The Overbooked Bibliophile

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well-written and laugh-out-loud funny with a cast of quirky characters,  Best Kept Village  by  Mart Capsticks  is an entertaining novel that revolves around the rivalry between two neighboring English villages in North Norfolk as they compete for first place in the Best Kept Village Competition. With active committees on both sides diligently planning and preparing for the competition round the year while also trying to keep tabs on their rivals, tensions are high in East Barton and West Barton. Matters are complicated further when both villages are victims of strategically timed acts of vandalism. With their carefully designed displays ruined just before the judges are scheduled to visit, both committees are quick to suspect the other and Sergeant Dale Richards is at his wit's end trying to maintain peace between the two rivals, while trying to find the person responsible for the damage. Frustrated with local law enforcement’s failure to apprehend the p...

  Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An entertaining compilation of almost 3000 The New Yorker cartoons (1925-2017) organized according to theme! I enjoyed reading both the Foreword by David Remnick and the Introduction by Bob Mankoff. Perfect for light reading or as a palate cleanser or simply when you need a laugh! I read this one over a period of almost 3 years (1500+ pages) in between my other reads and enjoyed every minute of it!

Rating:  4.5⭐ The Madstone   by  Elizabeth Crook   begins in Comfort, Texas in November 1868 where we meet nineteen-year-old Benjamin Shreve as he recounts his sixteen-day adventure across Texas in a letter to a child he befriended along the way. When Benjamin agrees to help a stranded traveler catch up with the stagecoach caring for his belongings, little does he know that he will end up aiding pregnant Nell Banes and her young son Henry “Tot” to escape from the clutches of her cruel husband and his criminal family. With the help of Dickie, a treasure hunter in possession of a valuable item he hopes will change his fortunes and Horhay Elveraz a Black Seminole with a lifetime of experience and wisdom under his belt, both of whom he befriends in the course of his travels. The narrative follows the travelers as they brave hailstorms, coyotes, killers intent on exacting revenge, cursed treasures, and much more as they make their way through Texas, in an attempt to help ...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This series never fails to make me smile. It was so much fun meeting Heart , Brain and the rest of the gang again! I love how important topics such as mental health, anxiety, work-life balance, and self-acceptance, among others, have been addressed with sensitivity and humor. Divided into three segments, each of which begins with a heartfelt message from the author, this installment of the exceptional Heart and Brain series is, in turn, thought-provoking,  laugh-out- loud funny and inspiring! It's definitely one of the best in the series!

My Rating: 4.5⭐ Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions marks the second collaboration (the first being A Wealth of Pigeons : A Cartoon Collection ) between the inimitable Steve Martin and renowned The New Yorker illustrator Harry Bliss. In the first segment of the of the book Martin takes us through his career as a standup comic and his Hollywood career sharing anecdotes from his personal experiences, some behind the scenes stories about some of his movies and his interactions with his co-stars and other celebrities including Paul McCartney and the late Robin Williams. The stories are shared in cartoon format with Harry Bliss’s brilliant illustrations bringing Martin’s memories to life. Martin also shares some hilarious exchanges between himself and his collaborator, with both himself and Harry Bliss appearing as cartoon versions of themselves along with Harry Bliss's pet dog Penny who is absolutely adorable. The latter half of the book features The New Y...

My Rating: 4.5⭐ It doesn't matter how old you are or which 'Gen' you belong to. The Sarah's Scribbles Collection is pure entertainment! Funny and relatable , this series is perfect for a good laugh. I've enjoyed all the books in this series and Oddball is no exception. I wish it were longer, though!😊 I look forward to more from Sarah Anderson.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This is a book for everyone, eighty or eight-” I agree wholeheartedly! Reading “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” written and beautifully illustrated by Charlie Mackesy is a moving , inspiring and comforting experience .Expressed through short and sweet conversations between four unlikely friends - the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse, the author touches upon themes of kindness, friendship , self–acceptance and life in general. The handwritten and hand illustrated format gives this book a personal and intimate feel reminiscent of some of the fables and stories we read as children (and still love and enjoy!). This is a very short read and I reread this book a few times before I finally put it down.