Humorous fiction

Braille

About this list

The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Service.

Don’t forget you are allowed to have up to 6 books on loan.

If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services Team on 0303 123 9999 or email library@rnib.org.uk

If you would like further information, or help in selecting titles to read, then please contact the Reader Services Team on 01733 37 53 33 or email libraryinfo@rnib.org.uk

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RNIB NLSPO Box 173PeterboroughPE2 6WS

Booklist

Adams, Douglas.Life, the universe, and everything. 1982. 2v.Arthur Dent finds himself hurtling back to Lords Cricket Ground, England, after several million years in a time eddy. He again meets Marvin the Paranoid Android, and the infuriating Ford Prefect with his unassailable philosophy on Life, the Universe and Everything.

Adams, Douglas.The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. 1979. 2v.On Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun.

Arlott, Timothy.John Arlott : a memoir. 1994. 5v. (UK loan only).To many John Arlott's observant and humorous commentaries and gift for language in his distinguished Hampshire voice embodied cricket and summer. This affectionate biography, by his son, discusses the heights and tragedies of Arlott's life.

Amis, Kingsley.Lucky Jim : a novel. 1954. 5v.The hero's appointment to the staff of a provincial university provides a setting for comic situations and satire. Unsuitable for family reading

Amis, Kingsley.The old devils. 1986. 6v.The return of the Weavers to their native South Wales brings "a shake-up all round". In varied ways - horrifically in one case - the past catches up and shows the awful and absurd consequences when a group of men and women begin to move out of the comfortable shelter of middle age into a new sense of isolation and loss, of regret for lost opportunity and for destructive selfishness too. The result is an outrageously funny book. The 1986 Booker Prize winner.

Atwood, Margaret Eleanor.The robber bride. 1993. 9v.Roz, Charis and Tony were all contemporaries of Zenia's in the 60s. Each has been damaged by her, she has ensnared their sympathy, betrayed their trust and made off with their men. Now she is dead and, much relieved, they have attended her funeral.

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Now, suddenly she is alive again, stalking into the restaurant where they are sharing a decorous lunch. She's back in town, but will her old magic tricks still work?

Barnes, Julian.Talking it over. 1991. 5v.The story begins as a comedy of misunderstanding, then slowly darkens and deepens, drawing us compellingly into the quagmires of the heart. Stuart and Oliver have been friends since school. Stuart is painfully aware that "We're rather different, Oliver and me, Oliver impresses people", especially women, so when shy, awkward Stuart meets and marries the beautiful Gillian, an uneasy threesome develops between the two old friends and the new woman in their lives. As the emotional and sexual complications of their lives begin to unravel, the three characters takes it in turns to deliver monologues and the unfolding action to the reader, leading to repeated backtracking and reassessment of what has actually happened on the part of the reader, as the characters offer different perceptions of the same events. This is a brilliant and intimate account of love's vicissitudes. It begins as a comedy of misunderstanding, then slowly darkens and deepens, drawing us into the quagmires of the heart. Julian Barnes is now one of the wittiest and most innovative writers around. Contains swear words.

Bates, H.E.A little of what you fancy. 4v. 1970.Pop Larkin has been overdoing it, and struggles back to health and full enjoyment of life. Unsuitable for family reading

Bates, H.E.A breath of French air. 1959. 3v.Featuring the Larkin family, this book tells the story of the family's trip to France and features the latest addition to the family, baby Oscar.

Bates, H.EWhen the green woods laugh. 1960. 3v.The full Larkin orchestra is back on the rural fiddle in Kent and - with Angela Snow around - the Brigadier may be too old to ride but he is young enough to fall! Pop is as sexy, genial, generous and boozy as ever and Ma is a worthy match for him in all these qualities.

Bauby, Jean-Dominique.The diving-bell and the butterfly 1997. 1v (UK loan only).The author, a father of two and editor-in-chief of "Elle" magazine, suffered a massive stroke. When he regained consciousness, he was only able to move one muscle: his left eyelid. Yet his mind remained as active as ever. Signalling with his eyelid, he

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"dictated" this book. His dispatches are poignant and humorous. He tells us about his life in a hospital overlooking the English channel, his flights of fancy, the meals he can only eat in his imagination. And he describes his feelings for his two young children

Bellamy, Guy.A village called Sin. 1991. 8v.Compton Sinbury would appear to be the idyllic village. But the people who live there have their share of life's problems. While Paul Vanner commutes to the city, his wife discovers a new hobby: drinking. Reporter Harry Grant gazes out of his cottage window at the little girl nobody knows is his daughter. And the vicar, Owen Gray has ceased to believe in God and lusts after his beautiful sister. No wonder the locals abbreviate the village name to Sin.

Bellamy, Guy.The secret lemonade drinker. 1977. 4v.Bobby, frustrated manager of a launderette and habitual customer of the pub across the road, has a marriage problem. Talking about it in the pub tends to bring new complications rather than ease the old one. Unsuitable for family reading.

Bellamy, Guy.In the midday sun 1988. 5v.Daniel and Martin, both on the run from the police, head for southern Spain where they meet up with their brother, Mark, a penniless pianist now singing for his supper in the tourist bars. A summer in the sun. But in this hilarious story, life isn't all champagne and sangria for the fugitives on the Costa del Sol.

Bellarosa, James M.A problem of plumbing, and other stories. 1989. 1v.A collection of fourteen short stories in which the author, who has used a wheelchair for nearly forty years, deals with issues faced daily by disabled persons. These humorous stories cover such topics as inaccessible bathrooms, sexuality, employment policies, social adjustments and relating to others

Boswell : a modern comedy. 1964. 7v. (UK loan only).Some very funny situations are created, but underlying everything is an awareness of the basic facts of life and death.

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Bishop, Elizabeth.Magic and fate : being the not quite believable adventures of Sissie Slipper. 1996. 8v.When Sissie Slipper's life as a supermodel ends she discovers a wider world to explore. From a lecherous dentist in the Home Counties to a Texan in Stetson and boots, Sissie criss-crosses the flight paths. As she does she realises that something to do with her mother or her past is waiting to be discovered. The truth will eventually prove as terrifying as it is enlightening.

Black, Baxter.Cactus tracks and cowboy philosophy. 1997. 2v.All of the stories and poems in this collection are extracted from the files of National Public Radio, where Black has an occasional morning programme. A humorous perspective on ranch life out west, where cowboys, horses, rodeos, and farmers dominate the landscape.

Bond, Michael.Monsieur Pamplemousse aloft. 1989. 2v.Monsieur Pamplemousse is sent to Brittany to find a caterer for the maiden voyage of a luxury dirigible that will be carrying heads of state from England and France. While searching for the perfect meal, Pamplemousse becomes involved with a travelling circus and hears of a plot to assassinate those who will be making the maiden voyage.

Boyd, William,A good man in Africa. 1981. 7v.Morgan is a junior diplomat in West Africa, with the best intentions, but clumsy and unfortunate in his dealings with people. Unsuitable for family reading

Bradbury, Malcolm,Rates of exchange. 1983. 7v.Dr Petworth is a teacher who, thanks to the hospitality of the British Council, has been all over the civilized world. But, in the summer of 1981, he prepares to lose more than his luggage in Central Eastern Europe. A comedy set in an East European city. An English academic linguist on the cultural circuit discovers that the currency of the language is as flexible as the country's coinage, culture and sexual mores. Unsuitable for family reading

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Brett, Simon.After Henry. 1987. 4v.Henry is dead. The three women in his life (mother, wife, daughter) are now living in the same house on different floors, trying to cope also with each other. This was the subject of a successful radio series.

Bond, Michael.Monsieur Pamplemousse on the spot. 1986. 5v.Monsieur Pamplemousse is sent to Brittany to find a caterer for the maiden voyage of a luxury dirigible that will be carrying heads of state from England and France. While searching for the perfect meal, Pamplemousse becomes involved with a travelling circus and hears of a plot to assassinate those who will be making the maiden voyage.

Boyd, William.A good man in Africa. 1981. 7v.Morgan is a junior diplomat in West Africa, with the best intentions, but clumsy and unfortunate in his dealings with people. Unsuitable for family reading.

Bradbury, Malcolm,Rates of exchange. 1983. 7v.Dr Petworth is a teacher who, thanks to the hospitality of the British Council, has been all over the civilized world. But, in the summer of 1981, he prepares to lose more than his luggage in Central Eastern Europe. A comedy set in an East European city. An English academic linguist on the cultural circuit discovers that the currency of the language is as flexible as the country's coinage, culture and sexual mores. Unsuitable for family reading.

Bryson, Bill,Notes from a small island. 1996. 7v.After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to move back to the States for a while. But before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, he took one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of his green and kindly island. His aim was to analyse what precisely it was he loved about it so much. "Notes from a small island" is the humorous result.

Burkett, Molly.Foxes, owls and all : humorous tales of an animal-crazy household. 1977. 3v.In 1954, the Burketts decided to open an animal centre, to care for ill or injured creatures. During the first year they had seven patients. The number rapidly increased, and they now expect to be looking after two or three hundred at a time.

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This is an account of the work, some of their visitors, and the joys and hazards of sharing one's household with animals and birds.

Cadell, Elizabeth.The Frenchman and the lady. 1952. 4v.A light hearted romance told with considerable humour. A young Englishman finds himself stranded at Dover on the return journey from France after bringing home his orphan cousins. He takes refuge with a friend who is farming not far away and the adventures of the group and the new friends they acquire make pleasant reading.

Cecil, Henry.Brothers in law. 1955. 5v.Brothers-in-law recounts the experiences-bewildering, surprising, but always entertaining of Roger Thursby, from the moment of his final law eximination until a year later when he is a rising barrister.

Cecil, Henry.Friends at court. 1956. 4v.Roger Thursby, whose early career was outlined in "Brothers in Law" is now a prosperous barrister on the eve of "taking silk". This entertaining story describes some of his work and his friends and introduces a romantic touch.

Cecil, Henry.Daughters in law. 1961. 3v.Mr Justice Coombe, one of the great judges of his generation, has two daughters, one of whom goes to the Bar while the other becomes a solicitor. They fall in love with the sons of Major Claude Buttonstep, normally a mild and charming, kindly man, but he has a pathological aversion to lawyers.

Cecil, Henry.Much in evidence. 1957.William Richmond is bald and lame. But that is not his only misfortune. On the very night he has £100,000 in his safe, his home is broken into and he is beaten up. His

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insurance company pays up - but they are highly suspicious. It would appear that a series of bald and lame men have been making dubious insurance claims. In this hilarious trial novel we see how amazing coincidences can really happen.

Cecil, Henry.Tell you what I'll do 3v.Harry, an amiable criminal, prefers a safe and lazy life, either with the unsuspecting colonel to whom he had once been batman, or in the security of one of the most modern of English prisons.

Chekhov, A.PEarly stories 1960. 2v. (UK loan only).These fourteen stories are a selection of some of the best Chekhov's early writing. Written in the years 1882-1886, they are at once delicate, ironic and humorous. He reveals the tragi-comedy of the pathetic, trivial occurrences of everyday life. His people are universal and unchanging.

Chesterton, G.K.The Napoleon of Notting Hill 1904. 2v.Picture a London in the future where democracy is dead. A little government minister is made King. The boroughs are suddenly declared separate kingdoms with their own city guard, banner and gathering cry and the capital is plunged into a strange type medieval warfare. Then Notting Hill declares its independence.

Cooper, Jilly.Appassionata. 1996. 15v.Known as L'Appassionata, Abigail Rosen was the sexiest, most flamboyant violinist on the classical music scene, adored by her fans and lusted after by every man who heard her play. She was also the loneliest, most exploited girl in the world, and when a dramatic suicide attempt destroyed her career as a fiddle player, she set her sights on the male-dominated heights of the conductor's rostrum. Contains swear words.

Creed, Richard.Together for God 1981. 2v."Since I have become a Christian, I am able to face myself and to live with my twisted disabled body". So says Richard Creed in the foreword to this story of how he, and his equally disabled wife, came to terms with (and surmounted) the inevitable problems which surround them. "Love Me, love My Wheelchair" and "Courtship On Wheels", are just two of the intriguing chapter headings in this humorous and touching narrative.

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Dashwood, R. MProvincial daughter. 1961. 3v. Tuesday, 23rd "Late nights do not suit me. Try to think I look interestingly haggard but have to admit that Unkempt Blowsiness is fitter description". Before Bridget Jones there was Provincial Daughter - an intelligent woman juggling too little money with too many kids in rural obscurity.

Durrell, Gerald.Rosy is my relative. 1968. 4v.What does a young man bequeathed £500 and an elephant with a taste for liquor do? Adrian Rookwhistle thought he had the answer - he'd give her to a circus. But it wasn't so easy. Together Adrian and Rosy cut a swathe of terror and destruction through the peaceful countryside of Southern England, as drunk or sober, Rosy spread chaos in her wake.Durrell, Gerald.The mockery bird. 1981. 4v.Zenkali, a remote tropical island, is on the brink of independence when the Mockery Bird and Ombu tree, on which it feeds, both believed to be extinct, are discovered. This discovery nearly causes civil war, and the island is invaded by the British Military, the world press and a fanatical group of conservationists. In a hilarious climax order is finally restored.

Ellis, Alice Thomas.Unexplained laughter. 1985. 3v.Light years away from her own modern, sophisticated world, the cottage and its surrounding community teem with rural charm. With Lydia is the well-intentioned Betty, a loyal and selfless friend who likes to do the cooking. What better companion to vent her malice on could there be? Lydia has retreated to her cottage in Wales to "recover" from her broken love affair with Finn. She is accompanied (against her will) by the solicitous Betty. Together this incongruous pair set out to skirmish socially with the local community - invaders versus the Home Team. But the boundaries keep shifting and the "unexplained laughter" comes from further away, from the woods beyond the walls of their refuge.

Elton, BenInconceivable 2000. 6v.Lucy desperately wants a baby. Sam is determined to write a hit movie. The problem is that both their efforts seem to be unfruitful. What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?

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Evanovich, Janet.Three to get deadly. 1997. 2v.When Stephanie Plum - with the help of big blonde Lula, good cop/bad cop, Joe Morelli and fitness-freak, Ranger, goes on the trail of missing ice-cream seller, Mo Bodemier, she soon discovers that Mo has more than candy in his basement. Events begin to push Stephanie to the edge and, when someone holds her hamster to ransom, things start to get deadly.

Evanovich, Janet.Two for the dough. 1996. 5v.Cop Joe Morelli made a habit of screwing up Stephanie Plum's life. When he left her hand-cuffed naked to the curtain rod of her shower, she swore it was the last time she'd have anything to do with him. Except now Morelli is back, suggesting a partnership, as their cases over-lap.

Fielding, Henry.Tom Jones. 1749. 13v.This novel takes its wide-eyed hero from innocence to experience through inns and bedrooms from Somerset to London and back, while at the same time continuing a farcical debate about the true nature of the novelist's art.

Fine, Anne.In cold domain. 1994. 4v.In the once beautiful old garden of Cold Domain, the steely matriarch Mrs Lilith Collett runs her own personal deforestation project. Each time she is angered or thwarted, something else disappears. How can her grown up children, William and Barbara, ever leave home while their mother's demonic energy threatens their old paradise? This is a rich tragi-comedy of sexual passion and family intrigue.

Foley, Winifred.A child in the forest. 1974. 5v.This is the best-selling autobiography of Winifred Foley's life in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, during the 1920s and 30s. Her life at this time was a constant struggle against illness and poverty. But she manages to convey the gritty reality in a charming and humorous account that will at the same time move and amuse the reader.

Fraser, George MacDonald.The sheikh and the dustbin. 1989. 5v.Private McAusland, the Dirtiest Soldier in the World, pursues his career across North Africa and Scotland. He appears as an unlikely batman to his long-suffering

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lieutenant, as a guardroom philosopher and adviser to the leader of the Riff Rebellion. His talent for catastrophe is as sure as ever.Freeman, Derek.Barking up the right tree : breeding, rearing and training the Guide Dog way. 1991. 4v.In a career with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association spanning 30 years, Derek Freeman has been responsible for the breeding, rearing and training of some 20,000 puppies, raising the Association's level of success to unprecedented heights. In a light, often humorous style he shares his knowledge and experience as one of the world's top "dog men".

Gallico, Paul.Flowers for Mrs. Harris. 1958. 2v. (UK loan only).An enchanting story of a London charwoman's ambition to own a dress from the House of Dior. A lucky win in the pools starts her fund and with grim determination she saves the rest. How she achieves her ambition and unwittingly helps three people solve their problems make her an endearing character.

Gardam, Jane.A long way from Verona 1971. 4v.(UK loan only)Growing up is a hard business for anyone, but specially so for a girl who just knows she is going to be a writer. She recounts her experiences of growing up during World War II. A fiercely funny, eccentric and personal novel for teenage readers.

Gallico, Paul.Mrs. Harris goes to Moscow. 1974. 1v.Review unavailable. Mrs Harris, a London daily, sets out on an innocent holiday package tour of Moscow, only to find her forthright common sense involving her in extraordinary adventures

Gallico, Paul.Scruffy : a diversion. 1962. 5v.There are hilarious results when the Prime Minister insists that the survival of the Apes on Gibraltar is vital to the survival of The Empire.

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn Mrs.Cranford 1853. 2v.A quietly humorous study of village life and Victorian ladies, tea parties and gossip.

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Gayle, Mike.My legendary girlfriend. 1998. 6v.A weekend in the life of struggling teacher Will Kelly, still in love with The One and desperately seeking for An-Other One, and his discovery that with a phone call, friends can lift you up from the depths of depression or muck up your entire weekend

Gibbons, Stella.Cold Comfort Farm. 1932. 6v.Flora has been expensively educated to do everything but earn her own living. When she is orphaned at 20, she decides her only option is to go and live with her relatives, the Starkadders, at Cold Comfort Farm. What relatives though. Flora feels it incumbent upon her to bring order into the chaos.

Gordon, Richard.Doctor at large 1955. 9v.Dr Richard Gordon's first job after qualifying takes him to St Swithan's where he is enrolled as Junior Casualty House Surgeon. However, some rather unfortunate incidents with Mr Justice Hopwood, as well as one of his patients inexplicably coughing up nuts and bolts, mean that promotion passes him by - and goes instead to Bingham, his odious rival. After a series of disastrous interviews, Gordon cuts his losses and visits a medical employment agency. To his disappointment, all the best jobs have already been snapped up, but he could always turn to general practice...

Gowdy, Barbara.We so seldom look on love. 1996. 4v.Populated by an assortment of freaks, Siamese twins, voyeurs, exhibitionists, necrophiles and transsexuals, this collection of extraordinary, bizarre and often grotesque stories is shot through with humorous sympathy. .

Greene, Graham.May we borrow your husband? and other comedies of the sexual life. 1967. 3v. (UK loan only).A collection of short stories which leave the reader feeling he has met some unusual but strangely real people.

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Green, Henry.Nothing. 1950. 3v. (UK loan only).This humorous novel is composed almost entirely of conversations. Some take place in the dining-room of a London hotel overlooking a park, some in a pub, some in the flat of the main character - a middle-aged woman, clever, charming and beautiful.

Greenwood, Robert.A breeze in Dinglesea. 1957. 4v. (UK loan only).When the bridge that connected it to the mainland collapsed it returned for a short while to its former obscurity and peacefulness, with some charming and unusual results. A new bridge was built and changes were inevitable.

Hackforth-Jones, Gilbert.Fight to a finish. 1968. 4v.What happens when Miss Myrna Vanstuten, millionheiress to the Vanstuten Industries Inc., New York, mysteriously disappears? Why should Captain Pitts-Byng and Admiral "Batman" Masterman shut themselves up in a Maltese villa for three days, supplied with champagne and caviar from an R.N. helicopter? How does Edouardo Salvatore, Maltese policeman of doubtful parentage, become involved with the lives and loves of British naval officers? The answers come to light against a colourful background of fiesta-time and wine, blue Mediterranean waters and an age-old Maltese heritage.

Hughes, Mary Vivian.A London family between the wars. 1940. 3v.This humorous account of a family growing up in the rural environs of London in the 1920s and 1930s is a sequel to Molly Hughes's autobiographical trilogy, "A London Child of the 1870s", "A London Girl of the 1880s" and "A London Home in the 1890s". The book takes up the story of Molly as a widow, with very little money and three sons to educate. On the strength of her teaching experience, she becomes a schools inspector and examiner - a job which provides a rich source for anecdote. She moves her family to Cuffley, then an unspoilt rural village 15 miles from Kings Cross. Born and bred a Londoner, she is elated to find that, incredibly, the garden of their first house affords a view of St Paul's. The amenities of Cuffley are few, but hold charm for the modern reader. "The Times" arrives by bicycle; necessities, from sugar to doormats, can be bought from a hawker with a pony-cart; and telephone calls are made from a local farmhouse. The story that unfolds is an undramatic one about ordinary people. There are adventures, but of the homely kind - an evening at the "talkies", the move to a new house, the excitement of the first grandchild.

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James, Clive.Brilliant creatures : a first novel. 1983. 5v.(UK loan only).Lancelot Windhover was famours once. It was so long ago he felt disappointed as well as consoled that his affair with Samantha Copperglaze would not become a subject for Dick Toole's gossip column. Dick Toole had told his researcher, Delilah Ball-Hunt, to hold the story until Lancelot's academic wife Charlotte had stopped being bravely tolerant and took up with someone else. Charlotte had just issued a stiff reading list to the uncompromising young radical writer, David Bentley, who lived in a suitcase with a revolutionary actress but had felt his horizons expanding when he met Charlott at the bizarre Hampstead house of Victor Ludlow, the hopelessly flamboyant South African Australian Jewish publisher.

Johnston, Brian,Chatterboxes : my friends the commentators. 1983. 4v. (UK loan only).An affectionate and often humorous account of the commentator and his art that recalls many characters, historic occasions and memorable mistakes by the BBC's first Cricket Correspondent. He reminisces about the personalities, talents, foibles and classic howlers of voices known to everyone.

Mackenzie, Compton, Sir.Whisky galore. 1947. 4v.Wartime food rationing is bad enough, but when the whisky supplies run out on the Hebridean Islands of Great and Little Todday, nothing seems to go right. Then the 50,000 cargo of the shipwrecked S.S. "Cabinet Minister" brings salvation - in its most giddily intoxicating form.

McIlvanney, William.Laidlaw 1977. 3v.The unorthodox, complex, sardonically humorous, intriguing policeman Jack Laidlaw makes his debut in an engrossing tale of murder. In Glasgow, the city with the worst slums in Europe, a city of hard men, powerful villains, bitter victims and cynical policemen, Laidlaw uses unconventional methods.

Newby, P.H.One of the founders 1965. 4v.A man attempts to see that his native town has its own university, but when the campaign becomes successful, he withdraws for no apparent reason.

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Oates, Joyce Carol.A Bloodsmoor romance. 1983. 15v (UK loan only).In the hands of Joyce Carol Oates the classic Victorian romance takes on a curious, humorous and distinctive edge.

Parke, Simon.Desert ascent : or, A brief history of eternity. 1997. 2v.The monastry of St James the Less, stuck amid the outer reaches of a large desert is due for closure. An abbot, who is wavering on the fundamentals of faith, has to deal with some hughely demanding pilgrims. Amidst all this a mini family saga is lived out, there's some surprising sex and the issue of cradle songs becomes increasingly pressing, as does the search for a ladder to God.

Pratchett, Terry.Hollywood chickens : from Knights of madness : further comic tales of fantasy Knights of madness : further comic tales of fantasy. 2000. 1v.A comic fantasy tale.

Pratchett, Terry.Small gods. 1992. 6v.Humorous fantasy novel. Brutha is a simple lad: he can't read, he can't write, and his wants are few, but Brutha is the Chosen One, and his god has spoken to him. He wants to overthrow a huge and corrupt church, and to prevent a horrible holy war. He wants to stop the persecution of a philosopher, who has suggested the Discworld really does go through space on the back of a huge turtle. (It's true, but when did that ever matter?) He wants peace and justice and brotherly love, and the inquisition to stop torturing him now, please, but most of all he wants his god to choose someone else!.

Read, Miss.Tales from a village school. 1994. 2v.Forty delightful stories about life as a village school teacher. The author captures the scenes of village school life with humorous understanding and a love of nature.

Roberts, Bechhofer.The Birdseed Pool. 1940. 3v. (UK loan only).A humorous look at the ponderous over-organization of certain Government departments, as evidenced in a scheme for the contol of birdseed.

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Secombe, Harry.Twice brightly. 1974. 3v.A chronicle of the progress and misadventures of a young comedian through his first week in a Northern Variety theatre just after the war. Unsuitable for family reading.

Sutcliffe, William.Are you experienced? 1998, 4v.Dave travels to India with Liz hoping to get her into bed. Liz travels with Dave wanting a companion for her voyage of self-discovery. This novel is a satire about backpackers.

Tea at the Abbey. 1961. 4v. (UK loan only).Another of Vulliamy's merrily macabre inventions. The University and the Country House provide most of the leading, or misleading characters.

The complete poems. 1970. 2v (UK loan only)This book gathers the work of three decades of one Americans's leading poets. It includes a group of translations of two contemporary Brazilian poets, Carlos Drummond de Andrade and Joao Cabral de Melo Neto. Robert Lowell, a fellow poet, has written of her, "I am sure no living poet is as curious and observant as Miss Bishop. What cuts so deeply is that each poem is inspired by her own tone, a tone of large, grave tenderness and sorrowing amusement... She has a humorous, commanding genius for picking up the unnoticed, now making something sprightly and right, and now a great monument. When we read her, we enter the classical serenity of a new country

Thomas, Leslie.Dangerous Davies : the last detective 1976.When Dangerous is allocated to a murder case, it proves to be a twenty-five year old sex crime. His witnesses range from a veteran of the Zulu Wars to a bloke who thinks he's Peter the Great...and the mightily endowed Ena Lind, cat-suit wearer and creme-de-menthe drinker. Exhibit A is the pair of pale green knickers that the victim wasn't wearing...

Travers, Ben.A cuckoo in the nest. 1921. 6v.Peter and his new wife Sophia decide to accept Lady Bunter's invitation for the weekend. But Peter misses the train at Paddington and his first mistake snowballs into a chain of events both hilarious and chaotic.

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Vincent, Paul.The death of me. 2002. 3v.A small Fen town fakes alien landings and other phenomena in an effort to boost tourism. The residents thoroughly enjoy themselves, until the first murder occurs...

Waterhouse, Keith,Bimbo. 1991. 6v.Groslly misrepresented in her ghosted memoirs, page three glamour girl Debra Chase determines to set the record straight. Here then is the truth about her dizzy rise to fame via Tulse Hill's most revered fashion school, her liaisons with the entire Seathorpe soccer team and the lecherous Sir Monty Pratt MP, and her ensuing downfall. With wit and insight, Keith Waterhouse has composed a wickedly entertaining satire on contemporary British society.

White, Peter.See it my way 1999. 6v.Unsentimental and humorous autobiography by the BBC's disability affairs correspondent, the second blind son born to sighted parents. The text covers Peter White's childhood, his experiences at special schools, the shock of `real life' - of the problems of coping with seemingly ordinary, everyday living away from from home or a special school, his career with the BBC, marriage and parenthood, his love of sport, his occasional rage at the attiudes of `normal' people, and his sometimes volatile relationship with his father.

Williams, Nigel.They came from SW19. 1992. 5v.The father of fourteen-year-old Ufologist, Simon Britton, has just died and his mother, a devoted member of the First Church of Christ the Spiritualist, is trying to get in touch with him. To the consternation of the congregation some very weird messages start coming through from the Other Side, and their predictions seem, as far as Simon can tell, to be bang on the money. The father of fourteen-year-old Ufologist, Simon Britton, has just died and his mother, a devoted member of the First Church of Christ the Spiritualist, is trying to get in touch with him. To the consternation of the congregation some very weird messages start coming through from the Other Side, and their predictions seem, as far as Simon can tell, to be bang on the money. Contains swear words.

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Wodehouse, P.G.Pearls, girls and Monty Bodkin. 1972. 3v.Monty returns from Hollywood to claim his fiancee, but the course of true love never did run smooth for this author's heroes!

Yates, Dornford.Berry and Co. 1921. 6v.The hilarious incidents in the life of Berry and family.

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