Finalists have been named for the $15,000 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. The winner will be announced April 26. This year's
shortlisted titles are:
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
On the Outside Looking Indian by Rupinder Gill
The Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby
Happiness Economics by Shari
Lapeña
Most of Me by Robyn Michele Levy
The Leacock medal is awarded annually for the best book of humour
written in the previous year by a Canadian. It has been awarded since
1947 and has gone to the likes of Pierre Berton, Robertson Davies, W.O.
Mitchell and Stuart McLean.
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
09 April 2012
01 July 2011
11 April 2011
Just finished reading...
An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman.
In the second of the Haunted Guesthouse mysteries, Alison Kerby welcomes the first paying guests to her home.
Alison is now a licensed private investigator, having agreed to help resident ghosts Paul Harrison (former P.I.) and Maxie Malone (former owner of the house) with the occasional investigation provided they'd appear for her lodgers twice a day. These particular guests are the first group (hopefully of many, if their experience is positive) from a company offering unique vacation experiences to seniors.
Meanwhile, Scott McFarlane, a ghost acquaintance of Paul's asks him to investigate a prank he was asked to play on an elderly woman, which he fears may have resulted in her death. Since Paul is unable to leave Alison's house, it falls to her to find out whether the woman, who turns out to be prominent local citizen Arlice Crosby, is alive or dead.
But Alison's life is nothing if not eventful, and while all this is going on, the executive producer of a reality show called Down the Shore (which sounds suspiciously like an actual reality show that is filmed in New Jersey) that the guesthouse would make a perfect backdrop for the next season of the program. Alison is loathe to agree to his proposal, until she find out how much she'd be paid. Suddenly, her idea for turning the attic into a luxury suite looks much more possible.
All the above details make it sound as if the plot will be a complicated mess, but it isn't. The confusion is fun, and the characters (even the ones who aren't really there) are interesting enough to keep the reader from turning out the light until the final page has been turned.
In the second of the Haunted Guesthouse mysteries, Alison Kerby welcomes the first paying guests to her home.
Alison is now a licensed private investigator, having agreed to help resident ghosts Paul Harrison (former P.I.) and Maxie Malone (former owner of the house) with the occasional investigation provided they'd appear for her lodgers twice a day. These particular guests are the first group (hopefully of many, if their experience is positive) from a company offering unique vacation experiences to seniors.
Meanwhile, Scott McFarlane, a ghost acquaintance of Paul's asks him to investigate a prank he was asked to play on an elderly woman, which he fears may have resulted in her death. Since Paul is unable to leave Alison's house, it falls to her to find out whether the woman, who turns out to be prominent local citizen Arlice Crosby, is alive or dead.
But Alison's life is nothing if not eventful, and while all this is going on, the executive producer of a reality show called Down the Shore (which sounds suspiciously like an actual reality show that is filmed in New Jersey) that the guesthouse would make a perfect backdrop for the next season of the program. Alison is loathe to agree to his proposal, until she find out how much she'd be paid. Suddenly, her idea for turning the attic into a luxury suite looks much more possible.
All the above details make it sound as if the plot will be a complicated mess, but it isn't. The confusion is fun, and the characters (even the ones who aren't really there) are interesting enough to keep the reader from turning out the light until the final page has been turned.
17 February 2011
Just finished reading...
Blast from the Past (Where are They Now #3) by Toni L.P. Kelner.*
Freelance writer Tilda Harper's specialty is tracking down former stars and writing profiles of what they are doing at present. But when she's offered the opportunity to observe the filming of Pharos, a graphic novel-turned live action film, she jumps at the chance. The lead actor, John Laryea, may be popular now, but as a child he did star in a popular Saturday-morning kids show.
Then she realizes that the driver of the limo that picks them up at the airport is another of the stars of that show, though he's not admitting it. When she meets the film's director, Joni, Tilda is surprised to be asked to track down the reclusive creator of the graphic novel that is the basis of the film, known only as "Leviathan".
The investigator in Tilda accepts eagerly (besides, she's getting a free pass to Comic-Con!), but even she runs into a brick wall.
Tilda is such a well-realized character, and her relationships with her friends and family are so incredibly human and honest and funny. It's a pity that Ms. Kelner is so busy writing short stories and editing collections, because it prevents the amazing writer from creating more novels.
Short stories are just so ... short!
*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.
Freelance writer Tilda Harper's specialty is tracking down former stars and writing profiles of what they are doing at present. But when she's offered the opportunity to observe the filming of Pharos, a graphic novel-turned live action film, she jumps at the chance. The lead actor, John Laryea, may be popular now, but as a child he did star in a popular Saturday-morning kids show.
Then she realizes that the driver of the limo that picks them up at the airport is another of the stars of that show, though he's not admitting it. When she meets the film's director, Joni, Tilda is surprised to be asked to track down the reclusive creator of the graphic novel that is the basis of the film, known only as "Leviathan".
The investigator in Tilda accepts eagerly (besides, she's getting a free pass to Comic-Con!), but even she runs into a brick wall.
Tilda is such a well-realized character, and her relationships with her friends and family are so incredibly human and honest and funny. It's a pity that Ms. Kelner is so busy writing short stories and editing collections, because it prevents the amazing writer from creating more novels.
Short stories are just so ... short!
*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.
25 March 2009
Just finished reading...
In the third volume of the Spellmans series, our intrepid heronine Isabel is in court-ordered therapy after ignoring a restraining order filed by her neighbour. Isabel is also taking a self-inflicted break from the family detective agency and working in her friend Milo's bar.
Her brother David asks her to house-sit for him, and she discovers that he has an empty apartment in his basement, which comes in handy when she loses her job at the bar. She secretly moves into the apartment, whilst working on a case for a friend of Milo's, attending therapy sessions, and trying to decide what she wants to do with her life.
The Spellmans are an interesting, if unusual family. Isabel's generation all grew up in the family firm, and while her older brother David decided not to continue in the business, Isabel did. However, she has a great deal of difficulty differentiating the business of a private detective from regular life, and treats most of her daily activities and contacts as if they were investigations.
I loved this book, but I do have a problem with the footnotes, which I find terribly distracting.
Her brother David asks her to house-sit for him, and she discovers that he has an empty apartment in his basement, which comes in handy when she loses her job at the bar. She secretly moves into the apartment, whilst working on a case for a friend of Milo's, attending therapy sessions, and trying to decide what she wants to do with her life.
The Spellmans are an interesting, if unusual family. Isabel's generation all grew up in the family firm, and while her older brother David decided not to continue in the business, Isabel did. However, she has a great deal of difficulty differentiating the business of a private detective from regular life, and treats most of her daily activities and contacts as if they were investigations.
I loved this book, but I do have a problem with the footnotes, which I find terribly distracting.
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