morning whilst trying to grab a few precious moments sleep) and make you feel ever so slightly crazy. Well fear not as there is an anecdote for everyone within the pages of this book. Relax in the knowledge that your craziness is most definitely shared and enjoy a giggle as you consider everything from the ludicrously long list of hospital bag labour ‘essentials’ to late night stakeouts awaiting the return of teens. Not only will this make you smile (and possibly occasionally grimace) but it will also help bring a little perspective to those moments when you feel like the worst parent ever. A wonderful gift for all mothers old or new, expectant or even for the just plain exhausted.
Hello dear book browser and welcome to Peggy and Me. The story of my life since getting a beautiful Shih-Tzu Bichon Frise cross puppy (I call the breed a Shitty Frise - fun) in the form of Peggy. Some of you may be thinking: a book about a dog, how totally brilliant, I need hear no more, I'm sold. In which case we should be best friends and go out to tea together, every day. Others of you may be thinking: a book about a dog, how totally mad, she must have officially lost it. In which case I completely understand. For I once viewed dog owners with much suspicion. The way they obsessively talk about their dogs often using voices for them to reply; the way they have a light covering of dog hair all over their clothes and sofas; and worse, an alarming comfort and ease around excrement. But I now get why people become so mad about their hounds. It wasn't instant love I have to admit. Getting a puppy when I was at a low ebb in my life wasn't easy - there was a lot of challenging, what I call, dog administration (dog-min), and the humiliating first trip to the vet still haunts me. It's been a bumpy old road, but Peggy has been lovingly by my side through some life changing moments and I wouldn't have coped without her. Most surprisingly she has taught me a huge amount - not how to get an old pie packet out of a bin and lick it (I could already do that), but real lessons about life and love and trust and friendship. Put aside any doggy reservations and come walkies with Peggy and me...
Holy Cow by David Duchovny is a comic delight that will thrill fans of Jasper Fforde and Ben Aaronovitch. And anyone who enjoys a witty wisecrack in a novel. Elsie Bovary is a cow and a pretty happy one at that. Until one night, Elsie sneaks out of the pasture and finds herself drawn to the farmhouse. Through the window, she sees the farmer's family gathered around a bright Box God - and what the Box God reveals about something called an 'industrial meat farm' shakes Elsie's understanding of her world to its core. The only solution? To escape to a better, safer world. And so a motley crew is formed: Elsie; Shalom, a grumpy pig who's recently converted to Judaism; and Tom, a suave turkey who can't fly, but can work an iPhone with his beak. Toting stolen passports and slapdash human disguises, they head for the airport ...Elsie is a wise-cracking, slyly witty narrator; Tom dispenses psychiatric advice in a fake German accent; and Shalom ends up unexpectedly uniting Israelis and Palestinians. David Duchovny's charismatic creatures point the way toward a mutual understanding and acceptance the world desperately needs.
Completed before he died, thirty years ago, this is the autobiography of the celebrated comedian, Marty Feldman. Marty played the fool, often very happily and with tremendous talent and volcanic, anarchic energy, for his entire life. His face is what many people most immediately remember. It was a face that David Frost, one of his bosses, characterised as 'too grotesque' for television -- see what Feldman has to say about Frost, and Francis Bacon, and John Lennon...Marty himself described his face as 'the right packaging for my job...the right packaging for a clown.' Less known is the fact that Marty was a professional writer, and considered himself a writer first, and an actor second. Feldman created a number of immensely successful and influential shows, and was one of the most essential creative forces in British comedy embodied also by his close friends and creative partners from Beyond the Fringe (especially Peter Cook and Dudley Moore) and Monty Python (especially John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle). Feldman finished, and set aside Eye Marty soon before travelling to Mexico to shoot his final film. He did not know that he would die there, although he certainly felt he might die soon, and was haunted by the notion. The book is exactly as Feldman wrote it, his great friend Mark Flanagan, had it transcribed, with even the photos inserted where Feldman had noted where they should go. Hilarious, deeply charming, aphoristic, ironic, charged throughout with lust for life and filled with scenes of great vanished eras and and portraits of other performers and friends, Eye Marty is the amazing discovery of the story of a man who was at the heart of the British comedy revolution.
This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the book will greatly appeal to grown-ups. The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: - The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness - The Ladybird Book of Dating - The Ladybird Book of Sheds - The Ladybird Book of The Hipster - The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis - The Ladybird Book of the Hangover - How it Works: The Wife.
This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the book will greatly appeal to grown-ups. The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: - The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness - The Ladybird Book of Dating - The Ladybird Book of Sheds - The Ladybird Book of The Hipster - The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis - The Ladybird Book of the Hangover - How it Works: The Husband.
This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the book will greatly appeal to grown-ups. The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: - The Ladybird Book of Dating - The Ladybird Book of Sheds - The Ladybird Book of The Hipster - The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis - The Ladybird Book of the Hangover - How it Works: The Husband - How it Works: The Wife.
This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the book will greatly appeal to grown-ups. The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: - The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness - The Ladybird Book of Dating - The Ladybird Book of Sheds - The Ladybird Book of The Hipster - The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis - How it Works: The Husband - How it Works: The Wife.
Portraits of any number of dogs undergoing their regular shampoo and set. Some long-suffering, most resigned and just a few enjoying the whole thing. A lovely array of dogs, some very high maintenance but with a good number of streetwise dogs too. All wet, all gorgeous with many a why me and what now expression on their faces. ~ Sue Baker Like for Like ReadingDogs Hanging out of Windows, Various Plumdog , Emma Chichester Clark
In this entertaining and inspirational memoir, Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke shares his secret to staying resilient in old age. Beloved Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke will celebrate his 90th birthday in December 2015. He's an established legend, having starred in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. And yet he's still keeping himself busy, entertaining America on television, in movies, on the stage, and on social media. Everyone wonders, "How does he do it?" For the first time, Van Dyke shares his secrets and tips on old age - just keep moving. With a fun and folksy way of addressing its audience, Keep Moving serves as an instruction audiobook on how to embrace old age with a positive attitude. The chapters are filled with exclusive personal anecdotes that explore various themes on aging: how to adapt to the physical and social changes, deal with loss of friends and loved ones, stay current, fall in love again, and "keep moving" every day like there's no tomorrow.
A small book this may be, it does though, pack a mighty and occasionally feisty wallop. Mel Calman’s cartoons about love and relationships have the ability to ring a playful or even wicked little bell as you read them. There is a charming simplicity to the drawing, yet startling, pointed wit to the words, and the two blend together perfectly. Michael Palin’s foreword had me nodding in agreement and Calman’s daughter, in her introduction gives an insight into the mind behind the cartoons. And so, I smirked, agreed with, knowingly tutted, and felt safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't be alone in recognising myself in some of the cartoons. Calman had the ability to write and draw and connect to a universal truth, that love and relationships, can at times, be ever so slightly complicated. ~ Liz Robinson
Edward Estlin Cummings knew a thing or two (take a look at our Poetry Section if you don’t believe us!) and we have to agree with him. Humour is at the heart of human life and you’ll find it in fine form in this section. From favourite TV shows to quirky memoirs; hilarious novels to witty verse; books to dip into, books to devour. We know that humour is subjective and so we’ve spread the net pretty wide as we trawled the comedy oceans for the funniest fish. Un’shellfish’ly, we’ve compiled monthly lists of eclectic recommendations so that you can easily find whatever tickles your fins. There are books here to give as gifts, to savour on your own, or to enjoy with others. Books of laugh out-loud jokes and anecdotes to make you smile on the train, plane, bus or any other public place. After all, laughter is infectious. Spread it around.