Comets and Cosy Crime

I was waiting for Father Christmas to bring me some new books, when Penguin Random House jumped the gun and sent me an advanced proof of cosy crime novel 'The Murder at World's End', a grown up book by children's author Ross Montgomery.

Work, Life, Balance

Summer is coming to a close and many people are returning to work after holidays, so it seemed an apt time to tell you about 'I Hope This Finds You Well' by Natalie Sue.

This Book will Give you an Ear Worm...

Continuing the story of the dream team tackling supernatural nightmares, 'Relight My Fire' takes the Stranger Times gang to a whole new level of weird. And thanks to its title, makes Take That and Lulu your daily internal soundtrack.

'The Stranger Times' by CK McDonnell

Do you believe in ghosts?  Monsters?  Things that go bump in the night?  Well, they exist - in the pages of fiction at least!  And many make appearances in the comic novel 'The Stranger Times' by CK McDonnell. 

Billy Connolly's Greatest Hits

'Tall Tales and Wee Stories' by Billy Connolly (Two Roads, 2019)

Billy Connolly is one of Scotland's greatest exports.  Now well into his 70s, the musician, actor, artist and stand up no longer performs live, but you can relive some of his best bits through 'Tall Tales and Wee Stories'. 

'Tall Tales and Wee Stories' is a collection of Connolly's classic monologues, drawn from sixty years of sell out performances across the globe.  The ex-welder first found fame as a folk singer, but discovered a talent for public storytelling when he forgot a song's lyrics while on stage.  He filled the gap with a story and it was so well received that it became part of the act.  Eventually, storytelling routines took over from the music altogether.  This book includes favourites such as a Cardinal's school visit, a children's countryside outing, a working class Scottish house party, the workings of airplane toilets, how a cat caused trouble for a film armourer, the infamous Crucifixion sketch and many, many more.  These 'Tall Tales and Wee Stories' are silly, sweary and surreal, in short everything you'd expect from the Big Yin.

Mama, We're All Sweary Now

'Why Mummy Swears' by Gill Sims (HarperCollins, 2019)

I haven't read 'Why Mummy Drinks', but I did recently finish 'Why Mummy Swears', Gill Sims' potty-mouthed sequel, continuing Ellen's story of contemporary motherhood and family life.

'Why Mummy Swears' follows mother-of-two Ellen through another 12 months of ups, downs, wobbles and squabbles.  While her son Peter ignores her in favour of his tablet, her daughter Jane only speaks to her to demand an Instagram account.  Outside the house, Ellen's been suckered into chairing their school's PTA (because no one else will) and her father's Big News has got her pretentious sister Jessica tied up in knots. On top of this, her well of ideas has dried up and it's becoming clear that working from home on a new money-making scheme is not going to pan out.  Fortunately, Ellen's dream job comes up just in time.  But can she rely on her husband Simon to step up and do his fair share of the parenting so she can go back to work full-time?

Mild, Mild West

At this time of year, and especially with the rotten weather we've been having, it's very easy to suffer a bit of the winter blues.  In the hope of a pick me up, I started reading 'Once Upon a Time in the West... Country' by fridge-towing funny man Tony Hawks.

'Once Upon a Time in the
West... Country'
by Tony Hawks
(Hodder & Stoughton, 2015)

In his early 50s and on holiday with the love of his life Fran, Tony has an epiphany: He doesn't have to live in London any more!  As a writer, radio show panelist and frivolous bet accepter, he can live anywhere, not just the Big Smoke.  In search of something more than the anonymity of the city, Tony and Fran make the move to Devon to start a new life.  But how will Tony cope with the sudden friendliness, expansive scenery and unexpected demands of country living?