Most of the time I enjoy reading a hard-boiled thriller, something full of suspense and mystery. I like action and, dare I say it, violence. It's what keeps me turning pages, especially when I care about the main character. A talented author has you asking the question, What is going to happen next?
So when I picked up Malcolm Kushner's Vintage Humor For Wine Lovers, I wasn't sure what to expect. Some wit, maybe. A few giggles, I suppose. Instead, what I discovered is page after page of wine one-liners, quotes about wine from the stars, news clips, cartoons and more. But did the book contain wit? Did it cause me to let out a few giggles? It sure did.
Vintage Humor For Wine Lovers is a compact book of jokes, really. For example, in a section on toasts, appropriately entitled "Toasted", Groucho Marx is quoted as having said: "I drink to your charm, your beauty and your brains — which gives you a rough idea of how hard up I am for a drink." And let's not forget the famous quote from Ol' Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, who once said, "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." The book even contains some bizarre state laws; did you know that in Fairbanks, Alaska, it is illegal to feed a moose any alcoholic beverages? That's just like in Ohio, where state law prohibits people from getting fish drunk.
From cover to cover, Kushner's collection of wine facts and fiction will keep you smiling and laughing, especially if you enjoy a nice glass (or two) of wine while you read. And remember what Lister once said: "A truly great wine should not leave you with a foam mustache."