A Confederacy of Dunces
After four decades, the peerless wit and indulgent absurdity of A Confederacy of Dunces continues to attract new readers. Though the manuscript was rejected by many publishers during John Kennedy Toole's lifetime, his mother successfully published the book years after her son's suicide, and it won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This literary underdog and comic masterpiece has sold more than two million copies in over two dozen languages. A Confederacy of Dunces features one of the most memorable protagonists in American literature, Ignatius J. Reilly, whom Walker Percy dubbed "slob extraordinaire, a mad Oliver Hardy, a fat Don Quixote, a perverse Thomas Aquinas rolled into one." Set in New Orleans with a wild cast of characters including Ignatius and his mother; Miss Trixie, the octogenarian assistant accountant at Levi Pants; inept, wan Patrolman Mancuso; Darlene, the Bourbon Street stripper with a penchant for poultry; and Jones, the jivecat in space-age dark glasses, the novel serves as an outlandish but believable tribute to a city defined by its parade of eccentric denizens. The genius of A Confederacy of Dunces is reaffirmed as successive generations embrace this extravagant satire. Adulation for Toole's comic epic remains as intense today as it was at the time of its initial publication.
Living Dead Lovers
Living Dead Lovers follows the life and times of famed psychic-medium, half-Romani gypsy, Valentina 'Cabbage' Moone, from her mute infancy trawling the roads of Europe to a fiery-tongued, hard-drinking, speed-loving clairvoyant with a complete disregard for human life, including her own of late... Psychic-medium Cabbage brings forth more than she can chew with womanizing dead racing-car driver, Marty 'Magma' Molloy, who doesn't want to give up the chase. A twisted love-affair never meant to be. Necrophilia: that's what the sceptical call it. Romantics call it the yin-yang love between being and human being, light and, oh, so very dark. And her guardian angel Mr. Brick Shithouse makes it even more complicated...
One Dollar One Rissole
Well this is the fifth volume of short stories, and some may ask why he doesn't just pull his finger out and write a proper novel. But he figures he is being novel, doesn't have the brain to concentrate enough to achieve a novel, and realises possibly just where his strengths and weaknesses lie. So go and sit on the toilet if you need to hang shit on him. Besides, he is a lazy prick.
What Would Mary Berry Do?
'A laugh on every page' - Lucy Diamond, bestselling author of The Beach CafeWhat Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy is a delicious feast of a funny novel, perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Allison Pearson.Marie Dunwoody doesn't want for much in life. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children, and a business of her own. But her cupcakes are crap. Her meringues are runny and her biscuits rock-hard. She cannot bake for toffee. Or, for that matter, make toffee.Marie can't ignore the disappointed looks any more, or continue to be shamed by neighbour and nemesis, Lucy Gray. Lucy whips up perfect profiteroles with one hand, while ironing her bed sheets with the other. Marie's had enough: this is the year it all changes. She vows to follow - to the letter - recipes from the Queen of Baking, and at all times ask, 'What would Mary Berry do?'Husband Robert has noticed that his boss takes crumb structure as seriously as budget cuts and with redundancies on the horizon, he too puts on a pinny. Twins Rose and Iris are happy to eat all the half-baked mistakes that come their way, but big brother Angus is more distant than usual, as if something is troubling him. And there is no one as nosey as a matching pair of nine-year-old girls . . .Marie starts to realise that the wise words of Mary Berry can help her with more than just a Victoria Sponge. But can Robert save the wobbling souffl矇 that is his career? And is Lucy's sweet demeanour hiding something secretly sour?**This is a work of fiction, in no way endorsed by Mary Berry, and where neither Mary Berry herself nor her recipes feature.**
Bridget Jones
NOW A PEACOCK ORIGINAL FILM - NATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the author of the bestselling Bridget Jones's Diary comes a hilarious and heartwarming novel. Join Bridget on her journey through romantic mishaps, technological misadventures, and the joys and trials of modern motherhood as she embarks on a new chapter and learns to embrace herself. "[Bridget's] smart, she's funny and she makes us all feel like we're good just the way we are." --Jenna Bush Hager, Today "Feels like visiting with your funniest friend." --Entertainment Weekly "Sharp and humorous. . . . Snappily written, observationally astute. . . . Genuinely moving." --The New York Times Book ReviewFourteen years after landing Mark Darcy, Bridget's life has taken her places she never expected. But despite the new challenges of single parenting, online dating and wildly morphing dress sizes, she is the same irrepressible and endearing soul we all remember--though her talent for embarrassing herself in hilarious ways has become dangerously amplified now that she has 752 Twitter followers. Bridget navigates head lice epidemics, school-picnic humiliations, cross-generational sex, and learns why one should never, ever text while drunk. Studded with witty observations about the perils and absurdities of our times, Mad About the Boy is both outrageously comic and genuinely moving. As we watch her dealing with heartbreaking loss and rediscovering love and joy, Bridget invites us to fall for her all over again.
Bad Monkey
The Apple TV+ Original series from Ted Lasso Executive Producer Bill Lawrence and starring Vince Vaughn, praised as "a rollicking, darkly hilarious series that's both compulsively watchable and plain old fun" (The Ringer) is based on the zany and sharp novel from "the funniest important writer in America" (Miami Herald). Andrew Yancy-late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff's office-has a human arm in his freezer. There's a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it's not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first-this being Hiaasen country-Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Oklahoma; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy's new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey-who just may be one of Carl Hiaasen's greatest characters.
I’ll Be Here All Week
Falling in love is like stand-up comedy. You have to be crazy to do it... Spence is a stand-up comedian whose claim to fame is a one-time appearance on The Late Late Show. Eight years ago. Since then, he's been living on the road, working in clubs like The Comedy Crib or The Funny Farm or The Laff Shack-if he's lucky. More often than not, his agent lands him gigs in country western bars. On a good night, he gets free drinks; on a bad night, he offends the audience with dirty jokes. Spence's ex-wife thinks he should find a nice girl and settle down. His ex-wife's husband thinks he should stop having his mail sent to their house. What does Spence think? That trying to have a relationship on the road is no laughing matter. Especially when he meets Sam... She's smart, she's beautiful, and she's Canadian-but she's not putting up with his schtick. Sam wants Spence to drop the jokes and be himself, which is hard for a man who's funny for a living. But the closer they get, the more successful Spence becomes. Can a stand-up comic live happily ever after with the girl of his dreams...without it ending in a punchline? "I'll Be Here All Week does more than offer a window into the life of a stand-up comic. Any reader would feel like they are actually on that stage, living the life and hoping that they'll get out alive. Underneath it all is a love story that is sweet and funny." --Ophira Eisenberg, stand-up comic and author of Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy
Wedding Night
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life returns with her trademark blend of sparkling wit and playful romance in this page-turning story of a wedding to remember--and a honeymoon to forget. "Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter."--Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose, but then his big question involves a trip abroad--not a trip down the aisle. Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they'll just get married . . . right now. Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say "I do," for better, or for worse. Praise for Wedding Night "[A] fun novel that's as light and bubbly as a glass of wedding champagne."--USA Today "Filled with laugh-out-loud moments, this is Sophie Kinsella at her wittiest. . . . An engrossing novel."--Bookreporter "You won't be able to stop reading. . . . The narrative gallops along with humorous scenes and great one-liners."--The Daily Mail "A fast-paced, hilarious comedy [with] a charming cast of characters."--Kirkus Reviews
Curly Dish Pig Tales
Maybe he is getting serious but then if he wants Winnie the Pooh to be elected God maybe he is still out there in the never never land, stuck in the dreamtime by intelligent Australian aborigines so that he harms nobody but himself
The Adventures and Exploits of Mabel Hawkins
Collecting the soul of an airline pilot who's about to have a heart attack is all in a day's work for a trainee angel; but when the angel in question is the disaster prone Mabel Hawkins, things are bound to become complicated. The discovery that one of the passengers is a terrorist, intent on destroying the plane and all on board doesn't help. If Mabel shows up at the Pearly Gates accompanied by a couple of hundred recently deceased airline passengers, St. Peter will assume it's all her fault and start shouting at her again; especially as the passenger list includes a group of elderly nuns. Meet Mabel Hawkins, L'Enfant terrible of the angelic realm. Whether her task is to guard some priceless religious artefacts, or simply collect the soul of someone who's died in their sleep and doesn't realise that they are dead, every mission ends in disaster. Eventually, even the venerable St. Peter has to seek advice from a higher authority before sending her out on an assignment. A delightful, laugh-out-loud romp through the afterlife with Heaven's most disaster prone trainee angel.
Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma
Why Are You So Sad?
"Jason Porter could find a place on the shelf beside Richard Brautigan, George Saunders, and David Sedaris. This is a quick, odd, wonderful book, one that pinned me back on my heels and made me laugh."-Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin Have we all sunken into a species-wide bout of clinical depression? Porter's uproarious, intelligent debut centers on Raymond Champs, an illustrator of assembly manuals for a home furnishings corporation, who is charged with a huge task: To determine whether or not the world needs saving. It comes to him in the midst of a losing battle with insomnia -- everybody he knows, and maybe everybody on the planet, is suffering from severe clinical depression. He's nearly certain something has gone wrong. A virus perhaps. It's in the water, or it's in the mosquitoes, or maybe in the ranch flavored snack foods. And what if we are all too sad and dispirited to do anything about it? Obsessed as he becomes, Raymond composes an anonymous survey to submit to his unsuspecting coworkers -- "Are you who you want to be?", "Do you believe in life after death?", "Is today better than yesterday?" -- because what Raymond needs is data. He needs to know if it can be proven. It's a big responsibility. People might not believe him. People, like his wife and his boss, might think he is losing his mind. But only because they are also losing their minds. Or are they? Reminiscent of Gary Shteyngart, George Saunders, Douglas Coupland and Jennifer Egan, Porter's debut is an acutely perceptive and sharply funny meditation on what makes people tick.
A Glorious Third
"Cynthia Propper Seton's newest novel is a gem of a comedy. With delectable wit and glittering style, Seton examines the leisured urban upper-middle class, its guilts and self-deceptions, its integrity, poignant strivings, and resignation. . . .The author is a veritable gourmet chef of the language, whipping up verbal delights on every page." --Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Saturday Review
Here I Go Again
With her debut novel, If You Were Here, Jen Lancaster "[leapt] into the fiction arena with her rapier-sharp wit in one hand and a fistful of Home Depot gift cards in the other" (New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson). Now she goes from the trauma of home renovation to the drama of soul renovation in Here I Go Again.... Twenty years after ruling the halls of her suburban Chicago high school, Lissy Ryder doesn't understand why her glory days ended. Back then, she was worshipped...beloved...feared. Present day, not so much. She's been pink-slipped from her high-paying job, dumped by her husband, and kicked out of her condo. Now, at thirty-seven, she's struggling to start a business from her parents' garage and sleeping under the hair-band posters in her old bedroom. Lissy finally realizes karma is the only bitch bigger than she was. Her present is miserable because of her past. But it's not like she can go back in time and change who she was...or can she?
Rendezvous With a Perfect Stranger
Betty Rollins Busch is a certified professional legal secretary. She's a member of the Aiken Whiskey Road Chapter of South Carolina Writers Workshop (SCWW) and a former SCWW board member. Betty has published poems, essays, and short stories in numerous publications including anthologies such as Horizons, Catfish Stew, and Petigru Review. She's an active member of South Aiken Presbyterian Church, PCUSA and lives a vibrant life that's focused on her faith, family, friends, and straight on fun. She's a lifelong resident of Aiken County, South Carolina. Betty and her late husband, Richard, were married for thirty-two years and have a son, Chris, a daughter, Allison, and six grandchildren. She now lives with her dachshund, Michelob, and two cats, Tiger and Precious.
Rendezvous With a Perfect Stranger
Betty Rollins Busch is a certified professional legal secretary. She's a member of the Aiken Whiskey Road Chapter of South Carolina Writers Workshop (SCWW) and a former SCWW board member. Betty has published poems, essays, and short stories in numerous publications including anthologies such as Horizons, Catfish Stew, and Petigru Review. She's an active member of South Aiken Presbyterian Church, PCUSA and lives a vibrant life that's focused on her faith, family, friends, and straight on fun. She's a lifelong resident of Aiken County, South Carolina. Betty and her late husband, Richard, were married for thirty-two years and have a son, Chris, a daughter, Allison, and six grandchildren. She now lives with her dachshund, Michelob, and two cats, Tiger and Precious.
The Blue Knickers of Happiness
"Why would anyone choose to stay silent for ten days? These people must have messed up their lives big time to want to imprison themselves here." That's what Jack, an advertising executive from New York, wonders when he unwittingly finds himself on a ten-day silent meditation retreat in the Himalayas. This book follows the stories of five of the retreat participants and their searches for happiness, love, peace of mind, and enlightenment in India and beyond. Their interwoven paths are often touching and sometimes hilarious-especially when maggot-filled muesli bars, scorpions, dodgy gurus, giant tigers, a little fluffy duck called Eric, and the dreaded Death make surprise appearances. The Blue Knickers of Happiness is an amusing yet insightful novel about what can happen when you stop and watch your mind. It explores how a little mindfulness can help ordinary people touch the extraordinary magic that lies within.
The Seasons of Cherokee Life
Cherokee is old. His joints ache. His nose can no longer distinguish between the scent of bacon and a clump of dirt. His eyes see only shadows. On the eve of his death, he lies in a cage in an animal hospital, with a needle in his forepaw, and reflects on his life and purpose of being a faithful companion to his beloved mistress and best friend, Alicia Baxter. Alicia and Cherokee's friendship begins when Alicia wanders into a pet shop and finds herself drawn to the puppy prancing before the window with his food bowl in his mouth. From the moment Alicia brings him home, Cherokee becomes an integral part of her journey of self-discovery as she struggles with insecurities, a lack of identity, and an unimaginable loss. Even as Alicia makes a life-altering decision to start over in a place where she is forced to rely on herself, Cherokee's love and loyalty to her never waver. Narrated in a voice filled with wisdom, humor, and astute awareness, The Seasons of Cherokee's Life tells the story of a dog's deep bond with his mistress as he walks beside her and watches her transform into the courageous and independent woman he has always believed her to be.
Bertie Plays the Blues
44 SCOTLAND STREET - Book 7 The residents and neighbors of 44 Scotland Street and the city of Edinburgh come to vivid life in these gently satirical, wonderfully perceptive serial novels, featuring six-year-old Bertie, a remarkably precocious boy--just ask his mother. If you haven't met the residents of 44 Scotland Street yet, there is no better time, since everyone seems to be in the midst of new beginnings. New parents Matthew and Elspeth must muddle through the difficulties of raising their triplets Rognvald, Tobermory and Fegus--there's normal sleep deprivation, and then there's trying to tell the children apart from one another. Angus and Domenica are newly engaged, and now they must negotiate the complex merger of two households. Domenica is also forced to deal with the return of an old flame, while Big Lou has begun the search for a new one, boldly exploring the new world of online dating and coming up with an Elvis impersonator on the first try. And in Bertie's family, there's a shift in power as his father Stuart starts to stand up to overbearing mother, Irene--and then there's Bertie, who has been thinking that he might want to start over with a new family and so puts himself up for adoption on eBay. With his signature charm and gentle wit Alexander McCall Smith vividly portrays the lives of Edinburgh's most unique and beloved characters.
I Want Your Body, Candy Starr
Joe Andretti is a hospital porter living in New York, an eager member of the fan club of movie superstar, Candy Starr. One fine day, the way these things go in life, he suddenly snaps during a particularly boring session of the fan club and decides that instead of messing around looking at Candy's movies and assessing her artistic qualities, he is going to drop everything and fly to Hollywood, and get to know Candy in the biblical sense. However and alas, Life thwarts him at every turn. Each moment that he takes a step towards meeting his heart's desire, little things and big things get in his way. He finds he owes his landlord money, and so must work weeks and hours of overtime to pay off the debt. And so it goes on. However much he plans and prepares, he seems glued into a world without Candy. Does he make it in the end and attain eternal happiness? Well does he?
They Don't Have Horses on the Moon
Malt Daisy, the famed creator of the Daisylands amusement park, is resuscitated from a cryogenic deep sleep and elected President of America. Waking in the same cryogenic facility, Neil Hamilton discovers a world transformed as he attempts to find out what has become of his life. The destinies of these two men are intertwined as a national scandal erupts threatening chaos and disaster. Both frightening and funny, They Dont Have Horses on the Moon is a bizarre romp through the 21st century with a cast of assorted oddballs one could only find in a Daisy cartoon.
Paddy’s People
Paddy Pest, the ubiquitous Aussie gumshoe, is immersed in a world full of beautiful women, conniving conspirators, and covert agents. Never without his Beretta or fold-up boomerang, Paddy is always prepared-a good thing, since he is about to take a ride on the wild side with his entourage of female associates. Stormy Weathers, Paddy's girlfriend and wing person, is known for her flaming red hair, nice legs, and her ability to hold her own in a fight. Pest surrounds himself with girls with guns and they mean business. Ariadne Vasilis has long black hair, a brutal arm-chop, and a fierce loyalty to her country, as does the delightful French gendarme Yvette Baguette. She wouldn't be seen dead without her Paris fashion labels. From a salacious situation in Salem to a conundrum in Kentucky! There's murder in Melbourne and mystery in Moscow, and Paddy's people are playing for keeps. Paddy's People is a collection of short stories laced with treachery, mayhem, and mischievous behavior that encompass some of Paddy's worldwide adventures and acknowledge those men and women who have been inspired by his exploits.
Paddy’s People
Paddy Pest, the ubiquitous Aussie gumshoe, is immersed in a world full of beautiful women, conniving conspirators, and covert agents. Never without his Beretta or fold-up boomerang, Paddy is always prepared-a good thing, since he is about to take a ride on the wild side with his entourage of female associates. Stormy Weathers, Paddy's girlfriend and wing person, is known for her flaming red hair, nice legs, and her ability to hold her own in a fight. Pest surrounds himself with girls with guns and they mean business. Ariadne Vasilis has long black hair, a brutal arm-chop, and a fierce loyalty to her country, as does the delightful French gendarme Yvette Baguette. She wouldn't be seen dead without her Paris fashion labels. From a salacious situation in Salem to a conundrum in Kentucky! There's murder in Melbourne and mystery in Moscow, and Paddy's people are playing for keeps. Paddy's People is a collection of short stories laced with treachery, mayhem, and mischievous behavior that encompass some of Paddy's worldwide adventures and acknowledge those men and women who have been inspired by his exploits.
They Eat Puppies, Don't They?
In an attempt to gain congressional approval for a top-secret weapons system, Washington lobbyist "Bird" McIntyre teams up with sexy, outspoken neocon Angel Templeton to pit the American public against the Chinese. When Bird fails to uncover an authentic reason to slander the nation, he and Angel put the Washington media machine to work, spreading a rumor that the Chinese secret service is working to assassinate the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile in China, mild-mannered President Fa Mengyao and his devoted aide Gang are maneuvering desperately against sinister party hard-liners Minister Lo and General Han. Now Fa and Gang must convince the world that the People's Republic is not out to kill the Dalai Lama, while maintaining Fa's small margin of power in the increasingly militaristic environment of the party. On the home front, Bird must contend with a high-strung wife who entertains Olympic equestrian ambition, and the qualifying competition happens to be taking place in China. As things unravel abroad, Bird and Angel's lie comes dangerously close to reality. And as their relationship rises to a new level, so do mounting tensions between the United States and China.
Creating an Ideal Life
When her career runs aground during the recession, baby boomer Ginny Lawther decides to reboot her life with a leap of faith and systematically sets out to make a long-cherished dream come true.
Creating an Ideal Life
When her career runs aground during the recession, baby boomer Ginny Lawther decides to reboot her life with a leap of faith and systematically sets out to make a long-cherished dream come true.
I've Got Your Number
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life comes "a rollicking page-turner . . . It's funny. It's clever. It twists and turns. . . . Sophie Kinsella has yet another winner." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) "Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter."--Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her "happily ever after" begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill, but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect! Well, perfect except that the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life. What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life. "Fresh, fast-paced, and fiercely funny . . . Kinsella pens her most lovably neurotic protagonist yet. . . . A laugh-out-loud comic caper."--Publishers Weekly "Poppy is easily as charming and daffy as shopaholic Rebecca Bloomwood."--Kirkus Reviews "A screwball romance for the digital age."--The Star-Ledger
A Crack-Up at the Race Riots
Originally published by Mainstreet/Doubleday in 1998, this debut novel from an underground filmmaker uses print, photographs, drawings, news clippings, handwriting, a poem, attempted diagrams, and clip art to enhance the text, which primarily tells of a race war that happens in Florida, where the Jewish people sit in trees, the black people are run by MC Hammer, and the white people are run by Vanilla Ice. Or as the author himself described it front of a national television audience, "I wanted to write the Great American Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Novel." In actuality, it is a collection of hard-luck stories, off-and-on-color jokes, script scraps, found letters, free rhymes, drug flashbacks, and other missing scenes, all exploring the world of show business with fingers prying in the cracks and feet set lightly in the black humors of the real world. With chapters about books found in Monty Clift's basement and Tupac Shakur's 10 favorite novels, and a set of 11 suicide notes with room included for the reader's signature, the book is a one-of-a-kind post-postmodern examination of the dangers of public life from a unique voice in independent culture, one that might make William S. Burroughs sigh and turn the page at least.
Humor for Mature Minds
Bill Daugherty has been collecting and telling jokes and humorous stories for many years. He does this, not for profit, but for the sheer enjoyment he receives from making people laugh. With stories such as these, he has entertained his Rotary Club, local and National Audubon Societies, literary group meetings, humorous roast, and members of his weekly bridge games. Bill's occupation has not been entertainment. Rather, he has post graduate degrees in Physics and Education, and before retiring, was an Aerospace Engineering Manager at Hughes Aircraft Company, Space Technology Laboratories, and TRW Systems. He has written two WWII novels about the air war in the South Pacific, Black Cats, and Nightmares. He published a monolog on education, Public School Education Destroyed by Educators, and an engineering text he co authored, Mechanical Engineering for Electrical Engineers. His OP-ED pieces have appeared in major newspapers. Bill firmly believes that laughter is sorely missing in our world, and jokes about mature subjects are especially entertaining. To find out of this "Not our typical joke book" you'll have to read it.
The Cherry Cola Book Club
With its corrugated iron siding and cramped interior, the Cherico, Mississippi, library is no Antebellum gem. But for young librarian Maura Beth Mayhew, it's as essential to the community as the delicious desserts at the Twinkle, Twinkle Caf矇. It's a place for neighbors to mingle and browse through the newest bestsellers, for the indomitable Miss Voncille Nettles to host her "Who's Who in Cherico?" meetings. The library may be underfunded and overlooked, but it's Maura Beth's pride, and she won't let the good ole boys on the City Council close it down without a fight. Which is why Maura Beth has founded the Cherry Cola Book Club-a last-ditch attempt to boost circulation and save her job. Over potluck dinners featuring treasured family recipes, the booklovers of Cherico come together to talk about literary classics. But soon it's not just Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee being discussed over chicken gumbo and homemade biscuits with green pepper jelly. Secrets are shared, old dreams rekindled, and new loves slowly blossom. Southern charm, wit, and warmth combine in this delightful novel about great books, true friends, and the stories that give life its richest meaning, on and off the page.
Office Chronicles
CIRCUMSTANCES OFTENTIMES PREVENT US FROM LAUGHING IN THE MIDST OF THEM. THIS BOOK OF FICTION ALLOWS JUST THAT WITH THE HELP OF A CERTAIN CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AND THOSE WORKING IN IT.
Secrets of the Old Ladies? Club
Regina, Donna, Stella, Bethany, and Cicely are lively residents of the exclusive Heritage Memories Retirement Village. They share an enthusiasm for living life to the fullest but their antics soon turn the Village upside down as they live the way they want rather than how they are expected. They each prevail over personal trials and tribulations by traveling, laughing, and leaning on each other. In the process, they form a partnership and business so secret, most of their family members are completely unaware it exists. Enter Paul Sanders, the mysterious new resident who turns out to be quite a charmer with a history as allusive as it is devastating. His unexpected arrival forces the five best friends along diverse paths filled with deception and betrayal. Their lives are further complicated by the appearance of a woman claiming to be the love child of one of them. The very foundation of The Old Ladies' Club is shaken as decades-old secrets emerge, threatening to either reinforce--or shatter--their world. Secrets of the Old Ladies' Club shares a poignant story of loyalty, ambition, and passion that explores how far a friendship can be tested before it is destroyed forever.
Secrets of the Old Ladies? Club
Regina, Donna, Stella, Bethany, and Cicely are lively residents of the exclusive Heritage Memories Retirement Village. They share an enthusiasm for living life to the fullest but their antics soon turn the Village upside down as they live the way they want rather than how they are expected. They each prevail over personal trials and tribulations by traveling, laughing, and leaning on each other. In the process, they form a partnership and business so secret, most of their family members are completely unaware it exists. Enter Paul Sanders, the mysterious new resident who turns out to be quite a charmer with a history as allusive as it is devastating. His unexpected arrival forces the five best friends along diverse paths filled with deception and betrayal. Their lives are further complicated by the appearance of a woman claiming to be the love child of one of them. The very foundation of The Old Ladies' Club is shaken as decades-old secrets emerge, threatening to either reinforce--or shatter--their world. Secrets of the Old Ladies' Club shares a poignant story of loyalty, ambition, and passion that explores how far a friendship can be tested before it is destroyed forever.
The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs
Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to his hometown after inheriting his father's failing veterinary practice. Cyrus intends to sell the practice and get out of town as fast as he can, but when his first patient -- a down-on-her-luck golden retriever named Frieda Fuzzypaws -- wags her way through the door, life suddenly gets complicated. With the help of a black Labrador gifted in the art of swallowing underwear, a Persian cat determined to expose her owner's lover as a gold digger, and the allure of a feisty, pretty waitress from the local diner, Cyrus gets caught up in a new community and its endearing residents, both human and animal. Sensing he may have misjudged the past, he begins to realize it's not just his patients that need healing.The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a winsome tale of new beginnings, forgiveness, and the joy of finding your way home.
Inspector Paws and the Wonders of Europe
When Inspector Paws, a battle-scarred alley cat, narrowly escapes death by cougar, he moves in with Stella and Ernie Clayton, a couple in their late fifties. They provide him with good food, and their home, with its big backyard, caters to his roaming instincts. The best part, though, is that there are no kids around to torment him. But the cat's newfound comfort is shattered when Ernie has a fatal heart attack. Ernie's death is attributed to natural causes, but the tingle in Paws's whiskers convinces him otherwise. Ernie was always very careful with his heart pills, and Paws doesn't believe the line that Ernie knocked them over and couldn't get to them. Before he has a chance to figure out who killed Ernie and why, however, Stella and her zany friend Jo kidnap him and drag him off on a European bus tour, during which he becomes the tour mascot and self-appointed sleuth. Can he solve the mystery of who killed Ernie? And if he does, will he be able to communicate who it is to these sensory-challenged humans before the killer strikes again? A humorous and entertaining mystery, Inspector Paws and the Wonders of Europe introduces a new sleuth with just the right "cattitude" to solve the case.
Inspector Paws and the Wonders of Europe
When Inspector Paws, a battle-scarred alley cat, narrowly escapes death by cougar, he moves in with Stella and Ernie Clayton, a couple in their late fifties. They provide him with good food, and their home, with its big backyard, caters to his roaming instincts. The best part, though, is that there are no kids around to torment him. But the cat's newfound comfort is shattered when Ernie has a fatal heart attack. Ernie's death is attributed to natural causes, but the tingle in Paws's whiskers convinces him otherwise. Ernie was always very careful with his heart pills, and Paws doesn't believe the line that Ernie knocked them over and couldn't get to them. Before he has a chance to figure out who killed Ernie and why, however, Stella and her zany friend Jo kidnap him and drag him off on a European bus tour, during which he becomes the tour mascot and self-appointed sleuth. Can he solve the mystery of who killed Ernie? And if he does, will he be able to communicate who it is to these sensory-challenged humans before the killer strikes again? A humorous and entertaining mystery, Inspector Paws and the Wonders of Europe introduces a new sleuth with just the right "cattitude" to solve the case.
Who Let the Bats Out?
In this bat-mad collection of twisted tales, Peter Hargitai lets out all the stops: he is irreverent, funny, and irresistible. Learn about the real Vlad the Impaler and his poor performance on the Hamilton Depression Scale due to Dracula wannabees like B矇la Lugosi; goddesses pursuing shepherds hunkering after sheep; straight serpent-like creatures and gay super-heroes; tattooed dragon slayers, medieval shepherds whose lies tell the truth, talking cocks stalking Turkish emperors; an artistic lad who wants to be called Andr矇 and join the Merchant Marine in land-locked Transylvania; a blind princess under the spell of an evil sorceress; a blood countess who wants to be forever young through a combination of Botox and an Iron Maiden. And one damsel who fulfills her impossible dream of becoming a king - after a sex-change operation in nearby Serbia. Who Let the Bats Out? Twisted Tales from Transylvania, a hilarious tweaking of folk tales from the Hungarian oral tradition, will make you laugh out loud on every page. They are about fantastical beings as in the story of Hunor and Magor, twin hunters who come to earth like two falling stars, obsessed by the behind of a magical white hind. The elusive creature leads them to a meadow of beautiful moon maidens they are destined to marry were it not for their forbidding pre-nuptials...
Emily's Reasons Why Not
Hollywood publicity pro extraordinaire Emily Sanders is hitting thirty -- hard -- and she wants the life her best friends seem to have: house, kids, perfect man. But finding true love isn't easy in L.A., where image is everything, and where every beauty pageant winner is an eight in a sea of nines, who all wish they were Julia Roberts. For Emily, boyfriend material has always come in many strange shapes and incarnations -- beautiful young surfer god, aging music executive, boss's boss's boss, and a baseball player with two cell phones (one of which she does not have the number to). With her confidence rapidly heading due south (like everything else on her body), it's time to find a smart, sharp-eyed psychotherapist to help her get past her surefire method for choosing the absolute worst man. With a little help, maybe Emily can learn to narrow her focus from looking for Mister Right to looking out for Mister Wrong. Because she knows that, eventually, "the one" comes for every woman ... even for a disarming, unflappable player in the mad, mad world of entertainment, with the edge of an insider and the heart of a dreamer.
What in God's Name
Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the grossly mismanaged corporation in the sky. For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him. When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs -- uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks -- and they refuse to accept that earth is going under. The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them -- and the rest of us, too.
Funny Valentine
Feel the love in a sweet and funny Splat the Cat tale by New York Times bestselling author-artist Rob Scotton in this Valentine's Day lift-the-flap adventure.It's Valentine's Day, and Splat wants to give a secret present to someone special. His classmates all decide to help, and make the best Valentine ever! Lift the flaps throughout the story to discover hidden holiday surprises.Read all about Splat's Valentine's Day misadventures in Splat the Cat: Funny Valentine, another sure-to-be-a-classic story by Rob Scotton.
When Elves Attack
"The undisputed king of the comic crime novel."--Providence JournalNobody does Florida weirdness quite like Tim Dorsey! Case in point: When Elves Attack, the New York Times bestselling author's twisted Christmas present to his legion of adoring fans who can't get enough of thrill-killer and Sunshine State historian Serge A. Storms, the most endearing psychopath since Dexter. Dorsey offers the perfect antidote for all those sappy feel-good holiday stories with this zany blockbuster extravaganza in which his wonderfully deranged serial killer Floridaphile delivers his special brand of Christmas cheer. More outrageous than Santa Claus in a Speedo, When Elves Attack serves up a Yuletide feast of the "pure gonzo humor" the New York Times Book Review enthusiastically attributes to this fearlessly funny writer. Think Bad Santa and National Lampoon's Family Vacation, blend in Dorsey's trademark appetite for destruction, and you've got hilarious crime fiction black comedy that anyone would be thrilled to discover stuffed in their Christmas stocking.
Confessions of a Crap Artist
"A funny, horribly accurate portrait of a life in California in the Fifties."--Rolling Stone Jack Isidore doesn't see the world like most people. According to his brother-in-law Charlie, he's a crap artist, obsessed with his own bizarre theories and ideas, which he fanatically records in his many notebooks. He is so grossly unequipped for real life that his sister and brother-in-law feel compelled to rescue him from it. But while Fay and Charlie Hume put on a happy face for the world, they prove to be just as sealed off from reality, in thrall to obsessions that are slightly more acceptable than Jack's but a great deal uglier. Their constant fighting and betrayals threaten their own marriage and the relationships of everyone around them. When they bring Jack into their home, he finds himself in the middle of a maelstrom of suburban angst from which he might not be able to escape. Confessions of a Crap Artist is one of Philip K. Dick's most accomplished novels, and the only non-science fiction novel published in his lifetime.
The Soddit
Bingo Grabbins is a soddit who enjoys a comfortable life (apart from his feet, of course). But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandef, and a company of bizarrely Welsh dwarves drag him away on an adventure. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard (or so they say) guarded by Smug, a large and very tedious dragon. Bingo is reluctant to take part in this insane venture, but a dwarven dagger held to his throat soon surprises even himself and off the companions go on a quest that seems truly epic (well, until you read about what later happened to Bingo's cousin, at any rate). Oh, and Bingo finds this ring thing. . .
