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Liberty: A Novel of Lake Wobegon
by Garrison KeillorClint is one of the old reliables in Lake Wobegon - the treasurer of the Lutheran church and the auto mechanic who starts your car on below-zero mornings. For six years he has run the Fourth of July parade, turning what was once a line of pickup trucks and girls pushing baby carriages that hold their cats into a dazzling spectacle that has attracted the attention of CNN and prompted the governor to put in an appearance as well. The town is dizzy with anticipation. Until, that is, they hear of Clint's ambition to run for Congress. They're embarrassed for him. They know him too well - his unfortunate episodes involving vodka sours, his rocky marriage. And then there is his friendship, or whatever it is, with the twenty-four-year-old girl who dresses up as the Statue of Liberty for the parade. It's rumoured that underneath those robes she is buck naked, and that her torch contains a quart of booze.It's Lake Wobegon as it's always been - good, loving people who drive each other crazy.
The Little Book of Calorie Burning
by CollinsA quirky guide to counting the calories as they come off, through ways you may never have considered possible
Little Miss Bossy: Zoo Animals (Little Miss Classic Library #No. 1)
by Roger HargreavesLittle Miss Bossy thinks she can boss almost anyone around, that is until she tries on a new pair of bossyboots!
Little Miss Giggles (Little Miss Classic Library #7)
by Roger HargreavesLittle Miss Giggles can't stop giggling until the momentous day that she finally loses her giggle. Can the other Mr Men help her to find it?
Londonstani: A Novel
by Gautam Malkani‘Londonstani’, Gautam Malkani's electrifying debut, reveals a Britain that has never before been explored in the novel: a country of young Asians and white boys (desis and goras) trying to work out a place for themselves in the shadow of the divergent cultures of their parents’ generation.
The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999-2001 (Adrian Mole Ser. #6)
by None Sue Townsend'Told with Townsend's trademark deadpan humour. To people of a certain age, Adrian Mole was their Harry Potter' News of the World Celebrate Adrian Mole's 50th Birthday with this new edition of the SIXTH BOOK in his diaries where Adrian, Leicester's most unlikely ex-con, faces the nit-infested reality of being a single parent.--------------------------- Monday January 3, 2000 So how do I greet the New Millennium? In despair. I'm a single parent, I live with my mother . . . I have a bald spot the size of a jaffa cake on the back of my head . . . I can't go on like this, drifting into early middle-age. I need a Life Plan . . . The 'same age as Jesus when he died', Adrian Mole has become a martyr: a single-father bringing up two young boys in an uncaring world. With the ever-unattainable Pandora pursuing her ambition to become Labour's first female PM; his over-achieving half-brother Brett sponging off him; and literary success ever-elusive, Adrian tries to make ends meet and find a purpose. But little does he realise that his own modest life is about to come to the attention of those charged with policing The War Against Terror . . . 'An achingly funny anti-hero' Daily Mail 'One of the great comic creations of our time. Almost every page of his diaries bring a smile to the face' Scotsman 'The funniest person in the world' Caitlin Moran
Lost! The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog: The Hundred-mile An-hour Dog
by Jeremy StrongStreaker the dog is lost. And not just a bit lost, but REALLY LOST!It wasn't even her fault.! She wanted to protect some pies from the PIE ROBBER and suddenly she's miles from home and two-legged Trevor and she has to make friends with a cat. A CAT! But it gets a lot hairier when they find themselves face-to-face with a baboon . . .For the first time ever, Streaker tells her incredible adventures in her own words – and very funny words they are too.Rowan Clifford's illustrations add to the chaotic fun.
Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America
by Laurence Maslon Michael KantorFrom the most popular routines and the most ingenious physical shtick to the snappiest wisecracks and the most biting satire of the last century, MAKE 'EM LAUGH illuminates who we are as a nation by exploring what makes us laugh, and why. Authors Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor draw on countless sources to chronicle the past century of American comedy and the geniuses who created and performed it-melding biography, American history, and a lotta laughs into an exuberant, important book. Each of the six chapters focuses a different style or archetype of comedy, from the slapstick pratfalls of Buster Keaton and Lucille Ball through the wiseguy put-downs of Groucho Marx and Larry David, to the incendiary bombshells of Mae West and Richard Pryor . And at every turn the significance of these comedians-smashing social boundaries, challenging the definition of good taste, speaking the truth to the powerful-is vividly tangible. MAKE 'EM LAUGH is more than a compendium of American comic genius; it is a window onto the way comedy both reflects the world and changes it-one laugh at a time. Starting from the groundbreaking PBS series, the authors have gone deeper into the works and lives of America's great comic artists, with biographical portraits, archival materials, cultural overviews, and rare photos. Brilliantly illustrated, with insights (and jokes) from comedians, writers and producers, along with film, radio, television, and theater historians, MAKE 'EM LAUGH is an indispensible, definitive book about comedy in America.
The Master and Margarita: Picador Classic (Picador Classic #63)
by Mikhail BulgakovWith an introduction by the writer and critic Viv Groskop.In this imaginative extravaganza the devil, disguised as a magician, descends upon Moscow, along with a talking cat and an expert assassin. This riotous band succeed in fooling an entire population of people who persistently deny the devil’s existence, even as they are confronted with the diabolic results of a magic act gone wrong. The devil’s project soon becomes involved with The Master, a man who has turned his back on his former life and sought sanctuary in a lunatic asylum, and his former lover, Margarita.A literary sensation from its first publication, The Master and Margarita has been translated into more than twentylanguages. Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel is now considered one of the seminal works of twentieth-century Russian literature. By turns acidly satiric, fantastic and ironically philosophical, this story constantly surprises and entertains.
Mathematics Minus Fear: How To Make Math Fun And Beneficial To Your Everyday Life
by Lawrence Potter'If you follow this eloquently written book you will be equipped to cope with all manner of challenges, such as splitting a restaurant bill, filling in a tax return, or understanding the compound interest on your bank statement. You will also be able to calculate your chances of survival when playing Russian roulette, win at Perudo and pronounce '324' in Tibetan ('Gsum-bryga gnyis-bcu rtsa bzhi')... Plus there is a section on how the ancient Egyptians wrestled with equations; a 13-page appendix on how to solve Sudoku and a chapter on the Law of Large Numbers which offers useful tips on backing the right horses.' Daily TelegraphIn this irreverent guide to classroom horrors such as algebra, percentages and probability, maths teacher Lawrence Potter sheds light on the dark mysteries that have haunted you since your childhood. Full of fascinating examples and surprising puzzles, Mathematics Minus Fear demonstrates that maths is not an isolated realm of abstract thought but has fascinating connections with the world we encounter on a daily basis.
A Matter Of Facts: The Insider's Guide To Quizzing
by Marcus BerkmannMarcus Berkmann is a competitive obsessive but where he was very bad at cricket (see RAIN MEN) he's a brilliantly knowledgeable nerd and a great success at pub quizzes. He's possibly the only man in Britain whom Nick Hornby is jealous of - because his team beat Hornby's in a pub quiz and went on to win the EVENING STANDARD knockout tournament.This hilarious book will do for quiz culture - from Mastermind to Fifteen to One to the quiz in your local - what LOST IN MUSIC did for bad rock bands. Thousands of people take part in quizzes every week answering questions such as who won the League Cup in 1972 (Stoke City beat Chelsea 3-2) and which of Henry VIII's wives was both a widow and a virgin when she married him (Catherine of Aragon)?Funny, informative, original: this book has all the answers - including the one to question six.
Me and Mickie James
by Drew GummersonDown By Law are a pop duo like no other. For a start Mickie James has a hunchback, but that doesn't matter, he is the talented one. From their base in a disused room at the top of St Pancras Station they plan to take the music industry by storm. Only first they need gigs, a record deal and a flushable toilet.When they meet the pink-hatted impresario Ivan Norris-Ayres at the local cheese shop, they think things are finally going their way. They are, but not in the way they expected. Via giants in a minor European theme park, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and an unidentified splinter group of the Viet Cong on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, they find the path to success is anything but a simple three-chord love song.Me and Mickie James is a novel of amazing energy and humour about love, fate and the importance of pop music in all our lives.
Men with Balls: The Professional Athlete's Handbook
by Drew MagaryThis will be the very last book you ever read. Because after you have read this book, you, Good Sir, will know how to be a pro athlete. And pro athletes don't need books. Or strong family bonds. Or any of that stupid crap. Not when they have ready access to millions of dollars and scores of smoking hot chicks with questionable judgment. This book will be all you require to cast aside your boring life as some jackass who cruises around bookstores hoping to score grad-school trim. With Men with Balls, you will learn how to: Showboat using classical pantomime techniques Figure out whether or not a stripper actually fancies you Emotionally cope from the emotional fallout of rookie year hazing games Find out which free locker room amphetamines will give you a shot of energy, and which will cause you to run down terrified schoolchildren with your Escalade (NOTE: Some do both) Avoid media scrutiny by directing beat writers and columnists to the nearest hot buffet So grab your balls, bookboy. You're about to become a home-run hitting, steroid-injecting, angry-orgy-having Turbostud. They're gonna need a whole ocean just to wash your jock.
Michael Tolliver Lives: Tales of the City 7 (Tales of the City #7)
by Armistead MaupinThe seventh novel in the beloved Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin’s best-selling San Francisco saga.'Tender-hearted and frolicsome… A tale of long-lost friends and unrealised dreams, of fear and regret, of penance and redemption, and of the unshakeable sense that this world we love, this life we live, this drama on which we all play, does indeed go by much too fast’ New York Times____________________Nearly two decades after ending his iconic Tales of the City saga of San Francisco life, Armistead Maupin revisits his all-too-human hero Michael Tolliver—the fifty-five-year-old sweet-spirited gardener and survivor of the plague that took so many of his friends and lovers—for a single day at once mundane and extraordinary... and filled with the everyday miracles of living.Hurdling barriers both social and sexual, Maupin leads the eccentric tenants of Barbary Lane through heartbreak and triumph, through nail-biting terrors and gleeful coincidences in a sexually-liberated San Francisco. The result is a glittering and addictive comedy of manners that continues to beguile new generations of readers.
Mike Peyton's Floating Assets
by Mike PeytonMike Peyton is the nautical world's best known and much loved cartoonist. For years he has made his mark, contributing witty, well executed and poignantly funny cartoons to the yachting and boating press, poking fun at seafarers of all types and capturing in his distinctive cartoon style their often eccentric and idiosyncratic ways.Following on from his successful Ever Wonder Why We Do It? this is another wonderful and unique collection of Mike Peyton's light hearted and amusing recollections of time spent messing about in boats, many of them his own, all illustrated in his unique cartoon style.A perfect bunkside read for seafarers and landlubbers alike.'Here is a man who can literally draw on his experiences. Mike's mischievous sense of satire is informed by his own inimitable exploits on the water in a succession of odd craft... there is no other sailing cartoonist in the world who can match his elegant, economical wit and wisdom.'Paul Gelder, editor of Yachting Monthly
The Modern Con Man: How to Get Something for Nothing
by Todd RobbinsWhether it's winning $50 on a bar bet, scoring seats closer to the fifty-yard line, or finagling a free meal, The Modern Con Man ensures that aspiring low-risk grifters will always come out on top. Filled with humorous facts and tables, a glossary of con terms, illustrations, the history of the con, and easy-to-follow swindles, this is the perfect gift for the hidden flim-flam artist in your life.
More Bollocks to Alton Towers: More Uncommonly British Days Out (Bollocks to Alton Towers #2)
by Alex Morris Jason Hazeley Joel Morris Robin HalsteadLeave the hordes behind, pack some sandwiches and head off for a grand day out. Whether it's the National Fruit Collection or the pub where time stood still, Britain is stuffed full of surprising and idiosyncratic local attractions.The authors of Bollocks to Alton Towers, the bestselling celebration of the plucky underdogs of tourism, have ventured even farther off the beaten track and into the corners that corporate branding forgot, to bring you more unique, glorious and uncomonly British days out. Here you'll discover:The garden centre with a replica of Del Boy's living roomThe joys of a Melton Mowbray pork pie pilgramage The rude charms of the Boscastle Witchcraft MuseumThe Clowns' Gallery that paints a smile on Hackney's faceThis book is a reminder of all the odd things that make the British what we are. A hidden, eccentric and joyous world of teas, fans, trains, shoes and puppets is waiting for you out there - far from the sodding crowd.
Moving Day (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #1)
by Meg CabotMoving Day is the first in Meg Cabot's hilarious series for younger readers, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls.Allie Finkle is ten years old. She's got two annoying little brothers and a dog called Marvin. She's also got a bunch of rules – most of them, like 'Don't get a pet that poops in your hand', having been discovered through bitter experience. In this funny, fast-moving series, Allie makes (and breaks) rules all over the place as she deals with everything that life can throw at her. In Moving Day Allie absolutely does not want to move house. Moving means leaving behind her pretty pink room and her best friend, Mary Kay. The new house is cold, old, dark and creepy, and there is almost definitely a zombie hand living in the attic! Listening to your parents is a golden rule, but how can Allie convince her family that moving is a very bad idea?
Mr Gum and the Power Crystals (Mr Gum #4)
by Andy StantonShabba me whiskers! It’s one of those Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton. They’re only the craziest, funnest most amazing books for children in the world.
Mr S and the Secrets of Andorra's Box
by Ross O'Carroll-KellyRoss O'Carroll-Kelly is broke and out of love. His wife has gone to America, taking his daughter with him; his mother has become a celebrity chef on daytime television, with a particular skill for handling phallic ingredients; and his father continues to languish in Mountjoy Jail.To cap it all, Immaculata, a Nigerian girl whom his wife, Sorcha, has been sponsoring by direct debit for fifteen years, has turned up on his doorstep. Things couldn’t get worse.But the long road back begins high in the Pyrenees, in the tax haven of Andorra, where Ross must spread the Gospel of rugby to the strange, primitive natives who have only ever heard of soccer, skiing and duty free shopping. There he meets Conchita, a beautiful, sultry psychoanalyst, who persuades him to look inwards and find out what it is that makes him tick. Sorry, thick.
Ms Hempel Chronicles
by Sarah Shun-Lien BynumMs. Beatrice Hempel, English teacher, is new - new to teaching, new to her school, newly engaged, and newly bereft of her devoted father. Overwhelmed by her newness, she struggles to figure out quite what is expected of her - in life and at work. Is it acceptable to introduce swear words into the English curriculum, enlist students to write their own report cards, or bring up personal experiences while teaching a sex-education class? Or not? Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum finds her characters at their most vulnerable, then explores those precarious moments in sharp, graceful prose. Ms Hempel Chronicles takes the reader on a journey down the rabbit hole to the wonderland of middle school, memory, daydreaming, and the extraordinary business of growing up.
My Brother's Famous Bottom Goes Camping
by Jeremy StrongNicholas's dad has had an idea – always a cue for disaster! This time he's planning to take the whole family camping. Sounds great, but Tomato is taking her pet carrot (don't ask) and Cheese is smuggling his pet hen into the camping van, while Granny and Lancelot are planning on bringing the goat . . .How much chaos can one family cause! The sixth story in this very popular series is every bit as silly and delightful as all the rest, while Rowan Clifford's black-and-white illustrations add to the fun.
Nation (Playaway Children Ser.)
by Terry PratchettOn the day the world ends . . .. . . Mau is on his way home from the Boys' Island. Soon he will be a man. And then the wave comes - a huge wave, dragging black night behind it and bringing a schooner which sails over and through the island rainforest. The village has gone. The Nation as it was has gone. Now there's just Mau, who wears barely anything, a trouserman girl who wears far too much, and an awful lot of big misunderstandings . . .Wise, witty and filled with Terry Pratchett's inimitable comic satire, this is a terrific adventure that - quite literally - turns the world upside down.
The New Girl (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #2)
by Meg CabotThe New Girl is the second in Meg Cabot's hilarious series for younger readers, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls.Allie Finkle likes rules – they help to keep her life in order, especially when she's just moved house and things begin to spiral out of your control! Starting a new school, making new friends and saving the life of an abandoned Kitten is hard enough without Rosemary, the Meanest girl in the class, deciding to pick on you. But Allie knows how to fight back (you have to be tough when you have two little brothers, right?) and the most important rule of all is that 'You can't let a bully know she's bothering you, or otherwise the bully wins.'