Funny Books

Back in 1922, when Howard Carter first smashed his way into the tomb of long-dead Egyptian King Tutankhamun, the guttering candle in his hand illuminated a scene of unimaginable splendour. “Can you see anything?” asked Lord Carnarvon.“Yes! Wonderful things!” responded a breathless Carter. ast forward just over a century, and any adventurer opening a copy of Viz - The Barber’s Pole will be similarly astounded by the comedy gold they will find haphazardly piled up within its covers. Because just like the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, the 226 pages within its stout and glossy covers are packed with priceless treasures. It’s the sort of 24-carrot comedy gold that has made Viz the country’s fourth* or fifth** favourite humorous magazine (* ** possibly sixth) for well over four decades…  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781916421943 • Author: Viz Magazine • Publisher:  Diamond • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  226 • Dimensions:  23.6 x 2.2 x 30.3 cm

Getting into shape has never been more fun, as you go through the (bowel) motions from jumping jacksies and push-outs to bottom burpees and skidders.  With planners to log your workouts and a special section where you can dump your own ideas, this is the essential guide to getting fit while you SH**T. Warning: Includes adult content. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787833265 • Author: Jim Squits • Publisher: Summersdale • Format: Paperback • Pages: 96 • Dimensions: 14.73 x 10.54 x 1.14 cm

The 2023 Private Eye Annual presents the year's best cartoons, jokes, parodies and topical sketches from the UK's most successful satirical news and current affairs magazine! The Private Eye Annual has become both a seasonal institution and a perennial Christmas bestseller with its funny illustrations throughout! The perfect gift!  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781901784732 • Author:  Ian Hislop  • Publisher:  Private Eye • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  21 x 1.4 x 26 cm 

Dogs communicate with so much more than barks and tail wags. Misreading doggie body language makes life challenging for dogs and their humans. This small but mighty book is your perfect illustrated guide to seeing and understanding the subtle visual cues and interpreting the behaviours used by your beloved pup to express how they’re feeling. The more we notice and listen to what our dogs are trying to tell us, the more we can improve our relationship with our best friends, helping them to feel safe and happy. • Original illustrations help you compare similar facial expressions, body language and gestures • Interpret your dog's cues and learn how your dog uses his ears, eyes, mouth, tail and posture to communicate with you • Spot the signals your dog is trying to give you to tell you they're stressed or conflicted A Dog Lover's Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787837010 • Author: Lili Chin  • Publisher: Summersdale • Format: Hardback • Pages: 128 • Dimensions: 17.53 x 12.19 x 1.65 cm

This book will score a major-league success with sport obsessives and casual fans alike... Any true fan knows that the porcelain umpire’s chair is an ideal place to put your sporting knowledge to the test. This compendium of fun activities and quiz questions will have you spotting the difference at Wembley, finding a lost helmet at Lord’s, and going for gold in Olympic omniscience. From bestselling author and professional brain-teaser Hugh Jassburn, this illustrated puzzle book includes a range of challenges relating to football, rugby, tennis, cricket, athletics, golf, boxing, basketball, rowing, snooker and more. Pit your wits against such quiz questions as these: What is the lowest darts score you can’t achieve with a single dart? In 1981 Muhammad Ali retired from boxing – what was his career record? What is Tiger Woods’ real first name? Who was the first cricket player to score a century and take ten wickets in a test match? What sport has four letters, is played all around the world, and begins with a “t”? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781786852687 • Author: Hugh Jassburn • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  112 • Dimensions: 14.8 x 1.7 x 14.6 cm

My mate was selling a television cheap because the volume was broken. I couldn’t turn it down. What’s black and white and bad all over? These jokes! Groaning with silly gags, classic wisecracks, naff knock-knocks, poor puns and lame one-liners, this book will make you cry until you laugh. Warning: Includes adult content. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787830288 • Author: Sid Finch • Publisher: Summersdale • Format: Paperback • Pages: 96 • Dimensions: 14.8 x 10.5 cm

Discover unique Elf on the Shelf pranking ideas with this amazing 24 day booklet! Perfect for the run up to Christmas! Product Information:  • ISBN:  5050565717764 • Author: Elves Behavin' Badly • Publisher:  Elves Behavin' Badly • Format:  Box Set • Pages:  24 • Dimensions: 10.5 x 15 cm

Delve inside this Christmas Stocking choc-full of perfectly themed seasonal short stories perfect for anyone who loves romance, humour and happy-ever-after endings. The Christmas Stocking: Romy is all set to join her boyfriend and his family in France for Christmas, though truth be told she isn’t looking forward to it very much. And then she meets Felix – and her plans for the big day suddenly become a lot more interesting. Candlelight at Christmas: It was meant to be the perfect Christmas – surrounded by friends and family in their beautiful home in the country. But then the lights go out, and Fenella knows she will have to work very hard to keep everyone happy … The Christmas Fairy: It’s Christmas Eve in Crinan, and a young man is on his own with only his nephew and niece for company. Then Ella arrives. Dressed as a fairy, she is determined to wave her wand and give them all the best Christmas ever. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787464926 • Author: Katie Fforde • Publisher: Arrow Books • Format: Paperback • Pages: 417 • Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 3cm

The brilliant laugh-out-loud festive novel from the Number One bestselling author. Becky Brandon adores Christmas. It's always the same – Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers. And now it's even easier with online bargain-shopping sites – if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted! But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky's parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she'll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong? With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper – surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear . . . Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781784166403 • Author: Sophie Kinsella • Publisher: Black Swan • Format: Paperback • Pages: 464 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm

There's whiskers in the whiskey! Cats love a drink! When you're not looking, your kitty is busy getting liquored up. This book gathers the best photos of cats getting buzzed off booze and looking pawfully pitiful the morning after. And to aid your appreciation, these snaps of sordid and sozzled pussycats have been paired with hilarious captions telling us what their meowing actually means. Bottoms up! Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800070202 • Author:  Charlie Ellis • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  14.73 x 1.65 x 14.61 cm

A new mystery is afoot in the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman. It is an ordinary Thursday and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill... or be killed. As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again? Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241512425 • Author: Richard Osman • Publisher: Viking • Format: Hardback • Pages: 432 • Dimensions: 24 x 16.2 x 3.8 cm

A hilarious parody of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse! Because it's been a bit of a trying time, hasn't it? You now know that your five-year-old is better at maths than you. And English. And at not crying during work. And the only way to get through it with a smile has been to buy all the booze and try to remember how to do 'going out'. But don't worry, here to paper over all the cracks is a touching book, full of tender animal friends, pretty pictures and not too many words. A book for our times - to remind us of the precious joys of having all the family together, non-stop, twenty-four hours a day. Owning it will make you happy. Giving it to other people will make you seem kind. Reading it will remind you that you're nearly out of gin.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781789465686 • Author:  Guy Adams  • Publisher:  John Blake • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions: 12.5 x 1 x 18.5 cm

What did the poo say to the fart? You blow me away! Full to the brim with obscene one-liners, gross-out gags and shenanigans, this book should be your number one – and number two – choice for lav-based laughs. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781786855497 • Author: Sid Finch • Publisher: Summersdale • Format: Paperback • Pages: 96 • Dimensions: 14.92 x 10.8 x 0.95 cm

Short, quick-fire jokes have been popular for centuries. Indeed the world’s oldest surviving joke book, the Philogelos, which was written in Ancient Greek, contains this classic doctor joke: Patient: “Doctor! When I wake up I’m all dizzy. Then after half an hour I feel fine.” Doctor: “Well, wait half an hour before waking up.” Meanwhile in Rome, they had a gag for every occasion, from senate orations and lavish feasts to throwing Christians to the lions. A Cicero stand-up gig was the hottest ticket in town. Shakespeare readily slipped one-liners into his comedies, while medieval jesters used pithy quips to amuse the royal court, well aware that if the joke backfired and somehow offended the monarch, their next audience might be with the executioner. “Dying on stage” carried a more sinister meaning for comedians in those days. It’s not hard to see why one-liners remain in vogue with today’s comedians. They are easy to remember, quick to deliver and if one gag dies on its feet, the next is waiting in the wings, hopefully to a better reception. Here is a compilation of the best one-liners around – a heady mix of old and new favourites, Dad jokes, thoughtful musings, corny puns and witty observations, covering a vast range of topics from families to fish, money to music, relationships to religion and technology to travel. They can be used to brighten up business conferences where the delegates are as tired as the sandwiches; dinner parties where the conversation is threatening to slide into a discussion about spreadsheets; seemingly interminable Zoom calls; and, of course, speeches at weddings that are so emotional that even the cake is in tiers. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781802471212 • Author: Geoff Tibballs • Publisher: Ad Lib Publishers Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 136 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.8 x 0.8cm

Our phones have become a constant distraction; it's time we put them down and rediscovered the simple art of taking a few minutes out. This book offers an imaginative list of games and tips aimed at curing us of our portable tech addiction. More than mere time-killers, these activities include ways to unleash your creative side and train your brain, but above all methods to set you on the road to calm. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781780722467 • Author: Ilka Heinemann  • Publisher:  Short Books Ltd • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  128 • Dimensions: 10.8 x 1.6 x 13.4 cm

A fully illustrated book of tongue-in-cheek advice for cat parents who struggle to tame their cat's inner beast. Having a cat can be such a joy. Little compares to the delight of cuddles on the couch, the sound of gentle purring, or the fun of playtime. But what do you do when your furry friend starts scratching all the furniture, ruining the flower beds, stealing your food and generally wreaking havoc? Luckily, this entertaining guide is here with top tips and tricks to tame your cat when the wild beast comes out, so you can spend more time giving head scritches and less time worrying about the state of your curtains.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800077126 • Author:  Sam Hart • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  11.94 x 1.65 x 15.88 cm

Dogs love a drink! When you're not looking, your four-legged friend is busy knocking them back. This book gathers the best photos of dogs getting buzzed off booze and looking pawfully pitiful the morning after. And to add to your amusement, these snaps of hedonistic and hazy hounds have been paired with hilarious captions telling us what their barking is all about. Raise a glass to these howl-raisers! Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800070219 • Author:  Charlie Ellis • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  14.73 x 1.65 x 14.61 cm

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington. Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face. Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. As she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780063045651 • Author: Tessa Bailey • Publisher: Avon • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 20.32 x 13.49 x 2.39 cm

Football management is like being a potato - you're never too far from the sack and everyone is constantly chipping away at you. It's not for the faint-hearted and unless you've got skin as thick as rhino and, more importantly, a wicked sense of humour, you've no chance of surviving. Ian Holloway - aka 'Ollie' - has all the above and more besides. His press conferences are the stuff of legend. He's been there, seen it and done it in his 40 years as player and manager, and has been entertaining football fans on and off the pitch for most of his life. He's been head honcho at clubs in all four divisions in English football, experiencing everything from the giddy heights of taking Blackpool to the Premier League to fighting relegation from the Football League with Grimsby Town. There's never been a dull moment. In the joyful How to Be a Football Manager, Holloway weaves a fantastically rich tapestry of hilarious anecdotes to reveal what being the boss is really like. This is not a handbook to tell you when to play a Christmas tree formation or throw on a false nine - it's about dealing with the ridiculous, fighting your corner and always having a comeback. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781472298614 • Author: Ian Holloway • Publisher:  Headline • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  320 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.6 x 19.6 cm

The Secret Life of an Uncool Mum by Serena Terry, better known as viral sensation @MammyBanter. This hilarious debut novel tells the story of Tara Gallagher, an exhausted mum who wants it all. Tara is determined to prove to herself she can be a mum, work full time and still be Beyonce! Is that not something we can all dream about?!  She used to want it all. Now she just wants a nap. Tara Gallagher is knackered. She used to dream of being Beyoncé but suddenly she's thirty-six and instead of headlining Glastonbury, she's in her pyjamas on a Friday night, watching Gogglebox. It's time for a mammy makeover. She's going to show her teenage daughter she's still cool. Show her husband she's still an absolute ride. And show her colleagues she's still a Boss Bish. But most of all, she's going to prove to herself that she can still be a mum, still work full time, and still be Beyoncé…  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008512965 • Author:  Serena Terry • Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  352 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 19.8 x 2.4 cm