Review ~ A Hitch in Time by Andy Smart

AA Publishing
25 July 2019

My thanks to the publishers and to Midas PR for my copy of this book

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 pig’s 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.

What did I think about it..

A Hitch in Time captures the life of this funny man in so many ways and from the start of Andy's story I found myself laughing at loud at some of his antics and of his uncanny ability to hitch a lift with a host of quirky individuals who add so much comedy to the story. There's some serious stuff as well but throughout the whole of this memoir, the author's ability to make you laugh shines through it all.

From his student days in Liverpool, to running with the bulls in Pamplona and all stops in between there is never a dull moment or a minute when the author's natural exuberance doesn't shine through. And so easy is the narrative that it really feels as if you are sitting opposite the author in a pub somewhere and enjoying a pint or two as he recounts his latest escapade, and believe me this guy has had some really funny adventures.

There's a few that really stand out, especially the dare he took to travel by hitching a ride from Liverpool to Ben Nevis, climbing the mountain, and then hitching back to Liverpool and all within twenty four hours - now that really does take some skill, and whether he succeeds or not is for you to discover for yourself! Or of the times when he was hungry and strangers paid for his breakfast and those drivers who went out of their way to take him to places. It's not all about his travels though and there are lots of recollected moments from his childhood and of his family and friends which add a different dimension to the book.

A Hitch in Time is an enjoyable travel memoir which would make a great holiday read especially if you're travelling around Europe. It's published on the 25th July by AA Publishing

About the Author

Eighties comedy legend Andy Smart is one of Britain’s most versatile performers. A huge star of the 1980s, Andy is one of the revered veterans of The Comedy Store - London’s internationally renowned and only full-time comedy venue. 1985 saw the birth of the Comedy Store Players, an improvisation group which Andy joined from the start alongside the likes of Paul Merton and Mike Myers. Andy continues to this day to perform hilarious improvised stand-up at the club every Sunday and Wednesday.

Twitter @AndyCSP #AHitchInTime

@TheAA_Lifestyle

@Midaspr

Blog Tour ~ Street Cat Blues by Alison O'Leary

Jaffareadstoo is honoured to be starting off the Street Cat Blues Blog Tour

Crooked Cat Books
2018

My thanks to the author, publisher and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of this blog tour

What's it all about ...

A quiet life for Aubrey? After spending several months banged up in Sunny Banks rescue centre, Aubrey, a large tabby cat, has finally found his forever home with Molly and Jeremy Goodman, and life is looking good. However, all that changes when a serial killer begins to target elderly victims in the neighbourhood. Aubrey wasn’t particularly upset by the death of some of the previous victims, including Miss Jenkins whom Aubrey recalls as a vinegar-lipped bitch of an old woman who enjoyed throwing stones at cats, but Mr Telling was different. Mr Telling was a mate…

Here's what I thought about it...

I often wonder what my two orange cats see and do when they go out for the night. That they patrol the area, with whiskers twitching and paws gently tumbling along footpaths and driveways, is all part of the secret world of cats.

In Street Cat Blues we meet Aubrey, a slightly overweight rescue cat, who hopes that he has found a permanent home with his new owners, Molly and Jeremy, but as every street cat knows, it’s always wise to have a backup plan and Mr Telling was Aubrey’s back up plan, that is until something dreadful happened to this kindly, old gentleman.

I knew I was going to like Aubrey from the very first paragraph when he slipped beneath a parked car and covered in grease and dust he waited and observed the comings and goings at Mr Telling's house across the street. 

The author writes well, and keeps the momentum of the mystery alive in several threads which don’t all involve cats and feline participation and yet, it is with Aubrey and his pals where the real heart of the story lies. She has created in Aubrey such a force of nature that you can’t help but become involved as he, and his associate cats, particularly, the hapless Moses, who I loved second only to Aubrey, start to delve a little deeper into the ensuing mystery. That Aubrey is as clever as he is wise comes across in this charming cosy crime debut.

I really enjoyed solving this murder/mystery alongside Aubrey and his pals, their feline point of view is a refreshing change in a world of gritty crime and I’m sure given the right set of circumstances, Aubrey and his adventures could become a great book series.

About the Author

Alison was born in London and spent her teenaged years in Hertfordshire. She has also lived in Somerset and Gloucestershire. After studying Law she decided to teach rather than go into practice and for many years taught Criminal Law to adults and young people. Since moving to the south coast, Alison has been involved in qualification and assessment development for major awarding bodies. When not writing, she enjoys crosswords, walking by the sea and playing Scrabble on her iPad – which she always sets to beginner level because, hey, why take chances? Alison lives with her husband John and cat Archie.

Twitter @alisonoleary81 #StreetCatBlues

@crookedcatbooks

#RandomThingsTours

Blog Tour ~ Dear Mr Pop Star by Derek and Dave Philpott

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to host today's stop on the Dear Mr Pop Star Blog Tour

Unbound
20 September 2018

My thanks to the authors for my invitation to this blog tour and for my ecopy of the book

What's it all about...

For nearly 10 years, ‘Team Philpott’, as their followers fondly refer to them, have been on a quite bonkers crusade, writing good old-fashioned letters to pop and rock stars (sometimes even sent to their home addresses with prior consent!), either picking up on genuine ambiguities within their lyrics or often deliberately misunderstanding them for comedic effect.

‘Dear Mr. Popstar’ proudly features 100 of the best letters and responses from famous and legendary names spanning the whole pop and rock spectrum, all relishing their involvement and revealing their own, in many cases, hitherto unknown humorous sides within what could well be the most interactive dialogue compiled between music stars and their audience ever undertaken. 

Here's what I thought about it...

There's nothing I like better than a good old fashioned letter, something that pops through the letter box and which prompts a reply. What the authors have done, in this cleverly put together collection of letters, is to encourage a reply from some of the great and the good of the music industry, often misinterpreting their unique raison d'etre, with hilarious results.

It's all good fun and those pop stars, with their considered responses to a myriad of rather bizarre observations, enter into the spirit, some, it must be said, with more gusto that others, but always with a, reasonably, good natured patience.

The individual Dear Mr Pop Star letters are the real star of this show, cleverly worded, witty, slightly reproving, but always with an astute eye for interpreting the anomalies and blatant ambiguities which surround pop stars and their music.

It's really difficult to pick out just one or two favourites but these have made me chuckle:

The letter to Dr Hook which observes that the interminable butting in of a telephone operator who kept demanding 40 cents more for the next three minutes must have been " a little bit more than infuriating, not to say a bit of a dent on the old wallet" and the fact that it would have been much cheaper to skype 😊

Spandau Ballet being ripped off for "buying a ticket to the world" since the planet is free...

Starship being admonished for the lyrics .."We built this city on rock 'n' roll"...and the reason why any construction needs a solid foundation.

And my absolute favourite is to the hapless Herman from Herman's Hermits being told off for cancelling the milk and skipping his breakfast cereal.

Dear Mr Pop Star is one of those clever little books that you can dip into and out of at whim, and what's guaranteed, is that there is always going to be, regardless of where you open the book, something to make you smile, and, before too long, you will find that you are nodding your head in complete agreement.

About the Authors

Derek and Dave Philpott are the noms de plume of two ordinary members of the public, working with  help from a worldwide social networking community.

Twitter @DerekPhilpott  #DearMrPopStar

Amazon UK

Review ~ Listellany by John Rentoul

Elliot & Thompson

Hardcover, 128 pages

Publication date: 9 Oct 2014

List price: £9.99

ISBN: 9781783960040

I find that avid readers are very methodical people who love nothing better than keeping a good list, either of the books they have read, or of books they have yet to read. So, to have a little book totally concentrating on a list of top ten interesting facts about absolutely everything, really appealed to my avid reader’s sense of order.

Every week in the Independent on Sunday, John Rentoul publishes a top ten based on suggestions from the great British public. Putting all these suggestions into a handy little reference book is an inspired idea. As contained within, are lists upon fascinating lists and answers to questions you never knew you needed an answer for; from the ten worst Beatles songs, through to the top ten of English Monarchs and from the top ten of everyday lies, to the top ten fictional villains

I really enjoyed my first read through of this book, at 128 pages it is concise enough to read in one sitting; I found myself, more than once, with a wry smile on my face. Only the British can get excited by the top ten of Best British place names and only a reader will mutter in disapproval at a list of Books people buy but don’t read!

It’s one of those precious little gems that list lovers will want to keep in a handy place so that they can peruse it time and time again. It would make a perfect gift for a methodical reader like me, or for someone who simply likes a good list.

Amazon UK

My thanks to Alison Menzies at Elliot & Thompson for my copy of this book to review

About the Author

  

John Rentoul is chief political commentator for the Independent on Sunday, and visiting fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, where he teaches contemporary history. Previously he was chief leader writer for theIndependent. He is the author of The Banned List and Questions to Which the Answer is "No!".

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