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Summer Season
by Alan ClarkFirst published in 1963, Summer Season records several anxious days in the life of Kenneth Crane, unemployed graduate. Crane has taken a temporary post as tutor to the young son of a luminary in a small seaside town. Crane finds life difficult enough, but almost intolerably so when he finds himself number-one suspect on a possible murder charge. For the delectable Kitty du Chair, by even contemporary standards a remarkably advanced teen-ager, disappears. She has been seen consorting with Crane. The police close in and Crane's behaviour becomes more erratic (and hilarious). Summer Season is like a Jacques Tati film, having the same dream-like, almost surrealist quality. The humour is infectious and will be caught by very many readers.
Superpiss, Meltykiss, Spankers and Muff: Why Some Products Ill Never Make It In The Englisg-speaking World
by Gordon ThorburnSuperpiss used to be a brand of windscreen washer fluid in Finland but they've changed the name for some reason. Bra milk has gone the same way.Luckily, there is still an Italian detergent called BumBum, a Ghanaian pepper sauce called Shitto, Jamaicans can buy Mannish Water Ram Goat Soup, those horrible Danish salt-liquorice pastilles are Spunk brand, the Swedes eat marshmallows called Skum, you can keep your feet dry in China with a Sex Shoes Set and refresh after a jog in Japan with a glass of Sweat.This hilarious book contains hundreds of examples from foreign parts of product names, signs and advertising puffery that make English speakers laugh immoderately, plus a few mistakes that slipped through at home.It's all real. None of it has been invented. In Egypt, you really can buy German Winter Hats for Diabetics.
Suri's Burn Book: Well-Dressed Commentary from Hollywood's Little Sweetheart
by Allie HaganBased on the popular blog of the same name, Suri's Burn Book is told from the harsh yet clever perspective of "Suri Cruise,” Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' five-year-old daughter-and one of the youngest fashionistas in America today.Suri's snarky and clever wit will cover everything celeb obsessed, from celebrity culture and fashion mistakes to celebs who are annoying pregnant. Also included is Suri's very best advice and essays on topics ranging from pop culture to politics, accompanied by approximately 100 full-color photos throughout.
Sushi for Beginners: A Novel
by Marian KeyesMarian Keyes' Sushi for Beginners is the blissfully funny, smart tale of three women who discover that the line between success and failure, happiness and sadness, sanity and madness is finer than they ever thought . . . 'Dammit,' she realized. 'I think I'm having a nervous breakdown.' Hot-shot magazine editor Lisa Edwards' career is destined for high-rise New York, when suddenly she's blown off-course into the delights of low-rise Dublin. But what on earth can she do about it? Ashling Kennedy, Lisa's super-organized assistant, is good at worrying. Too good. She's even terrified of a little bit of raw fish . . . Clodagh Kelly is Ashling's best friend and has done everything right: beautiful kids and a husband come prince - everything in fact that Ashling has ever wanted. She should be - yet, she's not - happy. Three women on the verge of happiness and even closer to a complete breakdown. Which way will they fall? 'Keyes has given romantic comedy a much-needed face-lift. Chatty and warmhearted, Keyes's talent is to tell it how it is' Independent 'Laden with plots twists, jokey asides and nicely turned bits of zeitgeisty observational humour ... her energetic, well-constructed prose delivers life and people in satisfyingly various shades of grey' Guardian 'The voice of a generation' Daily Mirror
Tell Me Something: A gripping novel of love, lies and obsessions
by Adele ParksWILL THE ITALIAN DREAM BE WHAT SHE'S ALWAYS IMAGINED?In Tell Me Something, Adele Parks, author of the No. 1 ebook bestseller The Stranger In My Home, asks can dreams live up to reality in her addictive novel set in glorious sun-drenched Italy, where a marriage crumbles, cultures clash and love affairs begin...Elizabeth has two goals in life. Once she fulfils the first - finding a sexy Italian husband - she thinks the second will come easy. But getting pregnant is proving difficult.So when the couple move to Italy for Roberto to run the family business, Elizabeth hopes the relaxing lifestyle will boost her chances of conceiving.But Italy is anything but peaceful...Elizabeth's wily mother-in-law seems to instantly hate her, Roberto's gorgeous ex is lingering a little too close for comfort... And. Still. No. Baby.Will Elizabeth's hunger for a bambino be enough to hold her marriage together? Or will she find herself dreaming of something else all together?What readers are saying about Tell Me Something:'The story is a rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs for Elizabeth, and Parks' clever and unpredictable twists and turns are thoroughly enjoyable' 'Elizabeth's character is highly developed and expertly portrayed. It's been a while since I read a book which made me laugh and cry simultaneously, for being both happy and sad'
Temptation Island: Hollywood Sinners / Wicked Ambition / Temptation Island (Mira Ser.)
by Victoria FoxWELCOME TO PARADISE Only the rich are invited. . . only the strongest survive Fame. Money. Success. Lori wants them, Aurora is being destroyed by them and Stevie’s got them at her best friend’s expense. These three women are drawn unwittingly to the shores of Temptation Island, all looking for their own truth.
The Ten, Make That Nine, Habits of Very Organized People. Make That Ten.: The Tweets of Steve Martin
by Steve MartinThe funniest, most memorable Twitter messages from comedian and bestselling author Steve Martin, along with hilarious responses from followers.Steve Martin's uncanny ability to pack 140 characters with humor and wit has defined what it means to be a celebrity in today's world of social media. With over 8 million followers on Twitter (a number growing by the day), Martin's tweets have been covered by personal blogs, major news outlets, and everything in between.Funny illustrations complement Martin's insights on everything from celebrity culture to jury duty to Twitter itself. Perfect, light reading for your hectic commute, busy waiting rooms, or a lazy Sunday afternoon, this collection will delight avid followers and offline fans alike.
Terms of Employment: The secret lingo of the workplace
by Charlie CrokerHas your doctor ever prescribed you some bug-juice? Or sent you to the rheumaholiday department?Have you ever read an article full of anecdata or reviewphemisms?Do you think you work in an adhocracy, for a seagull manager?Every workplace has its own words and phrases, from the Smurf juice used to clean plane toilets to the Peckham Rolexes, worn by criminals on release from prison. For Terms of Employment, Charlie Croker has patrolled hospital corridors, hung out by office water-coolers and lingered in shops to listen in on the conversations that only take place at work, gathering together the jargon we all use, often without thinking. Whether you're a white wig (new barrister), a heatseeker (ambitious employee) or an entreprenerd (geeky IT pioneer) Terms of Employment is an invaluable - and entertaining - guide.
Texts From Dog: The Dog Delusion
by October JonesIn April 2012, English animator Joe Butcher discovered he could send text messages to HIMSELF on his mobile phone. Naturally, Butcher decided that the best use for this feature would be to send passive aggressive messages to his fictional alter ego October Jones, under the guise of Cooper, his British Bulldog. A classic tale of Man & Dog for the gadget driven internet generation. After taking screenshots of his canine conversations, Butcher posted them to his 10,000 Twitter followers, then created a Tumblr, which attracted over 80,000 followers in a month. Now the further exploits of Dog and his weary owner have been brought together in this hilarious book, which includes over 100 texts not seen on the website.
There but for the
by Ali SmithThere but for the is the sparkling satirical novel by bestselling Ali Smith'There once was a man who, one night between the main course and the sweet at a dinner party, went upstairs and locked himself in one of the bedrooms of the house of the people who were giving the dinner party . . .'As time passes by and the consequences of this stranger's actions ripple outwards, touching the owners, the guests, the neighbours and the whole country, so Ali Smith draws us into a beautiful, strange place where everyone is so much more than they at first appear. There but for the was hailed as one of the best books of 2011 by Jeanette Winterson, A.S. Byatt, Patrick Ness, Sebastian Barry, Boyd Tonkin, Erica Wagner and Nick Barley.'Dazzlingly inventive' A.S. Byatt'Whimsically devastating. Playful, humorous, serious, profoundly clever and profoundly affecting' Guardian'A real gem' Erica Wagner, The Times'Eccentric, adventurous, intoxicating, dazzling. This is a novel with serious ambitions that remains huge fun to read' Literary Review'If you liked Smith's earlier fiction, you will know that she enjoys setting up a situation before chucking in a literary Molotov cocktail then describing what happens' Sunday Express'Wonderful, word-playful, compelling' Jeanette Winterson'Smith can make anything happen, which is why she is one of our most exciting writers today' Daily Telegraph'I take my hat off to Ali Smith. Her writing lifts the soul' Evening Standard
The Things that Nobody Knows: 501 Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything
by William HartstonHERE ARE MANY, MANY THINGS THAT NOBODY KNOWS . . .Why are so many giraffes gay?Has human evolution stopped?Where did our alphabet come from?Can robots become self-aware?Can lobsters recognize other lobsters by sight?What goes on inside a black hole?Are cell phones bad for us?Why can't we remember anything from our earliest years?Full of the mysteries of life, the universe and everything, The Things that Nobody Knows is a fascinating and unputdownable exploration of the limits of human knowledge of our planet, its history and culture, and the universe beyond.
This Charming Man: A Novel
by Marian KeyesFour very different women, one awfully charming man and a dark secret that binds them all . . . Marian Keyes' This Charming Man follows women who have been caught in a web of modern love. 'Everybody remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married'Slick, handsome politician Paddy de Courcy is on the up. His party is set to do well in the elections and he's just announced his engagement to the beautiful Alicia. Which is news to his girlfriend, Lola, who, within hours, finds herself dumped and warned not to talk to the press.Yet journalist Grace is on the prowl. She has been after Paddy ever since he ruined her sister Marnie's life way back in college. Grace is looking for the inside story and thinks Lola holds the key.But do any of them know the real Paddy? 'So funny, so perceptive, so real. I changed my life for this book' Mail on Sunday'The laughs come fast and furious . . . a gripping, compelling tale' Sunday Independent'The queen of page-turners . . . brimming with her trademark down-to-earth wit' Cosmopolitan'Gripping from the start . . . the master at her best' Daily Telegraph
This Is a Book
by Demetri MartinHow To Read This BookIf you're reading this sentence then you've pretty much gotit. Good job. Just keep going the way you are.Some Honours and Awards for which Demetri Martin would qualifyNational Champion at being the exboyfriend who is most consistently awkward around his exgirlfriend or anyone who is even a casual acquaintance of hers. A scholarship awarded to Greek Americans who have done very little for the Greek American community but definitely look Greek American, no matter what outfit they are wearing.Top 40 people under 40 who live in his apartment building.Lifetime Achievement Award for Wanting a Lifetime Achievement Award.Congressional Medal of Snacking.
This Moose Belongs to Me
by Oliver JeffersWINNER of the Irish Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year 2012 and the Honour Award for Illustration from Childrens' Books Ireland, 2013. An exquisite new book, featuring a boy and his moose, from internationally bestselling, multi-prize-winning picture book creator, Oliver Jeffers.
Those Kids From Town Again
by Adrian AlingtonSome further incidents in the lives of the children and grown-ups, whose previous adventures were recorded in the These Our Strangers and the film Those Kids from Town.Those Kids from Town is a 1942 British comedy-drama film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring George Cole, Harry Fowler and Percy Marmont. The film was adapted for the screen by Adrian Alington from his own topical novel These Our Strangers, dealing with the experiences of a group of wartime evacuee children from London, sent to safety in a rural village, and their interaction with the host community.
TOLLINS II: DYNAMITE TALES
by Conn IgguldenMore tall tales about tiny people from the bestselling author of THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS – now in paperback with all new black and white illustrations… But whatever you do, DON’T call them fairies!
Top Gear: The Secrets Behind Top Gear's Craziest Creations
by Richard PorterAmbitious but Rubbish reveals the off-camera secrets behind some of Top Gear’s most memorable creations. From the challenge of turning a Reliant Robin into a rocket and the genesis of the Hammerhead-i Eagle Thrust electric car to the complexities of building a caravan airship and the inspiration for destruction-testing a Toyota Hilux, this book is packed with the previously untold stories behind dozens of classic TV moments. Top Gear has never shied away from trying to answer questions no one has even thought to ask. Questions like ‘Can you make a convertible people carrier?’, ‘Can you cross the Channel in a pick-up?’ and ‘Can you turn a combine harvester into a snow plough?’. Ambitious but Rubbish reveals how those insane ideas came about with remarkable tales of ingenious invention and idiotic engineering. This book is essential reading for any Top Gear fan and a terrific insight into the creation of the world’s biggest car show. It’s also a terrifying window into the minds of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Don’t say you weren’t warned about that last one.
The Top Gear Years
by Jeremy ClarksonThe Top Gear Years brings together Jeremy Clarkson's collected magazine columns for the first time.Clarkson at his pithy, provocative, hilarious bestWe now know all about the world according to Clarkson. In a series of bestselling books Jeremy has revealed it to be a puzzling, frustrating place where all too often the lunatics seem to be running the asylum. But in The Top Gear Years, we get something rather different. Because ten years ago, at an ex-RAF aerodrome in Surrey, Jeremy and his friends built a world that was rather more to his liking: they called it Top Gear HQ. And Top Gear is for Jeremy what the jungle is for Tarzan: the perfect place to work and play. But they didn't stop there . . . With this corner of Surrey sorted out, Jeremy and the boys decided to have a crack at the rest of the world. With Top Gear Live charging through with the subtlety of a touring heavy rock band and far flung outposts across the globe from North America to China - an empire of petrol-headed upon which the sun never set. And all along Jeremy was writing about it in Top Gear magazine. Here, collected for the first time, are the fruits of his labours: the cars, the hijinx, the pleasure and the pain. Brilliantly written and laugh out loud funny.The Top Gear Years follows Jeremy Clarkson's many bestselling titles including Round the Bend and The World according to Clarkson series. Praise for Jeremy Clarkson:'Jeremy Clarkson is very funny and his well-honed political incorrectness is a joy. .' - Daily TelegraphJeremy Clarkson began his writing career on the Rotherham Advertiser. Since then he has written for the Sun, the Sunday Times, the Rochdale Observer, the Wolverhampton Express & Star, all of the Associated Kent Newspapers and Lincolnshire Life. Today he is the tallest person working in British television.
Trainspotting (Contraseñas Ser. #Vol. 158)
by Irvine WelshThe bestselling novel by Irvine Welsh that provided the inspiration for Danny Boyle’s hit filmChoose us. Choose life. Choose mortgage payments; choose washing machines; choose cars; choose sitting oan a couch watching mind-numbing and spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fuckin junk food intae yir mooth. Choose rotting away, pishing and shiteing yersel in a home, a total fuckin embarrassment tae the selfish, fucked-up brats ye've produced. Choose life.
The Trap (The Magnificent 12 #2)
by Michael GrantSometimes one hero isn't enough – sometimes you need a full dozen. Mack’s search for his dazzling dozen continues in the second instalment of this funny, action-packed fantasy series by the New York Times bestselling author of GONE.
The Trials and Triumphs of Les Dawson
by Louis BarfeLes Dawson: a comedian who, more than any other, spoke for the phlegmatic, resigned, sarcastic, glorious British way of life. This is his story.A Northern lad who climbed out of the slums thanks to an uncommonly brilliant mind, Les Dawson was always the underdog, but his bark was funnier and more incisive than many comics who claimed to bite. Married twice in real life, he had a third wife in his comic world - a fictional ogre built from spare parts left by fleeing Nazis at the end of World War II - and an equally frightening mother-in-law. He was down to earth, yet given to eloquent, absurd flights of fancy. He was endlessly generous with his time, but slow to buy a round of drinks. He was a mass of contradictions. In short, he was human, he was genuine, and that's why audiences loved him.
Triggs: The Autobiography of Roy Keane's Dog
by TriggsThe explosive, no-holds-barred autobiography of Triggs, Roy Keane's confidant, adviser...and dog!Ten major trophies. A missed Champions League final. Player of the Year awards. Alf-Inge Haaland. Drunken nights. Contract negotiations. Patrick Vieira. Prawn sandwiches. The explosive end to Roy's relationship with Ireland and Manchester United. Triggs - TV lover, hypochondriac, noted wit, football genius and best friend to the most talked-about footballer of his generation - was witness to it all. Funny, frank and never less than 110 per cent mean-spirited, Triggs tells the truth about what it was like to be a central player in the extraordinary drama of her master's life.
Tristram Shandy: And A Sentimental Journey Through France And Italy, Volume 2 - Primary Source Edition (The Penguin English Library #Vol. Iii)
by Laurence Sterne'I am got, I know not how, into a cold unmetaphorical vein of infamous writing, and cannot take a plumb-lift out of it for my soul; so must be obliged to go on writing like a Dutch commentator to the end of the chapter, unless something be done ...'Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate 'hero' Tristram Shandy, the eccentric philosophy of his father Walter, the amours and military obsessions of Uncle Toby, and a host of other characters, including Dr Slop, Corporal Trim and the parson Yorick. A joyful celebration of the endless possibilities of the art of fiction, Tristram Shandy is also a wry demonstration of its limitations.The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.
The Trouble With Dragons
by Debi GlioriThe world is populated by some beastly dragons who care nothing for how much they mess up the oceans, chop down the trees, gobble up all the food and use everything up without stopping to think. Those dragons need to wake up to what they are doing to their world before it is too late ... A delightful and energy-filled picture book that addresses concerns about the environment in the most child-centric and delightful way possible.Brilliantly read by Amelia Fox. Please note that audio is not supported by all devices, please consult your user manual for confirmation.
The True History of the Blackadder: The Unadulterated Tale of the Creation of a Comedy Legend
by J. F. RobertsBritish history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been re-written, re-evaluated and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as fact. But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners... The True History of the Black Adder is the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other – arguably the greatest sitcom of all time – not to mention the first historical investigation into the lives of the Blackadder family, one of the nation's most villified dynasties.Using existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers including John Lloyd, Tony Robinson, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed; Rowan Atkinson and many more, J. F. Roberts relates the full scope of the tale of how the 70s alumni of three great universities – Oxford, Cambridge and not Hull, but Manchester – discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece.At last Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.