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A Tramp Abroad (World Classics Ser.)
by Mark TwainThe success of Twain's first collection of travel memoirs, The Innocents Abroad, inspired a return to Europe for another look at some of the countries and landmarks that initially dazzled the author and his companions. In A Tramp Abroad, Twain's abundant humor waxes as freely as ever; this time, however, his amusement bears a more cynical cast, as he regards the grand tourist sights in Innocents through older and more experienced eyes. The seriousness of the author's second impressions provides an interesting subtext to the overall jocularity of his narrative, making this volume a milestone in the Twain oeuvre and a must for his legions of admirers. Appendix.
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis StevensonClassic tale of the sea, a hunt for buried treasure, pirates and adventures. Features Long John Silver, one of Stevenson's most enduring characters.
Unfit and Improper Persons: An Idiot’s Guide to Owning a Football Club FROM THE PRICE OF FOOTBALL PODCAST
by Kevin Day Kieran Maguire Guy Kilty'A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.' Gary Lineker'Witty and wise.' Clare Balding 'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies--- Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club? Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the Premier League and EFL's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be – is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation – owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box. Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those who've been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.
Vanity Fair
by William Makepeace ThackerayThis classic story of two nineteenth-century social climbers is the basis for countless films and TV series, and one of the UK’s “Best-Loved Novels.” Before the Real Housewives, there were Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Ruthless and cunning, Becky may have been born in a lower class, but now that she’s graduated from school, she’s ready to climb up to a better life—and do whatever it takes to get there. Her friend Emmy, however, is the opposite. She may have mastered music, dancing, and embroidery like any young woman of her class, but she utterly lacks a backbone. Together these friends navigate the perils of Regency society as they search for love and happiness. Social battles are waged against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, and when the smoke finally clears, there’s no telling who will come out victorious. A satirical masterpiece, Vanity Fair was #14 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 Best Novels and #122 in the BBC’s “Big Read” poll for the UK’s best-loved novel. It has inspired numerous adaptations, from early silent films to a 2004 movie by Mira Nair starring Reese Witherspoon as Becky.
The Way Out of Berkeley Square
by Rosemary TonksGut-wrenching, ingenious, absolutely hilarious, this is the rediscovered story of woman's desperate quest for freedom.'I'm thirty, and I'm stuck'Arabella is on an increasingly desperate quest for freedom from her overbearing father and her conspicuously absent brother. But her desire for self-actualisation only ends up leading her into the orbit of a happily married man. A spiky, self-conscious love affair begins, complete with awful dinner dates, devastating kisses and agonising introspection. Can Arabella realise what she wants? Can she escape the trap of being sexy, good and likable?Back in print after many decades, this is an outstanding novel by an extraordinary and little-known writer, the inimitable Rosemary Tonks.'Salted with wit and peppered with clever images' Guardian‘Writing like this…is far too beautiful and accomplished to be kept off the shelf. It catches like nothing else the smogs, the rodentine genes, the murky post-War grays, the lurking sexual violence of London’ Michael Hoffman, Poetry Foundation
What We Do for Love
by Ilene BeckermanLooking for love isn't easy, and it's never what you expect. WHAT WE DO FOR LOVE is a reminder of how true that is. Unlucky in love herself, "Gingy" Beckerman shows us there is always reason to keep trying. "Recaptures in words and line drawings young love in all its glorious agony and possibility."--Glamour; "Charmingly written and illustrated . . . this savory little truffle turns out to be surprisingly poignant, laced with the bitter, the rueful, and the sweet." --Good Housekeeping; "This book would make a perfect gift from a woman to her best woman friend."--Chattanooga Free Press. A BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB selection.
Who Let the Words Out?: Poems by the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Award
by Joshua SeigalA marvellous new collection of poems by Joshua Seigal, two-time winner of the Laugh Out Loud Awards – the UK's only prize for funny children's books. Someone has let the words out... and they're going to have some fun!'Joshua Seigal is definitely my new favourite poet.' Books for Keeps'Joshua Seigal is a rising star in the children's poetry world...' lovereading4kidsIn this brand new collection of poems words take on a whole new meaning; enter a world of creative word play with silly, funny and downright hilarious poems! With poems about cuddling tigers, pesky pet fleas and even what to do if your teacher is ever turned into a chicken, Who Let the Words Out? is a must-have for imaginative young readers aged 7+. Joshua Seigal is a two-time-winner of the Laugh Out Loud awards (also known as the Lollies) in 2020 with I Bet I Can Make You Laugh and in 2023 with Yapping Away.Book Band Brown - ideal for age 7+
Wives Like Us
by Plum Sykes'So wickedly smart, so effortless, so chic and hilarious. Plum Sykes is in a class of her own when it comes to peeling back the layers of status paranoia amongst the poshest of the posh as she delivers a delectable tale that you never want to end.' Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians *Take a grand English country house, one (heartbroken) American divorcée, three rich wives, two tycoons, and one (bereaved) butler; put them all into the blender and out comes the impossibly funny Wives Like Us.Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire and the Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom, recently annexed by a glittering new breed of female: the Country Princess.Following a ghastly row about a missing suite of diamonds, Tata Hawkins has flounced out of Monkton Bottom Manor with her daughter, Minty, and Executive Butler Ian Palmer in tow, decamping to the Old Coach House to teach her husband, Bryan, a lesson.But things don't go to plan: Bryan disappears to Venice with a bikini designer; Selby Fairfax, the glamorous American divorcée who has inherited the beautiful estate next door, refuses Tata's neighborly overtures; and Tata's very best friends, Fernanda Ovington-Williams and Sophie Thompson, are distracted by their own heartaches. Worst of all, Ian has nowhere to store his collection of vintage Gucci loafers.With the help of a pig farmeress moonlighting as a personal assistant, a male model moonlighting as a stable hand, and a London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer, can Ian restore harmony to the Bottoms?'A fabulous and funny bucolic romp – Plum Sykes does it again.' Hannah Rothschild, author of The Improbability of Love'Wives Like Us may be set in the most gorgeous English manor house, but I'd happily sleep in the shed if it meant I could tag along with these marvelous characters – Tata, Minty, and their chic and crafty butler.' Jenny Jackson, author of Pineapple Street'Delightful' Vogue'I absolutely adored Wives Like Us, I thought it was so fun and funny, a romp and a riot - and a glorious dollop of much needed escapism.' Daisy Buchanan'A stiletto-sharp look at the glamorous end of the Cotswolds. I loved it!' Katie Fforde* Readers are loving Wives Like Us:'I devoured this in one day' *****'Gloriously good fun' *****'Absolutely delightful' *****'A perfect summer read' *****
The World's Stupidest Headlines
This is an entertaining collection of the world's stupidest headlines, featuring over 300 examples of the most ludicrous headlines ever to be printed in newspapers throughout the world. At first glance they might seem perfectly reasonable, but on closer inspection their implied meaning can be something else entirely ... and it's not always pretty.
The World's Stupidest Inventions
by Adam Hart-DavisSometimes the stupidity of humankind is overwhelming, so much so that it is difficult to imagine that we ever walked on the moon or created the wheel. We have distinguished ourselves by our need to invent. Occasionally, however we can get it wrong, very wrong indeed. This is an amusing compilation of the some of the hiccups and the stupidest inventions that very nearly worked.
Confessions of a Window Cleaner (Confessions #1)
by Timothy LeaIt always took longer to clean the inside of the windows…
My Brother's Name is Jessica
by John BoyneSam Waver's life has always been pretty quiet. A bit of a loner, he struggles to make friends, and his busy parents often make him feel invisible. Luckily for Sam, his older brother, Jason, has always been there for him. Sam idolises Jason, who seems to have life sorted - he's kind, popular, amazing at football, and girls are falling over themselves to date him. But then one evening Jason calls his family together to tell them that he's been struggling with a secret for a long time. A secret which quickly threatens to tear them all apart. His parents don't want to know and Sam simply doesn't understand.Because what do you do when your brother says he's not your brother at all? That he's actually . . . your sister?
New Boy
by William SutcliffeNEW BOY is a dark modern comedy about the hormonal angst of a Jewish lad growing up in north-west London's bagel belt. "Sutcliffe has managed to pull off a worthy British companion to Portnoy's Complaint" Jay Rayner,Observer "Well-written,clever and very funny" Literary Review "Smart,entertaining stuff...somewhere between Adrian Mole and Holden Caulfield" Philip Hensher,Mail on Sunday
Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (Spike Milligan War Memoirs #1)
by Spike MilliganVolume one of Spike Milligan's legendary memoirs is a hilarious, subversive first-hand account of WW2'The most irreverent, hilarious book about the war that I have ever read' Sunday Express'Close in stature to Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear in his command of the profound art of nonsense' Guardian______________'At Victoria station the R.T.O. gave me a travel warrant, a white feather and a picture of Hitler marked "This is your enemy". I searched every compartment, but he wasn't on the train . . .' In this, the first of Spike Milligan's uproarious recollections of life in the army, our hero takes us from the outbreak of war in 1939 ('it must have been something we said'), through his attempts to avoid enlistment ('time for my appendicitis, I thought') and his gunner training in Bexhill ('There was one drawback. No ammunition') to the landing at Algiers in 1943 ('I closed my eyes and faced the sun. I fell down a hatchway'). Filled with bathos, pathos and gales of ribald laughter, this is a barely sane helping of military goonery and superlative Milliganese.______________ 'That absolutely glorious way of looking at things differently. A great man' Stephen Fry'Milligan is the Great God to all of us' John Cleese 'The Godfather of Alternative Comedy' Eddie Izzard 'Manifestly a genius, a comic surrealist genius and had no equal' Terry Wogan 'A totally original comedy writer' Michael Palin
Close-Up (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Len Deighton'Stylish and stimulating' The TimesAgeing Hollywood star Marshall Stone is scared. Scared that the parts are drying up. Scared of being forgotten. So when he hears an eminent author is writing his biography, Stone siezes the chance of immortality. But painful memories and suppressed scandals soon threaten to destroy the carefully-constructed fiction of his life. Inspired by Len Deighton's own experiences of the film industry, Close-Up is a brilliant exposé of the sleaze, venality and betrayals of the studio machine.'The richness, the sardonic humour, the wheeling and dealing ... the power of the book is undoubted' Evening Standard
Columbus and the Fat Lady: And Other Stories (A List)
by Matt CohenFirst published in 1972, Columbus and the Fat Lady introduced readers to Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author Matt Cohen’s skewed and hilarious worldview. By turns funny, surreal, wistful, savagely satirical, and brilliantly inventive, the stories in this collection intrigue and surprise the reader with their unexpected language and plots. He conjures up images that are both absurd and perceptive. From Sir Galahad as a schoolteacher to Christopher Columbus as a carnival attraction, these stories feature the improbable with strength and virtuosity. This collection is a foray into the jungles of life on this planet and the tangled but fascinating interiors of the human head.
Confessions from a Holiday Camp (Confessions #3)
by Timothy LeaSun, sea, sand… oh, and plenty of sex!
Erasmus Hobart and the Golden Arrow
by Andrew FishIn this time-travelling romp, Andrew Fish brings a new slant to the classic legend. Erasmus Hobart is the perfect new adventurer for fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.
The Halt During the Chase
by Rosemary TonksBrilliantly funny and brutal, this is the story of one woman’s escape from the clutches of polite society, by the incredible mid-century writer who destroyed her own books. Sophie’s mother knows exactly how to needle her. Sophie’s lover Philip knows how to stab her in the heart. She may be clever, charming and smart but is Sophie destined to be an eternal bit-part?After a particularly callous throwaway remark from Philip, Sophie knows she must break away – from him, from her mother, from the snobbery of her Hampstead Heath upbringing. Being good and agreeable has brought nothing but loneliness; setting out alone might finally bring Sophie satisfaction.Back in print after many decades, this novel is a piece of dynamite, written by an extraordinary and little-known writer, the inimitable Rosemary Tonks.'A bubbly, empathetic and ultimately lovely novel of a belated coming-of-age' New York Times'Nobody writes about angsty women like Tonks' The Millions
The Relatively Constant Copywriter
by Trevor HoyleJoin the Copywriter on his journey through the surreal world of advertising in the swinging Sixties: New York's Mad Men have nothing on London's scene! And Don Draper has nothing on the relatively constant Copywriter as he sets out on his wild ride through London's swinging scene in the heyday of high-octane advertising in this 'savagely absurd advertising meeting, funny quotes from girlie mags, comic sex case histories' (Sunday Times) by an award-winning writer.
Revolt in 2100 (Gateway Essentials)
by Robert A. HeinleinAfter the fall of the American Ayatollahs (as foretold in "Stranger in a Strange Land") there is a Second American Revolution; for the first time in human history there is a land with Liberty and Justice for All.
Tripticks (G - Reference,information And Interdisciplinary Subjects Ser.)
by Ann QuinFirst published in 1972, Ann Quin’s fourth and final novel was a radical break from the introspective style she had developed in Three and Passages: a declaration of independence from all expectations. Brashly experimental, ribald, and hilarious, Tripticks maps new territories for the novel – aspiring to a form of pop art via the drawings of the artist Carol Annand and anticipating the genre-busting work of Kathy Acker through collage and gory satire. Splattering its pages with the story of a man being chased across a nightmarish America by his ‘first X-wife’ and her ‘schoolboy gigolo’, Tripticks was ground zero for the collision of punk energy with high style.
Confessions of a Travelling Salesman (Confessions #5)
by Timothy LeaYou’ll never guess what he’s selling…