The Book of Witty Women

by Kathy Lette, Sadia Azmat, Josie Long

15 laugh-out-loud short stories by outstanding contemporary female writers.This anthology showcases the very best in humorous short story writing by award-winning names, Kathy Lette, Josie Long, Sadia Azmat, Lucy Vine, and many more.It includes the shortlisted stories from the annual CWIP Comedy Short Story Prize. From hilarious episodes in the life of a new mother, through stories of awkward dates and mismatched friendship, to tales of village scandal and young con artistry, these sparkling stories range across a multitude of genres and themes. Each proves the power of the short story to disarm, tickle, entertain, or simply reduce you to helpless piles of laughter! Comedy Women In Print (CWIP) is the brainchild of comedian, author, actress Helen Lederer. Its aim is to recognise, celebrate and encourage witty women authors. This year Farrago sponsors the inaugural CWIP Comedy Short Story Prize. The judges for the 2023 prize are Yasmeen Khan, Olga Koch, Ria Lina, Chrissie Manby, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Abbie Headon.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary

331 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2024

About the author

Kathy Lette divides her time between being a full time writer,
demented mother (now there's a tautology) and trying to find a shopping trolley that doesn't have a clubbed wheel.

Kathy first achieved succés de scandale as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues, now a major motion picture.

After several years as a singer with the Salami Sisters and a newspaper columnist in Sydney and New York (collected in the book "Hit and Ms") and as a television sitcom writer for Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles, her novels, "Puberty Blues" (1979) "Girls Night Out" (1988), "The Llama Parlour" (1991), "Foetal Attraction" (1993), "Mad Cows" (1996),"Altar Ego" (1998) "Nip'N'Tuck" (2001), "Dead Sexy" (2003) and "How To Kill Your Husband (and other handy household hints)" (2006) became international best-sellers. Kathy Lette's plays include "Grommits", "Wet Dreams", "Perfect Mismatch" and "I'm So Happy For You I Really Am".

She lives in London with her husband and two children and has just finished a stint as writer in Residence at London's Savoy Hotel.

Kathy says that the best thing about being a writer is that you get to work in your jammies all day, drink heavily on the job and have affairs and call it research! (Although her husband says he should have the affair as it would give her a better book!)

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Supposed to be a collection that makes us ‘laugh out loud’, but practically, I *smiled* during only two of the fifteen tales. Very disappointing!

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The intent behind this fifteen-story collection is excellent. Rarely do we get to see the comedic voice of women. Whether in stand-up comedy or politics, comedians are mostly male. (That’s my little contribution to prove myself a witty woman! 😛) So to see an anthology penned by diverse women writers under the theme of wit gave me high hopes.

The maximum damage to this book is done by the tagline. ”Witty” doesn’t necessarily mean “funny”. It could also indicate “lively”, “amusing”, “inventive” or “quick-witted”. But as the tagline promises “laugh-out-loud stories”, I expected every story to contain varied doses of humour. This doesn’t happen at all.

The mood in the stories spans all the above meanings of wit, and goes even beyond that. But not all of them are funny. As is common in a multi-author anthology, some of the stories just don’t hit the bull’s eye, whether in terms of character detailing or plot development or satisfying endings.

I must admit, the content had plenty of comic potential. From competitive shopping as a sport to “penis puppeteering” (I don’t wanna explain that!) to a woman celebrating her 52nd birthday as her 50th one because the covid years don’t count, the themes touched upon the wacky and the weird. But somehow, the potential didn’t translate to an impactful execution.

One thing I have realised with respect to humour is that it can never be forced. It either leads naturally from the situation or it fails to induce a smile. In most of these stories, the jokes appear very forced, and that kills the vibe.

Of course, humour is a subjective emotion. What is funny to me might be eyeroll-inducing to someone else. In this entire collection, only two stories managed to make me grin. In fact, one of them is probably going to be among the top short stories I read this year; it hit the right notes on every level! Unfortunately, a single story cannot salvage the book from its fate.

Unlike the usual norm, the contributing author's bio is right at the start of each story, just below the title. I appreciate much more than having the bios pooled together in one lump at the end.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Except for the above two stories, the rest were all at 3.5 stars and below, with a couple of the tales even getting just a single star, not something that often happens for me during anthologies.

These were the two stunners of the book:

🤡 Double Date - Lucy Vine: This started off as a typical story, going well but nothing out of the ordinary. And then came the reveal that transformed the whole tale into a chuckle-worthy ride. Loved it! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🤡 Care Home Capers - Wendy Hood: If you thought that senior citizens in a care home enjoy all visits, this story will get you thinking! The best story in the book both in terms of premise and execution. Hilarious and heartwarming. Easily among my top favourite stories, ever! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

All in all, I am disappointed. I feel like I am betraying my own tribe by rating a collection of witty tales written by witty women so poorly. I can only hope that there is some reader out there who finds this collection hilarious and enticing.

2.7 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story.


My thanks to Farrago and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Book of Witty Women”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.





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[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

With varied themes and interesting characters, The Book of Witty Women features an interesting mix of fifteen short stories written by women writers.

Given the title and description of this anthology, I was hoping for a light-hearted read, but unfortunately, “laugh-out-loud” funny or “witty” it was not. I won’t be sharing individual ratings for the fifteen stories in this anthology like I usually do in my other reviews, simply because I have mixed feelings about most of them (arising from my preconceived notions for which I blame the title and the description, once again) and had I not been expecting a stronger element of wit or humor, this anthology would have garnered a higher rating.

As with most anthologies, I did like some more than others. Double Date by Lucy Vine, Care Home Capers by Wendy Hood and Go Your Own Way by Kimberley Adams were entertaining reads and I was mildly amused by a few others (Jenny Bean, Calamity Queen by Julia Wood, Glue by Clare Shaw and Hapless by R. Malik). Shopping For England by Kim Clayden, The Art of Genital Persuasion by Kathy Lette and Sorry, Delivery by Paula Lennon featured interesting premises but needed to be explored further.

Two of these stories surprised me in that they just broke my heart, which I’m quite sure wasn’t the intent of this book. I’m sorry, but I can't be that person who finds any kind of humor/amusement in certain themes. A story that features a woman being fat-shamed and blamed for her childlessness by her mother-in-law ( Ways With Mince by Kathryn Simmonds) or one about a woman on a cathartic and emotionally draining journey as she coming to terms with her role in the dissolution of her friendship with her childhood best friend (Nothing Compared To You by Annemarie Cancienne) . Unbound by Jean Ende was a moving read, but You Can't Get There From Here by J.Y. Saville, Fake It Till You Hate It by Sadia Azmat and Poets Rise Again by Josie Long failed to make an impact.

Though I did like several of the stories in this anthology, I can't help feeling a tad disappointed. I respect the fact that the same book/story might evoke different reactions from its readers, and while I wouldn't discourage anyone from exploring this anthology, in my humble opinion it would be wise to approach it keeping in mind that it might not be as entertaining as the description suggests.

Many thanks to Farrago for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book was published on April 25, 2024.

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[Caroline D’cruz · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest they need to remove the laugh out aloud mention from this book tittle because none of the stories made me laugh let aside out aloud. There were some stories I enjoyed but the others I honestly just couldn’t get through. The initial stories in the book were okay to read but not funny or witty. The writers definitely tried their best to be witty but it just didn’t tickle the readers funny bone. I had some great expectations from this book but I m disappointed.

Thanks to netgalley, the publishers and the author’s from this Arc.

[Fernanda Granzotto · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own *

Sorry, Delivery Paula Lennon-2 stars

Double Date Lucy Vine-3 stars

Unbound Jean Ende-1.5 stars

Jenny Bean, Calamity Queen Julia Wood-2 stars

You Can’t Get There From Here J.Y. Saville-1 star

Fake It Till You Hate It Sadia Azmat-3.5 stars

Glue Clare Shaw- 3 stars

Care Home Capers Wendy Hood-2.5 stars

Hapless R. Malik-DNF

Poets Rise Again Josie Long- 3 stars

Ways With Mince Kathryn Simmonds-2 stars

The Art of Genital Persuasion Kathy Lette-2 stars

Go Your Own Way Kimberley Adams-3 stars

Nothing Compared to You Annemarie Cancienne-2 stars

Shopping for England Kim Clayden-DNF

[Madison Pollard-Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made for a very interesting collection of short stories. I went into it expecting them all to be funny, and whilst there were funny bits in most of them, some of them were surprisingly moving.

I particularly enjoyed the twist in Lucy Vine's Double Date - hard to picture a cuter duo than Ava and Eliza.

Overall, this was a fun read, and the stories were all a nice contrast. Most of them felt like real people with genuine emotions and confusion and challenges, which I did enjoy. My least favourite of the bunch had to be Shopping for England, which felt like a vacuous way to end the book, particularly following on from the beautiful writing of Nothing Compared To You.

[Claire Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review:
The Book of Witty Women
Farrago, 25th April 2024

With a tagline of '15 new laugh-out-loud stories by women writers', an introduction by Helen Lederer and short stories from well-known names including Kathy Lette and Josie Long, I was very excited to feast my eyes on an early copy of this book.

Short stories can be wondrous works of magic that hook you in instantly. Of the fifteen on offer here, two did just that and made me chuckle, so kudos to Lucy Vine's Double Date and Wendy Hood's Care Home Capers. The remainder, unfortunately, failed to raise anything beyond a smile, much less the promised laugh-out-loud; on the whole, they fell rather flat and left me wanting.

Although I was disappointed that this book over-promised and under-delivered overall, the gems that shone compensated somewhat, and there were parts of some of the other stories I enjoyed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Farrago for the ARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#TheBookOfWittyWomen #Farrago #NetGalley #BookReview

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is a collection of fifteen short stories and is a great book to pick up as and when you want a quick read.
Some stories are better than others, and my two favourites were Lucy Vine's Double Date and Wendy Hood's Care Home Capers.
An interesting collection of short stories.
Thanks to Farrago and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Zara Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fabulous and entertaining collection of short stories! A real mix of characters made it a really refreshing, easy read. Some of these were written by authors I have read before, since were completely new to me but I’ll be looking out for more of their work, and a couple are actually local to my area. I appreciated the introduction to each author at the beginning of their story! I really enjoyed most of the tales in this book but my two favourites were ‘The art of genital persuasion’ by Kathy Lette, (I’ll never look at balloon modelling in the same way again), and ‘Go your own way’ by Kimberly Adams (I simply loved Nana!). Highly recommend if you fancy something lighthearted to dip in and out of!

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for the gifted proof this title in return for an honest review.

This book contains the following 15 stories:

- Sorry, Delivery - Paula Lennon
- Double Date - Lucy Vine
- Unbound - Jean Ende
- Jenny Bean, Calamity Queen - Julia Wood
- You Can't Get There From Here - J.Y. Saville
- Fake It Till You Hate It - Sadia Azmat
- Glue - Clare Shaw
- Care Home Capers - Wendy Hood
- Hapless - R. Malik
- Poets Rise Again - Josie Long
- Ways With Mince - Kathryn Simmonds
- The Art of Genital Persuasion - Kathy Lette
- Go Your Own Way - Kimberley Adams
- Nothing Compared To You - Annemarie Cancienne
- Shopping For England - Kim Clayden

I was initially going to review each story separately but I realised I was saying near enough the same thing in each review, so to stop repeating myself, I scrapped that idea.

I will state now that my favourite three were:

- Sorry, Delivery by Paula Lennon: Not something I would call funny, but it is an enjoyable story. I really liked it and would love to have read it made into a longer story as I think it's got great potential to expand further.
- Double Date by Lucy Vine: Again, not particularly funny, but it is sweet. For a short story, there was a twist quite early on which was nice, as I often find that short stories don't have the time for twists, so that was a surprise.
- Jenny Bean, Calamity Queen by Julia Wood: This was the only one I found remotely amusing and it was very relatable.

Whilst I did enjoy reading these stories, I think they made a mistake saying "laugh-out-loud" stories on the front cover, as I didn't find any of them funny. They weren't bad; they were interesting and entertaining, some happy, some sadder, some I enjoyed more than others. But the "15 new laugh-out-loud stories" was a bit of a false advertising for me, as I didn't laugh at any of them. Maybe that's just my sense of humour, as it's a very subjective thing.

I think if it had just been called "witty women", it would have been fine, as for me, wit could mean originality or cleverness etc. which are categories these stories do fit it. If they'd just said "witty", then if you did find any of them funny then that's a bonus, but by promising hilarious stories, it falls short and you're disappointed.

But I do appreciate seeing a collection of stories by women that aren't just your usual romcoms. Don't get me wrong, I love a romcom, I could read them all day every day. But generally speaking, it seems that women are often seen as the writers of romance, things that are a bit fluffier perhaps, and that comedy should be left to the men. So I really liked that this book gave them the chance to show off their comedy chops - even if they weren't hugely funny.

It has peaked my interest though for some of the writers, as I had only heard of Josie Long, so that gives me new authors to explore. What I really liked was they were all different. Which is ideal in an anthology, otherwise they all become samey and a bit boring, but these are all very clearly different voices and then you get a different enjoyment out of them.

I read it from start to finish, how I would read a normal novel, but it is ideal for people who don't have much reading time. It can be read on the commute, or on the toilet (if you so wish to) or in that 10 minutes you might get before your head hits the pillow.

The stories are a mixed bag of heartwarming, uplifting, sad, happy, and interesting. But I was slightly let down by the lack of promised humour.

[tals · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this collection of short stories, but unfortunately these really fell flat for me. I was expecting to be belly laughing from start to finish with the promise of fifteen laugh out loud short stories, but I found them rather boring. There were definitely some I enjoyed more than others, but none I would rate over 2.5 stars on their own.
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Thank you NetGalley and Farrago for the opportunity to review this book.

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Witty Women is a good read, especially if you aspire to be a witty woman yourself. All of the stories are clever and well written, and smart one-liners and hilarious throwaway lines appear throughout the book. I am saying this at the start because the rest of my comments may seem negative, even though they are intended as constructive criticism. My defence is - I was given a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Labelling this anthology of humorous stories by women writers as ‘laugh-out-loud’ has done it a serious disservice, because one person’s ‘laugh-out-loud’ moment is another person’s moment of boredom. For example, I cannot abide slapstick, but my partner thinks Home Alone is the funniest film ever. On the other hand, I giggle all through Have I Got News For You, while he watches it stony-faced. The Book of Witty Women contains 15 stories written by 15 very different personalities, in 15 very different styles. There is no way on earth all of them could make everyone laugh out loud.
That said, I laughed a bit at most of these stories, and a lot at some of them. Even the ones which did not make me laugh caused me to crack a wry smile. I briefly laughed out loud at You Can’t Get There From Here by J.Y.Saville and Glue by Clare Shaw, because I found the situations relatable. The only story I can honestly describe as joyful is Care Home Capers by Wendy Hood. Of the others, I preferred the stories where a slow pace builds up to a strong punch line or a big reveal. Several stories, such as Ways With Mince by Kathryn Simmonds, contain very funny incidents but have an underlying sadness. Perhaps women’s humour is a defence against sorrows which men do not experience.
I am a big fan of Comedy Women in Print, and I look forward to their future endeavours.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of short stories is supported by the Comedy Women in Print organisation (CWIP), founded by Helen Lederer, who introduces this collection. One of the prizes awarded by CWIP is for the best comic short story, and the collection begins with the 2023 winner by Paula Lennon. Spread through the other 14 stories are the rest of the 2023 shortlist, accompanied by stories from more established comedy novelists such as Kathy Lette, Lucy Vine, and stand-ups turned author Josie Long and Sadia Azmat.

My absolute favourite which really made me chuckle was ‘Glue’ by Clare Shaw. It begins with a woman who has been in therapy making a bold decision.

I’m going out without my mother and I’m not only going out all on my own, I’m going to help save the world. Yes, me, Gillian Braithwaite of thirty-one Acacia Avenue, collector of cereal packets and Rick Astley memorabilia is about to leave the house. On my own, I tell you, without the person I have been glued to all my life as if we are used Christmas cards stuck side by side in a scrapbook made by Matt Baker.

Gillian is going on a climate protest, little does she realise she’ll end up on the news for accidentally gluing herself to a Tesco checkout. There were some nice cultural references in this one.

You can’t help but chuckle too at ‘Double Date’ by Lucy Vine once you realise who the narrator is, I won’t give it away. Only Kathy Lette could write a story about two women auditioning men’s penises for a new production of The Puppetry of the Penis show. Lette has always been a writer who calls a spade a spade, and it is ‘penis’ all the way, no dicks or willies here! Josie Long’s story was clever and slightly sinister, about two con-women with a unique psychological take on their marks; that got a good smirk from me.

The styles are very varied, from out and out farce to the strange, rom coms and one with a good dollop of schmalz, that made me smile even though you could see where it was going. The characters and settings are as varied as the styles, from a narcoleptic to care home residents. And there are hamsters and dogs, funerals and birthday parties, there are letters and emails too, oh, and recorders! The main thing is that the narrators are themselves the butt of the joke rather than taking the mickey out of the others.

All power to the CWIP!

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's great to see a collection of short stories which feature both established and up-and-coming writers. What makes the book ground breaking is that it's the first ever anthology dedicated to comedy writing by women authors.

The publicity describes the book as "laugh-out-loud," but it isn't, and if you buy it on this basis, you'll be disappointed. You'll find some gentle humour in every day situations, plus some more surreal settings for the stories.

The real value of an anthology like this is two fold: it introduces us to new writers who are active with podcasts, plays or other creative pursuits where we can find them, and it's a moment in time. An anthology freezes the thoughts and attitudes of women in 2023 into one volume. What will people make of the language, for example, in 50 years' time?

I'll share my two favourite stories. In You Can't Get Here by J Y Saville, Ian pretends he's going to the work conference every year but in reality he escapes to the Lake District. His wife Patty knows it because it's always on the credit card bills, and he takes his binoculars. But when fire puts a premature end to the conference, and Patty says she will pick him up, Ian tries to get back to Brighton without Patty getting suspicious. Much confusion ensues.

[Sophie Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of heartwarming, wise and often witty stories written by women. You are not being mis-sold in the title.

My stand out story is Lucy Vine’s ‘Double Date’ which had a very unexpected protagonist and was just lovely. Others I really enjoyed were ‘Glue’ by Clare Shaw which was very funny and very poignant; ‘Ways with Mince’ by Kathryn Simmonds where poor Sue has the world’s most awful mother-in-law; ‘The Art of Genital Persuasion’ Kathy Lette a look into the underrated world of penis puppeteering; and finally the pain of ‘Nothing Compared to You’ Annemarie Cancienne which cut to my heart.

This is a lovely collection of short stories, really great for readers who want to dip their toe in without committing to a novel.

This collection is full of tales of women looking out for each other, women competing (shopping gets serious) and women just trying to get by. There’s also one about a man and a pig which didn’t really fit the pattern but was equally as enjoyable.

Would highly recommend for a nice, comforting unwind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Duckworth Books for my #arc

[Bookshortie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of 15 humorous short stories is just what I needed after a long day at work.

What I liked is that I could pick up this book and read as many or as few of the stories that I wanted to. It's definitely a book that I would turn to if I was in a reading slump or wanted to read something that wasn’t particularly long. The stories were brilliant and no two were the same. They were all funny, memorable and had me giggling or laughing out loud. I liked that the subject range of each story varied from arranging a birthday party, to arranging a funeral, to travelling home while keeping a secret, a story told from the perspective of a dog, to a character inadvertently gluing themselves to a supermarket check out. It’s the range of stories that made this feel like a fresh read for me. As I started a new story I was introduced to a new character and their world. In some instances I wished that the story was a little longer and would have happily read more to find out what happened next. For example what the next step was for Shamaila in Fake It Till You Make It.

I really enjoyed all of the stories but if I had to pick a favourite it would be Care Home Capers. That was the story that really made me laugh and warmed my heart because it involved a school choir and recorder group who attend a care home for the elderly and the residents aren’t completely ecstatic about the experience. However it does make them set up their own choir and put on a performance for the children at school.

A range of stories that will make you smile.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am a fan of anthologies. I like the variety and the ability to devour the book in bite sized chunks. There are always stories I like better than others but this was one anthology that I found the spread between those I liked and disliked was mammoth. Some of them were self deprecating and funny. I enjoy that kind of humour which I think is very much a female trait. Some of the stories were hard to get through. They were not funny but very harsh or nasty. It was not something that I expected from the title.

Humour, like tastes of any kind, are highly subjective. So what I did not like might be someone else’s cup of tea. Even though there were stories that did turn me off, the ones I liked, such as the 50th birthday story, were so delightful, I can still recommend the book but with a lower rating. Three purrs and two paws up.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was not the book I was expecting it to be. “15 new laugh-out-loud stories by women writers” I unfortunately didn’t find these stories to be Laugh-out-loud for the most part, and I’m someone who laughs out loud because of books very often. I liked most of the stories, and I’m always down for a collection of stories written by women, but I found the title of the book and what is said on the cover to be very misleading. This is a mixture of so many types of stories, some threw me off going from one to the other.
There were definitely stories that I very much enjoyed in this, but there were also some that I did not enjoy at all.

[Emily | bookwhispererem · Rating 3 out of 5]

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 “𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡-𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝” 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 (𝟏𝟓 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐲. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮!

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓈, 𝐹𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very much a mixed bag of short stories for me. I expected from the title for them to be funny, but most weren’t at all. One (Hapless) was so awful I skipped it entirely. A handful I enjoyed but none were especially brilliant.

Kathy Lette, Helen Lederer and Josie Long mentioned on the cover - their contributions are ok, but I wouldn’t rush out to buy this book for a friend. A shame, because these kind of collections, mixed with humour, usually make fantastic gifts to cheer people up. This was certainly not “Laugh out loud” as promised on the cover. I managed two sniggers….

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Amna Waqar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories. Some were quite entertaining such as Julia Woods' Jenny Bean Calamity Queen and Kathryn Simmonds' Ways With Mince. I really could have read much more about these characters' lives. Double Date was a delight and quite poignant. Other stories were quite odd - Hapless & Shopping For England - I'm looking at you.

Despite there not being as much wit as I had hoped for, overall this anthology is quite an enjoyable read.

NetGalley and Duckworth Books provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book of Witty Women ♀️

⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. There are various authors in this book, some I had heard of previously and some who were new to me.

Contained in this book are various short stories that gave me a little giggle. This book is so easy to just pick up when you need a little laugh.

I would recommend this book for when you need a pick me up and if you are looking to come across some new female authors!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*

[Maureen Stapleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful collection of stories, created in collaboration with the Comedy Women in Print Prize*, aims to make people laugh, and for me, it worked.

The wonderful thing about short story collections is that if you don't like one story, you can move on to the next. Admittedly, not all the stories worked for me- comedy can be like that-- but that's okay. I simply moved on and found delight with the next one.

A lovely pick-me-up for anyone who needs some light and laughs in their life.

*Full disclosure: I work on this literary prize, so I probably am biased.

[Persnickety · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Hysterical, Smart, and Unapologetically Female

The Book of Witty Women is a joyride of laugh-out-loud brilliance. Each short story delivers a unique punch of humor—from darkly absurd to slyly satirical—crafted by an all-star lineup of women writers. Whether it’s con artists, accidental hamster deaths, or surreal canine dating, the scenarios are as unpredictable as they are hilarious. This anthology isn’t just funny—it’s sharp, clever, and refreshingly original. A must-read for anyone who loves smart comedy with a feminist twist.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for: Lovers of British humour

Summary: From murder mysteries to funny double dates, from dark British homour to fun British satire.

Review: I was disappointed in this book. I had a few guffaws but wanted more LOLs! Some stories were more sad than satire. Also, with the majority of the stories the reader had to understand and/or know British history and slang.

Best story: Ways With Mince
By Kathryn Simmonds
—> About an argument with a woman and her mother-in-law

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty is as witty does…

The wittiness described in this group of female writers holds up to its title, with some of the short stories more amusing and lighthearted than others. There were undertones of sadness in a few that the reader should be able to catch on to.
I appreciate the collection of authors that is showcased.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy read, this is the book for you.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Farrago for the early ARC copy.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m currently loving exploring the short story genre, and the title and comic collective of this book really caught my attention.

Some stories really made me laugh out loud others weren’t quite as strong but overall I enjoyed the collection. The book felt well composed and the stories complimented each other. Thanks netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

[Amy Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Witty Women is a wonderful anthology of short stories written by some very funny women. The stories are all different covering so many aspects of life, including friendship, relationships, family, food and shopping! Every story brought a smile to my face and on top of being funny, most were heartwarming and poignant too.

Amongst my favourites were ‘Ways with Mince’ by Kathryn Simmonds, a hilarious tale of a woman starved by her mother-in-law and ‘Double Date’ by Lucy Vine, a beautiful love story told from the POV of a woman’s best friend.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was perfect for dipping into one story at a time, especially when I found myself with a free half an hour. Thank-you NetGalley and Farrago for sending me this ARC for free, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I believe until now I have only read horror anthologies, but I'm glad I decided to explore The Book of Witty Woman. I did laugh or giggle quite a bit and was exposed to an entirely new literary world. Highly recommend

[Elaine M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories, some made me laugh out loud.

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5⭐️

Full review on NetGalley