You only need to read one or two to get the plot formula, but the Stephanie Plum novels are lol funny. I had a few times where I was reading when my husband was asleep and I had to leave the room after I woke him up.
@Judy It looks like it! But I usually read thrillers, detective stories or rather “heavy” classics… Nothing hilarious… I’ve just put David Sedaris on my TBR list! ?
@DeeAnn I’m asking because I feel intrigued by the many times this author was mentioned in this thread… So I was wondering which of his novels to pick… Hence my question…
@Chloé He writes essays about his life experiences, like moving to France and learning the language, or being an elf at Macys NY on xmas. He’s terribly witty and sees the world in delightfully slanted way. His sister is a comedic actress, so his family stories are great. Me Talk Pretty One Day is my favorite because I studied French, but all have value and are LOL funny.
Neil Patrick Harris’s autobiography is hella funny too, if biographies are your thing. Any book by Lauren Graham, biography included. Food, by Zack Gaffigan.
I think I need to add Candide and The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel ( when I was minoring in French, we had to choose three French authors. Voltaire and Rabelais were my favs. I still find the two titles here hilarious!)
So many! Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Bill Bryson come immediately to mind. Tony Hawks’ “Round Ireland with a Fridge”. Howard of Warwick’s “Hermitage” series. I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I post this lol
T.R. Pearson, A Short History of a Small Place. Small-town North Carolina, where the big event of the week is the Wednesday arrival in mailboxes of the Roses sale flyer and the grande dame of the town keeps a pet monkey who climbs to the top of the flagpole in her yard every day and pees on the folks on the sidewalk – and the locals take bets on who can stand the closest and still stay dry. Oh, my sides!
All books by Iranian-American humorist Firoozeh Dumas: Funny in Farsi, Laughing Without an Accent, and It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel. Each book is one long charming giggle!
The Secrets of Harry Bright by Joseph Wambaugh. Dark humor in an otherwise serious and sad story. I was reading it on an airpalne and I kept laughing outloud. I may need to go back and read it again.
I don’t read many funny books, but the ones I loved and consider the best from what I read so far are Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, as well as all the books in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I always laugh when I read Pratchett..
Personal fave, not mentioned yet as far as I’ve glimpsed: The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (Prague). The style is cunningly brilliant, had me thinking and yawning, then giggling with glee, as layers and layers were revealed. Immediately upon finishing I wanted to reread, and start the adventure all over again…digging for “buried treasure” I missed the first go-round.
You only need to read one or two to get the plot formula, but the Stephanie Plum novels are lol funny. I had a few times where I was reading when my husband was asleep and I had to leave the room after I woke him up.
Yes!
This series does make me laugh out loud.
I totally agree!! Books 1-6 had me crying laughing!!
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
You stole my answer! ?
A Confederacy of Dunces
And tragic now that I know about the author.
Confederacy gets my vote
Good Omens by Gaiman and prachett
Sleeping with your gynecologist. I laughed so hard I cried.
Of course! Not in my library system!!! ?
Me Talk Pretty One Day.
all Sedaris!
Funniest if you listen to him read the audiobooks
Sometimes I just think about it & start laughing!
@Adele You can’t kill the Rooster might be my all time favorite piece of writing. I laugh every time.
Gold Coast
Ferrol Sams trilogy.
Very true! Love Ferrol Sams, but that last book ….
Catch 22
Most books by Dave Barry!
A Girl Named Zippy
You should read She Got Up Off the Couch, about her mother, both books are so funny/poignant
I did read that one too! Loved it!
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.
Mark Twain is awesome!
Julia Tutor one of my top 5 authors.
Me talk pretty one day
F
Undomesticated Goddess Sophie Kinsella
Round Ireland with a Fridge
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.
The Other Side of Me by Sidney Sheldon. I wouldn’t call it a funny book but it sure was very entertaining 🙂
Jill Connor Browne’s Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love. Laughed so hard my throat hurt.
Yes, Ma’am!
Angela’s Ashes, sad but funny at the same time.
“Where’d You God Bernadette”? By Maria Semple Or anything by David Sedaris…especially “Holiday’s on Ice”
Wilt, by Tom Sharpe.
Very VERY crass, but funny- I hope they serve beer in hell- Max Tucker.
Confederacy of Dunces.
I agree!!!!!
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and anything from Bill Bryson.
I don’t remember laughing reading a book… How sad!
Well, it is time to change that!
@Judy It looks like it! But I usually read thrillers, detective stories or rather “heavy” classics… Nothing hilarious… I’ve just put David Sedaris on my TBR list! ?
Anything by David Sedaris.
Three Men in a Boat.
And, inspired by that book, To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
I will try that. Never heard of it. Thanks!
Anything by Christopher Moore, specially Lamb and Fool
I Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora Ephron
Any David Sedaris book…if you can read thru any without laughing out loud…check your pulse…
What kind of storyline?
No story line…many of his personal story lines…
@DeeAnn I’m asking because I feel intrigued by the many times this author was mentioned in this thread… So I was wondering which of his novels to pick… Hence my question…
@Chloé I liked Naked…but Im now reading Me Talk so Pretty…which Isi just as good…:)
@DeeAnn thank you… I ‘ll check if I can get it online ?
@Chloé He writes essays about his life experiences, like moving to France and learning the language, or being an elf at Macys NY on xmas. He’s terribly witty and sees the world in delightfully slanted way. His sister is a comedic actress, so his family stories are great. Me Talk Pretty One Day is my favorite because I studied French, but all have value and are LOL funny.
The Gentleman by Forrest Leo
Happiness by Will Furgeson
Lamb: The Gospel according to Bif, Jesus’ Childhood fFriend, by Christopher Moore. The Bachelor Brothers’ Bed and Breakfast
Fool by Christopher Moore
Candy Freak
Home is Burning by Dan Marshall. It’s also one of the saddest books I’ve ever read!
Notes From a Small Island.
Almost anything by Christopher Moore, especially You Suck
I really liked Fluke by Christopher Moore
@Angie I haven’t read one I haven’t liked!
Following
The funniest book I’ve ever *listened* to is Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Definitely one where audio makes it even funnier.
Anything written by Janet Evanovich
I agree LOLOLOL!!!
Lamb
Disc World series by Terry Pratchett.
A funny book I read recently was
Carl Hiaasen’s books. Connie Willis’ time travel books. Jasper Fforde’s books. All subtle, dry humor.
The Thursday Next series is so clever!
Winter dance by Gary Paulson. My husband told me I couldn’t read it before bedtime because I was shaking the bed with laughter.
Neil Patrick Harris’s autobiography is hella funny too, if biographies are your thing. Any book by Lauren Graham, biography included. Food, by Zack Gaffigan.
I laughed a ridiculous amount reading Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunburned Country”
My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell
Yes!!!
Joey pigza swallowed the key, when I was like 10 ? nothing recent comes to mind.
Anything by David Sedaris. Especially his classic Me Talk Pretty One Day on audio.
Completely agree!
and his Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, especially on audio!
Auntie Mame and I know it was a long time ago but that one was hilarious
Hold Me Closer Necromancer and its sequel. And they both have their own fabulous playlist. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8041873-hold-me-closer-necromancer
Bill Bryson Books and Straight Man/Richard Russo. This is where I leave you… Dysfunctional family funny
Winger by Andrew Smith. Funny, sweet, heartbreaking. Destined to be a classic. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11861815-winger?from_search=true
Lucky You by Carl Hiassen.
Lamb
Have you read Fool?
@Julia I’ve read all of his books, I think…
He’s awesome
Right Ho Jeeves P G Wodehouse
Diaries of a dead African – Chuma Nwokolo
Confederacy of Dunces
Good omens
Following
Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut. Also some of Anthony Trollope ‘s books … The Warden, also Barchester Towers ~
The catcher in the rye- J.D.Salinger
A Confederacy of Dunces and The Diaries of Adrian Mole ( I know I should pick 1, but both are pretty funny)
I think I need to add Candide and The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel ( when I was minoring in French, we had to choose three French authors. Voltaire and Rabelais were my favs. I still find the two titles here hilarious!)
Good Grief
Anything by Laurie Notaro, she is laugh out loud funny!
Lamb
Currently reading.
I agree!
My choice too
Many people mentioned this book. Christopher Moore is life! Have you read Fool?
Prayer for Owen meany
Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodney Rothman
So many! Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Bill Bryson come immediately to mind. Tony Hawks’ “Round Ireland with a Fridge”. Howard of Warwick’s “Hermitage” series. I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I post this lol
Paddy joined the wrong Army .. If you don’t understand Dublin lingo you won’t enjoy it
“Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them” by Al Franken.
A classic!
@Amy Thought I’d split a gut laughing at the audio version on a road trip some years ago.
Ooh, audio sounds like a good idea. Read by Al?
@Amy @Amy Yes it was.
Good News. Pritchett and Gaimen
Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories by Jean Shepherd, who also wrote A Christmas Story. Ridiculously funny.
First five McDonald Hall books by Gordon Korman.
Fool by Christopher Moore
Lamb for me! But never read Fool.
@Ellie You won’t be disappointed!
@Ellen Lol adding to my ever-growing TBR pile!
I hate myselfie and It gets worse by Shane Dawson
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Bridget Jones Diary
I don’t read comedy ? lol
Big Trouble by Dave Barry
three Men In A Boat by Jerome K.Jerome
The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This series of books by Alexander McCall Smith is a light read but each book has me laughing out loud
Love these books
Mrs Queen Takes The Train by William Kuhn
Little League Confidential
https://books.google.com/books/about/Little_League_Confidential.html?id=NvyfRER_2L4C&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button
The Diary of a Shopaholic series.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedalia. Just about anything by Bill Bryson.
Sedaris
A Walk in the Woods
T.R. Pearson, A Short History of a Small Place. Small-town North Carolina, where the big event of the week is the Wednesday arrival in mailboxes of the Roses sale flyer and the grande dame of the town keeps a pet monkey who climbs to the top of the flagpole in her yard every day and pees on the folks on the sidewalk – and the locals take bets on who can stand the closest and still stay dry. Oh, my sides!
I will not write down any more book titles! I will not write down any more book titles! Where’s my pen?
Tina Fey’s book. My god, so damn good.
Some of Janet Evanovich’s earlier stuff is funny, particularly the naked greased guy.
Me Talk Pretty One Day!!
Favorite book!
The Undomesticated Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon.
In a Sunburned Country. Bryson. Had to pull off the road because I was laughing so hard. (Edited to correct title)
The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love
The World According to Garp by John Irving made me laugh and cry. ( not the funniest ever but pretty good)
Forgot about this one!
Yep….my family still refers to the Undertoad when we are at the beach
Bill Bryson A Walk in the Woods
Yes, I was just going to add that one.
https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Woods-Rediscovering-America-Appalachian/dp/0307279464
My favorite line, “yeah, I’ve s#^~t in the woods” ?
@Stacy So many to choose!
@Gayle yes!!!
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis ….
Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
Any thing by Terry Pratchett!
The Laughing Gas by PG Wodehouse, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Scotland Street series Alexander McCall Smith
Anything by Sophie Kinsella
Crazy in Alabama by Mark Childress
Absolutely!!
Anything by David Sedans.
I laughed through most of The Martian, by Andy Wier. Good reading.
Carl Hiassen and his former Florida governor turned environmental terrorist are pretty bloody funny, too.
Love these books! A friend introduced them to me last year. I have even bought the children’s ones for my grandkids.
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
Yes!
Noir by Christopher Moore
How to Pet a Martian
Dumbth by Steve Allen
Dress Your Family in Denim and Corduroy by David Sedaris
Catch 22
Mary Roach’s books are snort funny. My favorite is Stiff and Packing for Mars…
Furiously Happy
Probably not meant to be funny but One flew over the cuckoo’s nest had me laughing
Oh God yeah! Funny book!
One For The Money
I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. I even loved the movie, which the critics panned–Lula was perfect!! Debbie Reynolds as grandma was not.
The Wodehouse Jeeves books
Anything by Bill Bryson.
Wow – thanks everyone!! Lots of laughs are in my future!!
The Day the Crayons Quit
All books by Iranian-American humorist Firoozeh Dumas: Funny in Farsi, Laughing Without an Accent, and It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel. Each book is one long charming giggle!
Thanks!
I Served the King of England by Czech writer Bohumil Hrabel. Great stuff!
Sweet potato queens
Ya: The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak
children: Sisters Grimm
They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat. Lewis Grizzard. Also best book for heart surgery patients.
Lamb: the Gospel according to Biff, Jesus Best Friend— by Christopher Moore
The Secrets of Harry Bright by Joseph Wambaugh. Dark humor in an otherwise serious and sad story. I was reading it on an airpalne and I kept laughing outloud. I may need to go back and read it again.
I don’t read many funny books, but the ones I loved and consider the best from what I read so far are Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, as well as all the books in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I always laugh when I read Pratchett..
To add some more PG Wodehouse, Jerome K Jerome and Mark Twain all had me laughing out loud
So much of Pratchett. And Wodehouse.
horrid Henry
Anything by Wodehouse, Where did you go Bernadette and Good omens (though I’m still half way through it)!
A Confederacy of Dunces
Can You Keep A Secret?-Sophie Kinsella. Had me literally laughing out loud.
I liked Twenties Girl of hers, that made me giggle
@Lisa I have a copy and hope to read it soon!
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Omg how did I forget Douglas Adams! Hitchhiker’s Guide and Dirk Gently, both so funny
“1000 Years of Annoying the French”. It’s a funny read as well as a great history book.
If Life Is A Bowel Full Of Cherries, what am I doing in the pits. Erma Bombeck.
A Confederacy of Dunces
Me and Earl and The Dying Girl
Following!! My personal favorites for comedy are the Stephanie Plum series and Bridget Jones’s Diary.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Anything by Ann Charles Her books have it all: humor, romance, paranormal, adventure…i could go on and on.
Last chance to see by Douglas Adams. even though it is a serious topic.
Anything by Douglas Adams!
All I ever wrote by Ronnie Barker.
Anything by David Sedaris
The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald. An oldie but a goodie!
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Laughed until I sobbed.
Me too…. this is my favorite funny book.
wallbanger by alice clayton . It’s new adult so it has erotica in it but It was the only book that I actually laughed out loud and maybe even snorted.
What a great list ! ???
Anything by P.G. Wodehouse. Absolutely hilarious!
Anything by Rick Bragg
Where did you go Betnadette
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Personal fave, not mentioned yet as far as I’ve glimpsed:
The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (Prague).
The style is cunningly brilliant, had me thinking and yawning, then giggling with glee, as layers and layers were revealed.
Immediately upon finishing I wanted to reread, and start the adventure all over again…digging for “buried treasure” I missed the first go-round.
Has anyone read Helen DeWitt’s The Last Samurai? I have not…looking for opinions