Aura Libraries Flintshire: 10 funny reads, plus grab and go bags

With 2020 drawing to a close, Aura Libraries have put together a list of funny reading recommendations based off some of the most popular comedy books written over the past 10 years.

We hope these recommendations make you laugh, keep you feeling positive, and put a smile on your face as we jump into a new decade! Without further ado, here are some of the funniest books to have been written over the last decade:

• I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron (2011)

• Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011)

• The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2016)

• The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry (2016)

• The Wangs vs The World by Jade Chang (2016)

• Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sim (2017)

• Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe (2019)

• Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen (2019)

• At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien (2019)

• Grown Ups by Marian Keyes (2020)

All of these titles are available to borrow from either our library branches or as e-books or audiobooks. Get in touch with us to find out more.

Author of the Month

The Aura Libraries author of the month for December 2020 is the wonderful Jeanette Winterson. From novels to short stories and essays, time after time, Jeanette Winterson has dazzled readers with her writing and is certainly one of our most beloved authors here at Aura Libraries.

Whether you are discovering her books for the very first time, or revisiting some of her best known and loved titles, we have put together a small reading list to set you off on a Jeanette Winterson adventure! Enjoy!

Aura Libraries top recommendation: Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days (2016) - a perfect starting point to Jeanette Winterson, especially with Christmas on its way!

Where it all began: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1985) - Winterson’s debut novel is a fabulous coming of age tale about youth, belonging and identity.

The Passion (1987) - a historic novel which centres upon a young French soldier in the Napoleonic army.

The game changers: Written On The Body (1992) - iconic for its poetic prose, this novel explores the complexity of relationships in its depiction of a consuming affair between a married woman and the nameless narrator, whose gender is unknown.

The PowerBook (2000) - set in London, Paris, Capri and even cyberspace, this novel is powerful in name and in prose, exploring fairy tales, myths and popular culture to draw its reader in.

A writer for all ages: Tanglewreck (2006) - a novel for young readers about 11-year-old Silver who lives in a house called Tanglewreck that is all tangled up in time warps and time tornados!

The Lion, The Unicorn and Me: The Donkey's Christmas Story (2009) - a magical Christmas story for young readers: perfect for this time of year.

More recently: The Gap of Time (2015): a fabulous retelling of Shakespeare’s beloved The Winter’s Tale.

Frankissstein: A Love Story (2019) - a reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein, a love story like no other!

All of these by Jeanette Winterson are available to borrow either from the library or as an e-book or audiobook. To access most online library resources you will need to enter your library membership number and pin. If you are unsure of your pin, please email us at: libraries@aura.wales All links and further details about our digital library resources can be found on our website: www.aura.wales/libraries

Join the library online

If you are not already a library member but would like to become one, you can join online via the Aura Wales website for free instant access to hundreds of library resources such as e-books, audiobooks, e-magazines and e-comics. These resources can be downloaded straight from our online providers such as Borrowbox, RBdigital and pressreader to a PC, Laptop or Mac. Alternatively, you can download the apps directly to a smartphone or tablet.

A Christmas present from the library

We have some fabulously festive ‘grab and go’ bags available at our libraries this Christmas season which include a collection of tempting titles lovingly chosen by our wonderful library assistants. Pick up a bag during your next visit to the library and enjoy a Christmas blind date with a book!

We have got lots of Christmassy activities for you to enjoy from the comfort of your home. From online Christmas Crafts to extra special Rhymetime and Storytime sessions, your library is here to help you get into the festive spirit – and that’s not even to mention our fabulous Christmas carol sing-a-long! To keep up to date with all our online library activities, visit our Facebook page at @LlyfrgelloeddAuraLibraries, Twitter page at @LibFlintshire and Instagram page at @aura.wales.

From everyone here at Aura Libraries, thank you for reading, stay safe and we hope to hear from you or see you soon! Whilst we may be facing difficult times, remember: we are always united by books!

• Aura is a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation responsible for managing the majority of leisure, libraries and heritage services in Flintshire. Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities.