Author P J O’Rourke has a knack for making hilarious observations on life, as shown by his earlier bestsellers, so I was expecting big things from his latest offering. Unfortunately, I was just a wee bit disappointed. Don’t get we wrong, The Baby Boom is still a pretty decent read, it just doesn’t live up […]
■ REVIEW: The Baby Boom
Satire fails to fire Read Post »
I refuse to set myself a bucket list and believe the phrase should be eradicated from our language, but must admit I did enjoy this trip through what many would see as the ultimate bucket list. Author Daniel Smith has compiled a fun and diverse list of 100 things most of us are unlikely to
■ REVIEW: 100 Things You Will Never Do
Dreaming of the impossible Read Post »
This little book takes on the gender debate with four talented feminist writers and critics taking a crack at the argument both for and against those hairy creatures we share our lives with: Men. In centuries past, women have tended to end up getting a bit of a raw deal: We’ve put careers (and sometimes
■ REVIEW: Are Men Obsolete
Tackling gender debate with lots of humour Read Post »
Have you ever wondered what life in France is really like? Is it all garlic and fabulousness? Berets and croissants? What do they do with bidets? Do they really eat horses? In this quirky little book, Piu Marie Eatwell reveals the truth behinds 45 myths about France and its citizens. The author lived in France
■ REVIEW: The Eat Horses Don’t They?
French idioms … and bidets Read Post »
Irish comedian Brendon O’Carroll has taken the world by storm as with his gender bending performances on our television and movie screens so it should come as no surprise that his alter-ego Agnes Brown is now ready to take her place on our bookshelves. O’Carroll is so believable as mammy extraordinaire Mrs Brown, that seeing
■ REVIEW: Mrs Brown’s A-Y of Everything
The wisdom of Agnes in time for Christmas Read Post »
We all enjoy a sneaky peek into the lives of the fabulously rich and, over the years, those financially blessed citizens have copped more than their fair share of sniggers at the hands of some very clever writers. From Evelyn Waugh to Henry James, there is a “rich” (pardon the pun) tradition of having a
■ REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians
Rich vein of humour uncovered Read Post »
Whatever your politics, you’ll find it hard not to have a giggle at a few of the offerings in this little book. Columnist-author-publisher Paul Little has added captions to a selection of photographs of Prime Minister John Key as he goes about his daily duties as leader of our patch of paradise. Some of them
■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key
50 shades of political humour Read Post »
Subtitled “the new dictionary of things there should be words for”, this little hard-covered gem picks up where The Meaning of Liff left off back in 1983. That original book was written by John Lloyd and the late Douglas Adams of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame. Adams died in 2001 and while his
■ REVIEW: After Liff
Cute, quirky and a lot of laughs Read Post »
Some say he naturally faces magnetic north and has two sets of knees. He is, of course, The Stig. Forget that frilly wannabe Austin Powers, the true international man of mystery is the elusive and enigmatic Top Gear test driver The Stig. Simon du Beaumarche has penned biographies for many a famous subject – from
■ REVIEW: The Stig: The Untold Story
Good laugh for Top Gear aficionados Read Post »
It’s hard to believe it has been three since the deadly aftershock that hit Canterbury, following the September 2010 quake. Cantabrians have had an awful time since the quakes happened and even now, as the frequency and strength of the aftershocks diminish, things are still pretty rough for many living in those areas. Life goes
