Tag: humour

‘Jeeves and the Leap of Faith’ by Ben Schott

I am a Wodehouse obsessive – a connoisseur of the Jeeves and Wooster novels – and so I was excited to be granted an advance copy of the new novel by Ben Schott, written with the blessing of the Wodehouse estate. It will be published on 15th October.

It should be said that a new Jeeves and Wooster novel has been attempted twice in recent years. Sebastian Faulks offered us ‘Jeeves and the Wedding Bells’; this I thought misfired on providing too much context when Bertie’s world is blissfully oblivious and mostly unaffected by unpleasant world events. To be honest, I never recovered from the shock of reading about the deaths of Bertie’s parents in that one!

Ben Schott’s first novel, ‘Jeeves and the King of Clubs’, was the other offering and was – in my opinion – much more successful in emulating Wodehouse’s tone and the feeling of the original novels. However, he did start mixing in a spy theme which I wasn’t so keen on but – hey ho – I went along with it, albeit with some reservations.

Both attempts were enjoyable to read, I should say, but not perfect.

In this second outing for Jeeves and Wooster by Ben Schott, the spy theme is enlarged upon and there is a strong espionage storyline that takes centre stage. In the background, a sub-plot involving the Drones Club’s finances is also under way, plus the usual romantic entanglements that Bertie is trying to escape and difficult encounters with his nemesis, Spode. As usual, Jeeves is in the background as the faithful valet, picking up the pieces for Bertie.

Again, this book (like the other ‘new’ Jeeves and Wooster books) is very enjoyable, but still not perfect.

Some of this book is absolutely spot-on and pitch-perfect. I loved the boot competition at the Drones Club, the hilarious ‘replacement’ valet’s encounter with Aunt Agatha and the one-upmanship over the wallpaper choices, So far, so Wodehouse. The characters (for the most part) are also pretty good – Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeline Bassett and all the various Drones are great and Spode is as (intentionally) awful as always! Aunt Agatha seems a bit more fallible that Wodehouse’s original, but still credible.

What worked less well for me is Bertie himself. He seemed far more intelligent than in the original books which detracts from his charm and the ability of others to manipulate him – the central joke of the original books is that Bertie is essentially a charming, amiable but dim man-about-town whose puppet-masters include Jeeves and a host of aunts. In Schott’s hands, he has to be a credible spy and seems to have his wits about him a bit more and even a (requited) love interest.

The plot was clever and as tight as Wodehouse original. I actually preferred the Drones sub-plot, the shenanigans with jewel theft and racehorses, marriage proposals and interfering aunts, because it felt more authentic than the spy story. However, more than in the first book by Schott, I just felt that this was an imposter Bertie.

I feel that I do need to say that I really enjoyed this book – as a light-hearted read with familiar characters and a comfortable world in which nothing truly bad will happen, it is a success. My reservations are more about whether it is a Jeeves and Wooster novel and that is because I am a stickler for authenticity!

I do recommend this book as a fun read and one that will make you laugh. If you have read the originals, there’s a sense of cosy familiarity in Schott’s novel you will enjoy. If you haven’t read the originals then you should – they are an absolute treat and hit the spot in a way this one doesn’t quite.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like your own copy of this book, please use my affiliate link and – in doing so – support my blog!

If you’d like to read a Wodehouse original, this one is glorious!

‘More than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran

I love Caitlin Moran. I think she is funny, brave and always readable. I love the fact she has turned her considerable journalistic writing skills into a career in which she produces brilliant fiction and non-fiction books. She is the reason I have a Times subscription (she is a regular writer for them) and a shelf full of her previous books.

That needed to be said up front. Although I read and review lots of books, I’m not the most impartial reviewer in this case. Evidence: I pre-ordered this book and paid out of my own pocket! No ARC, no waiting for the prices to come down, no second-hand copy, no waiting for Christmas…honestly, this is all so out of character for me!

With that said, I did wonder how she would have enough to say about the topic of being a woman. She covered a lot of ground (rather marvellously) in her book ‘How to be a Woman’ ten years ago – how much more is there to say?

Loads, it turns out. Moran is now in her forties (like me) and has plenty to say about this stage in her life. It is in middle age that (Moran observes) life becomes less about you and more about everyone else – your children growing up, pressures of work, ageing parents – and it is really tough. You aren’t the same person as you were ten years ago and it needs a whole new way of navigating. Add into this the current state of society – it’s safe to say the patriarchy hasn’t yet been smashed – and Moran has plenty to write about.

This book is structured into chapters denoting an hour in the middle-aged women’s day. Thus, we are taken from 7am (The Hour of ‘The List’) through various points in the day – The Hour or Parenting Teenage Children (eeek – not looking forward to this myself!), The Hour of Housework, The Hour of Crisis… It is all hugely relatable and it is strangely comforting that the things I stress about seem to be universal.

Particularly striking for me was ‘The List’ as I’ve done a lot of thinking about mental load recently and the fact that women seem to bear the brunt of the thinking about things. It was heartening to read Moran’s own list and think that I am not the only one trying to keep on top of work, parenting, marriage, life admin, pet care…

Yes, there are a lot of serious points made here about women’s place in society and the pressures to ‘have it all’ (read: ‘do it all’). However, it is also absolutely hilarious and Moran is unafraid to share some rather intimate things. It is like a chat with your best friend, if your best friend is a totally unfiltered over-sharer! The bathwater thing (you’ll have to read it) really made me laugh out loud…

As well as being laugh-out-loud funny in places, there are some really serious points, especially Moran’s daughter’s fight with anorexia. I found the story extremely moving and am glad that Moran (and her daughter, because it was shared with her permission) included this intimate story that shows that each family has its struggles behind closed doors.

This is a feminist book but one that should be required reading for everyone – it is so insightful and engaging that I think anyone would enjoy it (and probably learn something along the way).

Please do go and buy a copy of this book. If you are a women of a similar age to Moran (or live with one) then you will recognise a lot here. It is uplifting and extremely funny, but will leave you with a lot of food for thought.

If you’d like a copy of this, please use my affiliate link below – this earns my blog commission at no extra cost to you.

‘Life in Pieces’ by Dawn O’Porter

This book, to be published on 1st October, is a non-fiction journal of the lockdown period in spring/summer 2020 by the journalist, writer and television presenter, Dawn O’Porter.

I really like Dawn O’Porter. Having watched several of her documentaries and read a couple of her novels, I’d say I was pretty much sold on her work and so was very much looking forward to reading this book, a diary of her lockdown experiences. She lives in LA with her actor husband and two small sons so I was fairly confident that her experiences of lockdown wouldn’t be anything like mine!

Saying that though, O’Porter’s experiences are pretty relatable for anyone who has lived with small children. The potty training, the sleep deprivation, the repetitive questions about favourite dinosaurs…I think most people would recognise something there! Add into this pet ownership, navigating the weird new world of lockdown, preparing for a house move, cooking, and the ups and downs of marriage and I expect that something in this book will strike a chord with everyone.

Other reviewers have mentioned that it is a bit soon to be reading about lockdown. As we seem poised on the edge of a second wave of coronavirus, I can totally understand that this book might be a bit too much for some people. As it was, I didn’t particularly focus on the lockdown theme as O’Porter writes engagingly about things not connected to the virus.

Yes, it was lockdown that meant she had to spend more time with her kids, but the anecdotes about family life are funny and entertaining. Indeed, there’s plenty here that’s not corona-themed, such as O’Porter’s grief about the death of her friend, Caroline Flack, or her musings on the death of George Floyd from the centre of LA’s protest-zone (where she lives).

At its best, this book is hilarious and fresh – a funny and lively take on a time that challenged most of us. However, for me, the political elements of the book were slightly less successful and a bit discordant after the candid, confessional style of the rest. It was interesting to hear O’Porter’s views on racism and anti-racism, but it did move the book from something fairly light and entertaining to something more didactic, which wasn’t really what I was after.

Overall. if you like Dawn O’Porter’s writing then there is a lot you will like here. Some of the things she writes about are relatable, some are a bit banal and some are a bit odd (she lost me at the crystals). Some things are very funny and others sad. What isn’t in doubt is O’Porter’s ability to entertain with her writing and it is for this reason that I’d recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to pre-order this book (released 1st October), please use my affiliate link below – I’ll earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Header photo with thanks to engin akyurt for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Just Like You’ by Nick Hornby

Released this week – a new book from Nick Hornby is always an event in my diary!

I feel like I should declare my love of Nick Hornby books at the start of this review – I usually love the dialogue and the insight into people and the humour of Hornby’s writing. Indeed, ‘High Fidelity’ is up there with my absolute favourite novels and I think I’ve read pretty much all his work.

This book had so much promise – essentially an age gap romance between a 42 year-old white woman (Lucy) and a 22 year-old black man (Joseph) set against the Brexit referendum. There’s loads of scope for exploration of people’s attitudes to race, class, age, 21st century British society…so far, so good!

And indeed, a lot of this is delivered upon very well by Hornby – he perfectly captures, for example, the rage caused by Brexit on both sides of the Leave/Remain debate. Lucy’s job as a teacher also struck a chord with me as reflecting my own life.

However, it’s not a perfect novel. While it’s enjoyable and interesting, it doesn’t quite hit the spot for a romance as it’s too messy and makes you wonder what the appeal is in the relationship, especially for Lucy who tolerates some pretty poor behaviour from Joseph. It felt a bit more like social commentary than a fully absorbing novel in places.

Overall, I would say this is an engaging and light read with some interesting points about British culture in the age of Brexit and Black Lives Matter. Whether it works as a romance is more up for debate – it didn’t for me. If you like Hornby’s writing (as I do) then you’ll probably like this, but for everyone else then I’d start with ‘High Fidelity’ or ‘About a Boy’ as Hornby’s real masterpieces.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can buy this book using the link below – I may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Jude Beck for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 16th September 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for everyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Affiliate links are provided for books already available – I may earn commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

What are you currently reading?

I’ll admit that I’m still reading ‘Unto This Last’, the fictionalised biography of John Ruskin, for a blog tour later in the month. The length of the novel and the complexity of the writing mean that I’m slowing and savouring this one!

I’ve just started my buddy read with the lovely Jodie at Relish Books – we are tackling ‘Good Samaritans’ by Will Carver. It’s early days but all good so far.

What have you recently finished reading?

I’ve just read Gill Sims’ latest book in her ‘What Mummy’ series – this one, the fourth and last – is called ‘Why Mummy’s Sloshed’ and follows Sims’ protagonist Ellen through the parenthood highs and lows of having teenage children. My review will be on the blog nearer to publication date (1st October) but it is – delightfully and hilariously – more of the realistic and relatable views of parenting we have come to expect from Sims.

I’ve also just finished Ruby Wax’s ‘And Now For the Good News’, an uplifting non-fiction book about the things that humanity is getting right – something I really needed to hear about! The review will follow on the blog nearer to the publication date next week.

Finally, I finished an audiobook by Adam Rutherford called ‘The Book of Humans’. It is a really interesting analysis of how humans differ (or perhaps don’t!) from other animals. I also love Adam Rutherford’s voice and could probably listen to him read the phone book so all was good!

What do you think you will read next?

I am absolutely never accurate with this because new things arrive and bump everything else down the TBR!

I’m still very excited to read some of the line-up of ARCs I’ve got on NetGalley, although I’m trying to prioritise in order of publication. I’m keen to read Stuart Turton’s ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’, Laura Purcell’s ‘The Shape of Darkness’ and Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith (based on the narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’).

I’ve also just received this glorious-looking book, ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ by Philip Bowne for a blog tour in October that is just calling out to be read! It’s a debut novel that’s already won a Spotlight First Novel prize and I am looking forward to it. It will be published on 24th September.

My non-fiction TBR is also looking huge and precarious! Jilly Cooper’s ‘Between the Covers’ (ARC), Dawn O’Porter’s ‘Life in Pieces’ (ARC) and Olivia Williams’ ‘The Secret Life of the Savoy’ are all clamouring for my attention!

I received these books (apart from the Will Carver and Adam Rutherford ones) from NetGalley or a blog tour company in return for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Robert Anasch for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Blog Tour: ‘Longhand’ by Andy Hamilton

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Andy Hamilton’s book ‘Longhand’. This was published on 3rd September by Unbound. The tour is organised by Random Things Tours.

From the publisher


‘From beginning to end, a joy to read. A tale of mingled tragedy and comedy,
disaster and triumph … A handwritten love letter to a woman we never meet,
that’s also a love letter to humanity’ NEIL GAIMAN

The new novel from comedy legend Andy Hamilton, whose writing credits include
Outnumbered and Drop the Dead Donkey, Longhand reimagines the life of immortal Greek hero Heracles, who is currently residing in contemporary Scotland with his girlfriend Bess.

Written entirely in Andy’s own longhand, complete with crossings out and edits
Malcolm George Galbraith is a large, somewhat clumsy, Scotsman. He’s being forced to leave the woman he loves behind and needs to explain why.


So he leaves her a handwritten note on the kitchen table (well, more a 300-page letter than a note).


In it, Malcolm decides to start from the beginning and tell the whole story of his long life, something he’s never dared do before.


Because Malcolm isn’t what he seems: he’s had other names and lived in other places. A lot of other places. As it gathers pace, Malcolm’s story combines tragedy, comedy, mystery, a touch of leprosy, several murders, a massacre, a ritual sacrifice, an insane tyrant, two great romances, a landslide, a fire, and a talking fish.

‘A glorious comic novel, a brilliant satire, an artwork and a historical document. Never has the word “readable” meant more. Never has the word “manuscript” been more literal. Hand-written, rib-tickling, spine-tingling and heart-wringing. Uniquely brilliant’ STEPHEN FRY

My Review

I honestly did not know what to expect from this novel and started it with only three pieces of information:

  1. Andy Hamilton is funny – he co-created ‘Drop the Dead Donkey’ and ‘Outnumbered’ and has appeared on numerous other funny TV panel shows so his comedy pedigree isn’t in question.
  2. ‘Longhand’ is written in…well, longhand. The whole book is handwritten, mercifully by someone (Hamilton himself) who has beautiful and easy-to-read writing.
  3. It’s published by Unbound, the crowdfunded publisher known for some quirky and brilliant books.

So far, so good! What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer scale and range of this book – geographically, narratively, emotionally… wow, it’s unexpected!

The book purports to be a letter written by a man called Malcolm Galbraith to his partner of twenty years, Bess. He is being forced to leave her and this is his farewell note in which he explains why.

And this is where the story gets really strange. Malcolm isn’t the mild-mannered Scotsman that Bess has known and loved. He actually has a past in which he lived in other places and other times, had other names and identities, and the 350-odd pages of this novel can barely contain it all!

In his chequered past, there are murders, a sacrificial cow, two romances, tyrannical rulers, a massacre, a landslide, a court battle… the reader can start to see that this is no ordinary life. Malcolm has faced great tragedies in his time and only now is he prepared to lay his life story out before (one of) the love(s) of his life, Bess.

I’ll admit that this book has much more emotional depth than I was expecting. Malcolm is being forced to leave and the poignancy of this situation is evident throughout – it is only at the point of leaving that he can share his hidden secrets. And it’s a huge risk – his story is bizarre and incredible, but will it also be unbelievable for Bess?

It’s so hard to review this without giving away the key ideas behind the story which I really don’t want to do because it totally knocked me for six and I think all readers should feel that same incredulity and uncertainty!

However, what can be said is that Malcolm’s story, set in the distant past as it is, reveals a lot about modern society. Through elements which seem disparate from 21st century Britain, we get glimpses of some really big and important ideas. Brexit Britain. The cult of selfishness. Abuse of power. Love’s small intimacies. Death and grief. Family relationships. Not learning from history’s mistakes. The strength of the NHS. Malcolm has experienced it all and has moments of profound wisdom.

Malcolm’s story also has moments of immense tragedy, which I also didn’t really see coming. For something that is ostensibly a funny book, it is very moving. I actually read this book in one sitting because I really needed to see how it ended!

And yes, it is also very funny.

The real joys in the novel are the everyday observations, the juxtaposition of the epic story with Malcolm’s asides about fixing the boiler, the presentation of some lovely comic characters. Without giving anything away, watch out for the football match and Billy’s Dad, the dodgy lawyer, the talking fish and – even more surreally – Elvis.

I’ve admitted that I picked this book up armed with only the three pieces of information at the start of this review. However, I finished reading it (at way after midnight!) with the sense that I’d read something really quite special. It’s way beyond a funny, entertaining read – yes, it ticks those boxes but it is also wise and thought-provoking.

This book really is one that will stay with me for a long time. You should read it!

And if you still aren’t convinced, you only need to look in the back of this book for the sponsors who put their own hard-earned cash into making this book a reality. The people who had faith in this story and in Andy Hamilton include Brenda Blethyn, Rory Bremner, Richard Osman and Neil Gaiman – an impressive roll-call of supporters in anyone’s books.

About the Author

Andy Hamilton is a comedy writer, performer and director. He regularly appears on the BBC TV panel shows Have I Got News for You and on Radio 4’s News
Quiz and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. His television writing credits include Outnumbered, Drop the Dead Donkey, Not the Nine O’Clock News, Trevor’s World of Sport, Ballot Monkeys, Power Monkeys and many others. He also co-created the movie What We Did On Our Holiday. For twenty years he has played Satan in the Radio 4 comedy Old Harry’s Game, which he also writes.

‘Grave Secrets’ by Alice James

Regular visitors to the blog will know that I’m pretty obsessed with historical and crime fiction.

This is neither.

However, I found myself absolutely caught up in this funny, charming and surprisingly gory book! This was one of my surprise five star reads of the year so far and has the misfortune to be published on the busiest day of the year for publishing when it will be up against some big names.

So I’m here to champion this one.

This book was an absolute breath of fresh air! I’ve seen it compared to ‘True Blood’ which I can understand in terms of the subject matter and the feisty heroine, but I think this is something different again.

The fact that the main character, Lavington Windsor, has powers of her own as a necromancer and the (rather British) humour in the book make this an engaging and unusual read even compared to the Sookie Stackhouse series.

The novel follows necromancer Lavington as she leads a dual life: estate agent by day, raising the occupants of the local cemeteries by night. Even before she gets involved with vampires, or more specifically the gorgeous Oscar, her life is pretty odd. Once she gets caught up in finding vampire real estate and a romance with Oscar, her life takes a dangerous turn.

What makes this book unusual is that it looks like a cosy read but is actually far from; the sex and violence is actually quite explicit and surprising, although it fits perfectly in the book. The humour is also a nice surprise and I found myself being pleasantly pulled along by Lavington’s narrative voice.

In addition, the plot is pacey and there is a lot going on – a second book is definitely needed to iron out some of the plot strands! However, if it is anything like this book, a second book will be eagerly awaited.

I should reiterate that this really is not my usual genre of choice so it has really won me over! Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you want your own copy of Lavington’s adventures, the link is below. The Quick and The Read may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Ganapathy Kumar for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ by Nina Stibbe

Another one of the shortlist for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2020, this is a lovely coming-of-age novel.

Lizzie is eighteen, keen to escape her slightly eccentric family and yet nervous about where her life may go. When she gets offered a job as a dentist’s assistant, a job that comes with the flat above the surgery, it seems time to leave the family home and start supporting herself.

It is 1980s Leicester and Lizzie is about to be thrown into a story of love, friendship, growing up, driving lessons and amateur dentistry. This story fits with Nina Stibbe’s other novels about the quirky Vogel family. However, I really don’t think I have read them in the right order, not that this seems to matter too much.

Lizzie is an engaging and naive narrator and her story is funny and charming. I’ve seen comparisons made between Stibbe and the late, great Sue Townsend – I can certainly understand this, as Lizzie has a touch of the innocence and humour that made Adrian Mole so popular, plus a wonderful cast of keenly-observed eccentrics around her.

This novel is at its best when it describes Lizzie navigating her everyday life – her interactions with her cantankerous dentist boss, her rather free-spirited mother, her snoozy driving instructor. I felt it was less successful when it got more serious, but that might be my personal taste – I wanted it to be happy and upbeat throughout.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel to those who enjoy humorous fiction in the vein of Adrian Mole – a naive protagonist adrift in an adult world that is hard to navigate. Lizzie is a sweet and charming narrator and you will want to read more of her story.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Hybrid for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘The Flat Share’ by Beth O’Leary

This is another book that’s on the shortlist for the Comedy Women in Print 2020 prize. Beth O’Leary’s second novel, ‘The Switch’ is another gem if you liked this one!

Tiffy has broken up with her horrible boyfriend, Justin, and needs somewhere to stay. Her job publishing rather niche crochet books pays a pittance, so she is tempted with an interesting flat-share proposition; for cheap rent, she can inhabit Leon’s flat during the nights and weekends while he is at work at the hospice and staying with his girlfriend, Kay.

So Tiffy and Leon share a bed, but never at the same time. It seems like an ideal solution, but things change and life gets in the way of the best laid plans.

I really enjoyed this. Yes, it’s a bit predictable and there are some amazing coincidences that the plot relies on heavily. However, it’s a cheerful and lively read that will keep you turning the pages as Tiffy and Leon get to know each other without meeting – the trails of notes are really sweet.

There are also lots of likeable characters and some real pantomime villains. It does occasionally get a bit dark in places, but there are some lovely humorous touches too; I especially liked Katherin, the crochet queen, and Rachel, the oversharing work friend.

Overall, there is a lot to enjoy here and it was great to read something light and happy. I’d recommend this and will look for more from this writer in the future.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Scott Webb for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Frankissstein’ by Jeanette Winterson

The shortlist for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2020 was recently announced. As humorous books are definitely my thing, I was quite heartened to see many of my own reading choices on there.

With this in mind, I thought it would be timely to revisit some of these funny and joyous novels, starting with ‘Frankissstein’ by Jeanette Winterson.

My Review

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this and was actually in two minds about requesting it for review – although I like Jeanette Winterson’s writing and am intrigued by Mary Shelley as a writer, I was less sure about the modernisation of ‘Frankenstein’ as a story about artificial intelligence and the future of extending human consciousness after death. I thought it might be a lot about medical morality and a bit unbelievable.

I was wrong to doubt Winterson. She has created a fascinating novel which is actually hard to describe in a way that does it justice. Partly it’s a kind of revisiting of ‘Frankenstein’ in the modern day with a trans doctor grappling with the implications of extending life (in some form, maybe brain activity separate from bodily function) while also encountering advances made in robotics and artificial intelligence. Entertwined with this is the story of Mary Shelley and her life, especially the period in which she was writing the original ‘Frankenstein’ novel.

However, this dual narrative description doesn’t really cover the intricacies of the book where fictional characters start to collide with historical ones, big ideas are explored and the reader is left with plenty of food for thought. What makes this book quite astounding though is the extent of what Winterson has crammed in: Brexit digs, literary references, humour (Ron Lord is grotesquely, hilariously awful), scientific theory, ideas about gender and identity, vivid description and comments on modern society and attitudes to change. I still don’t think I’ve managed to cover everything from this extraordinary book, and I’m also very aware that I’ll continue to make connections and think about this novel long after I have put it down.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read that also manages to be wildly entertaining and full of wry humour. The ideas presented might be big and scary and complex, but the way they are written is just brilliant.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Laura Chouette for sharing their work on Unsplash.