Funny books!

[fidgiegirl]

When it comes to my preferred reading material, I gravitate to heavy and serious.

Sometimes it's just too much!

Some of my Facebook friends recommended Bossypants by Tina Fey. Have it on request at the library.

What other funny books would you recommend?

[AmeliaJane]

I find Dave Barry's novels very funny. (His nonfiction humor books are good too but it's the novels that really make me laugh.)

[Mer05]

The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett, if you like fantasy at all. All the books are set in the same universe, and there are several recurring character groups/themes ranging from witches and wizards to the Industrial Revolution (illustrated here (http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg)). They are very, very British, often with footnotes.

Best book to start with kind of depends - but the first few novels are comparatively rough. I hand out copies of "Guards, Guards!", which is a noir-style detective story with a dragon. "Hogfather" is seasonally appropriate right now (also a pretty good miniseries).

[Kestra]

I like all the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books. I like the British humor.
Also enjoyed Connie Willis's "To Say Nothing of the Dog". She usually writes sci-fi. This book is very light sci-fi and really funny in a way I can't properly describe - lots of witty dialogue, historical stuff in England, I think.

Even if you have no interest in screenwriting, "Writing Movies for Fun and Profit" was hilarious and a fascinating insight into Hollywood. My most recent laugh out loud book I think.

[Dhiana]

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries are funny. Much funnier than the movie, don't waste your time or money on he movie. Libraries and thrift shops usually have copies.

Carl Hiaasen's books are funny, more guy humor bit funny none the less.

Sometimes a book just needs to be light reading; something that doesn't take much brainpower or tugs at you emotionally. A simple whodunit works for me such as a book like The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder or something from The Cat Who series.

[KayLR]

David Sedaris' books leave me in tears.

One of my old favorites I pick up from time to time is "Walking Across Egypt," by Clyde Edgerton. Light, folksy, funny.

[catherine]

I would agree with Dave Barry for sure, and David Sedaris.

I love Bill Bryson: author of A Walk in the Woods among many others.

An oldie-but-goodie are the James Herriot books, All Creatures Great and Small etc. The first time I read that book I was commuting on a train to NYC and I couldn't read it on the train because I couldn't control my laughter. Not only is it funny, but it's a wonderful "simple living" book.

[iris lily]

When it comes to my preferred reading material, I gravitate to heavy and serious.

Sometimes it's just too much!

Some of my Facebook friends recommended Bossypants by Tina Fey. Have it on request at the library.

What other funny books would you recommend?

Bossypants was funny. Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? is funny. Mindy plays Kelly Kapur on The Office and now has her own sit com.

Jen Lancaster writes about concerns of a conservative, plus sized woman in

Bitter is the New Black

Bright Lights Big Ass

Pretty in Plaid

My Fair Lazy

[SteveinMN]

I will third David Sedaris. I don't read many books, but Mr. Sedaris has accompanied me on every vacation I've taken lately. Good work.

[libby]

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Laugh out loud funny!

[iris lily]

I find Dave Barry's novels very funny. (His nonfiction humor books are good too but it's the novels that really make me laugh.)

If you send me your mailing address, I'll mail to you a pristine, never read copy of Peter and the Star Catchers that is inscribed by both Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It's got a great inscription that will work for you as well as for me: To my closest personal friend [signed] Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson. The joke is, of course, that he doesn't know me from adam.

I got this book back in 2004 when I worked a performance of the The Rock Bottom Remainders.*

I'm serious, I want to declutter this, it's been hanging around forever. I won't even ask for reimbursement for postage because if I sent it book rate that's uber cheap. Send me a PM through this site if you want it.

*amateur rock band made up of authors Stephen King, Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson (who lives in St. Louis) Mitch Albom, Amy Tan & others.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I find Dave Barry's novels very funny. (His nonfiction humor books are good too but it's the novels that really make me laugh.)

The first funny book by Dave Barry I read was Big Trouble - really laugh out loud funny which I NEVER do. So, armed with that experience when I have found I needed a book to make me laugh I have read a couple more and they have not lived up to that first one.

I would suggest Fanny Flagg, someone else that I can actually LOL when reading. The best (funniest) in my opinion are "Can't Wait To Get To Heaven" and "Standing In The Rainbow".

[Sad Eyed Lady]

*amateur rock band made up of authors Stephen King, Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson (who lives in St. Louis) Mitch Albom, Amy Tan & others.
[/SIZE]

Just wanted to ask about your experience with The Rock Bottom Remainders. Being a Stephen King fan, (I feel like he's an old friend we've been together so long, lol), I have been curious about the Rock Bottom Remainders. I love his references to old rock songs in his novels and DH and & still quote his remarking that every time he turned on an oldie station Brandi (You're a Fine Girl) would be playing! We noticed how often we heard it too and cited King's early observation. Fun guy if you don't take him too seriously.

[lesliemorris85]

the hitchhiker’s guide series is a must-read!

[Florence]

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Laugh out loud funny!

+1

Also, PG Wodehouse always cheers me up.

[iris lily]

Just wanted to ask about your experience with The Rock Bottom Remainders. Being a Stephen King fan, (I feel like he's an old friend we've been together so long, lol), I have been curious about the Rock Bottom Remainders. I love his references to old rock songs in his novels and DH and & still quote his remarking that every time he turned on an oldie station Brandi (You're a Fine Girl) would be playing! We noticed how often we heard it too and cited King's early observation. Fun guy if you don't take him too seriously.

Stephen King didn't make it to that performance. He is the mega star of those authors, too bad. Funny story about Brandi, a stupid song. But I worked with Scott Turow (helped him with his book signings) at the Rock Bottom Remainders day. That's the day I decided that I'd like to marry Scot Turow.:laff: DH was the driver of the van that picked them up from their hotel and took them to the concert venue. It was an all day volunteer event, helping set up then helping authors with their book signings and then crowd control the the concert. This was a beneift performance for some weird organization that promoted kids writing poerty and playing soccer. An odd combo.

[Rosemary]

I also gravitate to pretty heavy stuff, mostly non-fiction.

I have to agree that David Sedaris is absolutely hilarious.
Sh*t My Dad Says was quite entertaining, a quick 1-hour read.
A friend of mine is a published author of romance novels with a fair amount of humor in them. She is an astute observer of personality traits and her books show this. I will gladly lend you two of them next time I see you.

[ashleenshannon]

I like discovering new funny and romance book, i always discover funny book, i like Douglas adam, and Dark lover- j r ward.. i like reading book and watching charlie Chaplin comedy shows.

[BayouGirl]

My favorite funny book from teenage years was "Sheila Levine is Dead and living in New York, It was a hysterical story of a woman in the 1970'swho is fed up with being overweight, overlooked and single. So she decides to plan her suicide and holds nothing back on how she feels and relaying what a disiter her life has been. It sounds like it wouldn't bunny but it is.

I also love the book "Didn't i feed you yesterday" By Laura Bennet who is a remarkable woman who was on Project Runway. It chronicles her life with her eccentric hubby, he daughter and 5 sons and is fulled with love and anecdotes. She has a way with words and ger laidback style of parenting is so much like mine!..

Molly Gross has a book titled "confessions of a military wife" which is so funny. She is adorable and so danged amusing as she copes with her husband being deployed, making new friends and always getting into funny predicaments.

[iris lily]

...I also love the book "Didn't i feed you yesterday" By Laura Bennet who is a remarkable woman who was on Project Runway. It chronicles her life with her eccentric hubby, he daughter and 5 sons and is fulled with love and anecdotes. She has a way with words and ger laidback style of parenting is so much like mine!..


I read that! Liked it.

[BayouGirl]

I read that! Liked it.

I looked Laura up about a week ago to ee what she was up to and whether she was still writing and was shocked to find that discover that her beloved husband Peter had died about a year ago of cancer. How very heartbreaking as they have so many children that they loved so dearly and Laura and Peter made such a great couple. She is a strong woman and I hope that she is healing from the devastating loss of her husband, he truly was a character.

laura has such a winning sense of humor (and style) that i hope she continues to write and share the endless anecdotes that make up her life. She is one of this gifted writers who can a calamity and turn it into a comically story. She is truly a unique individual with a sense of humor firmly intact!

[clara24]

I always read Fantasy book never been read a funny book but it is interesting to see a lot of funny book recommendation.

[iris lily]

I looked Laura up about a week ago to ee what she was up to and whether she was still writing and was shocked to find that discover that her beloved husband Peter had died about a year ago of cancer. How very heartbreaking as they have so many children that they loved so dearly and Laura and Peter made such a great couple. She is a strong woman and I hope that she is healing from the devastating loss of her husband, he truly was a character.

laura has such a winning sense of humor (and style) that i hope she continues to write and share the endless anecdotes that make up her life. She is one of this gifted writers who can a calamity and turn it into a comically story. She is truly a unique individual with a sense of humor firmly intact!

OMG about Laura's husband, ack!

[domestic goddess]

I'll second (or third or fourth, whatever) Bill Bryson. I find his work laugh out loud funny. Also like Fanny Flagg, of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe fame. I really enjoyed Mama Makes Up Her Mind. I tend to find Southern authors inject a good bit of humor even into their serious works; even though it is not always laugh out loud funny, it does lighten the mood.