What do you think?
Rate this book
An Annoyance of Neighbours
Life is never dull when you have neighbours!
Neighbours – we all have them. Whether they’re amazing or the bane of your life, everyone has a story about them.
Have you ever had a disagreement with a neighbour?
Have your neighbours ever woken you up shouting? Slamming doors? Revving a car?
Do you avoid your neighbours because they’re irritating, boring or nosy?
Do you sometimes wish you had normal neighbours?
Or do your neighbours go out of their way to help you?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these, then this book is for you!
Written with humour, insight and perception, this book explores our relationships with our neighbours, how they work, why they break down and the strategies we all employ to survive. An Annoyance of Neighbours will help you to identify and classify your neighbours, discover how to remedy a relationship and take the quiz to find out what kind of neighbour you are. This book will appeal to anyone who is curious about their neighbours, as well as those who wish to ease unresolved tension with theirs.
Neighbours – we all have them. Whether they’re amazing or the bane of your life, everyone has a story about them.
Have you ever had a disagreement with a neighbour?
Have your neighbours ever woken you up shouting? Slamming doors? Revving a car?
Do you avoid your neighbours because they’re irritating, boring or nosy?
Do you sometimes wish you had normal neighbours?
Or do your neighbours go out of their way to help you?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these, then this book is for you!
Written with humour, insight and perception, this book explores our relationships with our neighbours, how they work, why they break down and the strategies we all employ to survive. An Annoyance of Neighbours will help you to identify and classify your neighbours, discover how to remedy a relationship and take the quiz to find out what kind of neighbour you are. This book will appeal to anyone who is curious about their neighbours, as well as those who wish to ease unresolved tension with theirs.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2016
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 25, 2016
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Well I have lived at a few different addresses, so I have had my fair share of neighbours. A few good neighbours and a large share of not so good neighbours too! So I was looking forward to looking at the different classifications of neighbours as well as learning how to handle them. I like "people watching" so I guess this book is also a way of doing that maybe I can work out which category my own neighbours are in!
So I'm approaching this book looking forward to a lighthearted read that's hopefully both entertaining and informative! I am hoping for a snicker, a giggle and maybe even a few lol's from this one!
THOUGHTS WHILST READING
21% "Oh wow I am recognising some of these neighbour types!"
32%
"ah what not to say or gleefully point out to your vegan neighbours."
43% "I really didn't realise there were so many neighbour types! Is it really bad that I recognise quite a few of them though?"
59% "I think though I have my mum & daughter living with me and my dad a few streets away I fall into the "Self sufficient loner neighbour""
87% "What does your, door colour, house name, rug or door knocker say about you?"
COVER COMMENTS
This cover features a lot! It's packed full of different depictions of neighbourhood disputes, from noisy motorbikes, children playing football and causing damage, as well as barking dogs! The cover of this book really does reminds me of a "wheres Wally picture" or the "spot the difference" puzzle. The title is in capital letters and done in a childlike, maybe graffiti like style, which still manages to draw your eye on a rather busy cover.
So would the cover make me pick this book up from a bookstore shelf? Yes, the cover is so busy and that title would make me want to learn more about the book too.
REVIEW
I received an e-copy of this one from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
So this book sets out to teach you about your neighbours by classifying them into categories using a traffic light system. So Green for a great neighbour, the type everyone wants to be and to have. The Amber is a neighbour that is okay to live near and is probably the category most of us will fall into regardless of whether we want to admit it or not! Then of course there's the Red, a neighbour you certainly would not want to wish to be or live next door to.
To recap, and put even more simply Green = perfect, Amber = be careful, Red = avoid at all costs!
I'll give a couple of examples of the Neighbour types described in the book. .
A Green Neighbour would be an angelic grandma/grandpa type, you should nurture this type of neighbour and try not to take her/him for granted.
A Red Neighbour would be a stingy neighbour, these neighbours are not short of money, they just don't want to spend it. there is a very fine line between being frugal and downright stingy. An old saying that comes to mind about this type of person is that they have "short arms and deep pockets".
This book has an extremely long list of neighbour types such as,The Snooping Neightbour, The Problem Solving Neighbour, The Social Climbing Neighbour, The Frenemy Neighbour . . .the list goes on and on and is extensive. Once or twice I found myself comparing the neighbours I have had with those described in the book.
The book also gives list of nicknames for neightbours such as "twat in a hat" which is based on a physical feature, motormouthbased on behavioural trait, and goes on to list other basis for nicknames too which is quite an amusing section of the book.
I enjoyed the quiz contained in the book so you can find out what type of neighbour you are yourself and I really liked the quotes by famous people such as Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde at the beginning of each chapter.
I do admit the lists of types of neighbours felt like it was endless and did irritate a little with it being so long!
On a serious not the book also covers how to manage your neighbours too, so it does have practical information too as well as being a rather witty, if at times ironic/sarcastic book to read.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, though it did seem a little lengthy and maybe a tad over descriptive in parts for a witty, fun read.
Would I recommend the book? Yes, I suppose its a book you could dip in and out of easily and read it alongside of another book too.
Would I want to read other titles by this author? I think would take a look at any other comedic titles by this author.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Certainly an interesting read, and sort of makes you look at the funny side of dealing with your neighbour problems as well as giving a few coping strategies for you to try.
This book is an interesting, tongue in cheek look at what "type of neighbours" you may have. What their traits are, and what if anything you can do to change things for the better.
January 4, 2019
Very amusing look at the kinds of neighbours that might be encountered. Can we see ourselves in any of them? Ends with sensible advice about how to deal with problem neighbours (English law which might not be the same in other jurisdictions)
October 14, 2016
Thank you NetGalley and author Angela Lightbun for this book in exchange for an honest review.
The good, the bad and the ugly, (not literally obviously) neighbours. Neighbours come in all shapes and sizes and in all different ways. Some times great, others not so much. We all got em, we all have our own stories of many different types of them. Sometimes you love them and sometimes you want to take a flying leap at them. They are things that you can't escape from unless you win the lottery and go and buy a nice big house in the country with no one else around for miles. Ive had my fair share of interesting neighbours over the years. With lots of stories to share.
This book sets out to prove that life is never dull when you have neighbours. Take a look at some of the questions below and see if you answer yes to any of them.
Ever had a disagreement with a neighbour?
Have your neighbours ever woke you up shouting? Having sex? Slamming doors? Revving their cars? Drilling? Being drunk?
Do you try to avoid your neighbours at all costs? Because they are nosey? Annoying? Irritating?
Do you ever wish you had normal neighbours? Ones you can get along with and invite round for tea?
If you have answered yes to one of these or many of these as my case was. Then this book is very much for you. Or did you answer no to these questions? In which case the neighbours written about in this book could be you. In which case you very much need to read this book. (If you have ever wondered what kind of neighbour you are there is a fun quiz in this book which will let you know)
Written by a journalist with a journalistic and sociology point of view, with plenty of laugh out loud moment (just don't laugh too loud or the neighbours might complain about you
The good, the bad and the ugly, (not literally obviously) neighbours. Neighbours come in all shapes and sizes and in all different ways. Some times great, others not so much. We all got em, we all have our own stories of many different types of them. Sometimes you love them and sometimes you want to take a flying leap at them. They are things that you can't escape from unless you win the lottery and go and buy a nice big house in the country with no one else around for miles. Ive had my fair share of interesting neighbours over the years. With lots of stories to share.
This book sets out to prove that life is never dull when you have neighbours. Take a look at some of the questions below and see if you answer yes to any of them.
Ever had a disagreement with a neighbour?
Have your neighbours ever woke you up shouting? Having sex? Slamming doors? Revving their cars? Drilling? Being drunk?
Do you try to avoid your neighbours at all costs? Because they are nosey? Annoying? Irritating?
Do you ever wish you had normal neighbours? Ones you can get along with and invite round for tea?
If you have answered yes to one of these or many of these as my case was. Then this book is very much for you. Or did you answer no to these questions? In which case the neighbours written about in this book could be you. In which case you very much need to read this book. (If you have ever wondered what kind of neighbour you are there is a fun quiz in this book which will let you know)
Written by a journalist with a journalistic and sociology point of view, with plenty of laugh out loud moment (just don't laugh too loud or the neighbours might complain about you
September 16, 2016
Neighbours come in different sizes, ages or provided with more or less or at all sense of humour. Written with the fine sense of observation of the journalist and sociologist and served with big laughs. In the author's words: 'The collective noun for neighbours is an 'annoyance' or a 'nerve', and we all know just how annoying and frazzling on the nerves neighbours can be'. The book is a 'humorous collection of neighbour stereotypes, not meant to be taken too seriously or literally'. And here they are, all your past, present - sorry guys - and even future people with whom you share more or less willingly your living space. It help you to map, identify and read your neighbour, just because you need to have an annoyance free life and life is short anyway.
The sense of humour is irresistible and found myself more than twice laughing out loud - just hope my neighbours are fine with that. Some cases might go far beyong the limit of normality, but what is normality, anyway...
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review
The sense of humour is irresistible and found myself more than twice laughing out loud - just hope my neighbours are fine with that. Some cases might go far beyong the limit of normality, but what is normality, anyway...
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review
October 20, 2016
Lightburn has penned a book about the different types of neighbors one may encounter in life. 58 different kinds, to be exact. Her observations tend to be spot-on.
I have lived in many places in the United States, in the West, in the East, and in the Midwest. About a dozen places in all. Each location was a crap-shoot on the type of neighbors we would have. Lightburn has identified them all, and then some. As I was reading this, I couldn't help saying to myself, "Yes, that's "so-and-so" to a T"! I ended up reading some of the entries to my wife, to see if she agreed. We both had some good laughs over it. A fun, easy to read book.
I have lived in many places in the United States, in the West, in the East, and in the Midwest. About a dozen places in all. Each location was a crap-shoot on the type of neighbors we would have. Lightburn has identified them all, and then some. As I was reading this, I couldn't help saying to myself, "Yes, that's "so-and-so" to a T"! I ended up reading some of the entries to my wife, to see if she agreed. We both had some good laughs over it. A fun, easy to read book.
September 15, 2016
Absolutely spot on with the different types of neighbors. I especially loved the Absent Minded Professor and the quiz at the end that determined what kind of neighbor you are. I guess the reason for the one star was that I lost interest after the 10th profile or so...so to have over 50 was a bit much. Reading started to become a chore, and I hate that.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews