The Loved One seems to get more humorous after the first couple of chapters.

Most of the first chapter is a mess. But I'll keep going.

Next time this category comes around I will be checking the Amazon rankings and Goodreads genre lists. I say that because while I loved Midnight Riot I wouldn't classify it as a "humor" book and apparently not very many people do.

On the other hand, although I haven't read The Loved One, it's not available at my library, at least when I look at the Amazon rankings it is in several humor lists and the genres that users of Goodreads list it as include "humor". Humor is certainly subjective but looking might help us choose something a larger percentage of people will agree is humor, even if it isn't "funny ha-ha" type humor like satire.

I've just started the third chapter. So far, not even as much as a smile. To be honest, so far, it's not grabbing me at all.

I've reached chapter five. Where is the humor? So far this book is a mistake to have been picked. I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish it. But I'll give chapter five a go and see if it gets any better.

Jon -- do us all a favour, please? This is the VOTE thread, and the voting is OVER. Some of us have yet to read the selected book and frankly you're not helping. Save your commentary for the discussion thread where it belongs!

The only thing I am saying is that this book is not funny so far.

THIS IS NOT THE DISCUSSION THREAD, JON.

I heard you the first time. I've asked politely. Now I'm asking with menace. Next time, I'll report to the mods.

I read a lot of police procedurals too - American and English (Deborah Crombie, Ian Rankin, Tess Gerritsen -- if these count as procedurals). I finished Aaronovitch, and sorta enjoyed it, but I won't be back, if there is a next book. Oh well -- I had already bought that last March or so (cheaply) -- because I had heard the author's name. Now I know. :D

PS (okay to discuss books NOT winning the vote?)

There seem to be many Aaronovitch fans; why not start a new, dedicated thread? You might get more hits than in a defunct poll thread. :)

But generally speaking, all discussion is good and I'd say it's open season on any of the books that lost.

Yup, I'm a fan. Unabashedly. But certainly, we can discuss the other books here or in their own threads. I only complained because I didn't want to preclude the book we are supposedly reading this month.

Just an observation for possible consideration when making future nominations in the humor category. I may be totally off base here, but based on what I did read of Midnight Riot I'm wondering if much of the humor apparent to some was from the book being a parody or satire of a genre of detective novels? If so I would suggest that for such books (parodies or satires) the humor is only apparent to readers with more than passing interest and familiarity with the books being parodied or satirized?

Well ..... I read almost solely in the detective novel genre. And while I enjoyed "Midnight Riot", I still didn't find it humorous. It's merely paranormal detective fiction, not really satire IMHO.

I mean -- that could be considered parody, but given how many other genres are branching into the paranormal, it didn't seem like parody or satire to me. Just detective+paranormal.

The Loved One is just not funny at all.

For me, the humour is in Peter. His stream of consciousness, his commentary on what he's doing and saying, just have me chuckling away. I suspect some of that is that I read a LOT of British novels, especially Police Procedurals. But I can't really say why I find it funny beyond that. But I know my DW has exactly the same reaction, and she hates anything fantasy or especially urban fantasy by default. His commentary in the opening scenes about his potential future as a Police is a classic and when I re-read it the other day still had me laughing.