Product Description
Bestselling author and radio storytelling sensation Stuart McLean revisits the heartwarming and hilarious friends from his iconic Vinyl Cafe.

Dave and his wife Morley would no doubt tell you that life is what you make it. Unfortunately for them, that means a compilation tape of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings, and muddle. That's not to say that there is anything particularly unusual about the family and friends at the Vinyl Cafe. After all, who wouldn't try to toilet-train a cat? Who hasn't started a small home fix-it job only to set fire to the walls? Created mass hysteria at a school concert? Lost an aging relative while visiting our nation's capital?

Vinyl Cafe Unplugged is a warm and delightful collection of stories following the common foibles and everyday absurdities of family life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This book warmed my mornings for weeks
I read this book in the 20 minutes between getting out of my carpool and starting morning classes.I carried it around in my purse for several weeks - it was just a wonderful, warming, cheerful start to each morning, so much so that I felt I had to "save" the book and keep myself from reading it at any other time - even though I definitely wanted to just keep going!I agree with other reviewers, these stories were both touching and down-to-earth.And so funny!I think the Christmas pageant one was my favorite, because it was like one perfectly building crescendo of disaster, and it had me literally in stitches.This is a great read for anyone who needs a little boost to their day.Highly recommended!

Vinyl Cafe Unplugged
In //Vinyl Café Unplugged//, Canadian author and host of the CBC radio program //The Vinyl Café// (a sort of Canadian //Prairie Home Companion//) Stuart McLean invites his readers once again into the lives of the characters that inhabit his radio show and multiple other Vinyl Café books. A series of vignettes, none over 25 pages, //Vinyl Café Unplugged// offers a series of misadventures in the domestic and inner lives of his protagonist Dave, a used record shop owner, his wife Morley, their children, dog, neighbors and relatives. It is by turns amusing, touching and ridiculous, with the kind of relaxed, unpretentious narrative and what verges on down-home wisdom that, while perhaps less than popular in the high art sect, is leagues away from the saccharine, cloying sweetness of the likes of Nicholas Sparks, yet still manages to be heart-warming and endearing.

The stories in //Vinyl Café Unplugged// range from quirky tales about the family dog to the male relationship to home improvement tools to a literally explosive Christmas pageant, and contain nuggets of wisdom, mostly of the home grown variety, as well as fun anecdotes about life, domesticity, aging, and finding what you love in life. Not a great book by any means, but a solidly GOOD--and entertaining--one.

Reviewed by Ashley McCall

Some real down home humour!
If Pierre Berton is lauded as the premier Canadian historian then we have to give the laurel leaves to Stuart McLean as the quintessential Canadian storyteller!

"Vinyl Cafe Unplugged", the third in a series, is a series of short tales about a generic but lovable Canadian family - Dave and his wife, Morley, plus their kids, Stephanie and Sam. More a hobby than a real business, Dave puts on a game face and likes to pretend that he's gainfully occupied with his used record business, the Vinyl Cafe.

The stories are anything but deep and complex. In fact, they positively reek of politeness, simplicity, candid joy, love and the plain old down home niceness that typifies the Canadian that is unabashedly stereotyped the world round. The humour is wry, sardonic, ironic and subdued - only rarely of the out loud belly laugh variety. But McLean's tales in this witty collection never fail to amuse while they're providing the odd underlying moral text that never even sniffs in the direction of preaching.

Perhaps a comparison to Garrison Keillor's "Lake Wobegon Days" would provide a potential American reader with a better idea of the flavour of Stuart McLean's impressive repertoire of stories.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

Clever enough to be funny, honest enough to be touching
I picked this book up on a whim, having no idea what it was about or who Stuart McLean was. I'm glad I made such a foolish purchase.

This book (which is a collection of short stories) is the third in the Vinyl Cafe series, following the lives of a "simple" family from Toronto; husband Dave, wife Morley, and kids Stephanie and Sam. Dave owns a used record store (the Vinyl Cafe, who's motto is "We may not be big, but we're small"). Morley works in theatre. They have a dog, they have a cat, they have quirky neighbours; they have a normal life.

The book, however, is anything but normal. Instead of simply plodding along, the book gives us strong comedic stories about universal things that uncondescendingly give a message or moral.

"Love Never Ends" is a touching story about a letter Dave receives from the widow of a man who knew growing up. It sounds like weak material, but you'll either be smiling or crying when you finish. "The Fly" sees Dave swallow one after throwing a chain letter away... and doing whatever he can to get it out of him. "Christmas Presents" follows the family through the Christmas season, as they try to make gifts for each other... with varying results.

The best may be "Harrison Ford's Toes", in where Morley finds an old Tamagotchi she was supposed to give Sam for Christmas a few years before. She decides to hide it from Dave when he comes in the room, too ashamed to admit she'd lost it and forgot about it. She pretends to be reading a magazine with Harrison Ford on the cover and makes a silly comment about how perfect Harrison Ford's Toes are. Let's just say that over the next few days, Dave tries his best to get his toes to look better than Mr. Ford's, and that when Morley begins to spend a bit too much time with the Tamagotchi.

I recomend this book to literally anyone who likes to read. It's the kind of book for all of us who've ever tried to toilet train our cat, or has ever had the sprinklers go off during a Christmas pageant, or has ever worried about their son's knitting habit. Go buy it. Enjoy.

Very, very funny
Funniest book I've read since "A Walk in the Woods". Characters are real, situations are believeable and it's just plain fun. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Small town Canada writ large!
In Stories From the Vinyl Café, Stuart McLean has presented a picture of Canadian life, culture and values that will recall Garrison Keillor's successful portrayal of life in small town America in "Lake Wobegon Days".

There's no thread or plot to speak of - only a randomly collected grouping of fictional short stories that are brilliantly distilled from McLean's singularly astute observations of Canadian people as a skilled journalist. There's a father struggling to cope with his teenage daughter who wants to get a tattoo; the wife who can't figure out how to tell her husband that she was collared for shop-lifting; the difficulties of buying a jock strap; the lighter side of blood pressure machines in the local pharmacy; the man who works his knickers into a frenzied knot over a neighbour he fancies stole his favourite shirt off their clothesline; the young boys wrestling with the moral dilemma of finding $2300 in an envelope in front of the local bank machine; and many more.

If these sound inane, I can't help but agree! But what better way to reflect the realities of our daily lives?

McLean's mastery of story-telling and dialogue hits the Canadian nail right on the head with a writing style that is at once witty, quirky, heart-warming, earnest, humorous, compelling and utterly charming! I should have read this years ago.

Paul Weiss

Great stories about marriage
I loved this book.I've had it on my shelf for months and I wish I would have cracked it open sooner if I had known how funny it was.Keep this one in your purse, these little 5 page stories about life, family and marriage will make standing in line so much more enjoyable.I'll never look at blood pressure machine in the pharmacy without laughing again.

Comedically Touching
I'll admit it, this was the first book by Stuart McLean that I had ever read, and I never put it down. Each short story was a twist of new comedic surprise. What I liked most about this collection of short stories, is that each one stems from the last. I also enjoyed reading about a Canadian family, and about thier hectic lifes in rural Ottawa. I immidiatly beagn reading Home from the Vynil Cafe, by Stuart McLean, after I had finished Stories from the Vynil Cafe. The only draw back I can find with this book, is that it is simply too short! I was devestated when my page turner had no more pages to turn.

I could have died laughing
I was tootaling along in my car listening for the first time to an audio tape of Stuart McLean reading his Stories from the Vinyl Cafe.I almost ran off the road because I was laughing so hard.

Every time I hear the story of the jock strap I start to howl all over again.And so it is with so many of his stories.

I want to send the tapes to my children and friends and particularly, my enemies. I am sure they will not think sobadly of someone who sent them such merriment.[...]

A poor example of fiction, masquerading as fact.
After reading this text I was physically sick in several locations of my local shopping centre. Needless to say, the book needs a lot more editing before it could pass as a script for any high school assessment, and I findit hard to believe that it has sold more than ten thousand copies in theUnited States alone. Had I been the publisher, as I wish I had been, Iwould have recommended a total overhall of the story-line as well as thetotal removal of some of the weak characters that are the basis of thenovel. I like death metal. ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to the world of the Vinyl CafŽ. Meet Dave, the owner of the world's smallest record store. Meet his pal, Kenny Wong, who runs Wong's Scottish Meat Pies. Meet Dave's wife and their children who, along with everyone else in town, bump and stumble through a hilarious year of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings, and muddle.

Whether it's the mystery of sending kids to camp, the dangers of putting up Christmas lights, or the potential for mayhem at the grocery store, in the hands of humorist and master storyteller Stuart McLean the chaotic melody of daily life is underscored by the harmonious sounds of family, friends, and neighbors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A gem
If you aren't lucky enough to be able to listen to Stuart McLean's weekly radio program ("The Vinyl Cafe") on CBC radio, then by all means pick up a copy of this book.You'll get to meet many of the quirky characters that populate Stuart'sstories and have some great laughs along the way."Polly Anderson's Christmas Party" is a favorite at our house.

The hardest I've ever laughed while reading
There were many funny stories in this book, (Sourdough and Burd being among my favorites,) but also some good heartwarming life lessons. Like the story about the lottery winner Emil and his principles, and the overall theme of the everyday ups and downs of life and family relationships. I really liked how the complexity of feelings for family was conveyed. Great read!

On a whim
I picked this up on a whim in a used bookstore because I needed something to read while waiting for my son to finish with an appointment.What a find!Mr. McLean has a terrific eye and ear for wry observations and dialog, especially concerning kids and teenagers.And then there is his wit, sharpened by the fact that he laughs most readily, ultimately, at himself.I haven't laughed this hard since James Thurber, Garrison Keillor, and David Sedaris.

From a high schooler
I picked this book out of a list given to me by my 12th grade english teacher. After searching everywhere i ordered it off amazon and am very pleased i did. it is an amazingly light, funny story about a 'stock' family that is a great summer read. i recommend it to both guys and girls, great book!

Entertaining and heartwarming
I can see why Stuart McLean is one of Canada's beloved storytellers through the warmth, humanity and humor of his stories. My favorite stories came early in the book, one of them being "Turkey" which starts off both the book and the Winter section. The description of the turkey before it was roasted had me and my husband howling with laughter. Another favorite is the one about the birthday party, especially the scene where Dave tries to frost the cake while it is still warm. My husband recently made the same mistake when he was frosting my birthday cake. I think there is enough depth to this collection of stories that most any one can come away with a favorite story or at least a favorite scene. ... Read more

Product Description
From flea to whale there's one common driving force: the craving for sex. Indeed hamsters are so randy they often have sex seventy-five times a day. We may criticise pigs for their poor hygiene but when it comes to sex they sure take home the bacon, having orgasms that last a cock-boggling thirty minutes! However, for most men the urge to find a mate and have sex is delicately counter-balanced by the overwhelming desire to sit on the sofa watching telly while eating burgers and downing copious amounts of lager. So, if this describes you, this book is the perfect read. It will tell you everything you need to know about sex from 'easy ways to meet chicks' to fun positions - and will show you how to do it all with the very minimum of effort. So, crack open another six pack, lie back comfortably and be prepared to be sexucated! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

funny, cute, well worth it.a canadian lake wobegon
i'm giving this book only 4 stars because i can't give it 4 3/4 stars, and though it isn't "OH MY GOD READ THIS" material, it is a great solid book, worth your time, with nothing i can say negetive about it. i would reccommend it to anyone who enjoys good stories told well.i saw this book in the airport and bought it. i know nothing of the vinyl cafe show (i do now, after reading on the internet about it) so it is all new to me.
the writing is flawless. quick, to the point, not pretentious, humorous.the stories are interesting and the perfect lenght. they don't drag on and they are not too brief.
i like the way the book is divided, four main chapters, one for each member of the family, and in each chapter four or so stories about that person.
again, the writing is direct and interesting, it flows. it is entertaining for anyone, regardless of your interests of sense of humor.a very good book.

Saunter, don't sprint through this gem
When I first began to read Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe series a number of years ago, I was struck at the comfort of his writing style.Part of that comes from his training as an on-air story teller.He has a Sunday morning radio show on CBC where he tells his stories to a live audience in small venues as he travells around Canada.That experience with instant audience reaction has trained him in his writing style.
His stories remind me of a freshly turned garden.They smell natural, the people are of the earth.The stories are simple, but when planted, grow on you, like a flower, into something beautiful.Don't rush through the book.This is one best read one story at a time, with time in between to reflect on similar experiences you may have had during your lifetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book on small town Canada yet
This should be required reading in every grade seven class in Canada.McLean has that ability to tease out the common humanity in all his stories. Never far from a tongue in cheek comment- he slides the truth right under your eyes.He looks atMaple Creek Sask, Dresden Ont, St-Jean-de-Matha Que, SackvilleNB, Foxwarren Man, Nakusp BC, Ferryland Nfld. If you can find this book, read it and think about a part of Canada that we have lost,but not forgotten. ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to the world of the Vinyl Cafe. Meet Dave, the proud owner of the world's smallest record store. Meet his pal, Kenny Wong, who runs Wong's Scottish Meat Pies. Meet Dave's wife and their children. Watch while they all bump and stumble through a hilarious year of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings, and muddle.

The adventures begin in December with Dave's disastrous yet inspired attempts to cook the family turkey. And they move through the seasons to the following Christmas's fiasco, when Dave accidentally spikes the kids' punch bowl at his neighbor's Christmas soiree.

Home from the Vinyl Cafe also explores the tender awkwardness of first love, the challenges presented by a dying guinea pig, and the answer to the question of why a teenager would rather eat vegetables and clean his room than go on a family vacation.

Whether it's the mystery of sending kids to camp, the dangers of putting up Christmas lights, or the potential for mayhem at the grocery store, in the hands of humorist and master storyteller Stuart McLean the chaotic melody of daily life is underscored by the harmonious sounds of family, friends, and neighbors.

Warm, witty, and moving, these stories will walk right into your life and make themselves at home.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A gem
If you aren't lucky enough to be able to listen to Stuart McLean's weekly radio program ("The Vinyl Cafe") on CBC radio, then by all means pick up a copy of this book.You'll get to meet many of the quirky characters that populate Stuart'sstories and have some great laughs along the way."Polly Anderson's Christmas Party" is a favorite at our house.

The hardest I've ever laughed while reading
There were many funny stories in this book, (Sourdough and Burd being among my favorites,) but also some good heartwarming life lessons. Like the story about the lottery winner Emil and his principles, and the overall theme of the everyday ups and downs of life and family relationships. I really liked how the complexity of feelings for family was conveyed. Great read!

On a whim
I picked this up on a whim in a used bookstore because I needed something to read while waiting for my son to finish with an appointment.What a find!Mr. McLean has a terrific eye and ear for wry observations and dialog, especially concerning kids and teenagers.And then there is his wit, sharpened by the fact that he laughs most readily, ultimately, at himself.I haven't laughed this hard since James Thurber, Garrison Keillor, and David Sedaris.

From a high schooler
I picked this book out of a list given to me by my 12th grade english teacher. After searching everywhere i ordered it off amazon and am very pleased i did. it is an amazingly light, funny story about a 'stock' family that is a great summer read. i recommend it to both guys and girls, great book!

Entertaining and heartwarming
I can see why Stuart McLean is one of Canada's beloved storytellers through the warmth, humanity and humor of his stories. My favorite stories came early in the book, one of them being "Turkey" which starts off both the book and the Winter section. The description of the turkey before it was roasted had me and my husband howling with laughter. Another favorite is the one about the birthday party, especially the scene where Dave tries to frost the cake while it is still warm. My husband recently made the same mistake when he was frosting my birthday cake. I think there is enough depth to this collection of stories that most any one can come away with a favorite story or at least a favorite scene. ... Read more

Product Description
The heartwarming and award-winning humorist is back.

Another delightful collection from Stuart McLean, "a natural storyeller...in the modern line of Peter DeVries [and] Garrison Keillor" (Billy Collins).

Here, the international bestselling author and hit radio personality explores the misdemeanors and transgressions, as well as clandestine matters of the heart, concerning the variety of characters (and their secrets) who populate the Vinyl Cafe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

O Canada
I laughed so hard the dog came out barking to see what the fuss was.

I love Stuart McLean
After listening to Stuart McLean's radio show on NPR and then reading one his books when visiting my daughter (near Montreal) I decided I wanted to read all of his books.I bought as many as I could find through amazon.com and have loved each one of them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful
I must have listened to these CDs about 100 times by now. That's how much I enjoy them. I received them as a gift when I was spending a lonely Xmas in a foreign country. As soon as I turned it on, I fely like I wa back in Canada. Great as a gift or to buy for yourself.

Stuart McLean is man!
If you have never heard Stuart McLean he is a story teller. His stories keep your interest and they will have you in stitches most of the time. VERY VERY FUNNY!

The material seems to be all "G" rated, so the whole family can enjoy them.

I love all his CD's and Highly recommend them.

A Christmas Collection (Vinyl Cafe)
A collection of past Christmas stories read on Radio show Vinyl Cafe by host Stuart Mclean. Most entertaining, and often hilarius stories of small town and family situations and misunderstanding.

A Great Story Teller
Stuart Mclean has been spinning yarns for many years in my country-Canada. This collection is one of many produced over the years. Finially, a Christmas collection. If you like the Christmas season & you like a great storyteller "doing his thing" you will love this CD.It is "down home country" in a Christmas setting.OH--find a quiet room & turn down the lights & ENJOY! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Vinyl Cafe Stories
I got hooked on the Dave stories listening to the Vinyl Cafe on the radio.I played these stories for my relatives in the car and it was an enjoyable time.

Everyone laughs
We heard Polly Anderson's Christmas Party first on a CD of Christmas music belonging to one of our college age daughters, then bought this out of curiosity. I loved it, my husband loved it, our daughters loved it, and my mother-in-law loved it. I even lent it to a co-worker who needed a good laugh and he loved it. Keep it in your car for a sure-fire mood-lifter on your way home from a hard day at the office as Dave and Morley navigate the trials of parenthood. Suitable for family listening.

Great Listening! You won't stop laughing!
We first heard Stuart McLean on a CD of Christmas music.We had to listen to his story 3 times straight becuase we all laughed so hard and loud we would miss parts of the story. This CD has that story, "Polly Anderson's Christmas Party." In addition, when you listen to the other stories before "Polly" then you will get some of the content of this story.Every story from beginning to end is a HOOT! We listen to his stories over and over again.They are just as good the 5th time around as they were the first.We bought all his other CD's, as well.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Outstanding CD!
Stuart McLean is a world class story teller with unbelievable comedic timing. His stories crack me up. Also, as far as I know, all his material is "G" rated, so the whole family can enjoy!

Fabulous, clean humor!
You will not believe how much you will just laugh out loud at this Vinyl Cafe CD (and all the others!).This is humorous story telling at its best.My whole family enjoys these CDs.I don't know of anyone who won't get lost in laughter with any of the Vinyl Cafe CDs.

entertainment
Stuart McLean does it again.Don't hit the road without one of his CDs and this one is no exception.Laughing out loud certainly makes the time go faster. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to the 25 best golf courses in South Africa. Providing comprehensive coverage of these courses, this book features a hole-by-hole description of each layout, including tips on how to approach difficult holes and obstacles. It also recreates major tournaments, with exciting moments and play-offs between well-known local and international golfers. The narration of the development of the courses creates an overall picture of the history, tradition and advance of golf in South Africa. ... Read more