Shop Newsletter |
Friday 10th May 2019 |
Good afternoon! It may be a slightly chillier start to May than we're used to, but with half-term fast approaching you've probably started to think of long Summer holidays already. With that in mind, we thought we'd dedicate this week's newsletter to books, including some of the treats you might like to indulge in this year, in a variety of formats. Most of the upcoming paperbacks are already available in hardback and ebook too, so get browsing!
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Coming soon
John Bishop - How To Grow Old
Whether he likes it or not, John is getting older. His hair is greying, it's getting that much harder to stay fit, and the potential to become something of embarrassment is ever increasing. But hope is not lost. How To Grow Old is John's offering to the world. With sage advice on how to avoid the common pitfalls of age, "intimate confessions and spit-your-dentures-out hilarious" commentary on his own advancing years, this is his observational comic writing at its very best. If you were concerned about how not to be boring or how to get rid of your should-be-old-enough-to-manage kids, this the book has the answers.
Billy Connolly - Made In Scotland: My Grand Adventures In A Wee Country
Billy Connolly may be a citizen of the world, but in his heart he's never been far from his homeland. Coming Home is Billy's unique and intimate portrait of his native Scotland, a love letter to the places and people that made him. It's an adventure inspired by a single incident: the moment Billy received his Knighthood and was asked 'How does it feel to have achieved all this when you came from nothing?' His response was, 'But I did come from something!' So begins an odyssey through the Highlands, Lowlands and the Barrowlands on a shaggy dog quest to find out what that 'something' was and whether it is still there.
Elis James & John Robins - The Holy Vible
Comedians Elis James and John Robins have captured the hearts and minds of a generation, and it's time those hearts and minds had a book. The Holy Vible is a complete guide to the hilariously niche and wonderfully obscure world of indie radio's most-unproducible hammer legends: Elis and John. The most exciting double act in comedy take on the big topics: shame, Queen, The Highway Code (and others).
Lee Ridley - I'm Only In It For The Parking
What's the worst thing about being disabled? Is it the shameless staring? Is it that people assume you're a bit thick because you can't speak? Or is it the fact that your friends always take you to theme parks just so they can jump the queues? In fact, it's the stupid questions people ask that really rile Lee Ridley, aka Lost Voice Guy. And over the years he's been inundated with them by people who have failed to engage their brains before opening their mouths, which is where I'm Only In It For The Parking comes in - think of it as a disabled FAQ, with funny (sometimes painfully funny) stories from Lee's less-ordinary life. If you think you know what it's like to be disabled, prepare to have your perceptions skewered by the much-loved Britain's Got Talent winner.
Mae Martin - Can Everyone Please Calm Down? Mae Martin's Guide To 21st Century Sexuality
Are you gay? Are you male? Are you straight? Are you female? These aren't necessarily questions with yes/no answers. Gender and sexuality aren't black and white, binary concepts - they can be fluid, and are often on a spectrum: 40% of people under 25 don't identify as gay or straight. Society hasn't necessarily caught up with this, though, as comedian Mae Martin notes in this comic look at sexuality, dating and gender in the 21st Century. She notes, partly in humour, partly in frustration, that it's 2017, and we are still labelling people by who they sleep with. Expanding on themes raised in her own BBC Radio 4 series of the same name, she aims to break down barriers and start conversations. With a blend of personal anecdotes and clever social observations, Mae gently pokes fun at stereotypes, pigeon-holing and intolerance in this truly millennial book.
Ben Schott - Jeeves And The King Of Clubs
Storm clouds loom over Europe. Treason is afoot in the highest social circles. The very security of the nation is in peril. Jeeves, it transpires, has long been an agent of British Intelligence, but now His Majesty's Government must turn to the one man who can help ... Bertie Wooster. In this magnificent new homage to P. G. Wodehouse, Ben Schott leads Jeeves and Wooster on an uproarious adventure of espionage through the secret corridors of Whitehall, the sunlit lawns of Brinkley Court, and the private clubs of St James's. We encounter an unforgettable cast of characters - old and new - including outraged chefs and exasperated aunts, disreputable politicians and gambling bankers, slushy debs and Cockney cabbies, sphinx-like tailors, and sylph-like spies. There is treachery to be foiled, naturally, but also horses to be backed, auctions to be fixed and engagements to be escaped...
Chris Bran & Justin Chubb - Dad Droid
From the creators of This Is Jinsy, a fun, fast-paced adventure for children of all ages. When Freddy Bird's genius-inventor Dad goes missing, he and best friend Minnie find themselves plunged into mortal danger, pursued by dangerous thugs, deadly mechanical birds and a sinister businessman with an incredible shark-like car. But when the children discover a secret tunnel where Freddy's father has hidden parts of an amazing robot, they decide to outwit their enemies by putting the droid together - a droid that looks just like Freddy's Dad.
Iain Stirling - Not Ready To Adult Yet: A Totally Ill-Informed Guide To Life
"Throughout life, millennials have been taught we're perfect and should live a perfect life - from being mollycoddled by our parents to receiving awards for taking part at school, and the beautiful, filtered lives we all see and share on social media. We've been taught, whatever happens, life should be flawless; whatever you do, don't fuck up. And then we enter the real world and start work, and start having relationships, and failure starts to rear its ugly head. A head none of us were warned about or indeed are ready for. We were told failure was never an option. And I believed them. But, truth be known, I've fucked up at every point. As have you. And honestly, it's fine."
In his first book, comedian and Love Island voice Iain Stirling explores why millennials are the way they are - and whether that makes us self-obsessed, work-shy, mollycoddled, egomaniacs; or just a misunderstood generation with a fear of failure.
Michael Palin - Erebus: The Story Of A Ship
HMS Erebus was one of the great exploring ships, a veteran of groundbreaking expeditions to the ends of the Earth. In 1848, it disappeared in the Arctic, its fate a mystery. In 2014, it was found. This is its story. Michael Palin - Monty Python star and television globetrotter - brings the remarkable Erebus back to life, following it from its launch in 1826 to the epic voyages of discovery that led to glory in the Antarctic and to ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic. The ship was filled with fascinating people: the dashing and popular James Clark Ross, who charted much of the 'Great Southern Barrier'; the troubled John Franklin, whose chequered career culminated in the Erebus's final, disastrous expedition; and the eager Joseph Dalton Hooker, a brilliant naturalist - when he wasn't shooting the local wildlife dead. Vividly recounting the experiences of the men who first set foot on Antarctica's Victoria Land, and those who, just a few years later, froze to death one by one in the Arctic ice, beyond the reach of desperate rescue missions, Erebus is a wonderfully evocative account of a truly extraordinary adventure, brought to life by a master explorer and storyteller.
Mortimer & Whitehouse - Gone Fishing
Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have been friends for 30 years, but when life intervened, what was once a joyous and spontaneous friendship dwindled to the odd phone call or occasional catch up. Then, Glory Be! They were both diagnosed with heart disease and realised that time is short. They'd better spend it fishing... So they dusted off their kits, chucked on their waders and ventured into the achingly beautiful British countryside to fish, rediscover the joys of their friendship and ruminate on some of life's most profound questions, such as: How did we get so old? Where are all the fish? What are your favourite pocket meats? What should we do if we find a corpse?
Following the success of the BBC's Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series, this book by two lifelong friends is a love letter to the joys of angling, the thrill of the catch and the virtue of having a right daft laff with your mates.
Jo Brand - Born Lippy: How To Do Female
There has been a long tradition of books over hundreds of years where a father shares his wisdom with his son - started by Lord Chesterfield in the 18th Century - while women have been silent (a.k.a. bullied into thinking their advice wasn't worth writing down). This book puts a stop to all that. Ranging from your family and how to survive it, to what no one tells you about the female body; from how not to fall in love, to heckling as a life-skill, Born Lippy gathers together the things Jo's learnt about the world, the things she wishes she'd known and the things she hopes for the future into a hilarious and highly useful guide to life that everyone female (and male) needs to read immediately. Packed with memorable anecdotes from her life and career, coloured by her experiences as a psychiatric nurse and working mother of two, this book will not only entertain but also really help people.
Rebecca Front - Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Adventures In The Ordinary
People are odd. Even the most predictable of us sometimes defy expectations. Add to that the tricks that life plays on us and the world suddenly seems full of impossible things. As an award-winning actor and writer, Rebecca Front has always been fascinated by life's little quirks. Impossible Things Before Breakfast is a collection of true stories about surprising turns of events, bizarre misunderstandings and improbable life lessons. We learn, among other things, how gazing at the stars can help you communicate with teenagers, how a mushroom can undermine an ancient ritual, and why everyone should wear a cape. Combining elegant writing, wry humour and genuine insight, this brilliant collection prises open the lid on ordinary life and feasts on the impossible.
Susan Calman - Sunny Side Up: A Story Of Kindness And Joy
After writing Cheer Up Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate, a detailed memoir of her battle with depression, Susan Calman is "on a mission to find the positives in life". Travelling around the country on tour she will visit towns and cities across the land trying to find what makes people happy, and more importantly, if she can in some way influence how the people of the UK behave.
The Gaffer Tapes Presents: The A-Z Of Fantasy Football
If you've secretly logged in at work to set your line-up, or if you can't wait to gloat in the group chat, then this book about the national obsession of fantasy football is for you. The A-Z Of Fantasy Football is a unique journey through the hobby that has people across the world scrambling for their phone every matchday morning. Fantasy footy has come a long way since it entailed scouring through the newspapers in the 90s - and, as the game has grown, so have the lengths players will go to in order to win! You'll read about the eye-watering forfeits, the labour-ward transfers, interviews with footballers who refuse to bet against themselves, and tales of woe from those who take things that little bit too far.
Stephen Fry - Heroes
There are Heroes - and then there are Greek Heroes. Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes. In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.
Andy Smart - A Hitch In Time
Combining comedy memoir, travel writing, and a wealth of unbelievable hair-raising situations, this autobiographical extravaganza chronicles the amazing early life of 80s comedy legend and Edinburgh veteran Andy Smart. Whether it's running with the bulls in Pamplona, juggling with pigs' kidneys in Covent Garden, sharing a sherry with Samuel Beckett or sleeping on the beach in Biarritz, Andy's travels in the late 70s and early 80s comprised a series of jaw-dropping, bizarre and gut-wrenching scenarios from which, amazingly, he emerged unscathed. Inspired by Jack Kerouac's On the Road and Ernest Hemingway's Fiesta, Andy spent six years hitching all over Europe. One of his most memorable trips was in the World Cup year of 1982, where he saw an electrifying England vs France game in Bilbao. Accepting lifts that put him in dangerous and surreal scenarios, Andy's 72,000-mile road trip stands as a unique record of bohemian life in the late 1970s and early 80s.
James Acaster - Perfect Sound Whatever
This is an "hilarious and heartwarming" new memoir from James Acaster, cult comedian, bestselling author, undercover cop, and receiver of cabbages. Charting a bizarre self-imposed challenge, the book begins in New York City in January 2017. Waking hungover and alone, his girlfriend having just left him, James thinks this is his rock bottom. But little does he know that by the end of the year he will have befouled himself in a Los Angeles steakhouse and disrespected a pensioner on television. Luckily, there is one thing he can rely on for comfort - music. In true Acaster fashion, this ends up with a completely unnecessary mission: to buy as much music as he can released in 2016, the year before everything went wrong (for James, at least). Some albums are life-changing masterpieces, others are Howdilly Doodilly by Okilly Dokilly, a metalcore album devoted to The Simpsons character Ned Flanders.
Sara Pascoe - Sex Power Money
"Part comedy, part anthropological study, here is everything Sara Pascoe has learned from scientists, sex education teachers, pornographers, psychologists, adult workers, and serial daters; about masculinity, status, porn, and stuff. Like her first book, Animal, Pascoe overthinks and overshares in the name of our entertainment and education. This is a whipsmart, winningly funny look into who - and what - we are and what makes us tick.
Scarfolk Annual 197*
Spoof annual inspired by the cult hit Scarfolk Council blog, also being adapted into a TV comedy drama, refracting the world as it is today through a horrifying kaleidoscope of 1970s culture, attitudes, and brutalist architecture.
David Mitchell - Dishonesty Is The Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules To Live By
David Mitchell's best-selling Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse, published back in 2014, must really have made people think - because everything's got worse. We've gone from UKIP surge to Brexit shambles, from digging up Richard III to breaking up fatbergs, from Big Society to food banks, from twerking to stabbing. It's probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up. But if you're up for it all the same, why not dive into this brilliantly observed and witty analysis of the farce of recent years with this collection of Mitchell's Observer columns?
Sunrise - A Play by Jessie Cave
Dating again after a complex break-up, Jessie is trying to get her personal life in order - before her kids wake up. From actress, comedian, writer and doodler Jessie Cave, Sunrise is an honest, tender-hearted and uproariously funny story about crying in the woods, sexual accidents, Harry Potter conventions and Instagram espionage - but also about motherhood and trying to get stuff done. This published edition also includes dozens of full-colour, never-before-seen doodles by Jessie. She's very happy to (over)share it with you. Sunrise was performed as a critically acclaimed live show in London and Edinburgh.
Mel Giedroyc - The Best Things
Warm, funny, life-affirming and true, The Best Things is the joyous debut novel from much-loved comedian, writer, actor and presenter Mel Giedroyc. It's the story of a family who lose everything, only to find themselves, and each other, along the way. Sally and Frank Parker have it all. Then one day, because of Frank, they don't. As the bailiffs move in and the money runs out, Sally realises that she and her children don't have a clue about how to survive. Or do they? The Parkers are about to discover that the best things in life aren't things at all.
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
Out now
Craig Ferguson - Riding The Elephant
A memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations. In Riding the Elephant, Craig Ferguson regales readers with new essays, rendered in the voice fans have come to love. In lyrical prose that is at once hilarious and unexpectedly moving, he discusses his deep love for his native Glasgow, the psychological changes of fatherhood, and looks at ageing and mortality with a perspective that he was incapable of as a younger man. Each story is strung together in a colourful tapestry that ultimately reveals a complicated man and the personal progress he's made. For fans of Craig, comedy, and inventive storytelling, Riding the Elephant is a must-read memoir.
Andrew Ross - Everything I Ever Wanted: The Life And Career Of Peggy Mount
Born in Southend on Sea in 1915, Peggy Mount rose from humble beginnings to become one of Britain's best-known and best-loved actresses. After achieving overnight stardom in the smash-hit play Sailor, Beware!, Peggy's talent and unmistakable voice would secure her a place in entertainment history as the ultimate "battle-axe" on stage and in a succession of television series including The Larkins, George And The Dragon and You're Only Young Twice. In the first ever biography of Peggy Mount's life, Andrew Ross charts the story of an intensely private lady who consistently shunned the spotlight and rarely gave interviews.
Sofie Hagen - Happy Fat
A searing and impassioned debut from comedian Sofie Hagen - who urges us to fight back and reframe our toxic relationships with our bodies. Sofie Hagen has always been fat. But after years of struggling with her body image and subjecting herself to countless diets, Sofie began to question the incessant body shaming and internalised fatphobia that she had always taken for granted. She started to worry less about fad diets and impossible beauty ideals and began to challenge the origins of these superficial aspirations. Fat is a response to this exploration: part-memoir, part-social commentary, Sofie describes how she conquered a negative relationship with her body and provides practical tips for readers to do the same - drawing wisdom from fat liberation champions along the way.
Ben Elton - Identity Crisis
A brand new comic novel from Ben Elton. Why are we all so hostile? So quick to take offence? Truly we are living in the age of outrage. A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn't 'get' a single thing about anything anymore. Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having 'misspoken' and prostrates themselves before the judgement of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public "that is not who I am". But if nobody is who they are anymore - then who the f**k are we?
For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.
Thanks for reading
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