humor
I am Half-Sick of Shadows
Flavia de Luce is eleven years old, one of three motherless sisters living in 1950s England. She takes an extreme interest in chemistry--especially poisons--and fortunately is in possession of her Uncle Tar's laboratory where she can make use of the information she discovers. In the first three books she deals with a corpse in the cucumber patch, cruel pranks by her older sisters, and gets involved in mysteries involving old murder investigations, puppet theaters, and gypsies.
The fourth book, the title taken from the poem The Lady of Shalott, takes place just before Christmas. Money has gotten so tight that Flavia's father has rented Buckshaw, their family home, to a film company. Meanwhile, Flavia has reached the age where she is not so sure that Father Christmas is real and has formulated a plan to prove his existence once and for all.
Read more»Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter
LeeLee Satterfield leads the charmed life. She married the high school football star, has 2 beautiful daughters and comes from an established Southern family. LeeLee’s life is suddenly turned upside down when her husband, Baker, comes to her with the plan to move his family to Vermont, where he intends to run a local inn. Though devastated at the thought of leaving her beloved Memphis and her lifelong friends, her proper southern upbringing has her packing up and following her husband across the Mason-Dixon Line.
LeeLee quickly discovers that Vermont is not the picture of perfection that the travel brochures made it out to be. Instead, she discovers Mud Season, biting flies, blizzards and an inn that needs more than a little TLC. If that isn’t enough to send this southern belle run screaming back to sunny Memphis, her husband’s abrupt desertion leaves her alone with an inn to run, a mortgage to pay, and two daughters to raise.
With her Southern charm and quick wit, readers will find themselves charmed by LeeLee Satterfield. Add to that all the quirky characters she meets in Vermont and her crazy, but loyal friends back in Memphis and you get an entertaining story that will keep you laughing and reading on.
Follow LeeLee for more adventures in Patton’s newly released book Yankee Doodle Dixie, yet another hilarious read that will leave you laughing and wanting more.
In a Sunburned Country
Bill Bryson is well known as the popular author of books such as A Walk in the Woods, his account of walking the Appalachian Trail, and his recent bestseller, Home, providing the stories behind the objects that make up the modern household. In a Sunburned Country is one of Bryson’s best books, a fascinating and frequently hilarious report of his travels across Australia. From a laugh-out-loud description of a cricket match to a serious rumination on Ayer’s Rock, Bryson provides the feeling of actually being there—without the 14 hour plane trip.
Delightful!
I am in love with the character of Mma Ramotswe who runs the detective agency in Botswana in this series. She is smart, compassionate, ambitious, and thorough in her investigations. Her cases are very interesting, too. I like how we learn about Africa and African customs and lifestyle through the story. But also, we see how all human nature embodies the same motivations and contentments. Very good. Can't wait to read another.
(the made for HBO shows are outstanding)
Dead Girls are Easy
This book would appeal to those of you who like reading chick lit, paranormal, or just enjoy a fun story. I am normally not a reader of things unworldly but love this series, so do not let the “paranormal” label scare you away. Nicki Styx, the Goth owner of Gladrags, a vintage clothing store in Atlanta, has a near-death experience and now finds herself able to see and interact with dead people. Nicki tries to live a normal life but the ghosts of Atlanta keep seeking out her help straightening out the messes they left behind.
Read more»Home to Harmony
The story takes place in Harmony and is narrated by a Quaker pastor. His roots are there and when he came home he found joy. He talks about the people of Harmony and the everyday happenings. For those that enjoyed visits to Mitford with Jan Karon, they will enjoy checking in with the people of Harmony.
Packing for Mars: the curious science of life in the void
Mary Roach is known for digging into scientific topics and making them readable. In Packing for Mars, she illuminates the nitty-gritty aspects of space travel and the lives of astronauts. She throws herself into her work, experiencing space shuttle toilet training and the Vomit Comit (a C-9 transport plane modified to fly in parabolic arcs — a method of experiencing weightlessness without being in orbit).
Be prepared for intimate details of living in space, including what do you do when you upchuck into your helmet on a spacewalk, and how to coexist with astronauts from other cultures for months at a time in a tiny confined area.
Mary asks questions that most of us would never dare to voice, and gets surprisingly frank answers. Her writing style is humorous and approachable.
Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House
From the time she was a child, Meghan was either moving, or unpacking and decorating, or looking for a new home. Her mother was never satisfied with where they lived, and her father wanted his own space which would stay the way he wanted. By the time Meghan went to college they were living separately, her father in an urban apartment in New York near his office, her mother in a constantly redecorated home across the state line in New Jersey.
Once she was on her own as a student at Vassar, fantasies of new and different dorm rooms or apartments or houses permeated Meghan’s life. No matter where she lived she was constantly imagining herself living in a different place, with a different life and the perfect boyfriend to fit that lifestyle. She rented, and then purchased, multiple fixer-uppers in New York, Nebraska and Los Angeles, sometimes two states at the same time. Eventually she discovered that the idea of a perfect house/perfect life interconnection is only an illusion.
Meghan has written for numerous publications including a weekly column in the Los Angeles Times, as well as a New York Times Notable Book, The Quality of Life Report, and a collection of essays, My Misspent Youth. For those who love biographies or are searching for that perfect bargain house
Bad Book Affair
Israel Armstrong is a mobile librarian in a remote area of Ireland in a town called Tumdrum. This was not an occupation he actively pursued. He Lives in a chicken coop and is getting over a failed love from his time in London. The book is random happenings in his life. The mystery is when a local politician's daughter disappears. Israel solves the case to avoid the blackmail threat by an aggressive reporter. There are a few funny situations such as when he's asked for the De Saurus and it's Roget's Thesaurus he's after.
We Thought You Would Be Prettier
Notaro has a gift for taking a random occurrence and expanding on it in a very funny way and with a unique perspective. She usually targets herself but her family and friends are fair targets. One hilarious incident was her reaction to the number of women so comfortable with nudity in gym locker rooms. I saw her during the book festival and she's just like her books, the way she talks is the way she writes. Very entertaining read. Most of her books are non-fiction but she has published several fiction books.
Recent Books R US and Reading Challenge comments are listed below.