The Vacant Casualty is not prepared, authorized, licensed, approved, or endorsed by the author or the publishers of The Casual Vacancy.

Nothing ever seems to happen in the sleepy English town of Mumford -- unless you count the man with the axe in his back, staggering down the street getting blood everywhere and leaving a vacancy on the Parish Council...

Into the fray steps Detective Inspector Bradley of the C.I.D. Although he appears to be a plodding buffoon, incapable of detecting his own backside, that is exactly what he is. But when he teams up with an alcoholic, drug-addled writer researching a detective novel, together they will blunder towards the identity of the 'vacant casualty'. They just hope to get there before everyone in the town is murdered.

In this potty-mouthed, depraved, disrespectful parody, strewn with casual violence and sexual deviancy, you will discover aliens, farting tea-ladies, car chases, serial killers and lashings and lashings of tortoise milk. But no immigrants. This is the countryside, after all.

'Horrific and hilarious ... a dystopic vision of an England that would have given Orwell the heebie-jeebies' Independent 'A brilliant work of satire' The Quietus A SCARFOLK SANCTIONED BOOK AUTHORISED EDITION, AS SEEN ON THE RADIO The Scarfolk Annual is the facsimile of a book discovered in a charity shop in the north west of England in August 2018. The shop, and indeed town, do not wish to be identified as they are keen to "discourage the 'occult-totalitarian tourism' that as afflicted other areas of Britain" as people hunt for further socio-archaeological traces of the mysterious, missing town of Scarfolk - Britain's own Brutalist Atlantis. Apart from the archive of Scarfolk materials which was sent anonymously to the late Dr Ben Motte and formed the basis of the book Discovering Scarfolk, this children's annual is, to date, the only complete artefact from Scarfolk ever to be unearthed 'in the wild'. It's clear The Scarfolk Annual was not written to entertain children at Christmastime; its purpose was to indoctrinate young minds; in fact, one might go as far as to say destroy young minds, to an end that has been lost to us.

A self-care journal for when you realize buying a scented candle isn't actually going to make you feel f*cking better Ah, self-care. Yoga classes, green juice, bubble baths, face goop. F*ck that. The new self-care is all about taking care of yourself in whatever way you need to feel good. Whatever your paycheck or location, your identity, social class, race, gender-self-care belongs to YOU. Self-care isn't just for the Insta-influencers doing all the yoga and eating their acai bowls. Self-care is for all of us-it's for the stressed-out queens, the women who are doing it all and just need a minute for themselves. It's for the anxiety-ridden, the wellness-challenged, the people who need a break to focus on their own mental health. Self-care is about identifying your core values and making the time to nurture them. It's about taking a look at the tough stuff-anxiety, mental health, self-love, boundaries, empowerment-and finding concrete ways to help. Enter: I Am F*cking Radiant, a positive self-help book for women looking to: Embrace some self-love-the perfect self-esteem book for women looking to celebrate our badass selves Quiet that asshole in your head-take the time to give your mental health some TLC Feel all the feels-because emotional intelligence feels f*cking great (even when you feel f*cking bad) And take care of your #1: prioritize YOU!With guided prompts, sweary sayings, and an empowering AF attitude, this is the perfect journal for readers who are over the bullsh*t and are ready to take their self-care into their own hands. The ideal self-care gift, relaxing gift for women, or guided journal to get you through, this book will get you to stand up and declare, "I am radiant and I deserve some f*cking self-care!"

‘STOP scrolling right now and buy this book instead!’ SCARLETT CURTIS ‘I’ve never laughed so hard.’ DAISY BUCHANAN ’Brilliantly funny and bloody brave.’ DAWN O’PORTER I thought I could have lots of followers, without needing followers. I thought I could monetise my account without selling out. I thought that I was different, that I wasn’t like other girls. But I was, and that’s why I had to stop. When Bella Younger spawned Deliciously Stella – her hilarious and daring social media alter ego – she wanted to prove once and for all that Instagram does not equal reality. Within weeks, she’d gone viral and begun her very own #influencerlife. Shoot. Post. Repeat. In 2016, Bella gained 75,000 followers overnight, and hundreds of likes a minute. Soon she was being paid thousands of pounds to beat up a cake for the ’gram, attend ludicrously lavish influencer gifting events and was dropping emoji-bombs left, right and centre. But even as the constant rush of notifications fuelled her endorphins, life among the Instafamous began to take a toll. As Bella’s carefree presence flourished online, her health began to spiral offline, culminating in a stint at The Priory for social media addiction. Should she have undertaken a month-long run of stand-up comedy immediately after she was discharged? Probably not, but the pressure to be ‘on’ and online was all-consuming – and she had followers to please after all… Funny, frank and fearless, The Accidental Influencer is a relatable story of the precarious balancing act between our online and offline selves – and the truth behind the staged shots, spon-con, and the coveted but ever-elusive blue tick.

The Mr. Men have been tickling children for generations with their funny and charming antics. The Mr Men for Grown-Ups series now gives adults the chance to laugh along as the Mr Men and Little Miss try to cope with the very grown-up world around them. Featuring Roger Hargreaves classic artwork alongside hilariously funny new text. Little Miss Busy hadn't always been so busy. She used to enjoy lazy weekends and leisurely lie-ins. But then she had kids. Now her life is a constant juggle of demands and pressure to be the perfect mum. How does Little Miss Busy do it? The perfect book for anyone who has ever faced the trials and tribulations of the wonderful and exasperating world of parenthood. Also available The Mr Men for Grown-Ups series: Mr Greedy Eats Clean to Get Lean, Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating and Mr Happy and the Office Party, Mr Grumpy Nails Fatherhood and Little Miss Lucky is Getting Married.

Essential (and emotionally intelligent) etiquette tips are packaged here alongside hilarious "Dick and Jane"-style illustrations. Laugh and learn. On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere! They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today. How Not to Be a Dick is packed with honest and straightforward advice, divided into the categories of relationships, home, school, work, play, in transit, and on the internet. Paired with this essential wisdom are playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too.

Satire, according to Jonathan Swift, is a mirror where beholders generally discover everybody's face but their own. and over twenty-four centuries the mirror of satirical literature has taken on many shapes. Yet certain techniques recur continually, certain themes are timeless, and some targets are perennial. Politics (the mismanagement of men by other men) has always been a target of satire, as has the war between sexes.

The universality of satire as a mode and creative impulse is demonstrated by the cross-cultural development of lampoon and travesty. Its deep roots and variety are shown by the persistence of allegory, fable, aphorism, and other literary subgenres. Hodgart analyzes satire at some of its most exuberant moments in Western literature, from Aristophanes to Brecht. His analysis is supplemented by a selection and discussion of prints and cartoons.

Satire continues to help us make sense of the conventions that seem to have been almost genetically transmitted from their satiric ancestors to our digital contemporaries. This is especially evident in Hodgart's repeated references to satire's predilection for the ephemeral, for camouflaging itself among the everyday, for speaking to the moment, and thus for integrating itself as deeply as possible into society. Brian Connery's new introduction places Hodgart's analysis in its proper place in the development of twentieth-century criticism.

The Princess and the Prick is a feminist humour and gift book for adults. May I kiss you, he said. She didn't answer. She was asleep. So he kissed her anyway. SLEEPING BEAUTY Revisit childhood classics, but not as you remember them. Familiar fables are turned on their heads as your beloved heroines finally have their say. In a similar vein to the Ladybird for Grown-Ups and Enid Blyton spoof series, The Princess and the Prick flips fairy tales, nursery rhymes and children’s books on their head. Retold through a feminist lens as one liners, verses and rhyming couplets, and highlighting the sexism endemic in stories we grew up with, these classic tales will never be read in the same way again… ‘I hate this book. It makes me look like a right prick.’ Prince Charming ‘A real wake-up call.’ Sleeping Beauty Perfect for fans of Gill Sims, Caroline Hirons and Alix E. Harrow!

NEW FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHORS OF HOW TO POO AT WORK From the excretion experts who brought you the global phenomenon How to Poo at Work comes Things to Do While You Poo. Specifically written to help those pooing on the job, this book is the ultimate guide to sedentary self-improvement. Expert authors Mats and Enzo share their scientific advice crafted over a lifetime of lavatory investigations to help improve every aspect of your life. From success in your career to a satisfying sex life, from health and fitness to simply earning a bit of extra cash, this book is guaranteed to help you become a better you, eight minutes at a time. Learn how to: * Find the spirituality of your sphincter with meditation * Start a really crap YouTube cooking channel * Become a travel influencer without leaving the stall * Relax with flush-friendly yoga poses * Get a six pack in just 30 days of pooing * Find true loo-ve! With detailed diagrams, expert advice and tried-and-tested testimonials, discover how to squeeze more into your day as you squeeze one out.

In Do You Know Who I Am?, Zapiro returns with his signature wry satirical style to ensure that his audience see-saws between shaking their heads in rueful agreement and snorting in mirth.

No year would be complete without his annual collection of cartoons, which have served to become a reflective summary of political events in the year.

South Africa’s sharpest cartoonist also acts as our national conscience and once again ensures that no event passes by without comment… or a laugh.

Only Zapiro can truly capture the craziness and the seriousness of state capture and the Zuma years. WTF is the award-winning and best-selling cartoonist’s definitive, unique and superbly funny record of this rollercoaster time in our history in words and more than 400 brilliant cartoons.

Zapiro’s career has been tightly entwined with the bewildering tale of Jacob Zuma for more than 20 years. He has sharply charted his rise and his fall and everything in between, including the corrupting presence of the Guptas and the destructive cancer of state capture. On two different occasions Jacob Zuma served Zapiro with unfulfilled lawsuits totalling R22 million, claiming his dignity had been infringed, and the cartoonist has been threatened in other ways by senior political figures because of his caustic and brilliant work. Zapiro first drew a showerhead on Zuma in 2006 as a comment on his preposterous evidence during his rape trial that he took a shower after sex to reduce the chance of getting AIDS. That showerhead image stuck in the public imagination, and in Zapiro’s cartoons, and has become a nationally known symbol of the former president.

WTF is sure to be another triumph for our best-loved cartoonist.

A collection of satirical, crass, comedic essays from famed Internet personality and New York Times bestselling author Maddox, of the infamous website The Best Page in the Universe. In this third book from Maddox, the reigning king of Internet satire delivers a collection of humorous, unapologetic essays in the same voice that propelled him into comedic stardom. With all-new material, F*ck Whales delivers on his personal brand of satire, complete with self-promotion, petty rants, and brilliant essays on anything and everything Maddox deems worthy of his ire.

Dan Beckmann appears to be an average guy living a common life. That is, until he begins to share his extraordinary collection of surprising stories. He finds adventure the way he finds friends--everywhere. Through his witty, lighthearted, and entertaining tales, he reminds us that the best things in life are free, that extraordinary adventures are always waiting just around the corner--and that it's never too late to laugh your way to the finish line. No matter where you are in life there are people around you who help you step up, step over, or step to it. Even if you've stepped in it

The Devil's Dictionary (1906) is a work of satire by Ambrose Bierce. Although he is commonly remembered for his chilling short stories on the experiences of Civil War soldiers, Bierce was recognized in his day as a leading journalist and humorist who spent decades ruffling feathers and drawing laughter with his witty opinion columns, poems, and definitions. Toward the end of his career, he decided to compile these satirical definitions into a book, following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, and Gustave Flaubert. Immensely popular upon publication, The Devil's Dictionary inspired countless imitators, but remains one-of-a-kind. Reading Bierce's definitions today, it's not hard to imagine the controversy they must have caused, matched only by the laughs they must have roused, when published at the onset of the twentieth century. Written during a period of undaunted industrial growth, of immense wealth and promise in a nation recently torn apart by civil war, The Devil's Dictionary preserves a tantalizing touch of irreverence and doubt which must remain funny to those who know humor when they sense it. "AIR, n. A nutritious substance supplied by a bountiful providence for the fattening of the poor." "CONSERVATIVE, n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others." Crafted for the cynic, quoted by the misanthrope, Bierce's definitions prove profoundly entertaining and frequently accurate-sort of-over a century after they were published. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

A revised edition of the hilarious Minnesotan culture guide from a former writer for A Prairie Home Companion Fans of the Minnesota-set movie Fargo will love this uproarious culture guide to all-things Minnesotan. With his dry wit and distinctive voice, Howard Mohr won millions of fans across the country on Garrison Keillor's radio show A Prairie Home Companion. His popular commercials and ad spots, including one for "Minnesota Language Systems," became the best of the best of Minnesota humor. Now, Mohr has updated his classic guide, How to Talk Minnesotan, to advise visitors on the use of Twitter and Facebook, cell phone etiquette, and more while in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. "Ranging in flavor from satiric pungency to lunatic lusciousness, this is glorious, uproarious humor. Or as they say in Minnesota, 'a heckuva deal, you bet.'"-Booklist

In Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, acclaimed The Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri offers perfectly logical, reassuring reasons for everything that has happened in recent American politics and culture that will in no way unsettle your world view. In essays both new and adapted from her viral columns, Petri reports that the Trump administration is as competent as it is uncorrupted, white supremacy has never been less rampant and men have been silenced for too long. Q-Anon makes perfect sense! At the centre of the book is a virtuosic account of the past four years, a history as surreal and deranged as the Trump administration itself. This Panglossian venture into the swampy present will soothe- and terrify readers.

Falling in love is a beautiful thing. The internet, naturally, has taken this beauty and turned it into something deeply, deeply strange. Featuring screenshots from real-life dating conversations, Is This Love or Dopamine? is a hilarious, piercing analysis of the weird-and-not-so-wonderful world of internet dating. @beam_me_up_softboi creator and journalist Iona David explores all the highs, horrors and heartbreaks: from the all-important first DM slide to the inevitable eventual ghosting; from f*ckboys and Tinder anthems to loaded emojis and revenge selfies. Learn what to do if someone uses 'teehee' in a sext (run for the hills) or has a photo of themselves holding a massive fish on their profile (run faster). A dedication to all the hours spent lying in bed/sitting on the toilet swiping until thumb cramp sets in, this book will make you laugh, then cry, then delete your dating app profile, then (obviously) re-download it again. Long live the internet!

A celebration of the diffference between men and women, how they think and how they behave.

What if there's a hidden dimension to Donald Trump; a sensitive, poetic side? Driven by this question, Rob Sears began combing Trump's words for signs of poetry. What he found was a revelation. By simply taking the 45th President of the United States' tweets and transcripts, cutting them up and reordering them, Sears unearthed a trove of beautiful verse that was just waiting to be discovered. This groundbreaking collection gives readers a glimpse of Trump's innermost thoughts and feelings on everything from the nature of truth, to what he hates about Lord Sugar. And it will reveal a hitherto hidden Donald, who may surprise and delight both students and critics alike. Now with seventeen all-new poems! As we lurch deeper into the Trump presidency, this timely publication also includes Sears' scholarly footnotes and introduction, in which he excavates new critical angles and insights into the President's poetry which the casual reader might initially overlook.

See the Enterprise. See the Enterprise go boldly. Go Go Go, Enterprise! Go Boldly! Join Kirk and Spock as they go boldly where no parody has gone before! This Prime Directive primer steps through The Guardian of Forever to a simpler time of reading, writing, and red shirts. Fun with Kirk and Spock will help cadets of all ages master the art of reading as their favorite Starfleet officers, Klingons, Romulans, Andorians, and Gorn beam down into exciting adventures. Robb Pearlman is the Associate Publisher of Universe Books, Calendars, and Licensing at Rizzoli International Publications. He is the author of Groundhog's Day (Bloomsbury, 2015), Fun with Kirk and Spock (Cider Mill Press, 2014), 101 Ways to Use a Unicorn (Universe, 2014), 101 Ways to Kill a Zombie (Universe, 2013), Nerd Haiku (Lyons, 2012), Spoiler Alert (Lyons, 2011), Disney's Alice in Wonderland and Disney's Winnie the Pooh (Universe, 2012), The Q Guide to Sex and the City (Alyson, 2008), Passover is Here! (Little Simon, 2005), and Raggedy Ann and Andy: Leaf Dance (Little Simon, 2001). An editor of pop culture titles including Zombies on Film: The Definitive Story of Undead Cinema, Stuck on Star Trek, and The Princess Bride: A Celebration, he directs a calendar program that includes major licenses asStar Trek, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, True Blood, Bob's Burgers, Scandal, and Family Guy. He has edited monographs of the work and lives of award winning animators Bill Plympton and Ralph Bakshi, the movie tie-in books toBurlesque and Amelia, The Joker, the first book soley devoted to the DC Comics supervillain, as well as children's books including M. Sasek's This is... series, Grandma Moses's The Night Before Christmas, John Patrick Byrne's Donald and Benoit, and A Poem as Big as New York City, illustrated by Masha D'yans. Robb has had successful events and signings at San Diego and New York ComicCons, bookstores and comic book retailers in Los Angeles, New York, and New Jersey. He has had an essay and haikus featured on HuffingtonPost.com, has performed at the Nerdnite Nerdtacular, and has been featured on several pop culture blogs and SiriusXM radio shows.

HORRIBLE SCIENCE: DANGEROUS DISEASES coughs up all the disgusting details of the squelchiest sicknesses that mankind has suffered through. From the cruel common cold to shocking smallpox, see what happens when your body is attacked by germs! Find out which brave nurse drank diarrhoea, which scientist used eyeballs as food for bacteria, why deadly cholera makes your skin turn blue and how munching maggots can cure flesh diseases! With sickening sick notes, dreadful disease facts, and lots of vicious viruses to make you vomit, it'll leave you bursting with the knowledge of dangerous diseases! This reloaded edition also includes a chapter on the coronavirus crisis. Redesigned in a bold, funky new look for the next generation of HORRIBLE SCIENCE fans.

Awfully Good is a brand new puzzle and conundrum series full of witty challenges and activities to tease the brain and occupy the mind! Lady of Leisure is full of truly super challenges for the modern lady to complete at her leisure! You'll discover a miscellany of mind-bending puzzles, a collection of quirky conundrums and chortling challenges that feature a range of fascinating themes and puzzles to help you banish boredom with a smile. Perfect as a gift for mothers, grandmothers, partners and girlfriends.

Enid Blyton's books are beloved the world over and The Famous Five have been the perennial favourite of her fans. Now, in this new series of Enid Blyton for Grown-Ups, George, Dick, Anne, Julian and Timmy turn their attention to finding a property they can call their very own.Join the Five as they struggle to get their feet (and paws) on the first rung of the property ladder. Luckily cousin Rupert is on hand to help. But not before they've had some very exciting adventures. Who knew that it was all going to be so difficult?

A lot of rucking and mauling has gone on since William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball and ran, but this doughty little book heroically manages to capture the true essence of the daddy of all oval ball games in just 80 minutes. This is the story of rugby as never been told before: a jinking, weaving compilation of surreal match reports, spoof correspondence and quirky cartoons. From the playing fields of Edwardian England's public schools to the canopied splendour of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the game's towering achievements, hilarious happenings and ludicrous coincidences are entertainingly recalled.