Pel Dalton leads an uneventful life. His days are spend bluffing his way through an IT job in the university library, pillow-fighting with his two sons, surviving family outings to the supermarket, and finding new things to argue about with Ursula, his German girlfriend. But things for Pel are about to change...
In this rupturingly funny tale of love, fatherhood, Anglo-German relations and being in all the wrong places at all the wrong times, Pel discovers that sometimes the things that drive you crazy can be the only things that keep you sane.

Based on his website of the same name, which can be found here.

An amusing read which I finished in the bath last night. Without giving too much away, I love how some of the sub-stories aren't actually finished, kinda makes it seem more real to me. And I could actually relate to a few of the things they argued about, which was scary... I'm not actually Ursula, really I'm not!
I think I might Ring this one, once I get organised enough to do it.

BookRing Instructions:
1. This Ring is CLOSED!
2. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
3. When you finish the book, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written? Or was it total rubbish?
4. Continue the BookRing by checking this journal entry for the latest list, and sending a PM to the person after you on the list requesting their postal address.
5. Most importantly, ENJOY!

Participants:

1. Crystaljade
   
2. LizzieM
   
3. catsalive
   
4. kirst040
   
5. michyj
   
6. oneirus (US)
   
7. bean-frog (UK)
   
8. sarahbear
   
9. xoddam
   
10. freelunch
    
11. YOU?

... then back to me.

Sent to Crystaljade today to kick off the Ring - hope you enjoy it :-)

Arrived safely (sorry for the delay journaling it, moving house and broken PC contributed to that). Will read it when I can, and get it passed on.

Quite an amusing book. I enjoyed it.

Posted 12 April

Just arrived today, along with two other rings! Will try and hurry through this one so it moves along swiftly.

I haven't finished this and think i need to just send it on without doing so.... amusing in parts and a great light read, but just not what i'm in the mood for this month, sadly! Hopefully catsalive will enjoy this more than me. Thanks to Sabavana for sharing :)

Book received, thanks LizzieM. What pretty butterflies.

I was disappointed with this book. I didn't find it particularly funny, although I did enjoy Pel's sessions with Tracy & Roo, and some of the arguments between Pel & Ursula. The last couple of pages were entertaining too. I think I expected more, having read the website.

Thanks, Sabavana. I'll get this off to kirst040 ASAP. Posted 14/6/6.

Arrived today. Will read next. Thanks.

I feel a bit indifferent about this. Although it had a few funny moments I didn't really love it but there was nothing really offensive about it either. After reading the website I too was expecting a little bit more I guess.

Thanks for sharing Sabavana, I have PM'd michyj and will mail it on once I get her address.

Mailing to michyj tomorrow 4 July 2006.

Just received this in the mail today, looking forward to reading it.

My mind couldn't get in to this right away, so I thought I'd just pass it on without finishing it. Thanks for the chance to read it though Sabavana. Mailed to oneirus today via seamail.

I received this a few days ago. I have another book ahead of it in line, but will get to it ASAP. Thanks!

I agree with many of the comments here and other reviews I've read - not as good as the website, but still some funny moments and worth reading. The only part that had me really laughing out loud was the "window" scene. I will message the next person on the list and send it out as soon as I get their address.

Sent 11/14/06.

This book was excellent, it had a bizarre and surprising storyline, fantastic characters, and I loved it!

This arrived while I was away so I am a couple of days late journalling it.

I've already made my attempt and to be honest I rate it as absolute crap. I'm not going to give it a third shot. I tried...I failed.

Contacting xoddam for an address.

Thanks for sharing this book. I believe its important to subject oneself to rubbish from time to time so that you can benefit and appreciate truely great stories.

Posting today.

Caught! about a week ago, sorry ... I''ve been out of the BookCrossing loop. Thanks for sharing, everyone!

I couldn't put this down, once I finally got around to picking it up.

It is intensely reminiscent of a brilliant book I once read, written in 1969. It's called My Brow is Wet, it's by one Keith Leopold (who taught German at the University of Queensland) and has been out of print for decades. If anyone can get me a copy (without spending fifty bucks at a rip-off merchant dealer, it's not a first edition of Gone with the Wind) I want it. My Brow is Wet was set in a then-fictitious Queensland University of Technology (not pronounced "cute" like the real QUT but vulgarly as QUoT). I went to a university in north-eastern NSW called UNE. Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About is set in a university in north-eastern England called UoNE. It would be delightful to discover that Mil Millington had written Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About as a partial homage to My Brow Is Wet, and yet it would be very surprising if he ever even heard of it.

Anyway. The man who told me, when we were both 16 years old, that I *must* read My Brow Is Wet, has a blog, which is (or would be if it had a good copyeditor) a golden repository of the kind of humour Mil Millington does so well. I hear from this guy about once every eighteen months, and it so happened that he emailed me exactly as I was picking up Millington's book, and I couldn't stop thinking about everything they have in common, except of course for German family members which I have in plenty myself.

So maybe it's just me, but I found this book pretty special, unputdownable, I was laughing out loud on the bus and in the kitchen, barely sticking my index finger in it as I crossed Broadway against the lights, that sort of thing. I'd be lying if I gave it ten out of ten because it's no literary masterpiece, but it's really special and I can think of at least six people I feel like telling "You have to read this book. Now." But I'd have to give them My Brow is Wet too and I can't find it.

I liked it. A lot. IMO the website doesn't measure up -- needs a good editor. I'd rather read Alex's blog.

In the mail to freelunch this morning.

received today, thanks xoddam (and thanks Sabavana for organizing this ring)

an amusing read, particularly the 'scenes' with Pel, Tracy and Roo and those with Pel and Ursula.

and I agree with xoddam that this book is reminiscent of My Brow Is Wet (but Keith Leopold did it better!)

Thanks again Sabavana for sharing, I'm posting it home today...

Made it home to me! Thanks everyone for participating, hope you got even just a couple of chuckles out of it :-)

Will wild release this one when I get a chance...

Sending to catbot as a RABCK - enjoy!

Part of Sabavana's "Give a huge parcel of books to CatBot out of awsome generosity and enthusiasm" RABCK!! THANK YOU! :D :D