Joey Slinger

After his wife was literally scared to death by a trio of thugs, 81 year old Ballentine decides he needs a hobby, and what better hobby is there than revenge. He also decides that his new hobby will take so much time that he won't be able to do things such as cook and clean. So he moves into a retirement home. Soon his new friends are helping him with his hobby, and proposing even more people who the world would be better off without.

This book is very funny, but a few of the incidents (such as the arrowroot cookie bit) were just too far over the top for this story. But all in all it was an enjoyable read.… (mehr)

#1, 2005

This was a Christmas gift from my mum, and an enjoyable read. It's a book about birds and birding, told with tongue firmly in cheek. Funny and sarcastic, the guy pokes fun at some of the ridiculous things done by both birds and birders, and he's pretty accurate in his assesments. He's particularly hard on birders who take themselves too seriously, so if you fall into this category, you might want to avoid this book. ::grin:: I also liked his "hit list" at the end, in which he gives some tips on identifying major groups and some species of birds. Some of his comments were exactly spot-on, for example, he comments that a crow that turns out to be a woodpecker is a Lewis', and that was my experience exactly. And how little streaky goldfinches are pine siskins. If you're a birder with a sense of humor, you'll probably enjoy this book and learn a few things. I think it would also be good for people who are interested in learning more about birds, and the quirks of watching them. 7/10.… (mehr)