Title: Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult Author: Maria Bamford Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Memoirs, Mental health Pace: Slow Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2023
To start with, I really enjoyed this memoir. It was clever and witty. Had me smiling and laughing as I read it. But then, it started to get a little bit repetitive. And a little more repetitive. Until, finally, it may have been different anecdotes, but mostly the same punchlines.
Although I started to get bogged down in this, I did still finish it. And mostly enjoy it. Bamford was open and honest, which i always love. And didn’t hesitate to laugh at herself and the predicaments she would find herself in.
As much as I didn’t mind this, between the repetitive punchlines and the tone of the memoir, its not one I’d read again. Overall, not a bad read. But probably a little too needy for my personal tastes and engagement.
As a child I was absolutely obsessed with ancient Egypt, the architecture, the culture, the religion. So I love that Pratchett decided to also harness some of this fascination and bring it into the Discworld novels. It made me smile, it made me laugh and I loved picking up on all of the little details that were interwoven throughout to give the story the wonderful texture that it has. Then, there’s the fact that this is also a story that’s all about bucking tradition, changing your stripes, and finding your own version of happily ever after. All things which I absolutely adore in a good book.
Teppic going from being a Pharaoh-in-waiting, to an assassin-in-training was a very interesting departure from the expected. It also kind of worked out in a really funny way. I loved the different terminology used, particularly the idea of “inhuming” rather than killing. As always, I spent the entirety of this novel smiling and shaking my head at the language utilised. Pratchett was just such a master at turning a phrase, and Pyramids was able to display this wonderfully. I don’t think I will ever get the idea of “inhuming a pyramid” out of my head, and all that that entails.
There were so many twists and turns to this story that I honestly didn’t know where I was going or even what was happening throughout this. I meant that in the best way, and I definitely had the laughter startled out of me at multiple points. But, honestly, this was the most random and twisting story that I’ve read in a while. I also loved that the story was bookended with the same few pages – it just added to both the mystery and the twisting of the storyline.
I really enjoyed Dios as the villain – he was kind of evil, but in a really ignorant way. It was the evil of an unwillingness to change, rather than the evil of maliciousness. It didn’t make his input and chaos any more palatable or easy to read about, but it did make for a great villain that I completely could get behind. I also like that it was a really subtle evil, one that you don’t necessarily pick up on to begin with, but the insidiousness unfolds as the entertainment of the rest of the story does.
It doesn’t matter which one, every time I pick up a Discworld novel I know that I’m in for a wild ride of humour and entertainment. And honestly, as of late, I’ve needed the funny in my life. Which meant that the fact that Wyrd Sisters ticked all of my boxes led me to feeling super relaxed and like I could let go a big sigh. Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magret are an absolutely hilarious trio. And whilst I think I’ve met Granny Weatherwax before, the three of them together was even more fun. Plus, I really like that they each represent one of the three aspects of the Goddess (Crone, Mother and Maiden).
Alongside the trio of Witches, there is, as always an entertaining cast that drew me straight in. In this case, I particularly loved the Fool. I love that when we get to visit him, you see two sides to his personality. There’s the jester side which waxes nonsensically lyrically about the world around him and tries to maintain his loyalty. And then there is the internal struggle which he is battling. The fact that the Fool actually has an incredibly sharp and bright mind, one driven by a strong sense of morality and right and wrong. The fact that he ends up being a big driver of the “good” in this story just made me like him all that much more. Even as he romances Magret and deals with the duality of his own nature. A great reminder that the way someone presents to the world may not be who they actually are inside.
I honestly did not want to put this book down. One of the reasons why it is taking me so long to get through the Discworld novels is that I find this issue every single time. I have to adult, and so when I get this severely hooked and obsessed with a book can be somewhat of an issue. The ability of the Witches to take on a king and do so with wit and humour was hilarious. The way that they choose to bend and break the rules for the “greater good”, and also because they are just pissed meant that I wanted to see what nonsense was going to happen next. It was almost impossible to look away, and I honestly may have walked into a doorway or two in my quest to see what would happen next.
It’s been a while since I’ve actually read a Pratchett novel, and this is a reminder why I want to just fill my shelves with these stories. They are a great read in a general kind of way. But what I love the most is that they are a great, satirical take on the world. And no matter how old these stories get, they are still relevant today. In the case of Wyrd Sisters, it’s a reminder of the challenges of power and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Particularly when that power is placed in the hands of an absolute idiot.
Title: This Will Only Hurt a Little Author: Busy Philipps Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Memoirs, Mental health, Strong women Dates read: 2nd – 11th May 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: sphere Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: I promised I would call him as much as I could and write him every single day, and he promised to do the same.
Busy Philipps has always been headstrong, defiant and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But, much like her painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn’t always easy.
In this stunningly candid memoir, Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating betrayals and struggling with the challenges of motherhood.
But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humour and the unshakable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way. The rough patches in her life are tempered by hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impersonation of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, conquering natural child breath with the help of a II Mad Man II -themed hallucination and more.
Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability and sharp observations about life, love and motherhood.
I was expecting this to be kind of funny and very, very light-hearted. That is not the case. The story that Busytells you about her life is kind of confronting and definitely heartbreaking in moments. But it is told with a sense of lightness that makes you feel… less uncomfortable.
I’ve not had much exposure to Busy Philipps beyond Cougar Town. Or at least, I didn’t think that I had. Turns out that she’s been involved in a few things I like, and now I need to go back and watch them. Particularly now that I know her story behind the moments in her acting career that I recognise. That even though I love her acting on screen, there is a whole story behind every moment that I was previously unaware of.
I can’t believe the amount of strength that would be required to deal with some of the crap that Busy has been through. I mean, I recognise some of it in my own life (I mean, we’re both women and there are just some horrors…). But I also don’t work in a field that is so damn focused on how we look and is just, frankly… toxic.
One of the things that really stuck out with me from this book was that Busy Philipps has consistently fought mental health. For her entire life. The different ways she’s tried to deal with it are intriguing and make for a very interesting memoir. It also drives home the fact that regardless of how bright and cheerful someone may appear on screen… there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. All in all, I could not put this novel down. It was brilliant and poignant. Nothing like what I expected and one of those impossible to forget kind of stories. I would definitely read this one again and again.
Title: Sourcery Author: Terry Pratchett Series: Discworld #5, Rincewind #3 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Easy reading, Fantasy Dates read: 22nd July – 18th August 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Corgi Year: 1988 5th sentence, 74th page: He just steals things.
All this books and stuff, that isn’t what it should all be about. What we need is real wizardry.
There was an eighth son of an eighth son. He was, quite naturally, a wizard. And there it should have ended. However (for reasons we’d better not go into), he had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son… a wizard squared… a source of magic… a Sourcerer.
Unseen University has finally got what it wished for: the most powerful wizard on the disc. Which, unfortunately, could mean that the death of all wizardry is at hand. And that the world is going to end, depending on whom you listen to. Unless of course one inept wizard can take the University’s most precious artefact, the very embodiment of magic itself, and deliver it halfway across the disc to safety…
Whenever I pick up a book by Terry Pratchett, I know that I’m going to have a good time and be entertained. And Sourcerywas no exception. I had such a great, fun, amazing journey throughout this story. One that I absolutely adored and would love to read again.
So far in the Discworld series, none of the stories have really finished on a cliff hanger. Instead, the story almost works as a standalone and lets you journey onwards to the next story in the series without any extra baggage. This novel didn’t quite work out like that. It just felt like there was so much more that was likely to happen to Rincewind – and I would love to know what the outcome of his latest misadventure will be. It was kind of fun finishing a Discworld story on a cliff hanger. Just different enough to leave me happy and content.
One of my favourite things about Pratchett is his amazing ability to build worlds. The fact that he’s doing so consistently throughout the Discworld series always leaves me feeling happy. In this novel, his world building is building on the rules of wizardry and sourcery. I love all of the completely obscure and odd rules that come about in this and the way that the rules of magick are completely unexpected and not what I would have thought of as logical at all. It was quite brilliant.
Throughout all of this novel, I read a lot of the more humorous passages to my husband. There is just something great about the flow of his writing and the style that not only made me laugh… a lot. But can be shared with somebody who just doesn’t quite like reading and books as much as I do… there is just such a great sense of humour and wit that I wish I could impart into my own written word…
Title: Why Not Me? Author: Mindy Kaling Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Humour, Memoirs Dates read: 18th – 31st December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Ebury Press Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: MOM: Because it’s sad and even when it’s happy, it can be gruesome.
Mindy Kaling has found herself at a turning point and Why Not Me? is her ongoing journey to find fulfilment and adventure in her adult life, be it falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in unlikely places, or attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behaviour modification whatsoever.
Revealling her tongue-in-cheek solutions for guaranteed on-camera beauty, telling the story of being seduced then dumped by a female friend in LA, and spilling some secrets on her relationship with ex-boyfriend and close friend B.J. Novak, Mindy turns the anxieties and glamour of her second coming-of-age into this book, to which anyone can relate. (And, if they can’t, they can skip to the parts where she talks about Bradley Cooper.)
This memoir is pretty much the funniest book I’ve read this year. There is just something about the way that Mindy writes that had me laughing out loud. Multiple times my partner came into our bedroom to find out what was going on. And to tell me off for not actually going to sleep. But seriously… this was just so damn funny!
This was the very final book that I finished of 2019 and it was great to finish on such a high note. There is something fun, engaging and entertaining about the way that Mindy tells her story. And she’s got such a bubbly attitude to life. I did read one other memoir by a comedian this year (The Last Black Unicorn) which was also hilarious. But I think it is Mindy’s light-heartedness that really took this one over the line.
To top off the humour of the writing, there are lots of pictures throughout this. My favourite might be of Smegal. But you need to read the book to see why I was crying with laughter at that. Literally crying. And then my puppies and partner looked at me in slight fear… they thought I was going insane. Which might not be far off the bat, but that’s a conversation for a different day.
Mostly this is a great story abut Mindy’s life and career. How what you see is what you get, except when there’s a huge makeup team involved and just generally about loving life. Or at least, that’s what I get out of this. And I love that. So what a way to end the year, and bring on the new one!
Title: The Last Black Unicorn Author: Tiffany Haddish Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Memoirs, Race Dates read: 7th – 13th October 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Gallery Books Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: So we started being serious and being together all the time.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“An inspiring story that manages to be painful, honest, shocking, bawdy and hilarious.” —The New York Times Book Review
From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.
Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend.
None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy.
Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others.
By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.
This might be the funniest, most ridiculous, and yet serious
book I have read all year. Or maybe ever. It was intense, intriguing and made
me have a whole new appreciation for some of the horrors that other people, and
in particular, women are forced to endure. But there was also so much humour
and hope, that it was incredibly difficult to get bogged down in the tales
that, if anyone else wrote about them, would fill make me cry in the most
horrible way ever.
To start with, this novel is just downright funny. The first two chapters allude to some of the more difficult aspects of Haddish’slife, but mostly they’re just really funny. High school days in which a smart arse found a way to fit in, mostly by pursuing a boy that really didn’t have much interest in her. But then it gets a little, alright, a lot more serious. She talks about abuse, death and the many, many bad situations that she found herself in throughout her life. But, it’s still tempered with humour. So that when I was telling my partner about this amazing book I was reading, he just stared at me in abject horror, wondering what the hell kind of book I’d found this time…
I didn’t realise until the last few chapters that Tiffany Haddish was the woman in Girls Trip. But when I did, I not only rushed to finish the book, but I also grabbed out my remote, flicked Netflix on and settled in for a great movie. Somehow, her role and character in this movie had way more meaning because I understood a little more of the very real shit she’d been through. Like The Last Black Unicorn, Girls Trip touched on some serious issues but with so much humour that it wasn’t until afterwards that you realised it wasn’t all just a good lark. Actually, writing this review, I’ve decided that I need to watch that movie again…
The Last Black Unicorn details a life that is full of hurdles and difficulties. But they’re not told with a sense of loss or woe. Rather, Haddish tells her tales with a great dose of humour, a dark sense of humour that I absolutely adored. It was a great reminder that you can overcome almost anything, if you can find a way to move on and not be bitter (alright, not always that simple, but Haddish gives me so much hope). I am now madly in love with this woman. This is just an amazing read for everyone. No matter what your literary tastes…
Title: God Clown Author: Carol Emshwiller In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Tricksters Dates read: 24th September 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Firebird Fantasy Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: I treat myself to more of his lemonade.
You would think that God is a trickster and maybe a bit of a clown… and, if this short story is anything to go by… you’d be right.
I’ve sometimes wondered if the world is run by clowns. Or
something similar. After all, nothing really makes sense, everything is random,
and whoever in charge probably has a sick sense of humour. Very sick. Sadistic
even. Which is why I like the idea of a story which is based on the idea of a
God Clown.
The idea of a clown running the world is kind of scary. But it’s also kind of fun. I’m pretty sure that the clown I’m imagining is the same as the one in IT because that’s where my brain tends to go… but that also somehow works into the entire ideal perfectly. If not in a way that made me want to stay up all night watching Disney movies…
One image that strongly sticks with me after turning the
last page of this story was the image of the God Clown on the side of a
mountain. That he is eventually replaced. And every decision made is about
balance and future wellbeing. It’s not vicious and its not kind. But, rather,
everything has to be in perfect balance to keep the world turning…
Title: The Duke of Riverside Author: Ellen Kushner In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Comedy, LGBTQI, Medieval fantasy, Urban fantasy Dates read: 12th July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: Why would you want to go there with me?
There’s a young man whose decided to come down to Riverside and find his death. What he doesn’t realise is that no one is going to end the life of an unarmed man. But what he finds instead is much, much better.
The wit and dry humour in this story had me chuckling a fair
bit. There was something about a strange, lanky scholar who was desperate to be
killed roaming the streets and just having absolutely no luck. It got
even better when you found out that he was a duke and abhorrent to the rest of
his family. The beauty, humour and irony in the story had me cackling more than
I should probably admit if I still wanted people to consider me sane (which I
don’t, so it’s fine).
Growing up, I never seemed to read many stories which
featured LGBTQI characters. But as my reading tastes have grown, I’ve noticed
that it’s a theme that shows up more and more frequently. Or it may just be
that it’s a theme that is written about more frequently as our society changes.
Regardless, it’s something that I always love in my stories. And the unexpected
coupling of two men in this story took me completely by surprise. Partly
because in the beginning I thought it would be a tale about Alec just being
killed in some random, heinous way. And partly because it’s a medieval
fantasy-esque story, and I tend to find that that’s not a relationship that is outwardly
hinted at.
The final scene of this short story is one of those that is
incredibly difficult to get out of your head. The entire time I’ve been writing
this review, I have that great, final image struck into my brain. But, you
really must read this story yourself to have that fine enjoyment.
Title: The Twits Author: Roald Dahl Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Easy reading Dates read: 16th June – 5th July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Puffin Year: 1980 5th sentence, 74th page: He was out of breath and so tired he could hardly flap his wings.
How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything — except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they want revenge.
Growing up, my best friend and I decided that we were the “Twin Twits”. And I couldn’t for the life of me remember why and where this came from. Until I bought a box set of Roald Dahl books. And realised exactly why we used the word Twits. As an adult, I’m not entirely sure why we thought that was “cool”, but it meant that rereading this was a great, nostalgic journey down memory lane.
This is one of those fun, easy things that, as an adult you
can read in under half an hour. It only took me a few days because I kept
getting distracted by being… well, an adult. It’s funny and full of these
quirky, lively illustrations. The storyline isn’t a difficult one, and actually
really only comes into play about halfway through the novel. Mostly because the
first half is just a series of funny little anecdotes about how horrible Mr and
Mrs Twit are.
I can imagine keeping this book for years and reading it to
my future nieces, nephews and maybe children. Teaching them all about the
silliness of the Twits and the karma that followed their horrible actions. Sharing
the fun pictures and laughing at the randomness of the activities.
Earth and Skye 