@Dee “Starter for Ten” and “The Understudy” are absolutely hilarious. “One Day” and “Us” are more serious, but they still had me laughing out loud in parts. I love his writing. He writes for TV and movies, too, so his dialogue is fantastic.
@Patricia tears often pour down my face but two beautiful books that left me sobbing: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by @Stephanie Calling Me Home by @Julie ???
They’re my favorite, it will make you want to travel to the Seattle area. It might be because that’s one of my favorite places, but man are they are good. There’s another one I’ll have to look up that’s set in that area and I loved
The only novel that has ever made me cry is My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Harlan Coben is the only author who has made me gag. Describing the inside of a dumpster the main character was in. Hot Ice by Nora Roberts made me LOL!
Laugh- furiously happy by Jenny Lawson. I laughed hysterically the entire book, it was great. The first one I remember bawling to was the Notebook by Nicolas sparks. I’ve cried to a lot of books since
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole made me sob every time I picked it up, even if I was only reading a couple pages at a time. Laugh so hard I cry would be any of Jen Lancaster’s old stuff (Bitter is the New Black, Pretty in Plaid, Such a Pretty Fat, Bright Lights Big Ass)
Sophies Bakery For The Broken Hearted – Lolly Winston made me cry. The funniest book i have ever read made me laugh until i cried was The Learner Parent – Sam Avery.
Before We Were Yours by @Lisa made me cry, more than once…and made me smile. Her storytelling is so touching! Lift and Separate & Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by @Marilyn both made me laugh out loud! Her outlook on life and, the spin she can put on some serious aspect of life, makes my ribs hurt from laughing.
Memory of Us by @Camille had me crying in public. @Marilyn’s Lift and Separate had me braying like a donkey. Really looking forward to Husbands and Other Sharp Objects!
Cry ? would be ‘In the light of the garden’ by Heather Burch. This book touched an emotional chord with me. I cried from the beginning to the end but it was very cleansing to my soul for some reason. I LOVED the book and will keep this one for re-reading. Laugh til my sides are sore would be anything by Mary Kay Andrews!
Light Between Oceans…..cried at the beach reading that one. I remember trying to tell my husband about it just sobbing. It was a great book though. The book that’s made me laugh the most lately is Dorothea Benton Frank’s book Same Beach Next Year.
Cry- Harry Potter Series too many times to name them all & Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde to name a couple… Laugh- You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark, Blunder Woman by Tanya Eby…. Actually here is my Funny stuff shelf on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2669943?shelf=funny-stuff&sort=date_added&order=d
The fault in our stars by John Green made me cry, and The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Morrison made me laugh till my sides hurt. I still smile to myself when I think of that book.
Cry ~ Me Before You, Jojo Moyes Laugh ~ Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson (my children actually forbid me from reading it in public because I would laugh so hard)
Well, maybe it was funnier to Quakes than others, but Philip Gulley’s Home to Harmony had me laughing throughout and reading excerpts out loud to my husband.
Jane Eyre was probably the first book that had me sobbing(at 2am trying not to wake my parents). Fried Green Tomatoes had me laughing and crying at the same time!
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich makes me split my sides laughing every book… cry … hmm I can’t remember the last book that made me cry ! But I know some have !
I immediately thought of the Stephanie Plum series. My mom was very ill & it was a hard time. I don’t know how I discovered Ms. Evanovich, but I went through the first dozen or so of the series, binging on them like candy. I laughed hard & long; healing medicine.
Cathy Lamb’s My Very Best Friend…all three times I’ve read it I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe, and laughed so hard I had to…well I’m over 50 so you can guess
And someone who can make you laugh and sob out loud in the same book Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties and Life and Other Near Death Experiences by @Camille ????
Good Wives (the sequel to Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) is the only book that has ever made me cry. I can’t think of one that has made me laugh that much.
My husband’s Edward Unspooled did both… also for laughing, a tie between Steve Hely’s How I Became a Famous Novelist and Marian Keyes’ The Other Side of the Story; runner up is Richard Russo’s Straight Man. Chiam Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev always makes me cry.
Cry: The Promise Between Us, Marly and Me (ugly cry while poolside on vacation), and The Time Travelers Wife. Laugh: anything by Kristan Higgans. Her books are just hilarious!
Once I read the first book featuring Stephanie Plum (“One for the Money”) I had to read them all. Even laughed out loud during plane flights, engendering strange looks from those around me.
Can I say Erma Bombeck’s essays in terms of which books make me laugh? I remember my late mother laughing over them when I was a kid, and I’ve read them for years and laugh, too. Erma always had a point to make, though, too, about life and women and being independent and married, etc. She just wrapped the point up in humor. I think of my mom when I pick up Erma. Book that brought tears? That ending scene (you know the one) in Me Before You.
I love Erma and have a couple of her books and clippings I had saved from various papers. One of my favorites of hers is “I loved you enough” and it always brings tears. Her writing would make you laugh and cry at the same time. Loved her so much
Little Women made me cry.
Current read is making me lol
It’s an Advanced Reader Copy out 4/1
Have to keep an eye on that one! thanks!
Little Women still makes me cry! Such a great story
@Dee @Loretta has another one called All the Good Parts ???
Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb, did both. Any book by Carl Hiassen makes me crack up at some point.
I love her books!
I love Cathy Lamb’s books! Henry’s Sisters is my favorite.
Starter for Ten by David Nicholls made me laugh out loud. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell made me cry out loud.
Lisa Jewell book is still one of my favorites .. beautiful story.
@Dee Outstanding, isn’t it? I have all of hers and it’s my favourite. Her next one is out in a few months. I’ll pre-order it from the UK 🙂
@Hannah good to know. I will keep my eye out for that one too.
@Dee I’ve read all of her books since the late 90’s 🙂
Im going to check out David Nicholls..never read any of his books. Thanks for sharing! 😀
@Dee “Starter for Ten” and “The Understudy” are absolutely hilarious. “One Day” and “Us” are more serious, but they still had me laughing out loud in parts. I love his writing. He writes for TV and movies, too, so his dialogue is fantastic.
Thanks for the rec!
@Ellen‘s books always bring tears. Mary Kay Andrews makes me laugh out loud.
As usual @Dee I second @Jenny’s recommendations! ???
@Kristy ?❤️???
Animal Dreams was the first book that made me cry real tears
Love rosie
I don’t remember ever crying when reading a book.
Don’t get me wrong, tears in my eyes yes, but not sobbing.
@Patricia tears often pour down my face but two beautiful books that left me sobbing:
The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by @Stephanie
Calling Me Home by @Julie ???
The Nightingale. Whoa. Such an amazing and powerful story.
I loved that book and still think of it often
@Audrey it’s the best I’ve read yet. ❤️
Definitely! It on my list of books I beg people to read ?
@Audrey I buy it for them and force them. And they always thank me. My Book Bully Game is on!!! ???
@Michelle I’ll start doing that ? I do that with The Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie Ford and the girl who wrote in silk
@Audrey ha!!! I’ll have to check those out then. Sounds good.
They’re my favorite, it will make you want to travel to the Seattle area. It might be because that’s one of my favorite places, but man are they are good. There’s another one I’ll have to look up that’s set in that area and I loved
Violets of March by Sarah Jio
@Audrey I downloaded samples of both. I have Violets of March but haven’t got to it yet.
I hope you love them!
@Audrey ????
I agree with @Michelle.
I loved both The Nightingale and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Yay for Book Bullies 🙂
Firefly Lane made me sob uncontrollably in public!
The only novel that has ever made me cry is My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.
Harlan Coben is the only author who has made me gag. Describing the inside of a dumpster the main character was in.
Hot Ice by Nora Roberts made me LOL!
Read a Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole!
My Sister’s Keeper is what got me hooked on Jodi Picoult!
I have followed her since her first. Never a bad, or even so-so read. Every one is great!
Cry- A Thousand Boy Kisses!
The prince of tides made me cry. To this day it’s the only novel that has ever done so. I rarely laugh at novels.
Pat Conroy was the best.
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult made me truly cry. and The Help had me laughing really hard. Loved Minnie’s chocolate pie.
Best part of the book! Haha
Laugh- furiously happy by Jenny Lawson. I laughed hysterically the entire book, it was great.
The first one I remember bawling to was the Notebook by Nicolas sparks. I’ve cried to a lot of books since
I also laugh out loud at all David Sedaris books
Yes! Me too.
me too
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole made me sob every time I picked it up, even if I was only reading a couple pages at a time.
Laugh so hard I cry would be any of Jen Lancaster’s old stuff (Bitter is the New Black, Pretty in Plaid, Such a Pretty Fat, Bright Lights Big Ass)
The Flood girls
Sophies Bakery For The Broken Hearted – Lolly Winston made me cry. The funniest book i have ever read made me laugh until i cried was The Learner Parent – Sam Avery.
The Nightingale and Me Before You ?
Little Women
David Copperfield
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Before We Were Yours by @Lisa
made me cry, more than once…and made me smile. Her storytelling is so touching!
Lift and Separate & Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by @Marilyn both made me laugh out loud! Her outlook on life and, the spin she can put on some serious aspect of life, makes my ribs hurt from laughing.
Tuesdays with Morrie made me cry and the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich consistently makes me laugh until my sides hurt.
Bridges of Madison County for tears and any of Janet Evanovich’s works for laughs
The Colour Purple, fits both descriptions for me. And it is one of the rare times the movie adaptation captured the story as well as the book
Laugh out loud: a man called ove and A dog named Christmas
Cry: before we were Yours, and My sisters keeper
The Gift and
Howard Stern
Cry: The Promise Between Us by @Barbara
Laugh: Woman last seen in her Thirties by @Camille and Digging In by @Loretta
Looking forward to laghing: Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by @Marilyn
Thank you, Kate!
I love this list; I love being included in this list. Thank you <3
The Notebook
One For The Money
Stephanie Plum is always good for a laugh!
Karen Kingsbury’s One Tuesday Morning.
Gerald Durrel’s My Family and Other Animals.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky had me ugly crying. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had me laughing.
Forever interrupted and Dear Fahrenheit 451
The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cameron is a tear jerker. Just the Way You Are by Pepper Bashum had me laughing out loud.
Cry–The Time Traveler’s Wife. Laugh—the first book in the Stephanie Plum series, One for the Money.
The early ones made me laugh out loud constantly, the newer ones I don’t laugh quite as much
That Girl by HJ Bellus
Memory of Us by @Camille had me crying in public. @Marilyn’s Lift and Separate had me braying like a donkey. Really looking forward to Husbands and Other Sharp Objects!
Thank you! And, I’m about a third of the way through Husbands and Other Sharp Objects. You will love it!
I loved Lift and Separate!
I just love her. She is so funny!!!
The Kite Runner made me cry like a baby. And, The Hotel New Hampshire was hysterical!
Kite Runner was up there for me ..kept tissue nearby
The one that made me laugh until my rib cracked was Mad Cow by Kathy Lette
The Nightingale had be bawling, and Can You Keep a Secret was hilarious!
Cry: Handle with Care, by Jodi Picoult
Laugh: The Tales Behind The Veils trilogy, Violet Howe
What great posts! Laugh:this is where I leave you cry:I know this much is true by Wally Lamb
I love Sally lamb!
@Judy *wally
Mossy Creek
Forgot to add, made me do both while reading it.
The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld broke my heart. I sobbed at the end.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Cry ? would be ‘In the light of the garden’ by Heather Burch. This book touched an emotional chord with me. I cried from the beginning to the end but it was very cleansing to my soul for some reason. I LOVED the book and will keep this one for re-reading. Laugh til my sides are sore would be anything by Mary Kay Andrews!
Light Between Oceans…..cried at the beach reading that one. I remember trying to tell my husband about it just sobbing. It was a great book though. The book that’s made me laugh the most lately is Dorothea Benton Frank’s book Same Beach Next Year.
That was my choice. I still want to cry just thinking about it. ?
My Segei: A Love Story, by Ekaterina Gordeeva and the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich
Btw this is a great question. My book list is growing. ?
Mine too!?
Marley and Me: both crying and laughing
Cry: @Cathy’s books make me cry (and laugh). Laugh: Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence (and his others too!)
Agree re: Cathy Lamb
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, cried until I dehydrated myself. Rosie Project, laughed and literally fell off the couch.
Love Story made me cry, way back when. Read it before the movie came out. Laugh out loud? Too many to list.
Cry: The Light We Lost ?
Cry- Harry Potter Series too many times to name them all & Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde to name a couple…
Laugh- You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark, Blunder Woman by Tanya Eby…. Actually here is my Funny stuff shelf on Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2669943?shelf=funny-stuff&sort=date_added&order=d
Thanks!?
Dancing on Broken Glass made me cry, excellent!!! Still looking for the funniest one!!!
Glass Castle had me laughing and crying.
Me too
Me too
Where the red fern grows—cried my eyes out and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Gone with the Wind.
Laugh: Haven’t found that yet.
The fault in our stars by John Green made me cry, and The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Morrison made me laugh till my sides hurt. I still smile to myself when I think of that book.
One good Dog by Susan Wilson (sobbed my eyes out) A Day Late and a Dollar short by Terry Mcillion
A favorite author!
A Day Late A Dollar Short was a great read.
Crying: A Soldier of the Great War, Lonesome Dove. Laugh out loud: Lonesome Dove, Straight Man.
Henry’s Sisters, Cathy Lamb – did both; made me laugh till my sides hurt and cry till I thought I’d throw up.
Henry’s Sisters by @Cathy
Cry: the nightingale
Laugh: we’re all damaged
Orphan train. Cried
Tonni Callan is the bees knees.
Lonesome Dove for both.
Ah, Gus.
Henry’s Sisters by @Cathy does both!
Cry ~ Me Before You, Jojo Moyes
Laugh ~ Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson (my children actually forbid me from reading it in public because I would laugh so hard)
The horse whisperer made me cry, and catcher in the rye made me lol
The Horse Whisperer. Good one
The Shack anything by Erma Bombeck.
Yes on both!!
Cry: bridges of Madison county
Well, maybe it was funnier to Quakes than others, but Philip Gulley’s Home to Harmony had me laughing throughout and reading excerpts out loud to my husband.
Cry: The Promise by Danielle Steele
Laugh: Julia’s Chocolates by @Cathy.
Already Home by Susan Mallery made me cry big tears and All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins made me LOL.
Cry: Henry’s Sisters ? Laugh: One for the money ?
Laugh – Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.
Cry – ?
Tears: “A Fall of Marigolds” by Susan Meissner. Laughter: “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion,
Henry’s Sisters for crying and The Last Time I Was Me also…for crying. Same two for laughing!!
Cry…Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jackson, laugh… anything by Jill Shalvis or Kristan Higgins.
The Yayas!!!
Nightingale and Tuesdays with Morrie made me sob! Can’t name one that made me laugh
Cry—The Nightingale or Sarah’ Key. Laugh—anything by Jen Lancaster or @Marilyn
_Sunshine_ made me cry. _Farewell, Dorothy Parker_ made me laugh my ass off!! 😀
Cry: When Christ and His Saints Slept. The first time for Robert, and the second time for Stephen.
Steele Magnolias (both the play and the movie) makes me laugh and cry. And realize that I’m destined to become Ouiser at some point in my life. 🙂
Jane Eyre was probably the first book that had me sobbing(at 2am trying not to wake my parents). Fried Green Tomatoes had me laughing and crying at the same time!
Cry at A Walk to Remember and Laugh Divine Secrets of Ya Ya Sisterhood
Cry: Pennies from across the Veil
By Dennis Higgins
Laugh:
A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Still Alice made me cry and Me before you made me cry. Fried green tomatoes made me laugh and cry
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich makes me split my sides laughing every book… cry … hmm I can’t remember the last book that made me cry ! But I know some have !
Amy Poeppel’s books made me laugh out loud. Cathy Lamb’s books make me cry and laugh… and @Barbara‘s books do both brilliantly….
<3
The Help
My Name is Memory made me cry and Hey, Good-looking made me laugh
Henrys Sisters by @Cathy made me just sob… Janet Evanovich makes me laugh out loud actually @Cathy usually makes me laugh out loud too!
Cried in Henry’s Sisters.
The Notebook!!! Cried so hard???
How about one book that did both? A Man Called Ove.
Yes!
Absolutely!
I immediately thought of the Stephanie Plum series. My mom was very ill & it was a hard time. I don’t know how I discovered Ms. Evanovich, but I went through the first dozen or so of the series, binging on them like candy. I laughed hard & long; healing medicine.
Cathy Lamb’s My Very Best Friend…all three times I’ve read it I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe, and laughed so hard I had to…well I’m over 50 so you can guess
Recently bought that one.?
Laugh til your sides hurt:
Lift and Separate and Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by @Marilyn
Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter by Lisa Patton
Cry:
Five Days Left by @Julie
Flying at Night by Rebecca Brown (out April 10th)
@Kristy, I’m looking forward to reading Flying at Night.
@Jamie another gem to add to your list is The Ones We Choose by Julie Clark ????
Any of Karen Hawkin’s books make me laugh out loud. GodSpeed by Kathryn le Veque made me cry!!! ?
The Nightingale made me dry and quite a few Nicholas Sparks make me cry as well. Janet Evanovich brings laughs for sure.
And someone who can make you laugh and sob out loud in the same book
Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties and Life and Other Near Death Experiences by @Camille ????
????
As Bright as Heaven made me cry, laugh, Tessa Dare’s When A Scot Ties the Knot.
Loved As Bright As Heaven.
Good Wives (the sequel to Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) is the only book that has ever made me cry. I can’t think of one that has made me laugh that much.
Cry: A Light Between Oceans. Laugh: The Martian
LOVE them both! ❤❤
Come Away With Me….cry like a baby; The Rosie Project…laugh like a crazy person.
I finished What Alice Forgot a few days ago and I cried towards the end.
The last one to make me cry was The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce and the one that makes me laugh out loud the most is The Princess Bride.
WONDER
My husband’s Edward Unspooled did both… also for laughing, a tie between Steve Hely’s How I Became a Famous Novelist and Marian Keyes’ The Other Side of the Story; runner up is Richard Russo’s Straight Man. Chiam Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev always makes me cry.
‘Sarah’s Key’ and ‘One for the Money’, all Cathy Lamb books do both.
Laugh: This Is Where I Leave You Jonathan Tropper
Cry: A Little Life Hanya Yanagihara
When Breath Becomes Air By Paul Kalinithi made me cry ? Tina Fey’s memoir cracked me up. ?
To Kill a Mockingbird and Anne Frank’s diary made me cry; Lift and Separate made me laugh out loud!
Cry – South of Broad, Pat Conroy. Laugh: Shoveling Smoke, Austin Davis.
Charlotte’s Web – cry
Any Jim Gaffigan for laugh
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is so sad. Kristan Higgins books make me smile.
Ava’s Man-cry
A Girl Named Zippy-lol
Cry: The Promise Between Us, Marly and Me (ugly cry while poolside on vacation), and The Time Travelers Wife. Laugh: anything by Kristan Higgans. Her books are just hilarious!
Cry: Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson and The Memory Child by Steena Holmes
Laugh: anything by @Harlan!!
Yes -love Harlan Coben books!
Once I read the first book featuring Stephanie Plum (“One for the Money”) I had to read them all. Even laughed out loud during plane flights, engendering strange looks from those around me.
Can I say Erma Bombeck’s essays in terms of which books make me laugh? I remember my late mother laughing over them when I was a kid, and I’ve read them for years and laugh, too. Erma always had a point to make, though, too, about life and women and being independent and married, etc. She just wrapped the point up in humor. I think of my mom when I pick up Erma. Book that brought tears? That ending scene (you know the one) in Me Before You.
I love Erma and have a couple of her books and clippings I had saved from various papers. One of my favorites of hers is “I loved you enough” and it always brings tears. Her writing would make you laugh and cry at the same time. Loved her so much
Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green
Me Before You by @Jojo made me cry, and The Stupidest Angel by @Christopher is hilarious.