This is the fourth book by the author and like all humorists/memoir writers, he has a tendency to revisit certain themes as building blocks for his stories. American activities are weird to Australians and ripe for mocking. Australians are weird and ripe for mocking. Horrible tales of child neglect can be hilarious if told the right way. I like to keep light, amusing books like these on-hand for when slogging through a novel that has heavier themes. Sometimes I just want the literary equivalent of […]
It’s Not JUST for Parents
A friend lent me this book because she thought I’d appreciate the humor in it. For the most part, she was right! This is one in a series of books written by Ms. Mellor about challenges of parenting. She has a couple of boys, and writes to fellow parents about ways they can maybe keep their children from a) annoying the hell out of the rest of the world and b) not turning into total jerks when they are adults. I thought the premise was […]
Clear alcohol is for rich women on diets
One of my favorite shows of the last several years is Parks & Recreation. I was heartbroken when it ended last year but happy the story was able to be finished and we were able to say goodbye to characters I loved. One of the more unique things about the series was that most of the main cast saw a huge increase in their exposure and popularity. In addition to the most striking example, Chris Pratt, you also have Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, and Nick […]
Tongue-in-cheek steampunk urban fantasy romance, yes please!
Loved it! Loved it, loved it, loved it. I always get really nervous when I write reviews for books that I have such positive reactions to, especially ones like this one that have such strong personalities. This book knows who it is and what it’s trying to do and does its thing with aplomb. I happened to love it immediately after reading the first sentence, but I can understand how if the humor in the writing or the language she uses, or if you don’t […]