Brevity is the soul of wit!
359168
Just loved it, as it explains the essence of life and the experience shared is worth a million!
Each line has wisdom hidden.
676171
Marion Chesney writes intelligently, cleverly and humorously about a unique group of people living in Regency England: the "poor relations." I've enjoyed her Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries (authored as M. C. Beaton), and thought I'd try one of her historical novels. I hesitate to call this book and series "romance" when it's more like wry, insightful comedy. The "Poor Relations" books give a slightly wacky view of upstairs/downstairs life in Regency England as the scandalously wealthy aristocracy and their not-so-rich but still genteel relatives are sketched in all the glory of their faults, foibles and fantasies. In the opening pages of "Lady Fortescue Steps Out," the lead character is a destitute but proud elderly widow who sits in Hyde Park .. "a grim black figure, back ramrod-straight, one hand leaning on the ivory handle of her parasol. She looked thoughtfully at that parasol. The ivory handle was mounted in silver. As she looked at it, it became transformed in her mind's eye into a pile of savoury meat pies." How Lady Fortescue overcomes her desperate poverty and draws together a band of new friends from similar situations is presented with sparkling wittiness in this series. The adventures of Lady Fortescue and her band of Dickensian aristocrats are charming!
3818132
Somehow, Clayton Smith finds a way to ramp up the fun quotient exponentially with every next title he puts out. This time, he skewers the strangeness of a small town that makes Twin Peaks look like Mayberry! With his trademark imaginative wit and gleeful snark in full effect, he brings one Mallory Jenkins into Anomaly Flats via a detour on her way to Something Secretive and Urgent and drops her squarely in the center of the oddest assortment of weirdos and whatnots this side of the Mississippiliterally, since the town just so happens to be in Americas Heartland. There, she encounters townsfolk whove settled into their own aberrance, and meets up with Lewis, an awkward scientist whose nerdish predisposition is a perfect foil for Mallorys super-contemporary irreverenceand when Mallory pulls what she presumes is an innocent prank on the unsuspecting soul, she twists both of their fates in a most irreversible manner and sets them on a path toward the ultimate eviland, of course, hilarity ensues among the weirdness, with swaths of true heart shining through it all. This is Clayton Smiths book, after all; true-hearted hilarious weirdness is what he does best, and he does it here like a total master.

Quite honestly, Ive never had as much fun reading anything as I had reading Anomaly Flats. Its a perfect successor to Apocalypticon, and a brilliant add to Mr. Smiths ever-more-impressive canon! I only hope he decides to visit the town again someday and bring us more of the wonderful strangeness only he can deliver (yes...I want a sequel).
263165
I arrived at Cathoels work through her prose and must admit claim no expertise for reviewing poetry having not attended to it at all since secondary school.  Her prose delight me with their razor sharp depth perspectives on everyday life. I bought this book mostly as a wY of paying some small token as appreciation for the joy I'd gained from reading her prose for free. I must say this book has been a delight to dip into and I suspect I will savour it over many years. Why?  The words , phrase and metaphors have the quality of a fine cheese, whiskey and perhaps sometimes that South East Asian fruit the durian. Inciteful, novel, sweet, bitter sweet....hey the odd belly laugh too! Deep insight, wit and whimsy! Thank you Cathoel for giving me the opportunity to experience through you mind and finely honed words!  Mark Allen
2185916
Insightful, but always witty, Bonnie McFarlane spins an epic tale of her ascension to comedy writing and stand up greatness.  A book that will leave you thinking "this broad can really write!"
1085082
Ms. Gabour-Atwood might well be the "Erma Bombeck" of the new millenium!  This book contains all the wit, wisdom and humor anyone could possibly need to get through the increasingly hectic lifestyles we have imposed upon ourselves.  Gabour-Atwood (don't you love hyphenated names?  They are not pretentious at all, are they?) uses her keen writer's eye to observe this world and like a skilled observational comedienne (she has done that too!) picks it apart, and boils it down to the bare essentials of comedy.  She leaves us wondering "Why didn't I think of that?"....Because that is what a great observational comic does!!

Drawing on her vast life experience as a radio personality, comic (see above), tour guide, motivational speaker, instructional writer, Superdome hot dog vendor, high rise building window washer and former circus performer, Christee Gabour-Atwood looks at the world with a unique perspective and we benefit from it.  You will laugh aloud as you cruise through the pages of this book

As a person who has known his share of elastic waistbands, I highly recommend this book.  BUY IT TODAY !!
4302767
Great Fun!  An absolute tour de force of the humor to be found in irony.
3916823
Dr. Mardy Grothe, Quotemeister Extraordinaire, has done it again. In "Neverisms," his sixth anthology of quotations, he has served up an exquisite array of delicious and well chosen word portions, garnished, embellished and presented with an array of appetizers and desserts to satisfy the most discerning quote palate.
 Like Dr. Mardy's other books, "Neverisms" is much more than a collection of quotations. What makes his books especially delightful to read are the anecdotes, stories and illustrations which accompany them.
 In "Neverisms," he begins with what, for this reviewer, and certainly others, is a new word. No, not the one in the title, although that is his very own creation. This word is "dehortation," which, he quickly explains, "is the antonym of exhortation."
 You'll find a broad selection of courses, 18 menus (chapters) in all, each featuring its own main course, where you'll be delightfully dehorted - again - and again - and again.
  But let me warn you. There is far more in "Neverisms" than even the most dedicated quotation lover could possibly consume in less than a month or so, certainly not in one sitting.
 As a serious collector of quotations myself (hundreds of volumes in my library), I tip my hat to Mardy whenever his newest book is released. My reaction is always the same: "I wish I'd done that!" Almost certainly, you'll find yourself wondering what might this quote master, maven and mensh be conjuring up for next time around. It's bound to be a treat.
 And to you, dear reader, Bon apptit! You'll find many a succulent morsel awaiting you in "Neverisms."
2820419
A quick read that holds your attention throughout, this book is hard to put down!  Full of wit & witticisms that will keep you laughing out loud, this mystery provides some humorous insights into the seamy side of  modern day Miami life. In particular, readers familiar with airports and  airline travel will identify with many of the author's observations.
The  book is filled with a broad spectrum of interesting characters, including  "Puggy", who reminds us that a life can have meaning at every  social and intellectual level. Although the plot is somewhat predictable,  it reaches a highly satisfying conclusion.  It is funny, sharp and sweet  with just enough tough action to temper that sweetness.
I have not  enjoyed a novel more in years and I highly recommend it.
1450473
This little gem of a romp is a wonderful example of the wit of Saranna DeWylde, a recent favorite author of mine.  Her characters have life and dimension and vitality, and her tales have a playfully sarcastic flavor.

Most of the characters in this story you have seen before, but you have never seen any of them like this.  A fresh new spin on some of our oldest friends.  I highly recommend this book and hope that you keep an eye on the career of this talented wordsmith.
2363198
I enjoy Mike Meyers offbeat sense of humor and his whimsical situations he gets in! Delightful inuendo!
2458021
I'm currently reading this and am about 80% finished.  I am dismayed that it will end soon.  As many have said better than I can, it's witty and delightful on every page.  It also captures moments of experience that will prick memories for many of us, whether they be profound and life-altering or gentle reminders of a pleasant afternoon with a friend.  Very enjoyable read which makes one wish for the ability to turn a phrase as handsomely as the characters in this book do!
2060537
Fans of Bing's missives in Fortune will be very comfortable with his characteristic syle of sneering humor. Readers not as familiar will probably scratch their heads a bit as to the deeper meanings, or the basis  in facts, or larger significance, etc., or lack thereof.  It is ultimately  perhaps best read as a pack of witticism with strong notes of acid; the  occasional bits of "truths" best enjoyed as only incidental to  the fairly funny ways that a corporate warrior who has seen one too many  atrocity or folly to care about the literal precision. What remains  "true" is only Bing's peculiar brand of literary style.
4551527
Ah the sardonic wit of it all. In his new book "Get Laid or Die Trying: The Field Reports," author Jeff Allen promises a darkly comic yet poignant retelling of his history as a dateless peon to an almost superhero-like character with legendary powers of seduction; the likes of which women are unable to resist. He promises fun, entertainment, and thought provoking text. Readers believe me; Mr. Allen faithfully delivers on his promise.

Allen takes the reader from his humble beginnings as an inwardly angry youth, due to reasons which will be left for one to read about, and paints a picture of an out of control master of social mayhem searching for peace in a chaotic world. The book begins with Allen relating a story of being struck in the face by an irate homeless man on the streets of San Francisco. With stories like these who needs reality television?

The unique aspect of the work is that Allen's stories are all related through so-called "field reports", a series of primitive electronic journal postings which he accumulated while being a part of an underground internet seduction community. It is his experiences within this seduction community which propel him from romantic bottom feeder to international playboy.

As one reads each report one by one, they are able to get an almost tangible feel for the man on the journey. They initially meet a disenfranchised child of bad circumstances who is seeking an oasis in the sea of emotional pain he feels as an outsider in a judgmental world. From there they watch as he grows in confidence and spirit and eventually emerges triumphant.

Be warned, the stories are not for the faint of heart because mostly they will leave one laughing until they are clutching at the chest begging for air. Allen brings a no holds barred wit and propensity for blunt speech to stories which, while seemingly fantastical and absurd, he swears to be true. He introduces us to colorful characters such as "Cripsy" and "Chessy" and his tales of alcohol induced tom foolery are almost delicious in their anarchy.

While some may become Tucker Max nostalgic while reading this work, the difference is as clear as a full moon on a cloudless night. The reader really begins to understand the man who is writing these "reports" and sees through his eyes what drives him. The reader is privy to his inner thoughts and demons and even though at times Allen may seem cold and calculated, he never loses his humanity and thus transcends the frat-boy genre and tugs at our emotional heartstrings.

The book itself is also not just another shallow journal of beer drinking and one night stands. The final "report" of the book is full of promise at a better tomorrow. Allen not only writes of how he became a master of seduction, but also of how he became the master of his own destiny. Through the journey he comes to many realizations which lead him down roads of reform and redemption. By the end of the read he is inspired and inspiring, hoping to lead others toward a place where they too may feel fully confident in who they are and what they may become.

Needless to say, "Get Laid or Die Trying: The Field Reports" is a lighthearted romp down a slightly crude and hazy memory lane. Yet while this is true, it is also the story of a man realized. It is a story of the journey from boyhood to manhood. One actually finds themselves pausing and quietly reflecting as the last sentence of the work lingers in their mind. The reader has a feeling that maybe they too have yet to realize the true scope of what they are capable of and it is possible that from that day forward they will be able to see what can be rather than what is.
4300284
In this highly impressionistic gloss on an exceedingly messy pair of millennia, Phyllis T tickles the rosy hopes of chatty emergent types that their "conversation" marks a momentous pivot of ecclesial epochs. The hide! The hubris! Tickle draws & quarters the rambling weed that is Christianity into neat 500-year portions and hangs it all, fetchingly, on a sort of tendentious, dialectic trellis. What a pretty tracery! And to think it's all pinned in place with the cosy, suburban metaphor of the "rummage sale". Breathtaking.

As she scuds over dark depths like a water-skier, Tickle is nowhere and everywhere, all things to all persons, irenically obtuse in typically episco style, able to spin cloister, Geneva, margin, Trent, synagogue, Aldersgate, conquest, and eucharists into an utter blancmange of nutritious inclusivity. And not only that! We, now, through Tickle's epic gaze can thrill ourselves with the giddy notion that we occupy a portentous cusp. Even us. Come! Comprehend centuries with Phyllis! The welter of anathemas, the conciliar tit-for-tat, the pros of icons, the infinitesimal scholastic razor, the post-Wittenberg fracas, and the pool of plural truths will all make SENSE, and MEAN THINGS, and keep you agreeably COMPELLED.
2060681
Quick witted, funny, clever, and fantastic flow.  Will add this author's writings to my favorites list!
1744262
I keep waiting for another book to come!!! The characters are funny, their backgrounds realistically hilarious!
This strip is full of truths wrapped in an intelligently humorous way!