Tag: comedy (Page 2 of 2)

March Round Up

April 1, 2016 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

All Seated On the Ground by Connie Willis – B I saw this short story mentioned in a thread where posters were saying it was the best of Connie Willis’ short stories so I looked it up. I couldn’t buy the story on its own because geo restrictions, but I found it was available in a library book as part of The Best of Connie Willis and placed a hold so I could read the story.

Meg Yates is a humour columnist who unexpectedly finds herself on a committee trying to communicate with the six Altairi aliens who arrived on the doorsteps of Denver University nine months before. Many experts before her and on the current committee have failed to find a way to break through the Atairi glare of disdain before her but her particular history and a chance encounter with some Christmas music and choir director lead to a breakthrough. Continue reading

The List by Joanna Bolouri

January 24, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Phoebe Henderson may be single but she sure doesn’t feel fabulous. It’s been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and multiple cases of wine and extensive relationship analysis with best friend Lucy have done nothing to help. Faced with a new year but no new love, Phoebe concocts a different kind of resolution.

The List: ten things she’s always wanted to do in bed but has never had the chance (or the courage!) to try. A bucket list for between the sheets. One year of pleasure, no strings attached.

Simple, right?

Factor in meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe, possibly, true love and Phoebe’s got her work cut out for her.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Given the story is about a list, I thought it might be fun to review it in list format too.

1. I’d categorise this book as “chicklit” (even though I don’t love the term).

Yes it has a romance and yes there is a happy ending but it’s really more about one woman’s journey over the course of a year and it doesn’t have much by way of deep character description of anyone other than Phoebe. I liked many of the characters, but I can’t say I really got to know them all that well. It is a different book to Bridget Jones’ Diary but it has a similar vibe and style so I think it would work for readers who enjoyed the Helen Fielding novel.

My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper, narrated by Amanda Ronconi

September 15, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one of my own purchases. I think Harper and Ronconi are a winning combination.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When Sadie and Josh compete for the same Kentucky Tourism Commission job, sparks fly – turns out Kentucky really is for lovers.

Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks and Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.

Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out what Josh and Sadie want could be each other – and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Molly Harper’s sense of humour just works for me and when Amanda Ronconi is narrating, it just adds to the fun. Ronconi’s comedic timing gels nicely with the text. This author/narrator combination feels in sync to me. There’s nothing earth-shattering about the stories, a Harper audio gives me reliable enjoyment and I know it will make me laugh. This series appears to be audio only and Audible only – although Goodreads tells me that the third book is going to be released by Pocket Star this month. When I did a search, the only versions which showed up of this book were from Audible however.