Humour

ANCESTRAL VOICES

by James Lees-Milne

read by Gerald Sanctuary

running time 13hrs 30mins

The gentle and sharply-observed diary of the young James Lees-Milne who, invalided out of the Army before the end of the Second World War, joins the tiny staff of the National Trust, visiting stately homes to discover whether they are suitable for acquisition by the Trust.

BACK STORY

by David Mitchell

read by David Mitchell

running time 9hrs 30mins

David Mitchell, who you may know from Peep Show or his opinionated column in The Observer or as one half of That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life including meditations on: the pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds, why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday and that he’s not David Mitchell the novelist, despite what David Miliband might think.

CALL THE AMBULANCE!

by Les Pringle

read by Gordon Griffin

running time 11hrs

Exploding pressure cookers, a thwarted wife's deadly revenge and transvestites in distress - manning an ambulance in the seventies kept you on your toes. It's quite a life for Les Pringle, and one that he and his shift mates tread with warmth and humour in equal measure.

DANNY WALLACE AND THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

by Danny Wallace

read by James Murphy

running time 2hrs

Danny Wallace heard about a manhole cover, on a small street, in a small town, tucked away in a remote part of Idaho. The manhole cover had been declared the Centre of the Universe. And the name of the town? Wallace. It was a cosmic coincidence Danny couldn't resist... Quick Reads.

THE ELFISH GENE

by Mark Barrowcliffe

read by Mark Barrowcliffe

running time 8hrs 35mins

Mark Barrowcliffe, along with twenty million other boys in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s was hooked on fantasy role-playing games. This book is his attempt to understand why!

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH CLERGY

by Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie

read by Bob Rollett

running time 5hrs 30mins

Judge not, lest ye be judged. This timeless wisdom has guided the Anglican Church for hundreds of years, fostering a certain tolerance of eccentricity among its members. This book celebrates the cream of the crop: the drinkers (and publicans), the inventors, the lion tamers, the suicidal missionaries, and even one piratical Archbishop. But despite their sometimes bizarre behaviour, many in the clergy saw the church as their true calling.

GIN O'CLOCK

by The Queen of Twitter

read by Elizabeth Charles

running time 5hrs 30mins

Taking in the momentous events of 2012, including the Jubilee celebrations and preparations for the London Olympics, these diaries reveal the seldom-seen workings of state and reveal how an octogenarian is quietly ruling the world and still has time for a gin.

HEAD OVER HEELS IN THE DALES

by Gervase Phinn

read by Andrew Burt

running time 10hrs 30mins

More reminiscences from the North Yorkshire Schools Inspector, who is now settling down to blissful married life with the radiant teacher from Winnery Nook School.

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE…: UNPUBLISHED LETTERS TO THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

by Iain Hollingshead (editor)

read by Patricia Mumford

running time 4hrs

This collection of unpublished letters to the Daily Telegraph features opinions on everything from the London Olympics to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, as well as the rather more obscure concerns voiced by ‘M’, the habitual correspondent who believes himself to be the head of MI5 but writes from an internet café in Bristol.

JAMES HERRIOT'S DOG STORIES

by James Herriot

read by Jim Swingler

running time 18hrs 50mins

A compilation of some of the best dog stories from James Herriot. Read about the dogs that have a special place in his heart, and others who only their owners could love. If you like James Herriot’s books you will love this one. If you have never read one before then this is an ideal first read.

LAST DAYS OF THE BUS CLUB

by Chris Stewart

read by Chris Stewart

running time 7hrs 45mins

It's two decades since Chris Stewart moved to his farm in the mountains of southern Spain and now a local literary celebrity, he is using his fame to help his old sheep-shearing partner find work on a raucous road trip, recalling his own first foray into the adult world of work.

MADE IN AMERICA

by Bill Bryson

read by Tony Lister

running time 22hrs

In his own inimitable style, Bill Bryson attempts to explain how American language, culture and society developed. Of course he illustrates his serious points with very funny anecdotes.

NARROW DOG TO INDIAN RIVER

by Terry Darlington

read by Steve Hodson

running time 8hrs 50mins

No-one had ever sailed an English narrowboat in the US before, but Terry and Monica Darlington and their whippet, Jim, take us on a dangerous, surprising and always entertaining journey. A thousand miles of the little-known South-East Seaboard unfold at six miles an hour- the golden marshes of the Carolinas, the incomparable cities of Charleston and Savannah, and the lost arcadias of Georgia and Florida.

OLD AGE AND HOW TO SURVIVE IT

by Edward Enfield

read by Bob Rollett

running time 2hrs 30mins

Old age comes to us all, and Edward Enfield wittily advises on how to survive its trickier obstacles, not least the people who suggest you must ‘do something’. One of the great delights of the golden years is doing less – from giving up DIY and ambition, to not inviting people to dinner!

PAM AYRES - DOWN THE LINE

by Pam Ayres

read by Pam Ayres

running time 3hrs

Blending Pam’s characteristically sharp wit with her warm, comic observations on everyday life, this hilariously funny collection is a must-have for seasoned fans and first time listeners alike. It also includes some of Pam’s more reflective poems including the title poem, Down the Line, which she wrote for the 100th Anniversary of the end of the First World War.

QUICKSAND TALES: THE MISADVENTURES OF KEGGIE CAREW

by Keggie Carew

read by Jilly Bond

running time 8hrs 15mins

Keggie Carew has an unerring instinct for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, of putting her foot in it, and making a hash of things. From the repercussions of a missing purse, to boiling a frog, or the holiday when the last thing you could possibly imagine happens, Keggie has been there. Here she shares her most embarrassing, awkward, uncomfortable, funny, true, terrible and all-too-relatable moments.

READING ALLOWED

by Chris Paling

read by David Thorpe

running time 8hrs 30mins

This is the true story of a small-town library, its staff, and the fascinating group of people who make up its ‘regulars’. We meet characters who are tragic, some amusing, some surreal, but together they paint a picture of the world we live in today, and of a library’s vital place within it.

THE SECRET TEACHER: DISPATCHES FROM THE CLASSROOM

by Anonymous

read by Paul Vates

running time 8hrs 30mins

In this vivid account of his first few years in the classroom, The Secret Teacher grapples with the complicated questions of how to teach, how we learn - and how little he actually knows. He celebrates the world’s greatest stories, the extraordinary teachers he has worked with, and the kids: bolshy, bright, funny and absolutely electric. The result is a book brimful of wit, insight and tenderness.

TALES OF THE COUNTRY

by Brian Viner

read by Bob Rollett

running time 10hrs 5mins

After eight years of living an enjoyable, city life, amongst like minded friends in Crouch End, Brian and Jane Viner move to deepest Hertfordshire with their three children. But why? Would they ever be more than a city family chasing a rural idyll?

UNDER THE PAW: CONFESSIONS OF A CAT MAN

by Tom Cox

read by Bob Rollett

running time 8hrs

Tom Cox, former rock critic, confesses that he is a closet cat lover. In fact, he owns seven of them. A hilarious and, at times heart-breaking story of feline obsession.

THE VIRGINIA MONOLOGUES: WHY GROWING OLD IS GREAT

by Virginia Ironside

read by Brenda White

running time 6hrs

Let Virginia Ironside take you through the top twenty reasons why getting old is good for you - and let the young and dumb keep their callow youth!

A WALK IN THE WOODS

by Bill Bryson

read by Richard Ratcliffe

running time 10hrs

The author and a friend hike the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuous footpath in the world which stretches along the East Coast of the United States through some of the most arresting landscapes in America. Their experiences are told in the author's hilarious style.

YE GODS!: TRAVELS IN GREECE

by Jill Dudley

read by Janet Alexander

running time 8hrs

A light and humorous read about Jill Dudley's travels around Greece, touching on the myths and legends of the old gods and how the early Greek Orthodox Church emerged from its pagan past. It is also about her own, sometimes comical, search for enlightenment.