Review: Bedpan Blues by Sandy Thorne

Title: Bedpan Blues

Author: Sandy Thorne

Published: ST Publishing 2012

Synopsis: Sandy’s hilarious account of her two-month stay in a Sydney public hospital – far from the “back country” where she lives – will really kickstart your funnybone! With one leg out of action, getting ON a bedpan is one thing …. the you have to get off the bloody thing… Almost as big a challenge as trying to get some sleep (“Wake up! Heres’ your Panadol..”)

Status: Read on November 25, 2012

My Thoughts:

This caught my eye on the “new” shelf at the library so I scooped it up hoping for a quick read that would make me laugh, and that it exactly what I got. Bedpan Blues details the two months Sandy Thorne, a bushie from Lightning Ridge, spent laid up in a Sydney city public hospital after a repair to an ankle injury went awry.

Behind Sandy’s mild mannered facade (she is unfailingly polite to the staff and helpful to her less capable ward mates) lurks a bold, brash and wildly opinionated woman who compares the hospital food to cat spew and longs to twist the nuts off of television ad executives. She describes her politics as “a little to the right of Hitler”, and her views on many issues are decidedly not politically correct however she calls them as she seems them and her lack of self censorship is quite refreshing.

As ward mates, and their visitors, come and go, Sandy has to cope with a thief, a diva, a snorer and a dreamer. All she wants is a view out of the window and a little bit of peace and quiet – something the nurses don’t seem inclined to give her. It seems the orthopedic ward is a busy place and it’s no surprise Sandy can’t wait to escape.

Bedpan Blues is a quick, amusing read which will have you laughing and cringing in almost equal measure.

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Review: The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Title: The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Author: Jonas Jonasson

Published: Allen & Unwin September 2012

Synopsis: Sitting quietly in his room in an old people’s home, Allan Karlsson is waiting for a party he doesn’t want to begin. His one-hundredth birthday party to be precise. The Mayor will be there. The press will be there. But, as it turns out, Allan will not . . .Escaping (in his slippers) through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving a suitcase full of cash, a few thugs, a very friendly hot-dog stand operator, a few deaths, an elephant and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, Allan’s earlier life is revealed. A life in which – remarkably – he played a key role behind the scenes in some of the momentous events of the twentieth century.

Status: Read from September 28 to October 01, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Allen & Unwin Australia}

My Thoughts:

This quirky, funny and clever novel follows the present and past adventures of the endearing Swedish centenarian, Allan Karlsson. Less than an hour before his 100th birthday celebration, Allan climbs out of the ground floor window of his nursing home with no real plan other than to avoid all the fuss. Contemplating his next move at the local bus station, he is asked to mind a young man’s suitcase and hoping it’s contents may be useful, absconds with it on the next bus out of town. What follows is an absurd adventure as Allen is hunted by the criminal gang who wants the $50million crowns in the grey suitcase back and the police concerned for his well being, all the while collecting unusual allies in his wake.

Allan’s life, we learn, is characterised by an extraordinary mix of luck and hubris. Endlessly optimistic and resourceful, as Allan travels across Sweden with the grey suitcase variously accompanied by a master thief, a hot dog seller, a red headed woman who spews profanity and an elephant named Sonya, we learn of his astounding personal history. Once an orphaned explosives expert, Allan’s skill and his willingness to go wherever life takes him leads him around the globe at the behest of presidents, prime ministers and world leaders. Primarily motivated by good food and vodka, the apolitical, atheist Allen unwittingly plays a integral part in key moments of history from the creation of the Atom Bomb to preventing the assassination of Winston Churchill and giving Richard Nixon the idea that lead to the Watergate Scandal. The intertwining past and present narratives work wonderfully to create a picture of Allan’s incredible life and somehow, despite the preposterous connections and unlikely predicaments, it is a journey that seems perfectly plausible.

Translated from the author’s native Swedish, the writer’s voice has a unique tone that works beautifully with the black humor and wry observation in this novel. The pace is excellent as Jonasson skillfully blends historical fact with fanciful fiction, eccentric comedy with social commentary.

It’s fitting that I read The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared sipping on a Vodka ‘Cruiser’, I only wish I could have shared it with Allan. Charming, sharp and inventive, this novel has earned a place on my favourites list and comes with my sincere recommendation.

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Review: Impractical Jokes by Charlie Pickering

Title: Impractical Jokes

Author: Charlie Pickering

Published: Allen & Unwin (B Format)  June 2012

Synopsis: In 1986, Charlie Pickering’s dad, Ron, was pushed into a pool by his best friend, Richard. What followed was an all-out water pistol ambush in a five-star restaurant and then ten years of tit-for-tat payback and near fatal hijinx that eventually involved the State Emergency Service. When maturity is the first casualty of war, things tend to escalate.
Impractical Jokes is the true story of two seemingly responsible, middle-aged men who opted out of having a mid-life crisis and instead gave themselves permission to be silly. It is also the tale of how Charlie finally learnt something from his dad – that being grown-up shouldn’t mean losing your sense of humour – a lesson he lives to the full as one of Australia’s leading comedians.

Status: Read on June 10, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Allen & Unwin}

My Thoughts:

Stand up comedian and television host Charlie Pickering recounts the hilarious protracted war of practical jokes and oneupmanship between his father and his best friend, Richard, in the light and funny memoir. It began with a playful nudge that saw Charlie’s dad, Ronald, land fully dressed in the backyard swimming pool. Revenge was carefully plotted until the opportunity presented itself to soak Richard in a restaurant using water guns. The two grown men, one a respected pharmacist, the other a respected business man, both with an inflated sense of mischief continue the game for over twenty years with Charlie an amused witness or willing assistant.

Impractical Jokes is laugh out loud funny at times as the pranks escalate, occasionally backfiring. Each joke is planned in elaborate detail, often involving a cast of willing co-conspirators, and hoarded until just the right time for maximum impact. Yet this book is also about the love Charlie has for his family, and his admiration in particular for his father who supported Charlie, even when he threw in his law career to become a stand up comedian. His father, as Charlie writes, is “the guy who gave me most what I needed to make it in the world”.

Impractical Jokes is a quick and easy read, funny, warm and widely appealing. It would make a great father’s day gift – particularly if your father is prone to wearing loud ties and telling bad Dad jokes.

Available To Purchase

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Review: Bare-Naked Lola by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

 

Title: Bare-Naked Lola {A Lola Cruz Mystery #3}

Author: Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Published: Entangled Publishing May 2012

Synopsis: Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps…

Status: Read on May 15, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Entangled Publishing/NetGalley}

My Thoughts:

Bare Naked Lola is the third book in the Lola Cruz Mystery series by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez, who is also the author of the Magical Dressmaking Mystery series. This fun, cozy series features Latina Delores (Lola) Cruz, a private detective at Camacho and Associates by day and a waitress at the restaurant owned by her family, Abuelitas, by night. Despite her penchant for finding herself at the center of awkward and dangerous situations, Lola is determined to prove herself as a PI, even with the objections of her traditional Catholic family and constant distraction in the form of gorgeous journalist, Jack Callaghan. The comparison to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series is inevitable and there are general similarities, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment this author provides.
Lola is a fun and feisty heroine who is witty, smart and capable of looking after herself (as evidenced by her Black Belt in martial arts). She is determined to solve her first undercover case, investigating threats made against the Royals Courtside Dance team, even if it means wearing the skimpy cheer outfits, and duct tape, in front of thousands of people. As a good Catholic girl, Lola finds baring too much skin uncomfortable so when the clues lead her to a Naturist resort she has to decide where to look, and exactly how far she will go, to close the investigation.
While the mystery element, identifying the sender of the notes, and later the killer, worked out satisfactorily, I think the plot would have benefited by having different perpetrators for the incidents, just to add a little more depth to the investigation. I really had no clue who to suspect for at least three quarters of the book and didn’t see the motive coming at all which I am not too sure about. I think a few hints seeded earlier in the story would have been a good thing. Sara, Callaghan’s loco ex, does provide a sub plot of sorts but no real complications.
I enjoyed meeting the characters that populate the series – Lola’s family, colleagues and friends. Even though this is the first of the series I have read I didn’t feel as I was missing anything crucial as Bourbon provides some back story.

I enjoyed Bare Naked Lola, Bourbon has a great sense of humor and this book is a quick and easy read. If you are a fan of the mystery/comedy genre the Lola Cruz mystery series is sure to please, keep an eye out for the previous titles Living the Vida Lola and Hasta la Vista, Lola!.

Available to Purchase

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Review: Mad Men, Bad Girls and The Guerilla Knitters Institute by Maggie Groff

Title: Mad Men, Bad Girls and The Guerilla Knitters Institute

Author: Maggie Groff

Published: Pan Macmillan Australia March 2012

Synopsis: When a secretive American cult moves to the Gold Coast, freelance journalist Scout Davis’s investigative antennae start quivering. She sets out to expose the cult’s lunatic beliefs and bizarre practices, but when she learns the identity of a recent recruit, her quest becomes personal. And dangerous. The cult isn’t the only case on Scout’s agenda. Someone is cutting up girls’ underwear at an exclusive school and Scout agrees to look into it. And the sinister secret behind the vandalism is not nice. Not at all. But Scout has her secrets too. In the dead of night she sneaks out with an underground group of yarn bombers to decorate the locality with artworks. The next mission ticks all the right boxes – it’s risky, difficult and extremely silly. However, not everyone is amused, and Scout has a sneaking suspicion that the local police sergeant, Rafe Kelly, is hot on her tail.

Status: Read from March 16 to 18, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Pan Macmillan Australia)

My Thoughts:

Who can resist a title like Mad Men, Bad Girls and The Guerilla Knitters Institute, it promises a fun, quirky story with a little intrigue and danger which is exactly what it delivers. This fiction debut novel by Australian author Maggie Groff is quite the departure from her non fiction titles dealing with motherhood (Mothers Behaving Badly) and cooking (Hoax Cuisine) though Groff’s irreverent sense of humor remains intact. A freelance investigative journalist, Groff’s protagonist, Scout Davis, is asked to look into the establishment of a secretive American cult on the Gold Coast. A cursory study reveals some bizarre practices but when she discovers her daughters childhood friend has deserted her young family and joined them, it becomes personal and Scout is determined to expose their corrupt lifestyle. In amongst investigating the members of The Luminous Renaissance of Illustrious Light, Scout is helping her sister solve a nasty incident at the exclusive private school where she works, wondering who filled her car with weed, knitting frantically and avoiding Detective Rafe Kelly’s knowing gaze. Scout flirts with danger, disaster and romance in this entertaining contemporary mystery.

Set against the backdrops of Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, the laugh out loud humour of Mad Men, Bad Girls and The Guerilla Knitters Institute is paired with a more serious exploration of issues such as bullying, corrupt spiritualism and post natal depression. It’s a strong combination that makes for an interesting and entertaining plot. Scout’s investigation into the cult of Bacchus Rising is the central plot, it leads her to contact first with the family of an American member and then the mother of an Australian victim whom she was once acquaintance with. As with many cults, the messages of peace, love and harmony hides a sexual and financial predator who preys on the weak minded and ruthlessly protects his ego driven empire. Scout finds herself vulnerable when she infiltrates the group as an interested wannabe disciple and her cover is blown.
Groff deepens the plot with smaller mysteries including a runaway child, a suicide attempt and a teacher accused of inappropriate behaviour at an exclusive high school where Scout’s sister, Harper, works.
On a lighter note, Scout’s yarn bombing group, which includes a doctor and lawyer and in which she involves her nephew, is a fun sub plot as is the steamy relationship between Scout and Rafe. Scout is half heartedly involved with a fellow journalist who spends more time overseas in war zones than in Australia. Rafe is a temptation she finds difficult to ignore and throughout the novel the pair smoulder in each others company.
I really like Scout, she is smart, clever, loyal and fun (and yes her parents were fans of To Kill A Mockingbird). In her early forties, Scout is older than the usual heroine in this genre and its something I appreciate being of a similar age. She is also an insulin dependent diabetic which is something Groff makes a point of mentioning regularly through the story. Scout has to monitor her blood sugars, eat regularly and be prepared for a hypoglycemic emergency. I felt as if it was perhaps mentioned too often, but on the other hand diabetes can be an intrusive disease and Groff raises awareness of that.

With a strong plot, witty dialogue and likeable characters, Mad Men, Bad Girls and The Guerilla Knitters Institute is a wonderfully entertaining read. Apparently Groff has plans for a series featuring Scout Davis and I am looking forward to the second, so make sure you pick this up!

Available to Purchase

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About the Author

Maggie Groff is the bestselling author of two non-fiction books, Mothers Behaving Badly and Hoax Cuisine. She has worked as a columnist for Sunday Life magazine in The Sun-Herald and extracts of her work have been published globally by Readers Digest. She lives with her husband in northern New South Wales and is currently working on her next Scout Davis novel.

Review: Cooking The Books By Bonnie S Calhoun

Title: Cooking The Books {A Sloane Templeton Mystery #1}

Author: Bonnie S Calhoun

Published: Abingdon Press April 2012

Synopsis: After her mother dies from a heart attack, Sloane Templeton goes from Cyber Crimes Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also “inherits” a half-batty store manager; a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and Aunt Verline, who fancies herself an Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast iron stomach to partake of her culinary disasters. And with a group like this you should never ask, “What else can go wrong?” A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone is out to kill her. Can her life get more crazy?

Status: Read from April 01 to 02, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Abingdon Press/NetGalley}

My Thoughts:

Cooking the Books is the first of Bonnie S Calhoun’s debut series that combines humour and mystery. Once a cyber crimes specialist, Sloane Templeton has inherited Beckham’s Brew and Books after the sudden death of her mother. As a reluctant owner/manager, Sloane is happy for her mothers best friend, FiFi to have her head, she has too much else to worry about including her Aunt Verlene’s culinary adventures, her abusive ex boyfriends threats, a curious detective and a gun toting seniors book club.

Cooking the Books is the type of mystery I enjoy when I am craving a laugh or two. Sloane is an amateur sleuth with a snarky sense of humor, surrounded by quirky characters, who stumbles awkwardly into an array of criminal conspiracies.
In this instance Sloane is caught up in the middle of several situations both personal and professional. In amongst grieving after the sudden death of her mother, her ex-husband is suing her for more money, her abusive ex boyfriend won’t leave her alone and her new relationship is starting to show fine cracks. Meanwhile a local realtor is hounding her to sell the building that houses the bookstore, strange messages keep appearing on the store computer system, her aunt is targeted by thieves and a rare book sparks a bidding war. The development of the various story threads are somewhat uneven, the plot is busy, perhaps a touch too crowded, though some threads are left open ended to be, I assume, picked up in the next installment. The pace is pretty frantic mainly because of the snappy dialogue in the first half and then the action of the second half.
Cooking the Books is equally as busy with an interesting cast of supporting characters including the feisty FiFi, flaky Aunt Verlene and frightening ex. There is also the Mick Jagger lookalike hairdresser, a group of gun toting seniors, a disturbed middle age bookstore patron, a cute detective and more. As a Christian novelist, Calhoun does include is the odd mention of God and prayer but it doesn’t intrude on the story.
The writing is good, the dialogue believable and witty. There were a few small errors I imagine would have been taken care of for publication. I do think that the story could have been scaled back a little, sometimes less is more, but that seems like a silly complaint.

Calhoun barely allows you to draw breath during this fast paced farce, you are either laughing too hard at exploding eggs or holding your breath as Sloane brandishes a gun in defense of her life. Cooking the Books is a light and entertaining read for cosy mystery fans and I will be interested in seeing where Calhoun takes the series.

Available To Purchase

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Review: Sharp Turn by Marianne Delacourt

Title: Sharp Turn {Tara Sharp #2}

Author: Marianne Delacourt

Published: Allen & Unwin 2010

Synopsis: Tara Sharp’s unorthodox PI business is starting to attract customers – though not necessarily of the kind she envisaged… Working at Madame Vine’s luxurious brothel teaching the ‘girls’ to ‘read’ their clients better isn’t exactly what she had in mind when she started out… So it’s a relief when the man of Tara’s dreams, Nick Tozzi, lines her up with a lucrative job. Something is rotten in the local motor racing industry and an associate of Nick’s wants Tara to sniff out the bad egg… It’s not long before Tara finds herself in all kinds of danger, with a murder at Madam Vine’s followed by the discovery of a bloated corpse in the Swan River.

Status: Read on February 10, 2012

My Thoughts:

Sharp Turn continues the adventures of twenty something fledgling investigator, Tara Sharp who was introduced in Sharp Shooter. With three new cases and a new romance, things are finally looking up, then her clients girlfriend is murdered, her boyfriend’s first modelling job pairs him with Tara’s nemesis and Tara is targeted by an assassin known as ‘The Finisher’. It’s all downhill from there.
With it’s blend of humour, action and romance, the Tara Sharp series is proving to be an entertaining read. The plot is just a touch improbable, but perfectly enjoyable as Tara uses her newly discovered skill at reading aura’s, and undercover investigating, to help her clients. In Sharp Turn, Tara’s cases involve the owner of a local brothel, Madame Vine, sabotage at Wanneroo Raceway and troublemakers at a nightclub. As she searches for clues she also has to contend with a narcoleptic bodyguard, an illiterate teenage runaway, the tempting (but very married) Nick Tozzi and the attentions of a serial killer. None of these distractions do anything to enhance her new relationship with the gorgeous Ed nor gets her any closer to moving out of her parents garage.
Tara is a fun protagonist, and she is supported by a great cast of quirky characters. Many of those met in Sharp Shooter return for the sequel though we see only glimpses of Bok, Smitty and Mr.Hara. The romantic tension between Tara and Nick is ramped up in this installment with both desperately trying to do the right thing despite their attraction to each other. Wal and Cass are back and camping out at Tara’s and Johnny Viaspa is still lurking menacingly in the background.

Sharp Turn is a light-hearted crime caper with fast paced action in the tradition of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I’m not sure that Sharp Turn would work as a stand alone but as a second installment it does a great job of building on the series and I eagerly await the third.

Available to Purchase

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Review: Confessions of a Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn

Title: Confessions of a Neurotic Hitwoman

Author: JB Lynn

Published: Avon Jan 2012

Synopsis: Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she’s never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard—a picky eater, obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, that only Maggie can hear. Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible, so she reluctantly accepts a mobster’s lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law. Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh, and let’s not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she’s up to. Training has never been so complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn’t … she’s the mob’s next target. READ the first chapter

Status: Read on January 22, 2012 — I own a copy {Courtesy Harper Collins}

My Thoughts:

Veering from wildly funny to desperately sad, Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman is an entertaining dark comedy caper.

Maggie Lee survives the car accident that kills her sister and brother in law, leaving her niece, Katie, comatose. Maggie’s parents are no help, her father is doing time for murder and her mother is in a psychiatric hospital. Maggie hasn’t seen her sister in years and her three aunts are their own special type of crazy. A chance encounter with a hitman in the hospital brings Maggie to the attention of a mob boss who makes an unusual proposition. With a little help from God (not THE God), a killer cop and a psychic colleague Maggie just might be able to pay Katie’s hospital bills, if she can become a killer.

As bitter and cynical Maggie is, her quick wit and devotion to her niece renders her likeable. Her background is messy and rife with tragedy so it’s no wonder Maggie is able to embrace the unconventional. The leap from call center agent to hitwoman is a big one but somehow the author convinces us that her motivation is plausible.
Maggie’s mentor, Patrick, is a mysterious figure whose reasons for helping Maggie are murky. I’m not sure I really like him but he is an intriguing character.
The most irresistible character is Godzilla, aka God, Katie’s pet lizard now in Maggie’s care. Maggie isn’t sure if she is going as crazy as her mother or not as the lizard starts talking to her. Smart mouthed, opinionated and endearing, God makes for a hilarious sidekick.

The plot is cohesive even though it requires the reader to suspend belief. Between talking lizards, stoned aunts, hot police officers and a blackmailing hitman the story teeters on the edge of absurdity but is tempered by the darker elements of the story. Combining crazy characters and screwball comedy with a cynical edge, Confessions of a Neurotic Hitwoman is an enjoyable romp and a great start to a new series.

Available to Purchase

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Review: Me of the Never Never by Fiona O’Loughlin

Title: Me of the Never Never

Author: Fiona O’Loughlin

Synopsis: Fiona O Loughlin is certainly the funniest (and possibly one of the busiest) working mothers in Australia today: a stand-up comedian based in Alice Springs and Adelaide, she is on the road for most of the year, doing live performances, plus regular television appearances. Fiona has also had successful shows at the Edinburgh and Adelaide fringe festivals, the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This book contains her stories – funny and sometimes sad stories about her upbringing as part of a large Irish-Catholic family on a wheat farm in South Australia, her chaotic and disorganised family life ever since, living in Alice Springs and making it as a stand-up comedian. She also talks of a darker side of the life of many performers – alcohol.  This book is for anyone who likes to laugh (and cry), who wants to read about a woman living her life on her terms.

Status: Read on January 21, 2012

My Thoughts:

What better time is there to post a review for an Australian celebrity than today, Australian Day! Fiona O’Loughlin is my favourite Australian comedienne and I have been wanting to get my hands on this book for quite some time.  She never fails to make me laugh, mostly I think because she is so candid about the challenges she faces as a wife and as a mother on stage.

Me of the Never Never is an honest reflection on how Fiona came to be who she is. Her family features heavily in the memoir, just as it does in her comedy routines. As one of seven children in a three bedroom house, Fiona’s upbringing may have been slightly chaotic but she was well-loved and cared for. There is genuine affection as she writes of family gatherings, eccentric aunts and annoying siblings. Many of the recollections are amusing, some, like the loss of her favourite cousin in a tragic road accident, and her recent boutwith alcoholism are sad but they are experiences that have shaped her life.
We follow Fiona from her reminisces of her Catholic school days to her courtship with husband Chris, and then to her life as a young wife and mother in Australia’s outback. Fiona has five children all born quite close together and raising them was, and still is, a challenge. Fiona is candid about the mistakes she has made as a mother and the chaos a large family entails, but her love for her children is never in doubt. Fiona has faced many obstacles to build her career, her frequent absences from her home has resulted in some social criticism but I think this memoir makes clear why Fiona has pursued it and how hard she tries to ensure her family isn’t penalised for it.

Me of the Never Never isn’t a collection of jokes and one liners, it is a story of a life lived, for better and worse. That’s not to say it isn’t funny, I found myself giggling quite a lot. The book does tend to wander down a dirt track that leads no where in particular here and there but it is an easy and interesting read. If you are a fan of Fiona O’Loughlin then you are sure to enjoy this memoir.

Here is a clip of Fiona at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2007.

Giveaway & Review: The Desperate Dad’s Guide To Getting Some by Jackie Papandrew

Title: The Desperate Dad’s Guide to Getting Some ( and other tales from a slightly soiled marriage)

Author: Jackie Papandrew

Published: May 2011

Synopsis: If you’re a woman who understands that choreplay is most definitely foreplay, that hiding the remote control is a valid strategy for getting the Honey Do List done, and that while there’s no such thing as “woman’s work,” there are jobs only a man should have to do, then this book is for you. And if you’re a man who still hasn’t quite gotten the choreplay message, who thinks you have to be teeming with testosterone to use the grill and who truly believes men and women should share equal time and space in the bathroom, then, oh boy, is this book for you! Award-winning writer Jackie Papandrew takes us on a hilarious tour of her marriage, covering everything from bikinis to Kim Kardashian’s backside to stolen girly soap, and finally, to two match-making pigs. The Desperate Dad’s Guide to Getting Some is a riotous romp that even at its naughtiest is only rated PG. You’ll probably laugh off a certain posterior part of your body reading it!

Status: Read on December 06, 2011 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

If you have been married/co habitating with the love of your life for any length of time then the well crafted, hilarious pieces in The Desperate Dad’s Guide To Getting Some are likely to strike a chord. In sixteen years of marriage (and 21 years of togetherness) my husband still hasn’t figured out that unpacking the dishwasher or vacuuming the floor are far more effective romantic gestures than a bunch of wilting flowers from the garage.
With wit and warmth, Papandrew prods at the seemingly universal failings of men including their disregard for empty toilet rolls, unnatural attachment to remote controls and their uncanny likeness to basking walruses as they recline on the couch. I snickered often in recognition at the absurdities of long term relationships – I think my husband and I would likely flunk the Newlywed Game as well!
In the tradition of Erma Bombeck, the humor in The Desperate Dad’s Guide To Getting Some is clean, smart and spot on. I have just one complaint about this book – it was far too short!

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About the Author

Jackie’s humor writing has been featured in several books, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, as well as in newspapers such as The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Tampa Tribune and The Oklahoman. She has won a Neal Award, considered the Pulitzer Prize of business media, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association, Parenting Publications of America, America’s Funniest Humor Press and the Florida Freelance Writers Association. Jackie is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. To learn more, visit FunnyJackie.com, where you can also read an excerpt of her new book.

Jackie posts her humor columns on her Facebook page, along with amusing observations on life in general and, occasionally, pictures of her dogs. There are more than 33,000 people there already. You’ll make us all very happy if you too become a fan. Not only that, but you’ll have a rockin’ good time! OK, maybe it won’t be a rock-concert type of rockin’ good time, maybe more of a rocking-chair kind of rockin’ good time. But it’ll definitely be good for a laugh!

And if you tweet, follow Jackie on Twitter.

 The Desperate Dad’s Guide to Getting Some is available in paperback, as well as in Kindle and Nook formats.

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