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The Keillor reader
By Garrison Keillor. 2014
Thirty short science fiction stories. Includes "Aliens Ate My Pickup" by Mercedes Lackey, "Invasion of the Jack Benny Snatchers" by…
John Gregory Betancourt, and "The Santa Claus Planet" by Frank M. Robinson. Companion to This Is My Funniest (DB 65600). Some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2007Speaking with the angel: original stories
By Nick Hornby. 2000
Twelve first-person narratives by British and American writers. New short stories by Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, Helen Fielding, Roddy Doyle,…
and Irvine Welsh. In Nick Hornby's "NippleJesus," a museum security guard recounts what happened to a controversial artwork. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2000The complete humorous sketches and tales of Mark Twain
By Mark Twain. 1996
Compiles 136 comic pieces written between 1862 and 1904, making up a complete collection of Twain's humorous works. Includes thirty…
selections from his five books about travel. Arranged chronologically by year of first publication, with an introduction by the editor, Charles NeiderThe best of Myles: A Selection from Cruiskeen Lawn
By Flann O'Brien. 1983
Collection of humorous and satirical newspaper columns written by the Irish journalist from 1939 to 1966. Among his creations are…
the Plain People of Ireland; the Myles na Gopaleen Central Research Bureau; Keats and Chapman, two absurdly erudite poets; and the brother, a man with a solution to everythingMy Southern journey: true stories from the heart of the South
By Rick Bragg. 2015
Essays about life in the American South by the author of popular memoirs like All Over but the Shoutin' (DB…
46142). The seventy-two essays, many of which originally appeared in Southern Living magazine, are broken down into categories of "Home," "Table," "Place," "Craft," and "Spirit."2015Fakes: an anthology of pseudo-interviews, faux-lectures, quasi-letters, "found" texts, and other fraudulent artifacts
By David Shields, Matthew Vollmer. 2012
Selection of previously published works that parody or satirize common types of writing. Includes a police log showing officers' increasing…
exasperation with their community, a school's alumni newsletter, and a note on typefaces by Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals (DB 70373). 2012Machine of death: a collection of stories about people who know how they will die
By Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo, David Malki. 2010
Machine of Death tells thirty-four different stories about people who know how they will die. Prepare to have your tears…
jerked, your spine tingled, your funny bone tickled, your mind blown, your pulse quickened, or your heart warmed. Or better yet, simply prepare to be surprise. Because even when people have perfect knowledge of the future, there's no telling exactly how things will turn out. Adult. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Some violence and strong languageLove & mr. lewisham: The story of a very young couple
By H. G Wells. 2023
The world of young Mr. Lewisham is one day turned upside down when he meets and falls in love with…
Ethel Henderson, a young woman from London who is visiting relatives in Sussex. Their brief and innocent rendezvous has significant implications when Lewisham's job is threatened. Some time later, Lewisham moves to London, where he decides to go search of Ethel, but finding her proves to be more complicated than expected ... This book is said to closely resemble events in H. G. Wells's own lifeA Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works
By Jonathan Swift. 1996
Treasury of five shorter works by the author of Gulliver's Travels offers ample evidence of the great satirist's inspired lampoonery.…
Title piece plus The Battle of the Books, A Meditation Upon a Broom-Stick, A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit and The Abolishing of Christianity in England.The Ball and the Cross
By G. K. Chesterton. 1995
Like much of G. K. Chesterton's fiction, The Ball and the Cross is both witty and profound, cloaking serious religious…
and philosophical inquiry in sparkling humor and whimsy. Serialized in the British publication The Commonwealth in 1905-06, Chesterton's second novel first appeared in book form in America in 1909, delighting and challenging readers with its heady mixture of fantasy, farce, and theology. The plot of The Ball and the Cross chronicles a hot dispute between two Scotsmen, one a devout but naive Roman Catholic, the other a zealous but naive atheist. Their fanatically held opinions--leading to a duel that is proposed but never fought--inspire a host of comic adventures whose allegorical levels vigorously explore the debate between theism and atheism. Martin Gardner's superb introduction to The Ball and the Cross reveals the real-life debate between Chesterton and a famous atheist that provided inspiration for the story, and it explores some of the novel's possible allegorical meanings. Appraising the book's many intriguing philosophical qualities, Mr. Gardner alerts readers as well to the pleasures of its "colorful style . . . amusing puns and clever paradoxes . . . and the humor and melodrama of its crazy plot."The Flying Inn
By G. K. Chesterton.
An exuberant man as well as a prolific and gifted writer, G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was a man with very…
strong opinions — and extremely capable of defending them. In this hilarious, satirical romp, Chesterton demonstrates his intense distrust of power and "progressives," railing against Prohibition, vegetarianism, theosophy, and other "dreary and oppressive" forces of modernity.In a spirited response to the government's attempt to curtail alcohol sales, Humphrey Pump (called Hump) — a pub owner in the fishing village of Pebblewick — takes to the road in a donkey cart. Accompanied by Captain Patrick Dalroy, a crimson-haired giant with a tendency to burst into song, Hump provisions the cart with a cask of good rum, a giant round of cheese, and the signpost from his pub, The Flying Inn. Together, the two men extend good cheer to an increasingly restless populace as they attempt to evade Prohibition. In a journey that becomes a rollicking madcap adventure, the two travel round England, encountering revolution, romance, and a cast of memorable characters.Sure to receive an enthusiastic welcome from Chesterton fans, this new edition of an old classic will also appeal to anyone who enjoys a humorous, well-crafted tale.Life, Love, & Laughter: 50 Short Stories
By S. L. Menear, D. M. Littlefield. 2016
“Brilliant short stories by two talented authors—kept me on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting the imaginative surprise endings.”…
~Richard Brumer, author of The Chemist’s Shop, Meeting Max, and The Last SunriseHumor, Drama, Suspense, Romance and a Touch of the Supernatural in Life, Love and Laughter, a Bag Full of Entertaining Stories by S.L. Menear and D.M. LittlefieldEnjoy exciting and hilarious true stories involving the authors’ adventurous exploits and fictitious stories involving crime-solving dogs, murder mysteries, a creepy story about a haunted house, interesting flight attendant and pilot stories, aerobatic lessons leading to divorce, a terrifying first solo flight, soaring in a glider, hang-gliding over Biscayne Bay, hot-air ballooning, an airliner stranded by an earthquake, a dangerous airline evacuation of Saigon, an emergency landing after total engine failure, flight training in a jet airliner; a thrilling first ocean dive, a terrifying shark attack, diving to 800 feet in a submarine, an exciting ride on a horse named Satan, funny stories about naughty seniors, an endearing love story between two antique cars, an unusual love story based on supernatural events, a murder mystery based on an ancient weapon invented by Merlin, a murder mystery involving disgruntled authors and snotty literary agents, and many stories involving humorous situations.Like a vacation in a book, enjoy this clean and wholesome collection of 50 engaging adult stories. Sure to spirit you away whenever you need an escape and send you home with a smile.“These two women have written a bag full of entertaining short stories, mostly filled with wry humor reminiscent of O. Henry. Very well done, filled with fun characters, and the best part is, you can fill any short waiting period with entertaining reading that ends in just a few pages. Definitely a book worth having close at all times.” —George A. Bernstein, Amazon Top 100 Author of Trapped, A 3rd Time to Die, Death’s Angel, and Born to Die“A fresh and exciting collection of short stories. Humorous and surprising, a real whodunit treat.” —Fred Lichtenberg, author of Deadly Heat at The Cottages: Sex, Murder, and Mayhem, Hunter’s World, Double Trouble, and Retired, Now What?“Authors Littlefield and Menear have once again woven their unique abilities to combine humor and suspense into stories that are sure to please the most discriminating readers. Every minute is a worthwhile investment in reading pleasure.” —Frank E. Lamca, author of The Gypsies and the Devil Hound “The 50 Short Stories are wonderfully creative writings for adult readers of any age. Littlefield’s and Menear’s plots and characters are at times laugh-out-loud funny and goosebumpy at others. Perfect for readers who want to read a short story in one sitting or enjoy hours of entertainment.” —Tina Nicholas, author of Condo Crazies and Affair in AthensSilent ThrillsWhen Time Stood StillDeadly RejectionsSurprised DeliveryThe Golden YearsSky GodsWinter WonderlandThe Magic ButtonMy First Solo FlightSecrets by DMLSleuth HoundsMy First Ocean DiveSleep DeprivedAerobatic LessonsMeadow MuffinsFlowersHoliday GreetingsStuck in an ElevatorCatatonic SnifferitisSibling InsanityGirl TalkThe First PilotEavesdroppingMall CriticsVirtual Sex Flight InstructionChili and HugoExpensive MistakeBetrayedOnce Upon A TimeKiller Scots and Hot CubansOuch! The BoysGuinevere’s LanceClem’s General StoreSide EffectsSink or SwimUnbelievableWhat’s Going On Here? Cruise CapadesMelanieWife WantedSemper FiThe Rattled HunterMonstersMy Unconscious MuseStressed OutThe Fairies’ GodmotherDumpster DivingThe Word ArtistLunar MadnessLady Macbeth of Mtsensk: Selected Stories of Nikolai Leskov (Penguin Classics Ser.)
By Nikolai Leskov. 2003
A new collection of the renowned Russian writer's best short work, including a masterful translation of the famous title story.Nikolai…
Leskov is the strangest of the great Russian writers of the nineteenth century. His work is closer to the oral traditions of narrative than that of his contemporaries, and served as the inspiration for Walter Benjamin's great essay "The Storyteller," in which Benjamin contrasts the plotty machinations of the modern novel with the strange, melancholy, but also worldly-wise yarns of an older, slower era that Leskov remained in touch with. The title story is a tale of illicit love and multiple murder that could easily find its way into a Scottish ballad and did go on to become the most popular of Dmitri Shostakovich's operas. The other stories, all but one newly translated, present the most focused and finely rendered collection of this indispensable writer currently available in English.Nikolai Nikolaevich and Camouflage: Two Novels (Russian Library)
By Yuz Aleshkovsky. 2019
Among contemporary Russian writers, Yuz Aleshkovsky stands out for his vivid imagination, his mixing of realism and fantasy, and his…
virtuosic use of the rich tradition of Russian obscene language. These two novels, written in the 1970s, display Aleshkovsky’s linguistic gifts and keen observations of Soviet life.Nikolai Nikolaevich begins when its titular hero, a pickpocket by trade, is released from prison after World War II and finds a job in a Moscow biological laboratory. Starting out as a kind of janitor, he is soon recruited to provide sperm for strange experiments intended to create life in the Andromeda galaxy. The hero finds himself at the center of the 1948 purge of biological science in the Soviet Union, in a transgressive tale that joins science fiction (and science fact) with gulag slang and a love story. The protagonist and narrator of Camouflage is an alcoholic who claims that he and his gang of friends are just one part of a vast camouflaging operation organized by the Party to hide the Soviet Union’s underground military-industrial complex from the CIA’s spy satellites. As they pass their time on the streets and share their alcohol-inspired fantasies, they see the stark reality of the Cold War in Russia in the late seventies. Nikolai Nikolaevich and Camouflage introduces English-speaking readers to a master of the comic first-person narrative.LoveStar: A Novel
By Andri Snaer Magnason, Victoria Cribb. 2002
LoveStar, the enigmatic and obsessively driven founder of the LoveStar corporation, has unlocked the key to transmitting data via birdwaves,…
thus freeing mankind from wires and devices, and allowing consumerism, technology, and science to run rampant over all aspects of daily life. Cordless modern men and women are paid to howl advertisements at unsuspecting passers-by, REGRET machines eliminate doubt over roads not taken, soul mates are identified and brought together (while existing, unscientifically validated relationships are driven remorselessly asunder), and rocketing the dead into the sky becomes both a status symbol and a beautiful, cathartic show for those left behind. Indridi and Sigrid, two blissfully happy young lovers, have their perfect worlds threatened (along with Indridi's sanity) when they are "calculated apart" and are forced to go to extreme lengths to prove their love. Their journey ultimately puts them on a collision course with LoveStar, who is on his own mission to find what might become the last idea in the world. Steeped in influences ranging from Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, and Kurt Vonnegut to George Orwell, Douglas Adams, and Monty Python, Andri Snær Magnason has created a surreal yet uncomfortably familiar world, where the honey embrace of love does its utmost to survive amid relentless and overpowering controls.Look Who's Back
By Timur Vermes. 2014
THE SMASH-HIT HITLER SATIRE - MORE THAN 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD"A brilliant book" RUSSELL KANE "Brilliant and hilarious" KEN FOLLETTA…
box-office-hit film now available on NETFLIXA two-part BBC Radio 4 Dramatisation directed by and starring David Threlfall (Shameless)Berlin, Summer 2011. Adolf Hitler wakes up on a patch of open ground, alive and well. Things have changed - no Eva Braun, no Nazi party, no war. Hitler barely recognises his beloved Fatherland, filled with immigrants and run by a woman. People certainly recognise him, albeit as a flawless impersonator who refuses to break character. The unthinkable, the inevitable happens, and the ranting Hitler goes viral, becomes a YouTube star, gets his own T.V. show, and people begin to listen. But the Führer has another programme with even greater ambition - to set the country he finds a shambles back to rights. Look Who's Back stunned and then thrilled 1.5 million German readers with its fearless approach to the most taboo of subjects. Naive yet insightful, repellent yet strangely sympathetic, the revived Hitler unquestionably has a spring in his step.Translated from German by Jamie BullochThe Hungry and the Fat: A bold new satire by the author of LOOK WHO'S BACK
By Timur Vermes. 2020
By the author of LOOK WHO'S BACK, a radical and bold satire in inequitable times."Whizz-bang energy and gleeful imaginative savagery"…
Sam Leith, Guardian"More than mere satire, it's a book that engages deeply" Alex Preston, Financial Times"An immensely enjoyable read" Daniel Hahn, Spectator"A caustic, clever satire with a powerful emotional core" Becky Long, Irish Times"Satirical, sharp, believable . . . Brilliant" Rick O'Shea, RTEREFUGEE CAMPS IN AFRICA ARE SWELLINGAnd Europe has closed its borders. The refugees have no future, no hope, and no money to pay the vast sums now demanded by people smugglers. The only thing they have is time. AND THEN AN ANGEL ARRIVES FROM REALITY T.V.When model and star presenter Nadeche Hackenbusch comes to film at the largest of the camps, one young refugee sees a unique opportunity: to organise a march to Europe, in full view of the media. Viewers are gripped as the vast convoy moves closer, but the far right in Germany is regrouping and the government is at a loss. Which country will halt the refugees in their tracks? THE HUNGRY AND THE FATA devastating, close-to-the-knuckle satire about the haves and have-nots in our divided world by one of Europe's finest and most perceptive writers.Translated from the German by Jamie BullochMaybe the horse will talk
By Elliot Perlman. 2019
Stephen Maserov has problems. A onetime teacher, married to fellow teacher Eleanor, he has retrained and is now a second-year…
lawyer working at mega-firm Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Despite toiling around the clock to make budget, he’s in imminent danger of being downsized. And to make things worse, Eleanor, sick of single-parenting their two young children thanks to Stephen’s relentless work schedule, has asked him to move out. To keep the job he hates, pay the mortgage and salvage his marriage, he will have to do something strikingly daring, something he never thought himself capable of. But if he’s not careful, it might be the last job he ever has...Asterix and the Griffin: Album 39 (Asterix #39)
By Jean-Yves Ferri. 2021
Be the first to read the next action-packed adventure from the indomitable Gauls by pre-ordering now!Follow Asterix and Obelix as…
they set out on their 39th adventure on a long journey in search of a strange and terrifying creature. Half-eagle, half-lion, and idolised and feared by ancient peoples, this creature is the griffin.How will Asterix, Obelix, Dogamatix, along with the Druid Getafix, get drawn into the epic, perilous quest to find this fantastical animal? Find out in the next instalment of this multi-million bestselling series.