SCOTLAND'S HAPPY FAMILY ARE UP TO THEIR USUAL TRICKS

I“ I

0.. nuts I ' " ll . . A if“ 7 t (“I In- I‘u.‘ . im-fl.fl.i;:“l ' .‘l . ' f y- 1“ ' a ' " 'V .

\\‘

Hardy annua

( A .. v 50 V

From satirical stocking fillers to trouble on Glebe Street, this year’s batch of hardback picture books brings Matt Meade out in a nostalgic sweat

nnualx \\ ere onee the sole preer e of the )oung. Bo_\\ had their Ht’tlllf' and girls got their .lliini/i'. Seotx hooted at the eharmingl} litil‘llllllillt' plotlinex Hi The limo/1.x. \xhile the I‘.ligli\li.

one imaginex. manelled at the axinine 'ad\enture\‘ ol

Rupert the Bear and hix ehumx. The range ol‘ adult titlex axailable this \eaxon is huge. lior man}. the reeehing ol' an annual has been a (‘hrixtmax eonxtant and not one the} eonxider relinquixhing into adulthood. Reading these hardbaek pieture bookx reeapturex a time \\ hen. \tlslztiltcd onl} b_\ a \eleetion bo\. )oti eould happil) de\our 'l'lri' [Mm/i" in a single \itting. \xhile bigger. more expensix e presents nailed their turn for our attention. Here \\ e reeommend the piek of the buneh to enjo} in peaee tor \\ hen the llt-l;t\\\ linall_\ depart and when the _\uletide tell} ix. as l’axx Broon might xa}. minee.

Viz: The Pearl Necklace ll)('lll1l\ l’u/i/rxliluei presents a ‘lu\uriou\ \tring ot' uneultured gemx' from I.\.\UC.\ l-l: 10 ISI UT Bi'lltllllK ITL‘xl-u‘lllllg‘ ITLHHI} eomie. Forget the lat Slagx and head straight l‘or I‘Ttl T Bunn. the Master Baker and lil\ (iingerbread Se\ l)oll\. and also the indomitable aleoholie Iiigltt .»\ee. The Top Tips seetion ix eonsixtentl} brilliant too. .\'ot an edit-\ing Christmas read. but “ith a title like that )ou don't expect otherxxise. The Private Eye Annual tl’rii'uli' lire) ma} not be as ele\ er as it think\ it ix. but works great as an it're\erent neux re\ie\\ of Bill)? Lampooning exer}thing from l'lxter to lxlam. and rebuking figures of tabloid populixm through well- placed speeeh-bubbles. it’s the obxioux ehoiee for an} fan of the satirical stoeking tiller.

|i\erei\e )our eerebral mass \xith the GI Annual Il-ii/ii'i'l. This book ol "general ignoranee' e\pand\ on Stephen H} \ popular te|e\ ixion \hou. u ith eontributionx l‘rom panellists Rob Br} don. .lo Brand and Bill Baile}. \Veit'd liaetx. dtteflioltx \xhieh \xill stump and a great |a_\out make thix a \land—out title in the annual\ market. l'r} e\aggerate\ on|_\ a bit \\ hen he elaims it \\ ill 'eauxe nothing but rapture and enehantment ol‘ the highest. giddiext kindf Red— l‘ltmtlL‘tl tnale l'L‘;ttlet‘\ \\lll (L‘l'lttllil) IVL'CI thew \enxationx upon opening the WWE Divas Wrestling Annual ll’i'i/ieri'i'i. \tliieh has to be \een to be belie\ed. The pietut'ex ol' ‘aetion' \eene\ from 'light\' belueen thexe bu\om goddexxex rand there\ plent} of them) |ea\e little to the imagination. Sueating female limbs enmine. \kirtx ride up. and aggrexxixel} orgaxmie l'aeex pout in delightful \xa} \.

Thirt}\omething l‘emalex \xill eet'tainl} enjo} the Best of Jackie Il)(' 'I‘liumwiii. though \\ hen it eoinex to eontent. The Broons Annual ll)(~ ‘l‘liumwni blim \ all the other titles aua}. Seotland'x happ} lamil} are up to their“ ll\tlttl tr‘iekx that in\at‘iabl_\ lead to Man Broon being blaek-al‘t'ronted either b} Pan Broon'x ineorrigible behaxiour ijingxf l. Daphne'x glutton} le‘l‘l\\Cll\IIl. or (irandpau\ and urrxeernl} “an thelp ma boabTTTi. Its all happening on (ilebe Street. :\l\o eheek out \\ hat eould be SeotlandK bextxelling title thix (‘hrixtmax Maw Broon’s Cookbook Il)(' TllillllVI/ll \thieh inelude\ heart} Seottixh reeipex for \toxiex. Seoteh pie~. and ~- )ou guessed it e minee. Bt‘au.

All annuals are out now.

THE BEST BOOKS. chics i; EVENTS

>i< All Smith The Inverness- born. Cambridge-based writer reads from her Canongate myth. Girl Meets Boy. and discusses how mus:c influences her work. The Liquid Room. Edinburgh, Wed 12 Dec.

Jackie Kay The award, winning poet and author reads from Darling: New and Selected Poems. a recent collection which features tributes to everyone from Maw Broon to the late writer Julia Darling. National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Wed 5 Dec.

>2: Annuals Rediscover your youth with a selection of the year's top hardbacked tomes. See preview. left. Various publishers.

>l< Oliver Sacks With Musicophi/ia, the acclaimed author and neurologist examines the power of music through the everyday experiences of his patients. See review. page 30. Picador.

as Alistair Findlay (ed) Get over the Scots failure to qualify for Euro ‘08 with an entertaining and thought—provoking collection of football poems. including entries by Edwin Morgan. John Burnside and William Mcllvanney. See review. page 30. Luath.

>i< Jason The cult Norwegian cartoonist features a time- travelling assassin attempting to rewrite history by getting shot of Adolf Hitler. Deadpan and enjoyable stuff. See review. page 31. Fantagraphics.

>t< Bryan Lee O’Malloy Pop culture references abound in this Canadian artist's tale of a 23- year-old slacker with no hope to speak of. Scott Pilgrim is no ordinary anti-hero. See review. page 31. Oni Press.

: I»; 2/. ' THE LIST 29