Let them eat cake is a selection of Malala's long-running Financial Mail columns, Food for Thought. His column has become the first port of call for many Financial Mail readers who have come to love Malala for his political insight as well as his eye for a good restaurant. Malala manages to combine an admiration for South Africa's top restaurants with a healthy dose of satirical political analysis. In these pages readers will find tips on the best places to enjoy a chilled sauvignon blanc while the sun sets over table mountain with a cheerful skewering of a diverse cast of characters ranging from Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema to Kenneth Meshoe.

'You'll laugh out loud and take delight in the gripes of the moaners out there' - The Sun From Bob Geldof to Winston Churchill, Jeremy Clarkson to Victor Meldrew, the world has always produced its share of grumpy, moody, pessimistic and world-weary types. We all know one! They like to groan and grumble, offering their own commentary on the shortcomings of modern life. Whether it is queues at the supermarket, the state of the health system, the price of a pint these days, the hairstyles of teenagers, or the number of Maltesers you actually get in a bag, there is always something that will get their goat. The Grumpy Old Git's Guide to Life is a hilarious celebration of all these grumps, how to identify one, what exactly they find so irritating and why we find their rants quite so amusing. An ideal gift for him. See if you can put a smile on the face of your favourite grump this father's day.

A SEARCH AND FIND BOOK Ever scrambled desperately around a shopping centre, train station or zoo in search of the facilities? Ever felt that every step you take is actually taking you an inch closer to squelchy humiliation? Re-live the experience from the comfort of your bathroom with this wonderful search and find book!

" The humor of the Old South -- tales, almanac entries, turf reports, historical sketches, gentlemen's essays on outdoor sports, profiles of local characters -- flourished between 1830 and 1860. The genre's popularity and influence can be traced in the works of major southern writers such as William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, and Harry Crews, as well as in contemporary popular culture focusing on the rural South. This collection of essays includes some of the past twenty five years' best writing on the subject, as well as ten new works bringing fresh insights and original approaches to the subject. A number of the essays focus on well known humorists such as Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, Johnson Jones Hooper, William Tappan Thompson, and George Washington Harris, all of whom have long been recognized as key figures in Southwestern humor. Other chapters examine the origins of this early humor, in particular selected poems of William Henry Timrod and Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which anticipate the subject matter, character types, structural elements, and motifs that would become part of the Southwestern tradition. Renditions of "Sleepy Hollow" were later echoed in sketches by William Tappan Thompson, Joseph Beckman Cobb, Orlando Benedict Mayer, Francis James Robinson, and William Gilmore Simms. Several essays also explore antebellum southern humor in the context of race and gender. This literary legacy left an indelible mark on the works of later writers such as Mark Twain and William Faulkner, whose works in a comic vein reflect affinities and connections to the rich lode of materials initially popularized by the Southwestern humorists.

Once again, Nigel Cawthorne takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the strange, hidden sexual history of England. The history of sex in Britain has been largely glossed over by 'proper' historians: Nigel Cawthorne has burrowed deep into the archives to reveal exactly what our ancestors got up to in bed (and out of it). There are chapters on the ancient arts of seduction, adultery, brothels, 'the English vice', contraception, defloration, and many more - from the torrid Tudors to the supposedly strait-laced Victorians.

A hilarious, heartfelt memoir about one woman's midlife obsession with Benedict Cumberbatch, and the liberating power of reclaiming our passions as we age, whatever they may be. Tabitha Carvan was a new mother, at home with two young children, when she fell for the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. You know the guy: strange name, alien face, made Sherlock so sexy that it became one of the most streamed shows in the world? The force of her fixation took everyone - especially Carvan herself - by surprise. But what she slowly realised was that her preoccupation was not with Benedict Cumberbatch at all. It was about finally feeling passionate about something, anything, at a point in her life when she had lost touch with her own identity. Turns out that a little bit of obsession can go a long way ... This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch explores what happens to women's desires after we leave adolescence, and why the space in our lives for pure, unadulterated joy is squeezed ever smaller as we age. Carvan shine a light onto the hidden corners of fandom, from online communities to profound real-world connections. She asks: what happens if we simply decide to follow our interests - unabashedly, audaciously, shamelessly? After all, there's true power in finding your 'thing' (even if that thing happens to be a Marvel superhero) and loving it like your life depends on it.

'Tom Gauld is always funny, but he's funny in a way that makes you feel smarter. Which is especially useful when he's being funny about science' Neil Gaiman A dog philosopher questions what it really means to be a 'good boy'. A virtual assistant and a robot-cleaner elope. The undiscovered species and the theoretical particle face existential despair. Just as he did with writers, poets and literary classics in Baking with Kafka, Gauld now does with hapless scientists, nanobots, and puzzling theorems - with comic strips funny enough to engage science boffins and novices alike.

The Brussels-based artist David Helbich started collecting Belgian Solutions in 2006; he made photos of the peculiar and sometimes hilarious, no-nonsense solutions that he spotted in his daily surroundings. Once he started to share his photos online on Facebook in 2008 (the Belgian Solutions page has over 25,000 fans), the project gathered speed, with contributions by 'Belgian Solutions' spotters all over the world. And because Helbich keeps receiving pictures, he keeps creating content - much to the joy of his fans.

'Here is a book that will set you free, wake you up, and get you on your own team.' Chelsea Handler 'I love how Gross Anatomy delightfully reveals Mara Altman's upbeat and life-affirming obsession with the human body - our loveliness and not-so-lovelinesses.' Jon Ronson From the hilarious Mara Altman, Gross Anatomy unapologetically explores the beautiful, and sometimes not so beautiful, aspects of our bodies, and why they're worth loving anyway. From hairy chins to braless outings, lice-infestations to PMS, no body part is left undiscussed as Altman takes the reader on a wild journey from head to toe, recounting experiences most of us are too polite to share. Hugely funny and unashamedly body-positive, this book is a must-read for all women (and men, too). Through a combination of personal anecdotes and fascinating research, Mara Altman proves herself as a fearless and thoroughly charming writer, creating one of the most compulsive feminist reads of the year.

Add a twist of humour to South African nostalgia with Hagen Engler's latest offering. Black Twitter, Blitz And A Boerie As Long As Your Leg is a light-hearted, humorous read of multiple entries that can be dipped into at will. Optimistic, topical and definitely tongue-in-cheek, this book could easily be that last-minute gift that you pick up at the airport before you head back to the parental home for the holidays. Not too politically edgy - so as not to offend any sensitive elephants in the room – it draws on the great many things that South Africans do have in common, and that will give us all a moment to agree on something, for a change.

Black Twitter, Blitz And A Boerie As Long As Your Leg lists and celebrates the tiny, subtle aspects of South African life that we all experience but don’t always notice. Engler looks at icons of our shared South Africanness but drills a little deeper to make them more specific, a bit more ridiculous, a bit funnier, and hopefully to induce an excited exclamation from the reader of, “Yoh! That’s so true!” Even if the entry is ostensibly negative, Engler will find a poignant aspect of it that is lovable and help us laugh at ourselves.

A snakeful of critical venom aimed at the composers and the classics of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music. Who wrote advanced cat music? What commonplace theme is very much like Yankee Doodle? Which composer is a scoundrel and a giftless bastard? What opera would His Satanic Majesty turn out? Whose name suggests fierce whiskers stained with vodka? And finally, what third movement begins with a dog howling at midnight, then imitates the regurgitations of the less-refined or lower-middle-class type of water-closet cistern, and ends with the cello reproducing the screech of an ungreased wheelbarrow? For the answers to these and other questions, readers need only consult the "Invecticon" at the back of this inspired book and then turn to the full passage, in all its vituperation. Among the eminent reviewers are George Bernard Shaw, Virgil Thomson, Hans von Bulow, Friedrich Nietzsche, Eduard Hanslick, Olin Downes, Deems Taylor, Paul Rosenfeld, and Oscar Wilde. Itself a classic, this collection of nasty barbs about composers and their works, culled mostly from contemporaneous newspapers and magazines, makes for hilarious reading and belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves or hates classical music. With a new foreword by Peter Schickele ("P.D.Q. Bach")."

It is Not Now is collection of stories based upon real life, as well as a reflection on lost ways and changing values. It is a celebration of the eccentric people and lives of small towns all across Maine. Gould's wise, charming, and irreverent writing, honed by half a century of acute observation and practice of his craft, brings the American past to life even as it finds humor and hope in the American present.

Which king ordered everyone to bed at 8pm? How many Pot Noodles are sold every second in Great Britain? How many streets must a London cabbie memorise in order to pass 'the knowledge'? How much does the hammer of Big Ben's bell weigh? If you want to know the answers to these and a whole host of other questions about Blighty, then this is the book for you! Great Britain is a nation steeped in history, traditions and terrible food. But how much do we really know about our weird and wonderful island? In this informative, amusing and fun compendium of knowledge, author Hannah Warner reveals a host of things you probably don't - but should - know about your country. This entertaining collection includes fascinating facts about royalty, politics, history, food and drink, sport, writers, transport - and even Great British failures. It is a celebration of the great and the good (plus those who were not so great but tried hard) from this land. So once you've taken the bulldog for a walk, queued for your fish and chips, made a nice cup of tea and put your feet up, sit back and revel in all that is glorious about Great Britain!

*Please note this is not a novel, but a companion book for Reacher fans* NOW UPDATED TO INCLUDE A Q&A WITH LEE CHILD AND ALAN RITCHSON, STAR OF PRIME TV'S HIT SERIES, REACHER My name is Jack Reacher. No middle name, no address. I'm a man with a rule. People leave me alone, I leave them alone. If they don't, I don't. As every Reacher fan knows, you don't have to break the rules if you make the rules. Rule 1. NEVER VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING Rule 2: BE ON YOUR FEET AND READY Rule 3. SHOW THEM WHAT THEY'RE MESSING WITH Rule 4: DON'T BREAK THE FURNITURE Rule 5: IF IN DOUBT, DRINK COFFEE 'There's only one Jack Reacher. Accept no substitutes' MICK HERRON

'What guts. What attitude! These are the immortals I wish I'd learned about at school.' OLIVIA COLMAN Channel the feminist power of mythical goddesses in this witty, inspirational gift book. 'Wonderful.' CERYS MATTHEWS Whether it's the Norse warrior goddess Freya breaking all the rules, the Yoruba goddess Oshun being unafraid to ask for what she's owed, or the Japanese goddess Uzume finding humour and playfulness in even the most embarrassing of situations: this fierce and fantastic tour of 25 ancient deities reclaims these feminist icons for a new generation. Why settle for mere mortal excellence when you could be living like a goddess? Divinely illustrated by Georgia Perry, You Goddess! will help you conquer today's world.

Comprising the classic bestsellers "Getting Even, Without Feathers," and "Side Effects," this definitive collection of comic writings is from a man who needs no Introduction. Really-this book has no Introduction.
"The Insanity Defense" reveals many sides of Woody Allen as he holds forth on the most human of urges ("Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only for food: frequently there must be a beverage"); reflects on death ("I don't believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear"); and notes the effect on history wrought by trick chewing gum, the dribble glass, and other novelties. There is also an inspiring story of the futile race to beat Dr. Heimlich to the punch: "The food went down the wrong pipe, and choking occurred. Grasping the mouse firmly by the tail, I snapped it like a small whip, and the morsel of cheese came loose. If we can transfer the procedure to humans, we may have something. Too early to tell."
All Woody Allen fans will cherish this uproarious treasury-and those who don't enjoy The Insanity Defense are just plain crazy.
"If you don't care if you break into helpless whoops of laughter on buses, trains, or wherever you happen to be reading it."
"-Chicago Tribune," on "Without Feathers"
"Brilliant flights of fancy whose comic detail and inspired silliness are at once dramatic and controlled."
"-The New York Times, " on "Side Effects"

For nearly 50 years John Scott has subjected the South African scene to his unique brand of genial satire and throw-away humour. This selection is his latest, in which he pokes relentless fun at our pocket-filling politicians, but is gentler with other human foibles such as the Springboks’ inability to beat the Japanese, the churches’ struggle to put bums on pews, teacher truancy, a co-pilot’s failure to pass his breathalyser test, how to understand a Spanish-speaking locomo-tive, and whether to save school kids from that arch-colonialist, Shakespeare.

He describes how he personally watched Pik Botha disappear behind a curtain one night with an air hostess, tried to persuade a still bashful Dr Christiaan Barnard to have his photograph taken, was challenged by Athol Fugard to a typing contest and, in one of his few serious moments, had an overwhelming encounter with Mother Teresa.

Flamboyant and witty, Oscar Wilde was famous for being famous. The toast of late-nineteenth London society, he once boasted he could speak spontaneously on any subject, and his writings were as varied as his captivating conversation. One of the leading playwrights of his age, he also found fame as a poet, novelist and essayist. Of course, Wilde's literary success is bound up with the tragedy of his private life, and his very name evokes fascination. Including Wilde's funniest remarks and ripostes as well as deeper reflections, this collection of wit and wisdom will amuse, provoke and delight. 'There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.' Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890. 'Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.' Intentions, 'The Critic as Artist', 1891.

Behind every great writer there is a beloved pet, providing inspiration in life and in death, and companionship in what is often a lonely working existence. They also offer practical services, such as personal protection, although they may sometimes eat first drafts, or bite visitors. This book salutes all of the cats and dogs, ravens and budgerigars, monkeys and guinea pigs, wombats, turtles, and two laughing jackasses, who enriched the lives of their masters and mistresses, sat on their keyboards, slept in their beds, and occasionally provided the creative spark for their stories and poems. Gathered here are the tales of Beatrix Potter's rabbit, Benjamin Bouncer; Lord Byron's bear; the six cats of T S Eliot; Camus' cat, Cigarette; Arthur C Clarke's dog, Sputnik; and George Orwell's goat, Muriel. Enid Blyton's fox terrier, Bobs, `wrote' her columns in Teacher's World magazine, while John Steinbeck's poodle accompanied him on his 1960 US road trip, their exploits published as Travels with Charley. Agatha Christie dedicated her 1937 novel Dumb Witness to her favourite dog, Peter - the ultimate tribute.

'The perfect gift for anyone who loves all things Christmas ... it's a festive gem' Woman & Home 'A beautiful, funny and soulful collection of personal essays' Prima ___________ The perfect gift book, featuring the writing of Meryl Streep, Bill Bailey, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Caitlin Moran, Richard Ayoade, Emily Watson and others, to coincide with the upcoming movie Last Christmas, starring Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. When you think back to Christmases past, what (if anything) made it magical? Looking towards the future, what would your perfect Christmas be? What would you change? What should we all change? This is a beautiful, funny and soulful collection of personal essays about the meaning of Christmas, written by a unique plethora of voices from the boulevards of Hollywood to the soup kitchens of Covent Garden. Away from the John Lewis advert, the high street decorations and the candied orange in Heston Blumenthal's Christmas pudding, this gem of a book introduced and curated by Emma Thompson and Greg Wise celebrates the importance of kindness and generosity, acceptance and tolerance - and shows us that these values are not just for Christmas.

From dodgy home haircuts and TikTok dance crazes to banana-bread baking and checkpoint cheek, even in lockdown social media star and comedian Rory O'Connor found plenty of opportunities to keep everyone laughing. Filled with Rory's trademark banter and observational gems, this infectious (!) and hilarious lockdown lookback will make you nostalgic for outdoor dining in the rain and loo roll shortages!

Barking Mad taps into the British passion for dogs by bringing together a unique collection of extraordinary, touching and sometimes bizarre but true stories covering sporting dogs (and hounds) military mascots, eccentric companions, war heroes and Royal dogs. Many of the best and most intriguing stories, which date back to the early nineteenth century, have been discovered in long-forgotten books and magazines, but all reflect our enduring passion for man's best friend. Stories include everything from the Labrador that saved its master from drowning to the hound that spent years travelling unaccompanied across Britain by train, and the pooch that carried a penny to the local bakery every day to buy its own cakes. Beautifully illustrated by Nicola L. Robinson this book is a wonderful anthology for all who love man's best friend.