Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years—except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story.

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more—except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala—and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

Pages: 444

Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square by Lilly Bartlett

SUMMARY: Emma is from East London while Daniel is from the aristocracy of West London. Wedding expectations are very different. Emma is determined to have a small wedding that her family can afford, while Daniel’s family wants to contribute to the wedding to make a bigger splash. Humor ensues as Emma and her friends come up with ways to have the best big/little wedding possible.

REVIEW: When I landed on “first person, present tense” as the book to read, I turned to Google to find popular titles that were light and funny that fit the bill. This one turned up in the top 10 and did not disappoint.

RATING: 5 out of 5                           PAGES: 219

Hunted (The Iron Druid Chronicles #6)

 Hunted (The Iron Druid Chronicles #6)
by Kevin Hearne
Pages: 384
Stars: 4 out of 5

Atticus O’Sullivan, his apprentice Granuaile and wolfhound Oberon are racing across modern-day Europe to seek the help of a friend, Tuatha De Danann. They are being chased by two goddesses of the hunt, Artemis and Diana. The goddesses are seeking revenge and other gods and powerful beings are getting in on the action. Some to aid Atticus and some to aid the goddesses. Still others just for their own amusement. Atticus's usual magical druid option of shifting to another plane is blocked so now all they can do is run and hope to reach safety. Then Loki decides to get in on the fun. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok and the end of the world. This series is full of Celtic, Norse, Greek and other ancient mythology as well as plenty of adventure, but my favorite part is Oberon who Atticus can communicate with magically. Seeing all of the adventure and chaos happen through the eyes of a loyal dog companion just adds to the fun.

Two Ravens and One Crow (The Iron Druid Chronicles #4.5)

 Two Ravens and One Crow (The Iron Druid Chronicles #4.5)
by Kevin Hearne
Pages:
Stars: 4 out of 5

In this novella Atticus's training of Granuaile is interupted by the Morrigan, the Celtic Chooser of the Slain. She insists he leave with her at once if he wants to save his and Granuaile's lives. What choice does he have but to follow her.

Originally released as an ebook, this story if now available in print.

Old School by Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 10)

SUMMARY: Greg learns what life is like in the “old days” when he goes without modern

conveniences, like TV and video games.

REVIEW: When I landed on “Journal Format” for the book game, I figured it would be a good time to check out this popular series. It did not disappoint. I loved the laugh out loud moments. Well done!

MY RATING: 5 out of 5

227 pages

Shades of Pink by Gina LaManna

SUMMARY: Lola Pink is smart, spirited and broke. Dane Clark is brilliant, reclusive and wealthy. When Dane hires Lola to find something stolen from him, the fun begins.

REVIEW: This is a light-hearted romantic cozy mystery with loveable characters and laugh out-loud moments. This is book one in the Lola Pink Mystery series. I’m looking forward to book two! 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.          Pages 324

The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit

This book, originally published in 1900, is a whimsical book for grades 4-7 about dragons. There are eight short stories that pertain to dragons. Each one is different, from evil dragons to kind dragons. Did you know cats were originally dragons? If you make cats eat mice and other rodents, they may turn back into dragons, but milk and bread will keep them as cats. Other stories include princes and princesses having to go against dragons. A kind blonde princess with a heart of gold will not be harmed by dragons.

I read this book as an audio book.
Narrator: Bill Delaney
Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes
ISBN: 978587171055
Pages (Per ISBN connected with the book used to create audio book): 180

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

When Flora Poste is 20, her parents die within a few weeks of each other of the flu. Flora’s father had always been considered a wealthy man, but after he died, it was discovered that there was no property and very little money for Flora to inherit.  She would have 100 pounds a year, which, of course, was insufficient for a young woman to live on.

Being unequipped by her ‘expensive, athletic and prolonged’ education for earning a living, Flora writes to all her relatives asking them to ‘take her in’. She receives an affirmative reply from her cousin Judith at Cold Comfort Farm, and goes off to the Sussex countryside to join the household.

She finds a farm in decay, full of miserable family members. In her no-nonsense way, she takes the farm and its inhabitants on as a project and proceeds to make their lives into what she perceives they need to be.

This book is a parody of the romanticized, often doom-laden accounts of rural life popular at the time this novel was published in 1932.

260 pages

The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend

Jack the cat is building the perfect nest. It’s bound to attract the perfect chicken, who will lay the perfect egg, which will make the perfect omelet. And sure enough, a chicken shows up but so do a duck and a goose. Feathers get ruffled, and Jack gets much more than breakfast in this delightful children's book.

40 pages

Our Husband by Stephanie Bond

Beatrix is a fifty-something socialite,  Natalie is a thirty-something doctor, and Ruby is a twenty-one-year-old exotic dancer. When they converge on an emergency room, they find they have one thing in common - the SAME husband, Raymond Carmichael! I'm amazed this book works as well as it does. The characters are funny, the mystery is light, and the plot is fast-moving. 300 pages.

Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond

When three female editors compare notes, they discover that the same womanizing literary agent has done them wrong! So, they concoct a scheme to embarrass the agent and get a little revenge. But something goes wildly wrong when the agent winds up dead after their little prank. Can they stay under the police radar while they track down the real killer? 

This title is billed as a humorous, romantic mystery. The description is apt. While not uproariously funny, it definitely has its moments. The romance is a little abrupt. The mystery is a little far-fetched. But somehow, it all works together to create a mostly enjoyable read. 384 pages.

Pets in a Pickle by Malcolm Welshman

Pets in  a Pickle, written by a retired veterinarian, introduces us to Paul Mitchell, a recent veterinary school graduate embarking on his career at Prospect House Veterinary Hospital. The stories are gently told and filled with light humor. (And all the animals live!) This was a fun change of pace. I would definitely read another book by this author. 288 pages.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

A hilarious book about a little girl who always wants to help, but a lot of times gets into troubles, but she does not stop trying and she finally helped her daddy solved the great pigeon war. Love the part when Chementime calles her brother different veggie names because her parents named her after a fruit and thinks her brother should have a food name too.  136 Pages.

Death by Sarcasm by Dani Amore

When I read the excerpt for this book the protagonist, P.I. Mary Cooper, indicated that she believed in using humor to unite rather than her uncle's use of sarcasm to hurt. When her uncle, a professional comedian, is murdered, Mary is determined to solve the case. Along the way she discovers just how many people have been hurt by her uncle's sharp tongue. For me the disappointing part was I expected to see more of Mary's use of positive humor; instead, she often resorted to her uncle's tactics of hurtful sarcasm. It was only an okay read. 151 pages.

Big Trouble by Dave Barry

(Posted for Ann Roberts)

I can’t believe I read this.  I’ve always like Dave Barry’s cartoons, and while this book certainly had its ridiculously funny moments and characters, there were things in the telling of this tale that I just couldn’t get past.  For example, amidst the ridiculous plot line, reminiscent of a Carl Hiaasen story, a young mother is forced to expose her breasts at gun point in front of her family by the criminals.  Is this supposed to be funny?  The episode was included in a scene in which a brawny cop and the woman’s husband are handcuffed to a large entertainment center which they end up dragging out into the street-funny stuff-but the treatment of the wife and daughter in this scene is disturbing and questionable.  

Filled with truly inept criminals and an insanely ridiculous plot line, the book has its moments, but not nearly enough. 

Hardback, 255 pages

Fletch Won by Gregory McDonald

I picked up this book while browsing the library shelves because I vaguely remember a movie called Fletch starring Chevy Chase -- and I thought I liked it. I.M. Fletcher is a wise-cracking reporter tired of writing headlines, obituaries, and wedding notices. When he is assigned to the society pages, it is a slight move up in the newspaper world. When the would-be benefactor Fletch is to interview winds up dead in the newspaper's parking lot, Fletch sees a chance to move up to the hard news. Are he and his wit up to the task? Check it out (and get ready to laugh!) 272 p.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

This book contains a cast of characters from high society who can't seem to get their lives in order. Enter Bertie Wooster, determined to put everything right without the assistance of his butler, Jeeves, whose advice everyone is seeking. Needless to say, what starts out bad turns worse with Bertie at the helm. Can Jeeves save the day? You'll need to read the book to find out for sure. A humorous read. 256p.