Book after Book

By Alan Bennett Published by Profile Books I first came across Alan Bennett’s writing a few years ago, when The Uncommon Reader was published. I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to repeat such a pleasant experience but I’m so glad to have come across Smut on its recent release in paperback. First published in April 2011, Smut is composed of two stories: The Greening of Mrs Donaldson and The Shielding of Mrs Forbes . In the former, Mrs Donaldson has a complete change of lifestyle when her husband dies, thus bringing a dull marriage to an end. To make ends meet, she starts working at the hospital as a patient simulator, participating in medical training scenarios. She also takes in lodgers: a couple who, despite not playing loud music, are not perfect and are often in arrears with the rent. But who said that a non-monetary arrangement cannot be worked out? Mrs Donaldson soon finds out that acting, for her, is not limited to the hospital environment. And she likes it! The Mrs Forbes...

Published by Boxtree , an imprint of Pan Macmillan, this new and colourful hardback is an explosive collection of one-liners from the successful BBC2 comedy show. With its compact and immediate format, it’s a perfect gift for humour lovers and a great tool to lighten up a bad day – or to make a good day even better! As a bibliophile, my favourite categories are: Lines you won’t find in an Enid Blyton book, Unlikely things to read in a romance novel and Things you wouldn’t read in a children’s book. The absolute winner, though, would have to be: Unlikely things to read on the back of a book. Mock the Week has something for everybody but it comes with a warning: contains strong language – and your stomach might hurt from laughing too much!

By Marc Johns Published by teNeues When life gets too serious, this is a great book to have at hand. All you need to do is randomly open a page and you will find a smile spreading across your lips! If the title could be misleading, the picture on the cover will reassure you that the adjective associated to these drawings is not to be taken literally. The men and the strange creatures that populate the world of Canadian artist Marc Johns might never be found smiling but they actually help us not to take life too seriously. Fashion, consumerism, religion… nothing is off-limits for Marc Johns and his drawing tools! Divided between ink and watercolour drawings on paper and drawings on yellow sticky notes, we find two-headed men, pipes that are trying to quit smoking, advice on how to wear antlers, hovering people and oddly-shaped creatures with their own dreams and fears. Not to mention flying moustaches and beards that grow pretty much anywhere! Simple and terribly communicative, you will...