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Category Archives: Humor
Flop Dead Gorgeous–action, mystery, dogs, and fun
Flop Dead Gorgeous
by David Rosenfelt
There are lots of things reading can and should be, but in the case of Flop Dead Gorgeous, it is FUN! I enjoyed this legal mystery with a dollop of cozy and a heavy dose of humor. The dogs add animal charm, and now I’m addicted. That is okay because this book is the 27th book in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series!
Out to dinner with a starlet, lawyer Andy and his retired cop wife Laurie experience some real life drama when Jenny’s demanding and irrational ex-boyfriend shows up. Thanks to Laurie’s reflexes, all seems well until Jenny discovers his body on the floor of her kitchen in the middle of the night. Andy, who dated Jenny a few times in high school (as he humorously reminds the reader multiple times), is convinced Jenny did not kill Ryan, but the only way to persuade the jury of her innocence is to find out who did kill him. Sam, his cyber investigator who has a way of “entering” off limit computers is called upon to track phones, to find out what the authorities know, and to learn what those active in the dark web are up to. Andy also has his team safe guarding himself and Jenny—a smart move since some really nasty foreign mobsters may be involved.
I enjoyed Andy’s persistence and his straight-faced wise cracks in the face of a probably negative outcome for his lovely client. He has a number of loyal friends that include a police chief and a local newspaper editor. They are ethically sound, but they also will help when they can. Andy has an excellent record as an attorney, but he maintains a fairly rundown office above a fruit stand that successfully throws some off guard.
The author’s love of rescue dogs is reflected in this mystery in which he has three dogs living with him. Mamie, Jenny’s dog, adds to the pack when Jenny and Mamie live with his family during the trial to avoid the press. As a Basset hound aficionado, I particularly enjoyed these quotes about his Basset Sebastian:
“…Mamie runs around him, trying to get him to play. She doesn’t know it yet, but she has more chance of getting a response from a clothes hamper.”
and
“Ricky always holds Sebastian’s leash because there is no danger that Sebastian will pull free and run off. It’s like walking a barking turtle.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Legal Mystery, Humor
Notes: 1. #27 in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series. This could definitely be read as a standalone. This is my first book by David Rosenfelt, and I had no problem with bouncing into this large series.
2. There is some inappropriate language which could have been left out, but not enough to keep me from reading another in the series.
Publication: July 4, 2023—St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books)
Memorable Lines:
“I’ve got water, flavored water, and flavored carbonated water.” “None of the above,” I say. Just because I’m in California, it doesn’t mean I am going to abandon my principles and start being health conscious.” …“You’re representing the person who killed Ryan.” “Apparently the innocent until proven guilty concept hasn’t worked its way west?” “It’s probably somewhere over Nebraska at this point,” he says.
…people who invest in movies are not usually the killer types. They certainly are not above stabbing people in the back, but they do it metaphorically.
He spit at Marcus Clark. As stupid maneuvers go, that ranks well above tugging on Superman’s cape and pulling the mask off that old Lone Ranger.
Swamp Story–humor in the Everglades
Swamp Story
by Dave Barry
I have long enjoyed Dave Barry’s humor in the columns which brought him fame. I have four of his books on my bookshelf which in general are thematic collections of his writings on subjects like travel and aging. Swamp Story is my first reading of a novel by Barry. His humor permeates this book from tongue in cheek jabs at politicians to outrageous slapstick.
There are several major characters whose lives cross dramatically and surprisingly. Jesse and her baby Willa live with the baby’s worthless father Slater and his equally worthless buddy Kark. Jesse has made a series of mistakes and wants to get her baby out of their disgusting circumstances in the swamps of Florida. Stu, a marketing executive, and Phil, an alcoholic journalist, are middle aged, unemployed men. Ken and Brad are the Bortle brothers, trying (not very hard) to make a living in the bait shop left to them by their father. Ken’s main income sources are illegal.
Emerging from Dave Barry’s pen, these characters find themselves in some serious situations that Barry transforms into humor. Drug use leaves most of the men stoned most of the time, deciding that they have brilliant ideas. Phil and Stu are last minute hires as Elsa and her sidekick at a four year old’s birthday party. What happens there is caught on video and goes viral. That intersects with Ken’s idea to bring in customers with a branding of the Melon Monster. Kark gets involved as a videographer, and Slater sees this as an opportunity to show off his flawless body. Thanks to the wonders of TikTok and social media, the branding plan works! In a separate plot line, there are a number of characters involved in a search for lost gold which legend says is somewhere in the Everglades. As the story plays out, we see that the love of money is indeed the root of all evil. The tale includes a number of tense moments and a little romance. Not to be forgotten characters include the Secretary of the Interior who hates the outdoor; Skeeter Toobs, the longtime Python Champion winner and his emotional support boar Buddy; Zelda the python; and a fast-moving, hungry alligator.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction, Humor
Notes: 1. There is LOTS of salty dialogue in this book along with drug use.
2. Dave Barry is a talented writer. I thought the book was funny and inventive, but because of the language (which was appropriate to the characters) I would not reread it.
Publication: May 2,2023—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
The Bongo Mongo business model was built on the assumption that by the time the customers were handed the check, they would be too wasted to read it.
To say that Erik had a gambling problem was like saying that Hitler had an empathy problem.
Chastain handled the Cornwall interrogation with the smooth professionalism of the experienced, principle-free politician, emitting a dense, billowing cloud of words suggesting, without explicitly saying it, that he either was or was not deeply concerned about climate change, and as such was taking all necessary steps.
The Marlow Murder Club
The Marlow Murder Club
by Robert Thorogood
Narrator—Nicolette McKenzie
Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and is known in Marlow as the eccentric old lady who lives in an aging mansion. As someone who sets crosswords for The Times, she excels at puzzles of all types. She unintentionally gathers two friends along the way of putting together clues that lead to the solution of several murders. Her unlikely friends are Susie, a rough-around-the-edges dog walker and Becks, the ultimate homemaker and vicar’s wife.
The three ladies grow individually and as a team through the course of their humorous escapades. I enjoyed this audiobook on a trip and several fun filled hours afterwards. The narrator did a good job of differentiating between the various characters. I never had to wonder who was talking.
For a book with multiple murders, The Marlow Murder Club managed to be humorous while engaging me in a complex mystery that I couldn’t solve. I liked that the protagonist was an older woman and that she could interact so well with the other ladies with whom she had so little in common. I’m going to add the second book in the series, Death Comes to Marlow, to my queue. The first book was that good!
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Notes: Contains bad language, but in British English so not as offensive to me.
Publication: First published January 7, 2021—Poisoned Pen Press
Audiobook released May 3, 2022
The Importance of Being Earnest : A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
There is probably no better work to evoke book club discussion than Oscar Wilde’s famous satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest. The extreme characters as well as the situation are the source of humor as Wilde mocks the customs and manners of Victorian England. In our discussion we examined parody, satire, and sarcasm, when each is appropriate, and their potential hurtful nature. We also talked about what constitutes humor.
Wilde’s characters border on the absurd. The women are fluff, the men are profligates who nevertheless think highly of themselves, and no one tells the truth. In fact, the lies that both male protagonists have told are the basis of the humorous confusions in the story. Jack lives in the country, but pretends to need to go frequently to the city because of a younger brother named Ernest who gets into scrapes. When he is in the city, Jack goes by the name of Ernest. Jack’s friend Algernon wants to meet Jack’s ward so he goes to Jack’s house as Ernest. It just happens that Cecily, Jack’s ward, and Gwendolen, Jack’s fiancee agree that they could only love someone whose name is Ernest. The two young ladies’ diaries are a source of amusement as the events in the diary are fictional. For example, Cecily records the marriage proposal of Algernon as Ernest, their breakup, and subsequent reunion even though they have never met.
The Importance of Being Earnest was first presented on February 14, 1895. It continues to amuse audiences today in live theater presentations and in a number of video productions.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Drama, Satire
Publication: February 14, 1895—original production
March 1, 1997—Project Gutenberg
Memorable Lines:
The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
Cecily: That certainly seems a satisfactory explanation, does it not? Gwendolen: Yes, dear, if you can believe him. Cecily: I don’t. But that does not affect the wonderful beauty of his answer. Gwendolen: True. In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.
The Alto Wore Tweed–unpretentious protagonist
The Alto Wore Tweed
by Mark Schweizer
This is a very funny mystery and probably different from all other mysteries you have read. The protagonist of The Alto Wore Tweed is Hayden Konig, a man who wears several hats, but is predominantly chief of police and the only detective in St. Germaine, North Carolina, as well as choir master for the Episcopal church. He is highly qualified for both jobs, and music is his passion. He dates Meg, an investment counselor, who lives with and takes care of her aging mother. Hayden also has visions of being a mystery writer in the style of Raymond Chandler. He has several million in investments from the sale of a patent, but lives simply.
Hayden is a nice guy but is not one to butter people up or try to stay on everyone’s good side—especially the new rector at the Episcopal church, Mother Ryan, a woman who holds a “wimmym’s” retreat where the celebrants “ReImagine God in our own feminine image” and suggest new names for God such as Sophia, Moon Mother, and Wanda. The literally explosive, untimely ending to their retreat is hysterically funny.
The janitor at the church is found dead, and much of the book focuses on discovering how he died and who murdered him. Hayden and his staff of two are good at following clues, and I was convinced several times that I knew the identify of the killer only to have the investigation go in a different direction. The method the killer used was uncommon.
The style of writing is humorous, replete with puns and tongue in cheek repartee. The author inserts Hayden’s attempts at mystery writing throughout in a manual typewriter font. His reading audience is the choir as he inserts new chapters in their choir folders weekly for them to read when the service is boring.
The reader watches a Christmas disaster as the Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club create competing creche displays in subfreezing temperatures. What could go wrong when you have live animals, a bagpipe player, and a dromedary who thinks he hears his mating call? This book is the first in a series of 15 books with a distinctive kind of humor.
In discussing this with my book club, I discovered a variety of responses to The Alto Wore Tweed. I think we all agreed that the insertion of the Chandler style mystery was not done well and immediately became a distraction rather than an enhancement. I know I have a quirky sense of humor, and that was confirmed as some members did not find the book nearly as funny as I did. The characters are portrayed by caricatures; across the board almost no one is given a realistic depiction and therein lies the humor for me. There are MANY classical music references, most of which probably had significance which escaped me. If I had not spent some time in Episcopal and Anglican churches with a formal liturgy, I’m not sure I would have understood the format of the services. In conclusion, The Alto Wore Tweed is unconventional and innovative. Its plot is worth following with a complicated mode of murder. I certainly did not determine the killer correctly before the conclusion. Some may consider it irreverent, but it pokes fun at those who think too highly of themselves. Eccentric characters rule the day.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Publication: 2002—SJMP Books
Memorable Lines:
“Oh man,” I said, suddenly remembering everything I had forgotten to bring with me. “Nancy, did you bring any gloves? Mine are in the truck.” “Right here, boss,” she said producing a box of physician’s disposable latex wear and a baggie from her purse. “What a babe!” I said. Then, remembering my PC rules, quickly changed to “I mean, thank you Officer.” Nancy snorted in good-natured disgust and handed me the box.
“On Friday, a woman came into the station and complained to Nancy that the night clerk at the Roadway had sold her baking powder instead of cocaine. She wanted to file a complaint. She even gave Nancy the baggie of powder.” Meg looked at me in disbelief. “Was it baking powder?” “Nope. It was cocaine all right. We drove her down to Boone. Told her she needed to file her complaint from the courthouse. About halfway there, she started getting scared and told us she’d decided not to press charges. Anyway, they booked her on possession and locked her up.”
“Bourbon?” he asked, as soon as I walked in. I may have been becoming a little too predictable. “Sheesh, Kent. It’s ten in the morning. At least we can pretend that we’re being civilized. Pour mine into this coffee.” I pushed his espresso across the desk to him and he poured a couple of fingers into both cups….I stirred my coffee with the end of my pen, wiped it on my jacket and waited for Kent to peruse the file.
For Everything a Season: Simple Musings on Living Well
For Everything a Season
by Philip Gulley
Although For Everything a Season is written by a Quaker pastor, this book is not a devotional or a Bible study. It is relatively short and could be devoured in one sitting or, as I preferred, by reading a chapter or two every few evenings or so. It is calming, soothing, and yet humorous. The kind of humor that makes you nod and smile and occasionally let a laugh bubble over. It is filled with anecdotes about people he knows, about the way things used to be, and his own responses to life. Gulley is the kind of person you would like to converse with as he sits in the porch rocker and you gently sway on the swing and reminisce.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Nonfiction, Essays, Short Stories, Inspirational, Christian
Publication: 1999—Multnomah Publishers
Memorable Lines:
We embrace our children, but there comes the time to step aside and let others love them, too…They do not love our children as much as we do, but they love them in ways we cannot. It is not possible for us to give our children all the love they need. We can only give them so much, then must send them forth so that others might embrace them too.
As a Quaker, I am compelled to embrace certain virtues I would not otherwise find attractive. Since Quakers are pacifists, I can’t fight with anyone. By and large, this has not been a problem, except once when I had a mean boss and wanted to punch him in the nose but couldn’t because I was a Quaker. Instead I quit and found a new job. But there for a while, I wished I were a Baptist.
Regarding simplicity…We also believe if you have to cram your sweaters in the dresser drawer, you have too many sweaters and should give some away. Episcopalians believe you should buy a bigger dresser.
Mischief, Murder, and Merlot–Hallow Wine Weekend
Mischief, Murder, and Merlot
by J.C. Eaton
I enjoyed returning to Two Witches Winery along with Norrie Ellington who is again taking care of the family winery while her sister and brother-in-law fly off to the Philippines in search of a rare insect. She is just in time to manage her part of Lake Seneca’s Hallow Wine Weekend at the same time media arrives to learn about the area’s outstanding Merlot produced this year.
There are shenanigans centered around the cauldron of her winery’s Hallow Wine welcoming display, but the other wineries have vandalism as well. It isn’t too bad until Norrie discovers a fourth person in her display. There were originally only three, and this addition can only be described as dead.
This mystery rates high in complexity as there are several people with possible motives for the murder, including the victim’s wife, mistress, and girlfriend. There are business associates that could be involved and a few of them disappear. Fortunately, Norrie has a great crew who keep the winery, tasting room, and café running as Norrie tries to track down the criminal. She also has a lot of friends who support and help her from neighbors Theo and Don to the gorgeous Stephanie who can distract men with a flip of her hair.
I enjoyed the book; the mystery was well plotted with humor sprinkled throughout. The thing that kept it from being a five star book for me was the number of times Norrie stepped over lines of legal and ethical conduct. As Norrie herself says, “The hamburger bounced around in my stomach the more I thought about what I was going to do. Words like illegal, felony, and incarceration came to mind and they were only a sampling.” A lot of cozy mysteries have the protagonist edging up to conduct that is dangerous and deserves rethinking. Norrie goes too far, and she involves others in activities that could cost them their livelihoods and reputations.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Cooking, Humor
Notes: 1. #8 in the Wine Trail Mysteries, but could work as a standalone as the authors are good at explaining the background and characters.
2. The “season” is Halloween and two of the characters are participants in paranormal activities, but the book is definitely not a paranormal book. All of the other characters roll their eyes at and disregard the actions and thoughts of those two characters.
Publication: August 30, 2022—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“And you know what the worst part is?” “All the nutcases it will bring out?” “Nope. All the suspects. It’ll be like one big knotted ball of yarn that gets more tangled as soon as someone tries to unravel it.”
I dreamt Donovan’s wife, mistress, and girlfriend had taken over our cauldron, making Macbeth’s witches look like Disney princesses.
Fortified by a second pot of coffee, the six of us sketched out a surveillance plan that we thought would work. Funny, but on paper it was logical and feasible. In reality, it was neither.
How to Train Your Dad–the art of dumpster diving
How to Train Your Dad
by Gary Paulsen
Carl is the twelve year old narrator of this middle grade book which has a very conversational style. The vocabulary is somewhat advanced for a twelve year old, but that is because Pooder, Carl’s best friend who helps him write the story, goes through phases of interest (British, Navy seal, etc.). His various fascinations show up in his speech. Pooder admires Carl’s dad who, besides a few odd jobs, lives by bartering. Carl’s dad is very intelligent, mechanically inclined, and very kind. He trades energy (labor) for goods. He considers himself rich as he recycles from dumpsters or his neighbor Oscar’s junk piles. He built a whole truck from discarded spare parts. He prizes function over form; so if an invention works, it doesn’t matter how it looks.
His dad’s philosophy has been fine with Carl until he reaches middle grades and suddenly becomes aware of Peg as “the” girl. His summer goal is to become “lookatable” by the time school starts which is hard to do when your dad barters for XL camo T-shirts and pink bib overalls decorated with words like “juicy.”
The book explores Carl’s efforts to train his father using the methods in a puppy training pamphlet. His efforts are hilarious as are the contraptions his father builds and the objects he brings home. A lot of the dumpster diving food goes to the pigs and chickens. Carl and his dad have a rescue pit bull Carol who is an integral part of their family and, despite her stinky habit of shredding skunks, is allowed to accompany them everywhere.
How to Train Your Dad is a fun story that tweenagers will enjoy. Its casual style and over the top anecdotes are sure to appeal.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Children’s Fiction, Middle Grades
Notes: Contains a very small amount of cussing
Intended ages: 10-14
Publication: October 5, 2021—Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Memorable Lines:
She’s in my grade at school and everyone likes her and I have never ever ever seen her be catty or crabby or phony to anyone ever which is something like a miracle in middle school, if you ask me.
Sometimes Pooder jumping from phase to phase without warning can be a little confusing. He might start things off an English lord before suddenly becoming an advertising mogul looking to make some coin and then turn into a Viking biting deep on a tomato-apple so the juice runs down into his beard-if-he-had-one while he’s thinking of pillaging a coast somewhere.
My father loved to barter. To trade, as he thought of it, energies, abilities, knowledge. Trade everything he could so as not to use money. “I have a widget,” he explained to me when I was very small, “and John Doe has an extra electric frying pan he doesn’t need, but he needs a widget and so we trade. We barter. Simple and clean. It’s the very best and purest way to do business.”
Tender is the Bite–K-9 narrator
Tender is the Bite
by Spencer Quinn
The dynamic duo of the Little Detective Agency are on the case again. In fact, it seems like several cases. Bernie is the human, and Chet is his canine side-kick. The story is told from Chet’s point of view. Bernie sees Chet as an equal partner and refers to the team as “we” in talking to clients, police officers, and friends. There is a lot of humor in the tale as Chet describes his communications with Bernie and references past mishaps where he has perhaps been a little too exuberant. Most people, even some “perps,” like and respect both members of the team. One thing you can be sure of is that Chet and Bernie will always have each other’s back.
In Tender is the Bite there is lots going on. Some Ukrainians with a secretive boss try to send them on a highly paid security detail in Hawaii. Two young ladies, a standup comedian, and a ferret keep cropping up. A politician and his wife are somehow involved with the others, and a thread emerges that introduces a woman on the police force to Bernie, but is complicated by an officer who seems to have some shady connections. I had a lot of fun with Chet’s view of events and his efforts to understand figures of speech. I also enjoyed watching the pair unravel the many secrets. There is plenty of action to keep you turning the pages.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Notes: 1. Occasional foul language.
2. This is #11 in the Chet and Bernie series. I have read two others in the series. I didn’t enjoy #10 as much as I did the first or this one. This one checked the boxes for both humor and mystery, and can easily be read as a standalone.
Publication: July 6, 2021—Macmillan—Tor/Forge
Memorable Lines:
“I reckon he knows we’re talkin’ about him—tail’s a dead giveaway.” Something about my tail? Yes, I could feel it. I myself was perfectly still and calm, correct behavior in an interview. My tail is not always a team player. I got it back in line, and in no uncertain terms.
Soon I was in the shower too! Had I forgotten once again about the problem of the shower curtain and how the whole thing with all the poles and screws and rings can come crashing down? Show me the dude who can remember everything.
“On the other hand,” Bernie said, “sometimes it’s a good idea to stir up the hornet’s nest, see where they go.” I gazed at Bernie. He looked good—well rested, not hung over, certainly not sick or feverish. A joke, perhaps? Could there be anything good about hornets? Wasn’t stirring up the nest the last thing you wanted to do? As for seeing where the hornets go, they always go the same place, right at you. Take it from me.
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop–spreading the Christmas spirit
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop
by Rebecca Raisin
When you are Festive Flora, you have your almost dream job of assistant-cashier at Deck the Halls Christmas Emporium, you are dating adventurous poet Luke, and you are living in your best friend Livvie’s spare room, what could possibly go wrong? Well, for Flora, everything—all at once!
Flora is accused by various boyfriends of being eccentric, and she is. She’s passionate about the Christmas spirit and wants everyone to feel the same way. She is also kind and generous with a tendency to speak and act before she thinks. Flora is never “good enough” according to her parents’ standards. She and Livvie, who also had a difficult home life, received love and support as children from Flora’s Nan. At her house they created wonderful Christmas memories.
Livvie decides that the solution to some of Flora’s problems is “a Christmas van, like a pop-up shop.” Thus Flora becomes a Van Lifer and heads to Lapland, “the home of Santa Claus,” to sell all things Christmasy with Hallmark movies being the blueprint for her future: a meet-cute with a good looking young man, conflict between the two, followed by romance and a “happy ever after.”
The story pretty much follows that pattern as she meets some nice, helpful people along the way, but also has to deal with a group of jealous “mean girls” who apparently never developed emotionally past high school. The love interest is Collom, the handsome manager of the Christmas market, a never smiling loner who is passionate about ecology, not Christmas. Flora takes on the task of turning Collom from a Grinch to a believer in the Christmas spirit. She has to complete this goal before the Christmas market closes down for the season and they all go their separate ways.
Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop is told from Flora’s point of view with dialogue interspersed with Flora’s thoughts which she sometimes wonders if she has spoken aloud. Whoops! Author Rebecca Raisin succeeds with another romantic comedy, sure to have you turning the pages to see if Flora’s next zany idea will win Collom over—to love Christmas and maybe Flora too. Along the way she has some embarrassing moments that will keep you in stitches, ranging from stage fright to being a naked Britisher in a Finnish sauna.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to HarperCollins (HQ) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: 1. This is the third in a series about Van Lifers, but stands completely alone from the first two.
2. Despite the Christmasy, festive atmosphere of this book, there is a surprising amount of foul language used casually throughout the book.
Publication: October 28, 2021—Harper Collins (HQ)
Memorable Lines:
It’s not just about holding down a job, it’s that my whole life keeps imploding at every turn. My parents think I’m on a desolate road to nowheresville.
“I probably sound unhinged, but what if we all lived as though our life were a Hallmark movie? What if we took chances, and said what we thought, and believed that true love would find a way, no matter what? What if we were honest about our feelings, knowing that it would all work out in the end? Then the world would be a better place!”
They give me those polite smiles that mange to convey they have absolutely no idea what I’ve said but they’ll tolerate me talking to them in halting Finnish because at least I’m giving it a go.
education pathways 