Chatterbox

[Pampy Profile]

[Renee Profile]

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin & Renée,

[Joanbunting Profile]

It would be funny if it weren't more or less true

[Stokey Sue Profile]

We’re doomed. Don’t care which of them wins and that picture of Hunt is scary

[jeral Profile]

To cheer people up (although politicians are a laugh in themselves), can anyone recommend any funny books to shorten a long aeroplane journey please? Preferably obvious cartoony pictorial rather than dense or "clever" script. All ideas welcome. Many thanks.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I had meningitis when I was 19, and the six weeks in an isolation ward left me extremely depressed, however one day my uncle brought me in a pile of books, and there was one which was so funny that I kept annoying the nurses with the gales of laughter coming from my room, deep into the night...

When I was discharged, I left my pile of books there for the next patient, without thinking. Some time later I asked my uncle what the book was, and he had no idea, he'd just bought a job lot of books. Then 20 years later, the film "Forrest Gump" came out, and the trailer seemed very, very close to the book I remembered, so I tracked down the book by Winston Groom the film was based on, and it was so close to what I remembered as to have been outright plagiarism (the main difference was that the "Gump" of my 1974 book was a giant of a man), but Winston Groom didn't write his book until 1986.

I still don't know what that book was, so not much help as a recommendation, but it was without doubt the funniest I've read

[Amyw Profile]

A bit old school but I used to love the Adrian Mole books

[Alexandria Profile]

Latest on the Iberian Fires ..

"One is put out and another begins" ..

FIRES TODAY ..

1) ALGARVE, PORTUGAL. ( I am up north and it is 22 Centig degrees, and no fires here) ..
2) VERIN, GALICIA
3) LÉRIDA, CATALUNA
4) TOLEDO ( NOT THE CITY )
5) ÁVILA ( NOT THE CITY )
6) SOUTHERN VALENCIA

SOUTHERN FRANCE AND PARTS OF ITALY ARE ALSO UNDER FLAMES.

The Military Rescue Airforce (U.M.E. ) is working around the clock with our neighbors to estinguish the fiery flames.

Both pines and eucalytus trees burn like the speed of lightning.

A tremendous loss of forest due to the fires has had a terrible impact on the wildlife, flora and of course
the people living close to these zones.

For the most part, many regions of Spain are extremely dry and arid.

Algarve is extraordinarily windy, which makes fire fighting more difficult.

So, all my best to those who have dear ones, who live in The Iberian Peninsula, or are in Southern France, Algarve, Portugal or Italy or are travelling on holiday.

[Pampy Profile]

I like Bill Bryson's earlier books - they're laugh out loud funny.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

My current audio book is Brian Bilston’s “Diary of a Somebody” - a year in the life of a suburban poet and office worker. I heard Brian talk about it and read from it at Stokey Lit Fest, very droll. The audiobook is read by Ben Miller, I’m not halfway through January yet, but it seems to work

There’s always Three Men in a Boat (not forgetting the dog) by Jérôme K Jérôme

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Nearly forgot Felicity Cloake’s One More Croissant for the Road is not primarily a comedy, but is quite funny and an easy read.

[Rainbow Profile]

I like Bill Bryson's earlier books - they're laugh out loud funny.

I agree - I've recently read a couple of Bryson's books and found them enjoyable, funny and easy to read.

[jeral Profile]

I've plumped for a couple of Bill Bryson's books to start with. Thanks very much for recommendations

[Rainbow Profile]

I'm interested to know which ones you picked? He's certainly written a lot to choose from!!

[jeral Profile]

Hi Rainbow. I've opted for:
- Notes From A Small Island: Journey through Britain.
- Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language.

I'm hoping they'll make amusing and interesting reading for someone who has recently come to live in England and although is English speaking, not our version of it i.e. full of idioms and reverse logic etc, so if the books are written in everyday terminology it will be an added bonus. Needless to say, I'll take a sneaky peak when they arrive - it'll be a nice change from perusing recipes

[dennispc Profile]

Sakkarin, thought you'd like to know I showed your Johnson 'photo' to our coffee group, they assumed it was the front cover of Private Eye. Brilliant.

[jeral Profile]

Oooer Missus. Sakkarin ought to keep his Johnson photos to himself I say There was a 70's joke about a flasher on TV's Columbo recently, whereby said flasher opens his raincoat to impress a Jewish woman who looked at him in disgust saying "Call that a lining?" These days, flashing is probably more acceptable than the joke.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

A Walk In The Woods is my favourite Bryson. Sadly the film that was made of it was absolutely dreadful.

The funniest book I’ve read recently is Dear Lupin.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/ ... mer-review

[Joanbunting Profile]

I love travel books when travelling. My favorite of all times in Eric Newby's Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. It is not only fascinating but hilarious to boot.

I also love all of Devla Murphy's books.