Hi Emily. Thanks for the link to the David Walliams podcast episode. He is a big seller in my store although not as popular as he use to be. I will have to make a conscious effort to recommend other titles with a sense of humor.
Thanks so much for this comment. As a former bookseller I can understand why DW has been such an easy sell but as you imply there are many funny books out there, it’s just that few of them have the juggernaut of celebrity publishing behind them. As I was listening to the podcast I thought about how much of a money spinner DW has been and how difficult it must be for various parts of the book industry to turn their backs...but then I thought well if the publishing industry cannot survive without DW then we really need to look at why that is, because no single author should have that much power in children’s books.
Hi Emily, on your Instagram recommendation I dove into Romantic Comedy and love love loved it. I’m an avid comedy watcher and really enjoyed the behind the scenes of a late night comedy show. I found the writing so accessible and the romance delightfully not cheesy. Thank you! Now to watch Shirley.
I'm so glad! The behind-the-scenes section was so enjoyable, I'd read a prequel! Her years adjusting to the environment! I found their comedy workshopping so funny - the dog sketch had me in fits.
Perfection. She died when she was my age. Sad to think of the things she didn't get to write about having adult children, which I'm sure would have been a hoot.
I need to read beyond Small Things, so Foster sounds like the place to go. And Shirley Jackson is the bomb. I keep picking up and pondering buying her selected letters in Dymocks. Might have to commit.
Definitely Foster. She inhabits her characters fully in every piece I've read. I also think you'd enjoy her story 'So Late In The Day'. It's on the New Yorker podcast - if I remember correctly you're not an audio "reader" but that story is worth a try, read by the author.
Hi Emily. Thanks for the link to the David Walliams podcast episode. He is a big seller in my store although not as popular as he use to be. I will have to make a conscious effort to recommend other titles with a sense of humor.
Thanks so much for this comment. As a former bookseller I can understand why DW has been such an easy sell but as you imply there are many funny books out there, it’s just that few of them have the juggernaut of celebrity publishing behind them. As I was listening to the podcast I thought about how much of a money spinner DW has been and how difficult it must be for various parts of the book industry to turn their backs...but then I thought well if the publishing industry cannot survive without DW then we really need to look at why that is, because no single author should have that much power in children’s books.
Hi Emily, on your Instagram recommendation I dove into Romantic Comedy and love love loved it. I’m an avid comedy watcher and really enjoyed the behind the scenes of a late night comedy show. I found the writing so accessible and the romance delightfully not cheesy. Thank you! Now to watch Shirley.
I'm so glad! The behind-the-scenes section was so enjoyable, I'd read a prequel! Her years adjusting to the environment! I found their comedy workshopping so funny - the dog sketch had me in fits.
Sounds like the author probably needs to be hired by SNL! Impressive to come up with skits like that!
Apparently there’s a sequel to Life Among the Savages, called Raising Demons? Which is an appallingly accurate title 🤣
Perfection. She died when she was my age. Sad to think of the things she didn't get to write about having adult children, which I'm sure would have been a hoot.
Like the one actual romantic/cynical parenting guidebook you always wanted?
I need to read beyond Small Things, so Foster sounds like the place to go. And Shirley Jackson is the bomb. I keep picking up and pondering buying her selected letters in Dymocks. Might have to commit.
Definitely Foster. She inhabits her characters fully in every piece I've read. I also think you'd enjoy her story 'So Late In The Day'. It's on the New Yorker podcast - if I remember correctly you're not an audio "reader" but that story is worth a try, read by the author.
I can do short audio reads, so I’ll have a listen. Lots of good links to follow in this round-up, Em, thanks heaps 🙏