Book maestro Robert Kelly shares the common sentiment that for many of us things are a little glum at the moment.
He's therefore compiled a list of whimsical silly books that might lift your spirits.
Photo: Supplied
“Basically, I’m looking at books that will make you feel lighter, that will lift you, that are a bit silly and where the conflict is inconsequential,” he says.
Charlie Savage by Roddy Doyle
An Irish serialised novel - first published over a year in the Irish Independent - is a wonderful story of ageing disgracefully.
“It’s a true periodical in the true 19th century sense of the genre and it’s about a man called Charlie Savage,” Robert says.
“It’s brilliant, I loved it so much I read it in about a day.
“One of the main story lines is that his daughter convinces him to become a social media influencer called The Shouter because he stands by the radio and yells at the BBC all day.”
The Idiot by Elif Bautman
Robert hasn’t read this one but says it is supposed to be just spectacularly funny” and was a big hit in his former life as a bookseller.
“Hera Lyndsay Bird gave everyone a copy of The Idiot before they walked out the door and that’s a high enough recommendation for me
The book is about Selin, a tall, highly strung Turkish-American from New Jersey who turns up at Harvard and finds herself dangerously overwhelmed by the challenges and possibilities of adulthood.
Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
Priestdaddy, is Lockwood’s memoir of her upbringing as the daughter of a married Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism, becoming one of the few married Catholic priests.
The book chronicles her return as an adult to live in her father's home when she falls on hard times.
“I cried laughing about four times during it.
“If you need a complete escape into someone else’s domestic family drama Priestdaddy is probably a good one.”
Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Scottish second-hand book dealer Shaun Bythell charts the highs and lows of a year in the life of a man passionate and knowledgeable about books, struggling to make a living in rural Britain in the age of Amazon.
From Wigtown in Scotland, he searches for rare books, strikes deals, tries to manage eccentric staff members and deals with awkward tourists.
Dylan Horrocks - Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen
Cartoonist Sam Zabel hasn't drawn a comic in years. Stuck in a nightmare of creative block and despair, Sam spends his days writing superhero stories for a large American comics publisher and staring at a blank piece of paper, unable to draw a single line.
“It’s very funny it’s complete escapism and it’s beautiful so if you’re looking for a New Zealand chapter of whimsy
The Adventures of Asterix
A long-time favourite of Robert’s.
A comic series about Gaulish warriors, who have adventures and fight the Roman Empire during the era of Julius Caesar.
The series is still going strong since first appearing in 1959.
Johnny and the Dead - Terry Pratchett
The second novel by Terry Pratchett to feature the character Johnny Maxwell. In this story, Johnny sees and speaks with the spirits (they object to the term "ghost") of those interred in his local cemetery and tries to help them when their home is threatened.
The Bromeliad To the thousands of tiny gnomes living under the floorboards of a large department Store, there is no Outside. No Day or Night, no Sun or Rain. They're just daft old legends. Until they hear the devastating news that the Store is to be demolished…
Other recommendations:
Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
P.G. Woodehouse - Jeeves and Wooster
Jasper Fforde - All books
