The funniest book you ever read

in Random Crap

I’m up and down this week but I’m trying to stay up because I have work to do and I need to keep myself from falling into the hole of depression.  One of the things that save me are books.  So can you help?  I need funny books.  Ridiculous, hysterical, silly…

Tell me the funniest book you ever read.  Pretty please.

1,081 thoughts on “The funniest book you ever read”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. Tanya Huff’s Summon the Keeper (the whole trilogy, really, but the first one’s the best).

  5. Christopher Moore’s new book, Noir, comes out next week! I am assuming it will be hilarious because he can’t not be hilarious! (He’d probably even send you an advance copy if you asked. He is a fan of yours, too.)

  7. Wee Free Men, by Pratchett. It’s not just funny, but it made me laugh out loud which few books do.

  9. Hyperbole and a half by Allie Brosh. That’s the first that came to mind, at least.

  11. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman tickled me pretty hard back in the day.

  12. Can you keep a secret by Sophie Kinsella makes me giggle hysterically and I listen to it every few years. Feel better! 💕

  13. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin helped me during a tough time. Wake Up SIr! by Jonathan Ames made me happy. This book called FURIOUSLY HAPPY is also a favorite 🙂

  14. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency had me in stitches. Particularly the bit about the horse in the bathroom.

  15. ok, not a book but, I have watched this clip easily 20 bajillion times and I giggle snort Every Single TIme.

  16. Will Cuppy’s The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody.
    Close second: Going Postal by Terry Pratchett.
    Third: probably Naked Beneath My Clothes by Rita Rudner.

  18. I liked ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me’ and Kevin Hart’s book. Comedian biographies. But I am in desperate search books in the same category for the same reason so thank you for putting out this request. I needed it.

  19. When I want funny I re-read Let’s Pretend this Never Happened.
    Might not be as effective for you…given how close you are to the author.

  20. Really anything by Terry Pratchett! The Tiffany Aching series is particularly fantastic.

  25. If you haven’t already encountered them, Gail Carriger has written numerous hysterically funny steampunk novels. Everything of hers is always funny.

  27. Lamb by Christopher Moore made me laugh so hard it hurt. Bridget Jones’ Diary had the same effect. Dave Barry (especially Dave Barry Slept Here) is another good source.

    Honestly, your books are on that list too, though I doubt they’d have the same impact on you.

  29. Adding another couple of Chris Moore (which you’be likely already read):
    Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
    Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

  32. Janet Evanovich “One for the Money” and “Two for the Dough”. There are more but these made me laugh the hardest.

  33. The Stephanie Plum series from Janet Evonovich made me laugh out loud. Ok now that she’s up to book 25 or so it gets old but if you haven’t read them start with the 1st and keep going until you get sick of them.

  34. One of them is “Gods Behaving Badly” by Marie Phillips. Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore (of course), are among my go-to funny authors.

  36. The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz (who also wrote the screenplay for Legally Blonde)

    Kick Me and Superstud, both by Paul Feig (creator of Freaks & Geeks, now best known for directing Bridesmaids and other female-friendly flicks), made me laugh so hard I was sobbing, and it woke my then-roommate up. She was not happy.

    Meaty (reissued with new material) and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby. I know you’ve probably read them, but always worth a reread!

    Take good care. xx

  37. Furiously Happy (do you ever read your own books?) Me Talk Pretty One Day, I Feel Bad About My Neck, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. There. I tried. But I do have this feeling you’re yawning at me for having read all these already.

  40. This Is Where I Leave You
    Jon Tropper
    Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole (Schooldaze #2)
    Jerry Spinelli
    lastly; if you can separate the author (rapist) from the material (hilarious)
    Fatherhood
    Bill Cosby… I bet all his proceeds from anything now are likely going straight to some sort of victim’s fund… so even if you buy it I doubt you are supporting him… that Puddingpop money has to be long gone…

  41. Pick a Discworld book by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy, but hilarious satire. Flat out jokes on every page.

  42. ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me’ and Kevin Hart’s new book. I need recommendations in this category too right now. Thanks for throwing this out there.

  44. Besides yours and Allie Brosh’s? “The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World” is an autobiography from A.J. Jacobs that’s pretty funny and lighthearted.

  47. The funniest books I’ve read are yours, but outside of those, The Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. They’re YA books, but are completely laugh out loud funny, so Hailey might also enjoy them. The first book in the series is Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. Umm….I do also love Aisha Tyler’s memoir Self-Inflicted Wounds. All the stories about her as a young kid are sooo funny. Also, any of Aisha’s comedy specials, but that’s not what you asked for.

  48. Sean & David’s Long Drive by Sean Condon. The cigarette on the boat story makes me laugh just thinking about it!

  49. I love Carl Hiassan for laugh-out-loud satire. Laurie Notaro for essays (“Housebroken” is her latest and best, IMO).

  52. It’s a children’s book, and you have to read it out loud, but The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak makes me lmao every time.

  53. Dave Barry is reliably funny – never fails to give a belly laugh. Ditto Bill Bryson.

  55. Anything David Sedaris, but especially Me Talk Pretty One Day. I second the recommendation for We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby.

  58. Last Black Unicorn – Tiffany Haddish
    I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell – Tucker Max
    Food a Love Story – Jim Gaffigan

  59. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson had me crying with laughter at least once. Highly recommend it.

  63. Jesus, I was going to suggest one of your’s. Sigh. ANYway, anything by David Sedaris, He’s my go to funny person. Just started reading Samantha Irby’s book and I love it! Carrie Fisher is a favorite too. The guy who writes a column for Elle Magazine . . I can’t remember his name right now, but he definitely makes me pee my pants ( in a good way, not the bad autoimmune way).

  65. Other than your stuff, pretty much anything by David Sedaris, How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, anything by Samantha Irby. I’m sure there’s more.

  66. Straight comedy bits: Jim Gaffigan books
    Amusing fiction: Where’d You Go Bernadette?
    Inspiring nonfiction: Yes, Please (Amy Poehler), Seriously, I’m Kidding (Ellen)

  67. Well, Let’s Pretend this Never Happened is the funniest book I’ve ever read, but you’ve probably read that one already…

  68. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. It’s like almost like dadaism for children (but hilarious!)

    Also, most of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. The witches and city watch strands are my favorites.

  69. Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams are the first authors who come to mind for me. Kinky Friedman’s novels can be fun, too.

  70. Terry Pratchett’s books always make me smile but the last book I read that made me laugh out loud was spectacles by Sue Perkins, but not sure if it’d be so funny if you’re not a Brit, lots of references to Croydon!

  71. I just got “The Joy of Cookies” by Cookie Monster last night and the whole family as now read it. It’s short, but AWESOME! And you can read it over and over again.

  74. How to get run over by a truck, by Katie McKenna. True memoir, poignant and laugh out loud funny

  75. Oh, one more…The Spellman Files series by Lisa Lutz. I find the books very funny, but in a slightly different way than standard comedic fiction or non-fiction. They’re also pretty good mysteries, though I don’t read mysteries too often, as I find them kind of dry. I NEED the humor.

  77. I love Douglas Adams, Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck, Jan King’s Hormones From Hell, Felicia Day’s book, Simon Pegg’s book.

  78. The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window. Maybe not the funniest I’ve ever read (that probably goes to Hitchhiker’s Guide) but it’s a definite pick-me-up. Highly recommend.

  81. Unfortunately for your search, hands down the funniest book I’ve ever read is Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. My husband who professes to be “a practicing illiterate” says he’s read your book because I pretty much recite the whole thing every time I read it. (3 times now)

  83. Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals, and his other family-related books, made me giggle uncontrollably. I remember lying on the floor of my grandmother’s house howling with laughter at one scene, and not being able to get it under control.

  84. Marian Keyes’ “Cracks In My Foundation”. I laughed so much, and so hard, I thoroughly annoyed my husband.

  86. Agnes and the Hitman
    A Spell for Chameleon
    Lamb
    The Royal Treatment (all the Alaskan Royals books, actually)

  90. “A bad idea I’m about to do” by Chris Gethard.
    “You’re doing it wrong,” by Michael Ian Black.

    Those are the only two I could think of that weren’t written by you.

  92. Wish I could help, Jenny, but Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is without question the funniest book I have ever read. It made me convulse, fart and stop breathing all at the same time. You know, from the kind of laughter that comes from the deepest depths of your soul. I will leave it to the others to recommend a new funny book that will help you hold on. Lots of love.

  93. “It was on fire when I lay down on it” by Robert Fulghum, or Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner

  94. “The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I’m Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog” by Jen Lancaster. Most of her books are hilarious! And “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh!

  96. I don’t know about the funniest ever, but the audiobook of Where the Hell is Tesla? By: Rob Dircks Narrated by: Rob Dircks had me grinning like an idiot at least. Ridiculous and silly – so fun.

  97. I read my Kindle every day in my workplace’s cafeteria during my lunch hour. Normally this is a very quiet experience, but when reading Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, I was laughing and crying so hard my co-workers thought there was something wrong with me. Undoubtedly there funniest book I’ve ever read.

  98. Dave Turner ‘s How To Be Dead series is hilarious… Followed up by the Four Horsemen.

  99. The Day the Crayons Left. Big Mouth Frog. Mr. Brown Can Moo (though I only laugh when I try do voices and try to say all the sounds in one big breath). The Book with No Pictures.

    Yes, they are all kids books, but I laugh every time I read them!

  101. Gillian Flynn’s short story (novella?!?) first published under the name “What do you do?” and then later under the name “The Grownup” will absolutely make you laugh.

  102. It’s nothing new: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I’ve never laughed so hard at a book in my life.

  107. Robyn Peterman…put on a depends, take your pick of vampires, werewolf shifters, witches or a horny sasquatch and prepare to laugh your ass off!!!! Seriously. You can thank me later.

  109. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett.
    I love all of Terry Pratchett’s books, but this one stands out as one of the best.
    Also wonderful- the Spellman books by Lisa Lutz. Comedic mysteries solved by a totally dysfunctional family. The Spellman Files are Book 1 in the series.

  113. The first 10 of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series (the first 6 are the strongest), A Man Called Ove, My grandmother told me to tell you she’s sorry followed by Britt Marie was Here (hilarious character), 40 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith (the Bertie bits are the best), The Rosie Project…

  116. Honestly, the funniest book I have ever read have been your books, so that’s not terribly helpful to you. Except that your books crack me the fuck up every time I read or listen to them.

  117. I have to second the Good Omens suggestion. anything by Terry Pratchett is a slamdunk for humor, but Good Omens is my favorite!

  119. I like Good Omens and Wee Free Men too, but my go to funny book is To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. The description of the Bishop’s Bird Stump still makes me laugh. And I am sure you will get a kick out of Cyril!

  120. A Confederacy of Dunces. Funniest book I’ve ever read. Also love the Douglas Adams books.

  121. Kevin Hart – I Can’t Make This Up. Audio book is funnier because he reads it himself and pretty sure he goes off script.

    And “Let’s Pretend This never Happened” of course.

  122. Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo. You know how you read in bed next to a sleeping person and you’re laughing quietly but still shaking the whole bed? That’s what happened.

  123. “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay” by Cornelia Otis Skinner and “It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It” by Robert Fulghum

  127. “McCarthy’s Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland,” by Pete McCarthy. A poignant, often hilarious travelogue of self-discovery. Yes, it’s all that!

  129. “Letters from a Nut!” Read it out loud to someone please! The original one.

    Writing to hotels and companies… like explaining he will be dressed in shrimp attire (pink, veiny) or that he travels with his own drapes… with actual, real live responses from the hotels and companies.

  130. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christoper Moore. Best. Book Ever.

  132. Anything by Christopher Moore, really, but I’d start with “Coyote Blue” if you want to be laughing by the 2nd page. Also, since he has so many reoccurring characters in his books it’s a good idea to read them as published chronologically. I’ve gifted that book to at least 10 people.

    Than again, you can just dive in with “Fool” if you’re a fan of Shakespeare. Fuckstockings Forever!

  133. • Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (all of them)
    • Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
    • everything Samantha Irby has ever written (except the pieces that make you cry, obv)

  136. Caitlin Moran’s “How to Be a Woman” and “Moranthology” both made me laugh out loud. Also, she has a white stripe in her hair and is planning to dye a black one in once her hair turns mostly white, which I love.

  138. The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro. Then you can become an Idiot Girl (we’re a club). And any book subsequently written by Laurie. Also, you two should be friends. I weirdly (not in a stalker way) consider you friends because of how much joy I’ve experienced reading and sharing your books. You might enjoy watching That Mitchell and Webb Look on Netflix and search Mrs. Brown’s Bikini Wax on YouTube. It makes me pee. Then, there is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY

  139. I would of course normally recommend yours – but Round Ireland with a Fridge is ridiculous and amazing. I was laughing so loud on an airplane people were staring…

  140. Any of the Blandings Castle books by Wodehouse. Leave it to Psmith is my favorite. The BBC tv series based on the stories is HILARIOUS as well.

  141. well, yours, of course (Let’s Pretend …) but also “U.S.!” by Chris Bachelder. just nuts. Upton Sinclair, raised from the dead. Keeps getting assassinated.
    Also, less funny but definitely absurd, Confederacy of Dunces.

  142. David Sedaris – Me Talk Pretty One Day
    Haven Kimmel – A Girl Named Zippy

  145. Tony Kornheiser’s collections of columns from his days at the Washington Post – Bald as I Wanna Be, I’m Back For More Cash (Because You Can’t Take 200 Newspapers to the Bathroom), and Pumping Irony – Working Out the Angst of a Lifetime.

  146. Your first book is the clear winner, but if you want something you didn’t personally slave over, Dave Barry and Patrick McManus have always made me laugh.

  148. You need to google – the fairmont empress pepperoni and this will take you to an article that will definitely make you laugh. Although not a book, it’s freaking hilarious. You can’t make this shit up 🤪. Hope you enjoy 😉

  149. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it, but I always seem to end up laughing until tears stream down my face (bonus emotional release!)

  150. :The book with no words”. Or “Did you steal the B from my ook?” Kids books are awesome!

  151. Shelly Laurenston. Basically everything she has written, but The Mane Attraction is my go to giggle book. Ridiculous shifters in Tennessee.

  152. David Sedaris – Almost anything, but I think the funniest is The Santaland Diaries or Holidays on Ice.

  153. Besides yours, of course………White Girl Problems by Babe Walker…….You’ll love it!

  154. Anything by Erma Bombeck. She reminds me a lot of you, actually, writing humorously about real life and the sometimes not funny things that happen. My favorite of her books is “All I Know About Animal Behavior I learned in Loehmann’s Dressing Room” which I reread every now and then and sometimes it still makes me laugh until I tear up.

  156. Your books, anything by David Sedaris, and “Why We Suck” by Dennis Leary.

  157. All the Bruno and Boots books by Gordon Korman are hilarious. They’re young adult novels set in a Canadian boarding school for boys called Macdonald Hall. I read them when I was in elementary and middle school in the nineties and laughed so much. I recently reread the few that I was actually able to buy instead of just borrowing from the library, and I still laughed some good belly laughs. These books are extra special to me because it was rare to find books set in Canada when I was a kid.

  158. Try “How to be champion” by English comedian Sarah Millican. I recommended your books to her too.

  160. Does It Fart? The Definitive Guide to Animal Flatulence by Dani Rabaiotti and Nick Caruso. Haven’t read it yet because Amazon is slow, but heard the authors on NPR last week and it was hilarious. The Kindle version is available now, so that may be your best bet in an emergency.

  161. A Super Upsetting Cookbook about Sandwiches is the funniest cookbook I ever read and still had some good recipes.

  162. My automatic reply to this question is Let’s Pretend this Never Happened. I assume that won’t help you. So other funny (but not as funny) books for me are Worst Person Ever – Douglas Copeland or The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared. It is possible my humour is a bit dark

  163. This is a serious chuckler
    https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/0380813815/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523467792&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lamb&dpPl=1&dpID=51i-iA-flpL&ref=plSrch

    Anything by Christopher Moore really. So funny.
    Wishing you the best energy to keep yourself above water. I wish I had a magic lifeboat. You mean so much to my day as I lie in bed due to my chronic illness. You’re a supernova if bright spots in my day
    Cheers,
    Ingrid

  164. FURIOUSLY HAPPY. Plus, it saved my life. 😂
    A close second is James Thurber story, The Night the Bed Fell. It’s been making me laugh for 60 years! 😆

  165. Honestly, your books stand out for making me laugh until I couldn’t breathe and maybe even peeing myself a little. So, wowza, you’re amazing.💙

    Hmmm… Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series is incredibly punny in a giddy and delightful fashion. Like if Piers Anthony & Douglas Adams had a mad baby and it was raised by Gaiman & Pratchett.

    Charles De Lint’s short stories range from funny to achingly sweet to soft and forgivable heartbreak in a way that I find soothing and redeeming.

    I send you many brain hugs and lots of book love; i hope you take a nice, well deserved upswing soon. 😊

  168. I wish I could be more helpful, but “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” is literally the funniest book I ever read. When I first started it, I was laughing so much that Ken wanted to know what it was about, and I started reading out loud to him. Such great memories of the two of us, sitting on the porch that one summer with tears rolling down both our cheeks. I also really like Douglas Adams, and the shooting script for Monty Python and the Holy Grail is hilarious too.

  170. For silly puns and sillier plots, go for Piers Anthony’s acanthus series. Of course there is also the inimitable, enevitable Good Omens (Gaiman and Pratchett? Done and done).

  172. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is one of my all time favorites! For something that you didn’t write, Dad is Fat – Jim Gaffigan, Bossy Pants – Tina Fey, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me – Mindy Kaling

  173. Any of Jen Lancaster’s books of essays. Her novels, no, but her essays are laugh out loud material

  174. This is weird, but I nearly peed myself reading it: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy. I think it was an “of the moment” kind of funny. But I loved it.
    David Sedaris is great.
    “An Innocent. A Broad.” (Ann Leary) Not entirely funny, but when it was…it was great.

    I should read more. Most of these I read years and years ago.

  176. Laurie Notaro’s There’s a Slight Chance I Might Be Going to Hell. Literal crying laughing ensued.

  177. So many, many possibilities.

    I have to second Christopher Moore’s “Lamb.” Absolutely hilarious from the word “go.” Of course you know how the story will end, but when it comes, it’s a gutpunch of a tragedy.

    John Kennedy Toole’s “A Conspiracy of Dunces” is a masterpiece of grotesque humor.

    Paul Neilan’s “Apathy and Other Small Victories” is laugh-out-loud funny.

    One of my favorite reads of the last 15 years is Jincy Willett’s “Winner of the National Book Award.” Protagonist Dorcas issues the most witheringly witty putdowns ever committed.

    Many people give me a funny look when I say this, but “Moby Dick” is full of tremendously dry wit. Give it a go, or another go, if you’ve been disappointed before. Consider Ishmael a sort of proto-Holden-Caulfield-style commentator on the goings on and it gets much better.

  181. Jasper Fforde books if you like silly British humor and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I’d start with the Thursday Next series, then read Shades of Grey, then read his YA series, the Last Dragon Slayer.

  183. John Connolly. Gates of hell books. They’re young adult but funny as fluff

  184. Also, if you’ve never read them, look up the old National Lampoon parodies “Bored of the Rings” (The Lord of the Rings) and “Doon” (Dune). They’re not long, but they are crude, rude, sophomoric, etc., … and will very likely have you giggling continuously in spite of all that.

  188. I know this sounds ridiculous but the book I laughed out loud the most while reading was a book called The Blue Knight by Joseph Wambaugh. Also, David Foster Wallace’s essay–A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again is laugh out loud funny!

  191. The Haters, by Jesse Anderson (who also wrote Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which is hilarious but also sad). YA, kinda raunchy in places but hysterically funny and creatively written. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson. It takes a couple of chapters to pick up momentum but then it’s ridiculously entertaining.
    Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams go without saying, always worth a reread.

  192. Until I read your books, the funniest I’d ever read were Erma Bombeck’s “If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” and “Life is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.” It’s been years since I read them, but I’ve been compiling a Bombeck library with the intention of reading all her books.

  193. So, it’s been many years since I’ve read it, and I thereforeI don’t remember it clearly, but “S**t My Dad Says” was a funny read.

  194. Sarah Vowell when I want something funny with history, Celia Rivenbark for Southern humor. When I am looking for dark/macabre humor, Friedrich Durrenmatt’s books like The Visit and The Physicists are my go-to.

  195. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, and Andy Weir’s The Martian (the perfectly timed use of profanity making everything 10x funnier).

  196. I suppose it’s redundant to say one of my favorites for laughter AND consolation is “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” …

    Books are like candy – I can never have just one. So, a handful of things that made me laugh out loud, in no particular order. Some have been mentioned already, which means I’m not the only one. Wee Free Men by Sir Terry Pratchett. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie WIllis. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.

    If you’re reading it with your middleschooler, try Holly Smale’s “Geek Girl” series — Start with #2 Model Misfit because of the theater connection. She’s got good-natured slapstick and intelligent theater humor all mixed in together with teenage interaction.

    And then there are the humorous romance novels I’ve gotten into lately — Truth or Beard by Patty Reid (Which I can thank THIS list for, because her earlier book “Neanderthal Seeks Human” was recommended by one of your commenters.) The Blue Heron series by Kristan Higgans. Oh, and if you’ve got a sf/fantasy jones on, try The Queen’s Wings by Jamie K. Schmidt. Puns fly…as do dragons. 😉

  197. Sheriff of Yrnameer by Michael Rubens is fabulous. Also all the White Trash Zombie books by Diana Rowland.

  198. Anything by Jen Lancaster or laurie Notaro- my family looks at me funny when I read them because normally I’m a VERY QUIET READER

  200. The Gallery of Regrettable Foods, by James Lileks. Pictures and descriptions of foods from old magazines and little specialty cookbooks (like “The Joys of Jello”). His descriptions are so hilarious I had to be practically carried out of the bookstore I was laughing so hard. Just paging through it even now, years after I bought it, can send me into fits of giggles.

  202. Gerald Durrell “My Family and Other Animals”. It’s about his childhood as a British ex-pat living on Corfu. He was a natural history nut and kept bringing animals home (like you with the sloth but not as a joke). His family had varying reactions to this. I have laughed until I cried reading it in public.

  205. ‘At Wit’s End’ by Erma Bombeck made me laugh. And then Bill Engvall’s ‘Here’s Your Sign’. He kills me every time.

  207. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, maybe not traditionally funny, but I laugh out loud when I read some of it,..

  210. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Do Me, Do My Roots by Eileen Rendahl. Also anything by Mary Kay Andrews. She’s a hoot.

    Personally, I watch Pitch Perfect when I’m feeling blue. My dad passed in Feb. and I’ve watched it probably 30 times since then. It just makes me feel better.

  212. Not a book, but have you listed to the podcast “My dad wrote a porno”? It’s so funny I’ve almost had to pull over while driving because I was laughing so hard. Definitely not safe for work or kids though.

  214. “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” is a recent fave and I have to add another vote for anything by Christopher Moore. I started “Lamb” on a cross country flight and I was braying like a wasp-stung donkey. I probably still owe an apology for being that passenger. And “Fluke” is the reason that I know that all squirrels are named Fred.

  216. Honestly, I wish I had something that you haven’t read already, but I doubt it. My go-tos are Christopher Moore, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel is a favorite, and anything by this weird woman named Jenny Lawson is highly recommended. 😊 Feel better.

  218. James Thurber’s “The Thurber Carnival.” It never fails me. It’s actually a collection of short stories (essays?), fables, poems and cartoons, so it’s easy to read a little at a time. I’ve tried to pick a favorite, but there are too many. A Ride With Olympy stands out, as well as The Night The Bed Fell.

  219. Anything and everything by Lewis Grizzard. But you’ll cry, too. His collections of stories touch on every human emotion possible, with laughter being the clear leader. Janet Evanovich’s ‘Stephanie Plum’ series is also laugh-out loud funny.

  220. When the title of your post came through my email, I got really excited and thought you wrote another book! <3 feel better soon!

  221. A Dirty Job and Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore are the two funniest books I have ever read….aside from yours.

  222. “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story” by Leonie Swann
    The sheep are trying to solve the murder of their owner. A very light, funny and sweet book.

  227. Stacey Ballis’s novels can be pretty hilarious…there’s a scene in Off the Menu that gets me every time.

  228. Jennifer Cruisie! Her books are so fun! And she is a Jennifer… so bonus!

  229. Besides your- “ I hope they serve beer in hell” by tucker max . Anything by Amy or David Sedaris.

  230. Gini Koch’s ALIEN series is pretty darn funny/always makes me laugh,
    Justin Robinson’s CITY OF DEVILS books are great if you love detective noir and plenty of puns, Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston was really freaking funny (Has romance and honey badger shifters along with other kinds of shifters.)

  231. One of my favorites is Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. It’s hilarious and despite being published in 1889 it reads like a contemporary book thanks to its universal humor. It’s free wherever fine books are downloaded.

  232. Yours! I read it every time I’m starting to feel depressed again.

    This probably doesn’t help in your situation, but I just wanted you to know how much your book has helped me.

  234. I hope that the roller coaster brings you back to the top soon, but I’m afraid I can’t help. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened was the funniest book I’ve ever read, and I’m pretty sure you’ve read that one. 🙂

  235. Anything by Bill Bryson, esp. In A Sunburned Country. Just Google the paragraph that begins, “I am not, I regret to say, a discreet and fetching sleeper…” Makes me howl every time.

  236. A Walk In the Woods – Bill Bryson
    Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris
    Small Town Ho – Duke Dierks
    Laughed out loud reading all of them – rare find 🙂

  237. David Sedaris always makes me giggle. “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” or “Me Talk Pretty One Day” both have some super funny stuff in them.

  239. Fluke by Christopher Moore. The scene with the wife and the whale makes me laugh so much I get the hiccups.

  241. Tom Holt, “Expecting Someone Taller.” Also, “Flying Dutch.”

  242. My usual answer to that question is your memoir since your sense of humor awesome! I definitely second a lot of the answers on here though- Terry Pratchett and Allie Brosh are awesome!

  244. Oh, god. Impossible to pick favorites. Anything by Terry Pratchett, naturally. And, of course, Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman goes without saying. In non-fiction, you can’t go wrong with Nora Ephron’s essays/columns.

    But I feel like I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

  245. Janet Evanovich- Stephanie Plum series (funnier in audiobook) and Richard Kadrey’s “The Everything Box”

  246. In the Glow of the Lavalamp, Stories of Bad Sex and Other Misfortunes by Lily Wilson.
    I peed my pants.

  248. Carrie Fisher’s memoirs. The Princess Diarist was fun. Especially the audiobook.

  252. Because my attention span sucks, I just like reading headlines of The Onion and Clickhole on Twitter. If you really want to feel good, go on dog_rates. Best. Twitter. Account. Ever. (No offense!)

    Hang in there— the light is there!

  253. Anything by Christopher Moore, but especially Lamb and Fool. I laughed till I almost couldn’t breathe.

  254. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris A collection of satirical essays, some of which account his time in Paris trying to learn to speak French! Hilarious!!!

  255. I didn’t read all the comments, so I’m sorry if this is a repeat, but I laugh out loud repeatedly while reading the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich.

  256. The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro or pretty much anything else by her. Also, A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. Both have had me out loud belly laughing that I have only experienced while reading your books!

  258. There’s a scene in Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams that made me laugh so hard I fell out of bed. I’m also pretty fond of Christopher Moore when I need my satire with a side of silly.

  259. Seriously, yours. But a couple series that aren’t yours: We Are Legion (We Are Bob), and the Spells, Swords, and Stealth series by Drew Hayes.

  260. TJ Klune: the Lightning-Struck Heart series, Tell Me It’s Real series, and How To Be Normal.

    Warning – do not read in public unless you feel comfortable hiccuping with laughter in front of strangers.

  261. P.S. Your Cat is Dead by James Kirkwood Jr. It’s been years since I read it, but I still remember it being hilarious!!!

  262. Janet Evanovich – Stephanie Plum series are great. My favorite was “Four to score”, I actually listened to it on tape for the first time and almost wrecked my car laughing so hard I was crying. Best of luck to you.

  263. Girl Walks into a Bar by Rachel Dratch is one of the funniest I’ve read.

    Also, if you need a podcast that will make you laugh hard enough to cry, I recommend My Dad Wrote a Porno.

  265. You mean besides “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.” I bet you’ve already read that one.

    I’m partial to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

    Also, the entirety of Calvin & Hobbes.

    And virtually anything by Dave Barry. I remember loving “Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up.” I think that’s the one. But I see many others already recommended Barry.

  266. Where’d you go Bernadette! A hilarious look at the life and decisions of ‘that mom’ who refuses to bend to the ridiculous wishes of the PTA Or PTO at her daughters school. Among other crazy things that happen in her life! Loved it best book I’ve read in the last 12 months !

  267. Well, it appears Lamb by Christopher Moore has been pretty well represented as have the first few Stephie Plumb novels. I found Handling Sin by Michael Malone to be funnier than Confederacy of Dunces but, your mileage may vary. Agnes and the Hit man was a good chuckle. Another Moore book worth a look was A Dirty Job (artful taxidermy is involved). The Sandman Slim series has its hilarious moments. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell was worth reading aloud to my husband (long car trip-don’t ask) and we both enjoyed it immensely.

  270. Winterdance by Gary Paulsen Laughed until I cried and my dog looked at me like I was nuts.

  272. Oh and if you can find it, there’s a book from post-WWII England that I adore – a journalist buys an old mansion & its gardens to restore…and its old gardens come with an old gardener. “Merry Hall” by Beverly Nicholson.

  274. Lots of people mention “Lamb” and I agree but then how about anything by David Sedaris or Tim Dorsey? His protagonist Serge will well suit your twisted sense of humor.

  275. Chelsea Handlers books are hilarious!
    Bossy pants by Tina Fey
    Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

  276. Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich. They’ve never been heavy books, but this one I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes

  277. I agree with the Stephanie Plum series-the earlier numbers are the best. I also love Jen Lancaster’s memoirs; Bitter is the New Black is the first, I believe. Jen Hatmaker’s latest is great; it’s in the Christian genre, though. (Are all Jennifers funny?)

  280. Not a book, but many of the stories on Victoria Elizabeth Barnes’ blog are hilarious (not the cat stories, so much, though). She searches for antiques and is obsessing over remodeling an old house. Start with her story about the “Kingdom Mirror she bought in Philadelphia, which had me laughing out loud. I believe she writes for Southern Living as her “main” job.

  281. I like the travel books by Tim Cahill. They’re both fascinating and funny. Most are kind of dated now, as they were written in the late 80’s to the early 2000’s, which I think adds to their charm.

  282. You probably already read this one, but Good Omens from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite books. It’s funny and clever.

  283. Yes to the other people who suggested Laurie Notaro. I still have my personalized membership certificate for the “Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure Club”.

  285. I second the Jennifer Cruise romantic comedies, and the Christopher Moore new book (plus the old ones!) also I love P.G. Wodehouse, and you can decide to watch the great film version(s) of the Jeeves and Wooster ones with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, instead, if you need a video distraction, too. (“Code of the Woosters” is a terrific book to start with, if you haven’t read them before). Or you could go with classics in another vein, and read ‘Please Don’t Eat the Daisies!” by Jean Kerr! (and that was made into a totally ridiculous film of fifties hilarity with Doris Day!) Hope you find something excellent – and tell us all about it when you’re up to it! Very fondly – D.

  292. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. Can’t miss. Or anything PG Wodehouse.

  293. Sammy’s Hill by Kristen Gore is good for some laughs (Especially the scene where she washes her hair with one hand, just in case she gets mauled by a bear and loses an arm).

  294. Douglas Adams – the robot always make me smile, if you are in a romance mood Rachel Gibson, and because i am Canadian Mike Myers book was fantastic

  295. Catch 22, or at least parts of it. Yossarian the Bombardier is trying to prove that he’s insane so that he doesn’t have to go on any more bombing missions. Unfortunately, the Army shrinks figure that anyone who DOES want to go on the bombing missions is actually insane and therefore, Yossarian is quite sane and therefore must fly again. While he’s in the hospital during this analysis, however, my favorite scene in the book occurs. A team of doctors has come to Y’s bedside to check him out. They ask about his problems and he begins with “I see everything twice”! One of the Drs decides to test him and holds up a finger, asking “How many fingers am I holding up? Y says “Two”. Dr. then holds up two fingers and asks the same. Y says “Two”. Dr. then holds up three fingers, to which Yossarian again says “Two”. Dr. turns to his colleagues and says “He’s right, he does see everything twice”…

  296. Anything by Lindsay Buroker (self published on Amazon). She has snarky, smart female protagonists.

  297. CHRISTOPHER MOORE!!!! He is the best comedic writer. I love to read or listen to his books on audible. I HIGHLY recommend “A Dirty Job”, “Fool”, and “Bite Me”. All his books are great but “Dirty Job” is my favorite and I will re-read anytime I need a real laugh. SOOOOOOO GOOD!!

  299. Lucky Jim by Kingsly Amis (dated in terms of female characters but the hangover descriptions are worth it)
    Kinflicks by Lisa Alther (written in the 70s– Nobel laureate Doris Lessing wrote of Kinflicks that Alther was “a strong, salty, original talent.”) dirty and hilarious and sad
    The Annie Year by Stephanie Ash
    The Mommie Mysteries by Ayelet Waldman
    Adrian Mole Diaries (can’t remember the author) English boy journals about life
    Hope you get some good belly laughs soon!!

  300. Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed, by Laurie Kilmartin

  301. Where’d You Bernadette by Maria Semple.

    The audiobook has a great narrator that really sells the story.

  302. Welcome to Nightvale. Not haha funny, but deliciously weird funny. Like hearing stories about your favorite weird relatives. The likeable, quirky ones. I recommended this to my likeable weird relatives and they had already read it. And saw the live action reading/play. Thiis is why we get along so well.

  303. “Breakup” by Dana Stabenow. Set in Alaska, and includes plane flips, bear vs truck face offs, bear vs woman in a creek fade off, bear and moose vs drunks races, and other absolutely Alaskan laugh till hurts scenes, with a mystery as the cherry on top.

  306. Since so many have listed my funny go-to author; Terry Pratchett (try Mort, where Death gets an apprentice), I offer up Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. It’s a little science mixed in with some crazy stories from her life as a scientist. I think you’d appreciate it!

  309. Naked – David Sedaris
    The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove – Christopher Moore
    Fortunately the Milk – Neil Gaiman
    Good Omens – Pratchett/Gaiman
    Where’s My Cow – Terry Pratchett
    Gods Behaving Badly – Marie Phillips
    The Table of Less Valued Knights – Marie Phillips
    Kraken Bake – Karen Dudley

  311. “Three Cheers for Me!” by Donald Jack. It’s Canadian, and less well known in the US. You wouldn’t think a book about a WWI pilot would be falling-out-of-your-chair funny, but it is. Years ago one of my parents picked this up off the paperback shelf at the library, read it, and collapsed in fits of helpless laughter. I didn’t understand, until they finally handed it over to me and I collapsed in similar fits. The only other book that I had that reaction to was “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. Oh, and “The Princess Bride” of course.

  312. Mamrie Hart “You Deserve A Drink”. If you don’t know her, she’s on YouTube and hilarious.

  313. Besides your books –

    I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
    Bossypants by Tina Fey
    Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

  314. the HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE books had me laughing out loud in the car as my family drove 10+ hours to my grandmother’s funeral, as did THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL (also Douglas Adams). GOOD OMENS is excellent but i didn’t read it at that time.

  316. I want to second the comment about Louise Rennison’s books. In the USA, the first one is called “Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging” and the entire series will make you laugh out loud. And yes, Hailey will love them, too! She won the Prinz award for the first one, I believe.

  317. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield, Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s series, Blair Braverman’s Welcome to the Goddam Ice Cube had its moments, Jenny Feldon’s Karma Gone Bad.

  318. So many good books recommended here! Any of them would bring a smile to my face. I have to agree about Terry Pratchett, my favorite is Wyrd Sisters. And Connie Willis – I just love her “…Dog” or All Seated on the Ground. Whatever you choose feel better….

  319. “I Want To Go Home” by Gordon Korman. I first read it when I was in grade four, but I’m all adulty now, and in my 40’s, and I still re-read it when I need a chuckle. Most of Korman’s books are funny, I’ve enjoyed them all. Also, “A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Can”. Same author. Good for a laugh.

  321. A surprise one here – Gridlock by Ben Elton. Made me laugh out loud quite a lot

  322. “The Power of Positive Nonsense” by Leo Rosten is funny, if a bit old. It has a chapter on Spoonerisms that almost incapacitated me in the bookstore when I found it there, in 1977, I believe. The one that nearly did me in was “our lord is a shoving leopard”…

  323. Hot in Hellcat Canyon by Julie Anne Long was a delightful fluffy cotton candy read that had me laughing out loud, and ignoring my ennui. If you like romance. Anything David Sedaris if you need your comedy a little darker. Good luck staying out of the hole.

  325. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, in AUDIO BOOK version. He reads it himself, and does many languages/accents and it’s really, really funny.

  326. Look up: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love by Jill Conner Browne

    Very funny and you might just find yourself dressing up in a pink wig, tiara, and feather boa afterwards.

  327. Phyllis Diller’s “Like a Lampshade In a Whorehouse: My Life In Comedy”

  328. 2nding votes for Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh and any Jennifer Crusie (my favorites are Faking It and Agnes & the Hit Man) and Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett. Definitely recommend I’ll Take It by Paul Rudnick. Ursula Vernon’s Hamster Princess series. Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl or the Tick series (graphic novels).

  330. I made a boo-boo! It’s not The Blue Knight, it’s The Choirboys by Joseph Wambough!

  332. Tattoo Blues [Michael McClelland] … “a rollicking and playful comic-mystery, featuring runaway rich kid Desiree Dean who discovers her prized tattoo is a fraud – the Chinese character etched on her left breast says…..”
    You didn’t think I would give that away, did you? But that’s just where the trouble STARTS!

  333. I’d like to add a different Christopher Moore-Island of the Sequinned Love Nun. To say it’s an absurdly hilarious mad cap adventure is an understatement. I also LOVE Gail Carriger’s Souless series, especially on audio. The reader does an exceptional performance. Honestly, those books got me through a rough patch.

  334. The Walls Around Us by David Owen
    Bleachy Haired Honky Bitch by Hollis Gillespie
    Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
    MASH by Richard Hooker
    Mama Makes up her mind by Bailey White
    Uncle Shelby’s ABZ book by Shel Silverstein
    Asterix the Gaul series by Goscinny and Uderzo
    Calvin and Hobbes by Watterson
    Bloom County by Breathed

  335. Coyote Blue (Christopher Moore) and Cold Comfort Farm, can’t remember author’s name.

  336. Anything by David Sedaris, but I especially like his earlier works including Barrel Fever and Me Talk Pretty One Day.

  337. Allie Brosh’s book, always! I also use Furiously Happy and Good Omens, which is true but not original.

    Have you seen the Penis Theater book (like for finger puppets but not)? You can put a (patient) cat’s tail through the hole for amusement!

  338. Besides your books, anything by David Sedaris is great. I think Holidays on Ice is my favorite; I re-read that one the most. And I love comedian biographies, especially The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman. Also, this column by Dave Barry (and probably other stuff he’s written but this is my favorite): http://www.davebarry.com/columns/how-to-make-board.php.

  339. •David Sedaris. “Dress your family in Corduroy and Denim” Or anything written by him
    •Augusten Burroughs, “Running with Scissors” Or anything written by him.

    •Sarah Silverman, “The bedwetter

    • Amy Schumer “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo”

    •Shalom Auslander ”Foreskin’s Lament: A Memoir”
    And
    “Hope a tragedy” (fiction very silly parody)

    •Samantha Bee “I Know I Am, But What Are You?”

    Steve Martin
    “Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life”

  340. The Idiot Girls’ Action Adventure club by Laurie Notaro. Really, any of her books will do the trick. Her stories (some true, some not) are hilarious and relatable. In one of her books, she describes being in a dressing room in a fancy boutique and getting her arms stuck inside a blouse she was trying on. I laughed so dang hard because I had been there and no exactly what it’s like to try to get out of that situation without ripping the blouse or dislocating joints.

  341. Second (or third or fourth, or whateverth) for Jim Gaffigan and David Sedaris, and Tina Fey. I didn’t see Rainbow Rowell yet, so I’ll add her, FanGirl being my favorite. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, might be too popular with the movie out now, but has some nice 1980s nostalgia goodness, plus the audiobook is read by Wil Wheaton. The online Wilde Life comic, http://wildelifecomic.com/, by Pascal Lepas is also excellent.

  343. If you haven’t already read any of Marian Keyes’ books, you need to start immediately! Sushi For Beginners is one of my favourites, and also the series of books about the Walsh family (to be read in order starting with Watermelon). Marian is similarly accursed with ‘The Black Dog’, so you get laugh-out-loud humour, warmth and also moments that make you say, “Yes, this! Exactly this!”

  344. It’s not funny but it’s fascinating. And you may find it helpful. Or it may anger you (in which case, please don’t block me). Read it with an open mind. Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions. Johann Hari is an investigative journalist. This is not psychobabble. I really enjoyed it and actually found it uplifting and optimistic.

  347. Honestly? Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Not sucking up, it really is!

  348. Funny is subjective and I disagreed with a lot of the books suggested here…so I’d check out amazon’s list of humor books and read a lot of reviews. I like Bill Bryson and Erma Bombeck for old school, non-offensive giggles. For “feel good” stories, I have been reading “The Moth” in small doses.

  352. I just saw this on Twitter right after I read your book plea. I haven’t read it, but “Just the Funny Parts” by Nell Scovell sounds like something ….

  353. I am guessing that you have read all of the Christopher Moore books -they are at the top of my list -along with yours. If you like the genre – anything by Janet Evanovich. Tim Robbins -Still Life with Woodpecker. The Red Hat Club Rides Again by Haywood Smith (the only one of hers I liked-and it was the audiobook)
    I am sure there are lots of others, but those are the first that come to mind.

  354. Mary Lasswell! Start with Suds in Your Eye. Delightful snapshot of american life during difficult times. Old ladies, hijinks, and beer… lots of beer.

  355. “Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging” (and the rest of the series) by Louise Rennison. Read it with your daughter – that’ll make it even funnier.

  356. I was going to suggest kicking it old school with Erma Bombeck, Anne Lamott will lift your spirits and also crack you up. David Sedaris’ me Talk Pretty one Day. Art of The Deal by Donald Trump? JK Feel better. Depression lies…don’t believe your brain chemistry. This cold spring weather is kicking my butt.

  357. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
    It’s a series about a family of private detectives. I found it laugh out loud funny.

  358. Any book by him is funny

    “Chili Dawgs Always Bark at Night”
    Lewis Grizzard

  360. Read: Laurie Notaro
    Listen to: David Sedaris (especially Me Talk Pretty One Day).

  361. Pretty much everything by Gail Carriger. Steampunk, Victorian England, werewolves, vampires, a mechanical dog (named Bumbersnoot) and rediculous hats

  362. Oh yes!!! Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure by Michael G. Munz – I won a copy on Goodreads and it was very funny and hard to put down.

  363. It’s not a book but I can’t watch The Gods Must be Crazy without dissolving.

  364. Anything by David Sedaris. Seriously. Can’t remember the names of the books, but I think your sense of humor is similar to his

  365. The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro followed up by her books We Thought You Would Be Prettier and I Love Everybody (and other atrocious lies)

  367. Will Cuppy’s, “The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody,” was a hoot the first and last time I read it.

  368. I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich about a down on her luck 30 year old divorcee in New Jersey that becomes a Bounty Hunter because it’s better than working in the tampon factory. One for the Money is the first book. Absolutely hilarious. My go to for light, easy, entertaining read that’s funny! Hope it helps!

  370. I mean, I love Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. And if you’re open to audiobooks, I love hearing David Sedaris read his own books–the words themselves are funny, but something about him reading them makes me almost pee my pants.

  371. Don’t Bend Over in the Garden, Granny, You Know Them Taters Got Eyes
    Lewis Grizzard

  372. Yours, of course… but Clinton Kelly’s “I Hate Everyone Except You” is pretty darn funny.

  373. Ok. I’m gonna tell you what the most hilarious book I ever read was but you can’t judge me! Cuz it’s the most vile, sexist, immature piece of literature ever. But when I read it I cried laughing!! It’s called I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max. His poo stories are my favourite!! Stop judging me!!!

  374. Just books? Coz watching Jim Gaffigan do stand up takes me away every time. By the way, this reminds me of a scene from a movie that I’ve been trying to remember. I think it’s Woody Allen. He’s suicidal but happens to catch The Three Stooges on TV. (I think it was The Stooges.) He laughs out loud. He feels better. The narration is something like, How can you even think about leaving this world when The Stooges are in it? Does anyone know what I’m talking about? I want to find that clip because it’s life affirming, in its way. And amazing how one small thing could turn your life around.

  375. So far “Confederacy of Dunces” has been very funny… but that could be partly because I live where the story is set, and I cannot vouch for the ending since I haven’t got there yet.

  378. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimon, The Bromiliad by Terry Pratchett, Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett…okay, I’m just gonna’ say ANYTHING by Terry Pratchett! And Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

  379. Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman has some funny inner dialogue.
    Janet Evanovich Lizzy & Diesel series is pretty funny
    I read yours when I want to laugh out loud – that might not be too much help.

  380. Razor Girl by Carl Hiassen. It’s light, fluffy and situational comedy at it’s best, aside of course from growing up in your house. You can’t beat your father’s animal antics or should I say antics with animals. Probably the latter. More true to topic and less creepy. Then again… 🙂

  381. Today Will Be Different – Maria Semple, Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life – Laurie Notaro, Arsenic and Old Lace – Joseph Kesselring, Matt & Ben – Mindy Kaling,
    Adulthood Is a Myth (Sarah’s Scribbles, #1) – Sarah Anderson,
    Scrappy Little Nobody – Anna Kendrick, Class Mom – Laurie Gelman, Bridget Jones Diary – Helen Fielding, and of course your books.

  384. Too long to read them all, so if dupes well it’s a second recommendation! 🙂
    Connie Willis – Bellwether – esp. hilarious if you’re in academia.
    Jerome K Jerome, 3 men in a boat. About a hundred years old and side-splittingly hilarious.

    In non-book areas, I cannot get enough of cat shaming photos. With signs.

  385. Okay, besides your books. which send me into fits of giggles (thank you!): Pastoralia by George Saunders. Funniest and most bizarre short story I’ve ever read. Found it in a New Yorker magazine decades ago at a doctor’s office and ended up stealing the magazine so I could finish reading it.

    Also Dave Barry’s article on preparing for a colonoscopy–a completely other type of humor: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928847.html

    And yes, Thurber’s The Night the Bed Fell on Father is lovely. Amazon has the CD of A Thurber Carnival, and it’s worth twelve bucks just to hear Tom Ewell read it to you, along with The Unicorn in the Garden.

  386. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
    Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen
    Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen (actually, pretty much anything of his will do)
    Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford
    So Far from Heaven by Richard Bradford
    (The last two are perfect straight novels. They’re not consistently funny, but when they are, they’re hysterical.)

  388. rita mae brown – six of one.
    the bit when the old ladies take a dump in the woods literally killed me

    feel better soon please:-)

  389. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. Pretty much any book by him, though yours are the ones that had me crying from laughing.

  390. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich and the subsequent novels at least up to the 10th book in the series.

  391. Honestly, “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” is THE funniest book I’ve ever read. Terry Pratchet is a good second though. “Cat Ass Trophy” still makes me giggle and it’s been a couple of decades since I read the Xanth series.

  392. The late, great Hunter S. Thompson’s “The Curse of Lono”. Cause sometimes we all fell cursed by the gods.

  394. Aside from your books I will second the Allie Brosh, Anne Lamott, and David Sedaris recommendations, and add one more. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, by Stephan Pastis.

  395. Recently read Breaking Cat News with my kids. It’s a compilation of comics, so good for when you are too tired to even read paragraphs. How to Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran and any of Bill Bryson’s travelogues, and Patrick F McManus’s essays.

  396. Besides your books:
    Hyperbole and a Half – Allie Brosh
    Some of her stories had me crying laughing and the illustrations just make it that much better!

  397. Douglas Adams The Salmon of Doubt. But skip all the honorifics by others, they’re depressing, just read his contributions – hilarious.

  399. Dirty Chick: Adventures of an Unlikely Farmer, by Antonia Murphy. It was billed about raising an autistic child, but it’s really about how they move to New Zealand and become hobby farmers. There’s a lot of misadventures with farm animals, and I made the mistake of trying to read it while walking on a treadmill and almost fell off because I was laughing so hard.

  400. The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Darrell – all about animals and a very eccentric English family living in Greece before WW2.
    Any of the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony – a very “punny” fantasy series. 😊

  401. I just read “My Lady’s Choosing” by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris. It is a choose your own adventure romance novel and repeatedly made me laugh out loud. It takes about every romance trope you have ever read and makes it utterly hilarious. So fun!

  402. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, but you’ve probably already read it. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books are funny. If you’ve only read the first one, keep going. 🙂

  404. Oh, and Walter the Farting Dog. It’s a kids book, but it always makes me laugh.

  405. Revenge of the Lawn by Richard Brautigan. Short stories, specifically the actual Revenge of the Lawn. Published in 1971. If you google it, you should be able to find just that story, it begins..”My grandmother, in her own way, shines like a beacon down the stormy American past. She was a bootlegger in a little county up in the state of Washington..”

  407. Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson. Set in Père LeChaise cemetery in Paris
    where all kinds of famous people have been reincarnated as cats. Very well written and
    wonderfully clever and funny.

  408. I Feel Bad About My Neck – Nora Ephron. My sis and I went on a cruise to Norway together and would read it aloud at night before bed. Great sister bond strengthened as we had to change undies from laughing so hard we peed!

  409. Always David Sedaris, but especially When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Me Talk Pretty One Day.

  410. The entire Serge Storms series by Tim Dorsey and the classicThree Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome.

  411. Tick tock by Dean Koontz.

    A voodoo doll comes to life and terrorizes a young man, who enlists the help of a crazy waitress and a magic dog. Really.

  413. Jasper Fforde is one of my favorite absurdists – I like his Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes series’, and I’m about to read his Shades Of Grey. 🙂 Also for just light fun LOLs, I would recommend Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. <3 <3
    If you haven’t read either of those authors, I’ll be happy to send you a starter. 😀 XOXOX

  414. Well, I had to stop reading “Let’s Pretend this Never Happened” at night because I kept waking my husband up laughing…. barring that, you can’t beat the brits! Guards, Guards, by Terry Pratchett or Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams are pretty much my go-tos. But never forget:

    This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out.
    “A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
    “Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on
    “Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.'”

    We’re all your friend. Many of us have been here before. Some of us know the way out. We’ll get there together.

  415. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is one of my favorites. Any of the Mistress/Granny Weatherwax or Tiffany Aching books are my favorites. If you need a funny movie instead, I recommend Death at a Funeral, either the American or British version though I prefer the British version because I saw it first. Also While not funny exactly, Cookie Monster’s Guide to Life: The Joy of Cookies is delightful. Only thing between you and happiness is lid to cookie jar.

  416. I forgot a couple!

    Mortified and Mortified: Love Is A Battlefield, both edited by David Nadelberg. I was crying from laughing so hard.

  417. Just about anything by Dave Barry, columnist for the Miami Herald. A compilation of his columns is guaranteed to make you laugh. Hard.

  418. A few weeks ago I had an MRI and they allowed me to bring a device to stream music into the machine. I have a bad time with MRIs so I chose the most hilarious audiobook I could find so I could be distracted enough to deal with the procedure: Martin Short’s “I Must Say!”. It’s a great read but because he also voices the audiobook, try the latter. I was able to get mine from the local library 🙂 For amusement and big word distraction I love TC Boyle’s “The Road to Wellville”. And if you just need something quick and mighty, pick up any Far Side collection. Cheers to staying up, up, up! xo

  419. You have probably already heard of or read PG Wodehouse, but if not I highly recommend any of the Jeeves and Wooster books.

  420. Anything by Patrick McManus, who wrote for Field and Stream magazine for years. His essays about his boyhood dog, Strange are particularly hilarious. He describes the dog as “looking like your ordinary brown and white floppy-eared mongrel, except he had depravity written all over him. He looked like he sold dirty postcards to support an opium habit.” The books are available as ebooks, and describe growing up in a rural area among other things. Took one to class one day when I was in high school (in the 1980’s, I’m old). Was reading after I finished a test, and laughed so hard I fell out of my desk. The teacher was not amused.

    I work in a bookstore and I recommend your books all the time. Feel better, you are loved!!

  421. Heads of the Colored People, a new book, with a wide range of stories. “Belles Lettres,” which has two mothers exchanging notes through their daughters backpacks is extremely funny.

  423. PG Wodehouse, the Wooster and Jeeves stories, or anything with the Earl of Blandings.
    Jasper Fforde – I especially like the Last Dragonslayer, Song of the Quarkbeast (YA series) bu the Bookworld Series is also witty and fun.
    I second the Connie Willis suggestion for To Say Nothing of the Dog and Bellwether, and quite a few of her short stories.

  424. Bill Bryson, “The Lost Continent” (if his acerbic wit doesn’t resonate with you I’ll eat my hat, also “Neither here nor there”.
    “straight Man” by Richard Russo. Also great as literature, but very funny. “Tourist Season@ and “Skin Tight” by Carl Hiassen. “Soon I will be invincible” by Austin Grossman, a superhero tale told partly by the villain. Of course “Red Shirts” by your friend John Scalzi. I have read all of these at least twice and loaned out to several people who also loved them. Read them all, Bryson first.

  425. “The Last Black Unicorn” by Tiffany Haddish- hilarious (but with a few serious moments about her mother’s mental illness, so be aware if that is triggering for you). Also “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah. Get the audiobook so you can listen to his beautiful accent while he tells you about growing up in South Africa. 🙂

  426. “Lamb” by Christopher Moore. Or anything in the “The Pirates!” series by Gideon Defoe. The Pirates are so wholesome and delightful!

  429. This is no help to you whatsoever, but your books are hilarious. Also, I can recommend The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy; Catch-22; Make Love! (The Bruce Campbell Way); Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal; pretty much anything by Kurt Vonnegut; and, if you’re really desperate, Vampires in Pimptown by Yours Truly.

  431. If you like puns, science fiction, and a healthy dose of empathy, I highly recommend the Callahan series by Spider Robinson. Start with Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon and work your way through. You eventually get to meet Lady Sally, who runs a brothel in New York with the best clientele a time traveler could ask for.

  435. If At Birth You Don’t Succeed has several laugh out loud moments and leaves you feeling better about humanity. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series is a hoot (start at the beginning with One For The Money), Night of the Avenging Blowfish and most of the early Donald Westlake books. But you win for the funniest book(s) ever. Easily.

  436. “The Partly Cloudy Patriot” by Sarah Vowell. Droll, dry, deeply intelligent.

  437. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. I have so many unread books on my shelf but I’ve read this multiple times and laugh out loud every single time. Her others are great, too, but this one’s the crown jewel. Also, David and Amy Sedaris are magic, but I’m sure you already know that.

  440. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series are laugh-out-loud funny. The Colour of Magic is the first; or if you wish to save a vowel for later, The Color of Magic.

  442. Another vote for anything by Terry Pratchett (my favorite is Small Gods), also for something a little different The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (that man can literally do anything well), it’s a thriller but it made me laugh out loud numerous times (enough that people gave me weird looks while I was reading it between classes in grad school).

  443. Well to be fair the funniest book I ever read was Furiously happy XD But aside from that read anything from Terry Pratchett’s discworld series, Eric is one of the thinner books so it’s a quicker read, Soul music is a standard size but it has a special place in my heart since it was my first (plus it has music with rock in it), The last hero has absolutely stunning art and Nanny Ogg’s cookbook is a good idea if you want to go blow up the kitchen ^^

  444. “As you wish” by Cary Elwes was so sweet and gave me this great uplifted feeling – lots of funny moments; but overall just left me feeling “better”.

    Also – “Fool” by Christopher Moore – damn funny.

  445. Many many people ask me this question and I always say the same two books but unfortunately for you you’ve read them because you wrote them. Your first and second book are the best and funniest books I’ve ever read. But if you just want a fun read that’s a mystery with cats in it Sofie Kelly or Sofie Ryan are fun. Ps it’s the same author.

  447. Howls moving castle by diana wynne jones. or the other two in the series – castle in the air and house of many ways. House of many ways is a particular favorite.

    The enchanted forest chronicles by patricia c wrede – calling on dragons, in particular, and the inability of Killer the Rabbit to stop eating things…. enchanted things… that turn him into something completely unlike a rabbig. Plus in that one you get to hear what the Witch’s cats are really saying and its awesome.

    I actually find “Pride and Prejudice” to be pretty funny, but it doesn’t tickle everyone the same way.

    If you need to be doing the things and need something amazing to listen to Decoder Ring Theatre’s Red Panda Adventures are an amazing podcast. Its the superheros of Toronto, starting in the great depression and ending in the 1950s. Kit Baxter is the character who refuses to be a sidekick, and really, the one who the whole show is actually about. And there is snappy dialoge, pulp fiction style action, romance, magic, adventure and kicking nazis into inter-dimensional vortexes. Whats not to love? Kit got me through some really rough times.

  448. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. It had me laughing until I cried. Probably because most of it sounded like stuff my Dad either had said or would have said.

  449. I can’t wait to read all of these recommendations! Just skimming, I see many have mentioned David Sedaris. I love his audio books best, since his inflections add to the hilarity. There are a couple Sophie Kinsella books I love: I’ve Got Your Number and Can You Keep a Secret? They’re both very lighthearted (I call them literary palate cleansers), funny chicklit.

    Another one I loved was Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Not ROFL funny, but smart, snarky, and fun. I also adored A Man Called Ove, because he was a lovable curmudgeon who had thoughts about everything that will make you giggle. It will also warm the very cockles of your heart. No idea what cockles are, but trust me, they will be toasty. I also adore Jim Gaffigan on his specials, so I imagine his books would be great. Be well. We’re all so glad you’re you, Jenny. xoxo

  450. Dear Baba Yaga really helped me during a recent depressive episode. Some of the passages were funny and there were a few that I really needed to read at the moment. It’s a quick, delightful read!

  451. Hyperbole & A Half by Allie Bosch – she just gets it!!
    Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan – she’s hilarious and her writing style just cracks me up!

  452. Funny books?

    I recommend A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, which I was reading in the Continental 1st Class Lounge in the Honolulu airport while CNN was tuned to coverage of the Madelein McCann story – I only remember this because I was laughing out loud, embarrassing my husband, and drawing dirty looks from the other customers. (I’m also partial to his Practical Demonkeeping, You Suck: A Love Story, and The Stupidest Angel: A Christmas Tale of Terror. Fool isn’t bad, either, and I found Lamb positively uproarious, but I can’t recommend it to people whose religious convictions I don’t know well because there are bits that could very easily be offensive to someone more religious than I am.)

    I also liked Stiff, Gulp, and Bonk by Mary Roach. They’re not total belly-laugh funny, but they’ve got enough toilet humor to have a few giggles.

    And, when I feel really terrible, I pick up James Thurber short stories. Everyone probably knows “The Catbird Seat,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” and “The Night the Bed Fell,” but I feel especially comforted by “The Unicorn in the Garden” and “The Moth and the Star,” especially when the world feels like too much. They’re not strictly funny, though, more … inspirational with wit.

  453. Bruce Campbell’s IF CHINS COULD KILL had me laughing so hard in parts when I was reading it on the train that people were asking me what the hell I was reading.

  454. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is still at the very tippy top of my list.
    Do/can you do comic books? The Ryan North/Erica Henderson run of Squirrel Girl is my favorite thing in the world right now. There are several graphic novels collecting multiple issues out already.

  455. I’m also going to put in a vote for “Lamb” by Christopher Moore. Laugh out loud funny, and irreverent and wickedly clever.

  456. Clyde Edgerton’s Floatplane Notebooks and Walking Across Egypt; Christopher Buckley’s Boomsday, Supreme Courtship, or No Way to Treat a First Lady. Also P.J. O’Roark’s Holidays in Hell, Age and Guile Beats Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut, as well as Eat the Rich. Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore. (Also Island of the Sequined Love Nun and Lamb.) See P.J.’s “A Ramble Through Lebanon” in Holidays in Hell for one of the funniest opening sequence I’ve ever seen in my life.

  458. After anything you’ve written my go to is Lamb by Christopher Moore. Hang in there, we’re all by your side!

  459. The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green by Joshua Bragg or Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg.

  463. Honestly your books. But if you want some sci-fi romance alien action and heroine that blogs and says hilarious things I gotta recommend Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

  464. Patty Jane’s House of Curl; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry…. you’ll LOVE it.

  465. Your book. But that probably doesn’t help so Jeff Foxworthy No Shirt No Shoes No Problem.

  466. “Shit My Dad Said” and “I Suck At Girls” by Justin Halpern are my go-to’s when I need a funny book, Jenny. Because even though I’ve read them both about 100 times, every single time I still end up laughing so hard that tears run down my face and snot comes out my nose.

  469. Already mentioned but worthy of a another: Caitlin Moran “How to be a Woman”, Jasper Fforde “Eyre Affair”, any humorist/comedian’s audiobook read by the author

    Not yet mentioned, but I loved: “Foop!” by Chris Genoa.

    And now my ‘To Be Read’ list is even longer. Long live Interlibrary Loan!!!!!!

  470. It’s not laugh out loud funny, but so sweet- The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye. It’s like reading a warm fuzzy blanket

  472. FU Penguin. It’s less novel and more short “essays” (for lack of a better word). It’s short, it’s funny and it’s all about animals behaving badly and people narrating it.

  473. Did you already do Sweet Potato Queens?
    Erma Bombeck was my first soul goddess.
    Lewis Grizzard for southern humor.
    A Man Called Olaf and his other books
    So many. My passion is short humor essays.

  474. Other than yours? Anything written by Caimh (pronounced kweeve, poor man) McDonnell…and – bonus! – his books are included (free) if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. The first in his series is A Man With One of Those Faces. Hysterical AND suspenseful. I second the Bill Bryson, David Sedaris, and Robert Fulghum recommendations, as well as How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. I’d also recommend anything by Tom Robbins…he’s got such a way with words that I swear I speak differently after reading his work. Still Life With Woodpecker and Another Roadside Attraction are probably my favorites of his, but Jitterbug Perfume is in the running. Anne Lamott is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply wise and inspiring. Or just read some “autocorrect” compilations online if you’re short on time and want to pee yourself laughing.

  475. Nora Ephron‘s book “I miss my neck“… Wear your depends while you were reading it !!!

  477. “The Book with No Pictures” by B. J. Novak. It’s a kid’s book, but if you get someone to read it to you, especially if they’ve never read it, you’ll have fun.

  478. Emma Bombeck’s books,, Spencer 1Quinn Chet and Bernie series, if you went to c Catholic school, read “Growing up Catholic”

  479. So many great books listed to far! I have one that hasn’t been mentioned yet, however, and I literally did pee myself a little while listening to the audiobook on a run in through woods.

    Rob Delaney’s “Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.”

    You may be familiar with him via Twitter, but he also co-created/-wrote/-starred in the series *Catastrophe” with Sharon Horgan, who is herself a comedy goddess. I highly recommend watching for some good belly laughs! (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4374208/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2)

  480. Kim Korson, I Don’t Have a Happy Place: Cheerful Stories of Despondency and Gloom (Books).
    Thanks for the post. Your tribe is awesome.

  482. Lamb by Christopher Moore (satire and smart ass all the way). I want a friend by Biff.
    Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
    Place your Bets by Katie Graykowski
    Getting Lucky by Katie Graykowski
    Sorry Charlie by Katie Graykowski

  483. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers
    I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, by Tucker Max

  484. Soul music by Terry Pratchett is one of the funniest things I have ever read. I also laugh a lot at Corey Taylor’s books, but Terry Pratchett is my go-to.

  485. Another Christopher Moore book — The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.(the chapters from the POV are my favorites)

  486. The Bagthorpe Saga – Helen Cresswell
    Hysterically funny British children’s book series – my go-to comfort books

  488. Not LOL funny book, but I think you’d like it: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen

  489. “Don’t make me laugh”. It’s a kids book, but so funny. Quick results. Like instant coffee for your funnybone💕

  490. Hands down – the absolute funniest book I’ve ever read is “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” and “Stanley the Magical Talking Squirrel” in particular. I’m making a list a mile long of these other titles so THANK YOU for asking the question! Seconding the suggestions on anything by Christopher Moore (especially “Lamb”), any of the Sweet Potato Queens books, and anything by Carl Hiaasen.

  491. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. Working title was “Jews with Swords.” Rollicking tale of adventure, and also hilarious

  492. Bridge of Birds: The Story of China that Never Was by Barry Hughart. Very exceptional under rated book. Good luck finding it.

  493. Um, YOURS! Let’s Pretend This Never Happened had me rolling on the floor, crying from laughing so hard!

  495. I see that “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh has already been suggested…SOOooo hilarious…but she also has a story about Christmas that is on her blog…not in the book…at least that I remember. “The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas” …(I tried to read this out loud to my mother and could not make it through…was laughing so hard…we both were… Remains one of my all time favorite Christmas stories ever..and i am not even a religious person..lol) –>Here is the link:

    https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/12/year-kenny-loggins-ruined-christmas.html?commentPage=8

  496. You’ve probably already read it, but Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, or The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

  499. I’m currently reading SPACE OPERA by Catherynne Valenta, which is essentially Douglas Adams meets Eurovision in space. I’m only about halfway in, but what I’ve read so far is HILARIOUS!: https://www.amazon.com/Space-Opera-Catherynne-M-Valente-ebook/dp/B074ZJQT6P/ref=zg_bs_271585011_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2B9ZZK9RCJME1G29JEDV

    I also enjoyed Peter David’s Sir Apropos of Nothing series: https://www.amazon.com/Sir-Apropos-Nothing-Peter-David-ebook/dp/B019623H7U/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523477435&sr=1-2&keywords=Sir+Apropos+of+Nothing

  501. Dad is Fat – Jim Gaffigan — anything by David Sedaris — Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

  502. Like many of us, my first response was Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Bill Bryson’s books about living in England are wonderful.

  503. Anything by Christopher Moore, Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie Notaro (as well as her other books). Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron are also good for humor.

  504. The Provincial Lady Complete Collection (5 novels) E.M. Delafield.

  505. “Let’s Pretend…” was definitely the funniest book I have ever read. I was laughing so hard that I was crying and couldn’t catch my breath, but then you do that to me. 🙂

    This story was one of the first I read on the Internet and although it’s fiction, I still find it funny. https://www.truthorfiction.com/berman/. It’s a short read. I haven’t read Bob Newhart’s book, “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This”, but I find everything he does very funny. I have some of his recordings and his dry sense of humour – very dry! – makes me laugh every time I listen.

  506. The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore, but listen to it as an audiobook, because it’s even funnier that way.

  507. Also, a zillion thanks to the poster of comment 15! Game show host wrangling kittens with English accent – host not kittens, though perhaps there is some variety to kitten accents depending on where they reside. Anyway, bless you for sharing the video.

  508. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

  509. Calvin and Hobbes always makes me laugh – not a novel but good for a laugh.

  511. Anything by Celia Rivenbark. The titles alone are worth the price of the books -We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier; Bless Your Heart, Tramp; Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank!

  512. It’s not like you don’t have enough (snicker) but David sedaris, haven kimble, jen Lancaster, Laurie notaro (early books).

  513. David Sedaris Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. I’m betting you’ve read them, but I love revisiting books when I’m depressed and need a laugh.
    Thanks for writing your books, by the way.

  514. How to be Champion by Sarah Millican, if you can get past the dialect. She’s a British comedian from the North East of England and I find her hilarious most of the time.

  515. The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore, but listen to it as an audiobook, because it’s even funnier that way.

  517. I’m with many other commenters here in saying: yours! Your books make me laugh out loud, big belly laughs out loud.

    Ditto Allie Brosh (I mean, The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas? Divine!).

    On a less belly-laugh level, I too like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.

  518. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 83 1/4 Years Old. Picked it up on a hunch and it’s hilarious.

  519. Aside from yours, which made me pee my pants laughing at Stanley the Magic Squirrel, I recently re-read “Fool” by Christopher Moore and had a few chuckles. For funny non-fiction, you might appreciate “The Hypochondriac’s Guide To Life. And Death.” by Gene Weingarten. However, I’m worried that you may have half the diagnoses in this book…..

  520. Well, as several people have noted, your books are my ultimate go-to when I need a pick-me-up. Seeing as you’ve lived those already, I’ve really taken a liking to audio versions of celebrity memoirs. I feel like I’m one of the few people in the world that’s not a Kevin Hart die-hard fan, but his narration of his memoir, “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” was excellent and I laughed through most of it. Another one that was excellent is Anna Faris’ “Unqualified”. She has a knack for making everything very funny. By the way, listening to you narrating your audiobooks actually got me interested in other authors reading their own books, so thank you for expanding my “reading” offerings.

    Also, I have to agree with the many people that have suggested Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. I’m not normally into that style of book, but someone pushed me to read her copy of the first one and it was hysterical. I read several of them in a row, but haven’t read them in awhile now…everyone mentioning them on here makes me want to check if my library has them. I hope you find something that can help pull you out of the funk. These suggestion posts always give me several ideas to help when I need it.

  522. Anything by P.G. Wodehouse, Jen Lancaster, Carrie Fischer, or Janet Evanovich. I love the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich especially. Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells series is funny and fairly light-hearted. I adore the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. The Shopaholic books are funny, by Sophie Kinsella, I enjoyed the first one the most.

  523. Julia Quinn’s “What Happens in London” and “Ten Things I Love About You”. Romantic farce in the best tradition!

  524. I second many of the suggestions here, but the one I don’t see yet is the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. My favorite is volume is Dead Beat, but if you’re a voracious reader, it’s worth starting at the beginning.

  525. Your books!!!

    But if you have Audible, I always listen to the Cabin Pressure series (a BBC radio show) when I need a great laugh. Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as one of the voice actors!! The cast is great, it’s family friendly, and I’ve listened through the whole series multiple times and still laugh out loud. 😝

  526. You are not alone in the fucking rollercoaster of emotions. I’m currently in down mode hoping to come back up. Hugs.

  529. “Good Omens: Then Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Never thought the end of the world could be so entertaining. I reread this periodically when the REAL world starts getting me down, and it never fails to cheer me up.

  530. OMG, hands down the funniest book I ever read was Round Ireland with a Fridge. I picked it up in an airport bookstore and I laughed so hard I cried. My eyes watered so much I literally could not read the words on the page. I wondered a little what the other passengers might have thought but didn’t much care.

  531. Honestly the funniest book I’ve ever read would be Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, with a close second of Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris.

  532. The Year of Living Biblically. Anything by Bill Bryson, especially The Thunderbolt Kid. David Sedaris. Calvin Trillin.

  533. I mean your shit’s my favorite, but presumably you’ve read them. Laurie Notaro’s Idiot Girl’s Action Adventure Club is prob up your alley.

  534. I’m going to have to agree with practically every book and author folks here have already posted. But in this particular instance, I’m going to recommend A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore because it takes morose and turns it flat on its head. I’d post an Amazon link, but that time I did that for you, I accidentally posted a giant image of a book and it left me twitchy. You can beat this girl.

  536. So many good suggestions above, but my all-time fave funny book is called Skinny Legs and All, by Tom Robbins. You will never look at a can of beans the same way again.

  537. Well, I’ve not seen them mentioned so I’m throwing out anything by Patrick McManus. Especially “The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw”. Those books were some of my dad’s favorites and they never fail to make me laugh.

    Also – “A Walk in the Woods” and “In a Sunburned Country” by Bill Bryson are my two guaranteed giggle books from him.

    And I love Fannie Flagg – while everyone knows the Tomatoes book… My favorite that makes me laugh from her is “Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man”. It’s charming.

    Feel better! Depression LIES!!

  538. “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole”, and its sequel, by Sue Townshend. They have pulled me out of the muck quite often. There are other books in the series, but the later ones are nowhere near as good. Also, “Dress You Family in Corduroy and Denim”.by David Sedaris.

  540. Oh, Sorry for the second post, I meant to put this in the first one, if you get on Twitter, look up Stephan Pastis (@stephanpastis) he writes the comic Pearls Before Swine. The comic is on his Twitter. Really funny. I hope this helps.
    Thanks for fixing it so cell phones can leave long messages. 🙂

  541. Christopher Moore! Not Christopher Lamb. I’m sure he is a very nice person, whomever he is, but I can’t vouch for the funniness of any books he may or may not have written. Sorry. I need to trim my nails.

  542. Squirrel seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
    I picked it up from a Hospital lending cart during a long vigil with a relative. I laughed out loud at nearly every page. My God I needed those laughs then!

  543. Though it is politically incorrect to like Bill Cosby now, he is/was incredibly funny and his book “Fatherhood” made me laugh until my ribs ached, especially because I could relate as a parent.

  545. The early novels of Sarah Bird, ALAMO HOUSE, THE BOYFRIEND SCHOOL, VIRGIN OF THE RODEO. (All of her books are wonderful. Plus…she lives in Austin and is awesome.) Pretty much anything by Cynthia Heimel. “When in Doubt, Act Like Myrna Loy” is a classic, or Florence King. And there’s always Eudora Welty. Still brilliant.

  550. Me Talk Pretty One Day or Dress Your Family in Denim and Corduroy both by David Sedaris

  552. Although I despise her politics, Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster is hysterical.

  553. If I Ever Get Bsck To Georgia, I’m Going To Nail My Feet To The Ground or Elvis Is Dead And I Don’t Feel Too Good, Myself by Louis Grizzard.

  554. I don’t know if you’ll read this low in the comments, but some silly YA books that take no thought and remind me of your writing style, which makes me laugh the hardest are:
    Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley
    It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison
    Austenland by Shannon Hale

    Or Calvin and Hobbes comics always make me feel better.

    Hope it passes soon! xoxo

  555. The Kangaroo Chronicles by Marc-Uwe Kling is the Most hilarious book I‘ve ever read.
    But I only know the original (German) version and don‘t know how good the translation is.

  556. Sorry, the funniest one I ever read was “Let’s Pretend This Didn’t Happen” and I’m pretty sure you’ve read that one already.

  559. A Confederacy Of Dunces
    Big Trouble ( also anything by Dave Barry )
    Carl Hiaasen
    Louise Rennison the Georgia series
    Jennifer Crusie
    Tanya Huff Summoning series

  562. The Stupidest Angel, by C. Moore. I have read all his books except Lamb, which I see is often sighted above! The Kick-Ass graphic novels 1 and 2 are funny; Pretty Good Joke Book(s) are curated by Keillor, who has a great comic sense.

  563. I concur with “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole. 🌿💖💕😊

  564. A classic. Way better than the movie: Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

  565. Anything by Tom Holt. “Blonde Bombshell” is my favorite. The angry unicorn robot is the best. I assume you’ve read “Good Omens”?

  566. The Sin du Jour series of novellas by Matt Wallace. Chefs and caterers to the supernatural!

  567. Besides yours? This will be tough, but how about Jen Lancaster, Generation X? Anything of hers really. So much snark!

  568. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett and Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams. Jane Austen’s wit always does it for me, too: Northanger Abbey or P&P.

  570. John Dies at the End by David Wong
    Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde
    and as always – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

  573. The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr
    A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
    BossyPants by Tina Fey
    Notes from a small island by Bill Bryson
    Lamb by Christopher Moore
    My husband recommended “A Hitchhiker’s Guide the Galaxy” I’m not sure about that one though. 😆

  574. Hmm…I always tell people about your books when they ask. Maybe something by Sedaris? Does Amy Pohler have a book?

  575. A Confederacy of Dunces. Got lots of awards. It’s dated a bit, but kinda timeless. 1968—set
    in New Orleans. Please ignore the liner notes that inform us that Mr. O’Toole committed
    suicide not long after publication. Never lost his sense of humor.

  576. Anything by David Sedaris, but you’ve probably already read all of his books. After that, I’d recommend watching a movie called LOGAN LUCKY — which has everything you’d want in a movie — it’s hysterically funny, sweet, edgy and smart as hell! You’ll laugh until you cry or cry until you laugh! Either way, that should feel better than being stuck in a downward trajectory.
    Hope this helps! Jenny, feel better sooner rather than later! And don’t let the bastards get you down!

  578. I really love Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Yes, it mostly takes place in a cemetery and most of its characters are dead, but the humour is achingly human and I found it very uplifting. Feel better soon!

  579. don’t have time to read the 500+ comments first, so forgive any duplication
    Tom Bodett I think it is “End of the Road”
    – laughed so hard on a plane that I annoyed everyone around me.
    If you don’t mind out of date romance novels, “Manhunting” by Jennifer Crusie very very funny IMHO
    My sister loves “The Decline and Fall of Practically Everyone” but may be out of print.

  580. Either of Marten Troost’s memoirs of his time in the South Pacific. They made me cry, I laughed so hard. Any one chapter should do the trick, but in particular his story about getting a cat to the vet is guaranteed to make you snort and/or choke.

  581. The preface to Home Game by Michael Lewis. I laughed so hard the bookstore asked me to leave.

  583. Sarah Vowell is good, especially Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot.

  587. Things Snowball, Rich Hall. Especially the chapter entitled ‘Joo Joo Eyeball’ describing the madness of the English crossword. It’s genius and you may piss yourself laughing, well I did.

  589. I’m sure people MUST have mentioned this one by now, but “Lamb” by Christopher Moore. In fact, lets just say ALL of Christopher Moore’s books are gut-wrenchingly hysterical……but Lamb? Lamb is the MOST gut-wrenchingly hysterical of all his books.

  593. A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut.

    And, it’s not a book, but Nailed It on Netflix. It’s a show about regular people trying to make Pinterest quality baked goods. It’s spectacular and annoying.

  594. I agree with everyone about these authors/books:
    Douglas Adams (especially the five book Hitchhiker’s trilogy)
    David Sedaris
    “Lamb” by Christopher Moore (I’ve a couple of his other books, but this was my favorite so far.)
    “A Man Called Ove” (I listened to this one and even though it’s funny, it’s also sad. I recommend reading/listening to “Look Me In the Eye” first to help you understand Ove better.)

    A book I didn’t see in the list above that I recently listened to is “The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant” by Drew Hayes. I had not expectations and I really enjoyed it. It has vampires, zombies, necromancers, dragons, and more. Normally, I would never read a book about these characters unless they weren’t written by one of the authors above and then I would chance it, but this book was worth it.

  595. Everything of Carl Hiaasen’s I’ve read is great, especially Skinny Dip; Claudia Shear’s Blown Sideways Through Life is hilarious too.
    I’m sorry life is hard right now – you know as well as anyone that this too shall pass, but that probably doesn’t lessen your desire to slap the shit out of anyone who smiles brightly and points that out.

  597. Errr….well….the funniest book I ever read is “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.” And I’m being 100% honest about that. When I read it in public, people always stared at me because I was laughing so much. I cannot recall any other book that did that to me.

  598. Winner of the National Book Award. Seriously, that’s the name of the book. By Jincy Willet. It’s Greek Tragedy in Rhode Island. BTW, why can’t I subscribe to your blog via email, or have I just not found the link?

  599. America The Book: A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
    Page 47 reveals the last Tab Soda machine in the Western Hemisphere. Brilliant diversion!

  600. No book has ever made me laugh out loud as hard as “Furiously Happy.” 🙂

  601. Gina Barreca and Gene Weingarten wrote “I’m With Stupid” about male/female relations– it’s worth a read! I see you’ve been inundated with Pratchett, Christopher Moore, and Dave Barry suggestions, so I’ll go more off the wall. Look into Tom Holt– he’s underappreciated and pretty great. It’s not necessarily funny, but for light fantasy look at Sharon Shinn’s work, especially the Twelve Houses series.

  602. Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations, by Matt Bellassai.
    Got this for Christmas, b’c I love his videos, and OMFG. Seriously. I laughed. I snorted. More than once. Definitely worth a read.

  603. Samantha Irby – “We Are Never Meeting in Real Life” and “Meaty” Hysterical. She’s also a great narrator, so for sure, I recommend the audio book versions too!

  604. Janet Evanovich, Terry Pratchett, and the Zack Walker series by Linwood Barcaly. There was another book I read that mad me snort loudly but my brain is taking a holiday and I can’t remember. It may have been by Laurie Notaro but no guarantees. The books that made me laugh the loudest are yours but I guess you’ve read them 😉

  606. You’ve probably already read it, but David Sedaris’ “When You are Engulfed in Flames” is fantastic!

  608. This is an old book, Handling Sin, Michael Malone
    “Raleigh Whittier Hayes’ defrocked and demented father has run off to New Orleans in yellow Cadillac convertible with a young woman, leading his ever-respectable son into the adventure of a lifetime. Raleigh will save his 300-pound neighbor from the law, be rolled by Hell’s Angels, confront the Marines, deliver a child, tangle with the KKK, and take up with a master criminal.” I woke up my husband because I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face.

  609. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, or Meaty – by Samantha Irby. I went to a reading by her and literally peed myself laughing.

  610. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Furiously Happy comes up right on the same page when I searched it on Amazon!

  611. Catch-22. I have re-read it multiple times and still laugh out loud at certain scenes, to the point that friends and family do not want to be with me if I am reading it in public.

  613. Simon Pegg’s Nerd Do Well made me laugh out loud. Neil Gaiman’s audio narration of Fortunately, the Milk is one hour and makes me feel better about the universe.

  614. Other than yours of course…😄❤

    Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh had me laughing so hard I snorted. Tears running down my cheeks.

  615. I can’t believe I forgot James Herriott books, if you haven’t read them.

  617. The Princess’s Bride by William Goldman is one of the best and funniest books I’ve ever read… otherwise, your book Furiously Happy takes the top prize for the funniest book I’ve ever read! Kudos to you, Girl! That is quite an accomplishment! Thank you for continuing to fight, continuing to breathe, continuing to engage with the world… you do soooo much good in people’s lives. You are doing brilliantly, Jenny! Thank you.

  618. Hyperbole and a half by Allie Brody. And you tube videos of Kermet Apio. An Awesome dad who is a awesome standup comedian. Ikerm.com

  619. The Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. Fast reads, Greek mythology woven throughout, and really smart humor. Yes, targeted to a YA audience, but in the vein of Harry Potter, easy to love at any age.

  620. Molly Ivins! Molly Ivins! Molly Ivins! And she even wrote about your state!

  621. Fashionably Dead – Robyn Peterman

    It’s the 1st book in the Hot Damned series and it’s a free ebook. It’s vampires, fae, fashion, romance and a ton of laughs.

  622. Any Dave Barry commentary. I’m not allowed to read them in public – snorting, followed by gasping and eye leakage.

  623. Any of the Terry Pratchett Discworld books. I especially love Mort, about a boy who becomes Death’s apprentice or The Wee Free Men, who are the most amazing, amusing wee folk ever invented.

  625. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. An autistic man trying to negotiate love, laughed SO hard.

  627. Any of J. Maarten Troost’s books…the titles themselves are giggle worthy….
    The Sex Lives of Cannibals (2004)
    Getting Stoned with Savages (2006)
    Lost on Planet China (2008)
    Headhunters on My Doorstep (2013)[1]
    I Was Told There’d Be Sexbots: Travels Through the Future

  628. Anything by Terry Pratchett (Hog Father and Wee Free Men are my favs), How to Train Your Dragon (it is delightful in audio book form since it is read by David Tennant), Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (also good in audio book since it’s read by Stephen Fry.) I hope that helps! Sending good thoughts and spoons your way.

  631. Jill Conner Brown Sweet Poato Queens Book of Love. Or anything in that series. I wet myself every time.

  633. Pretty much anything by Katie MacAlister or MaryJanice Davidson. The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAlister is one of my favorites.

  635. “Agent To The Stars,” by John Scalzi. Hollywood agent Tom Stein gets assigned to a nightmare job – doing a pre-revelation PR campaign for a harmless race of space aliens who have three strikes against them, as far as managing a peaceful, non-panicky reveal to a planet full of twitchy humans: they’re disgusting to look at (snot-like amorphous bodies), talk via olfactory communication (i.e. they converse by giving off horrid smells) and they have the terrifying ability to “fuse” with sentient beings’ minds. The alien spends a reasonable portion of the novel “fused” with Ralph, the dog that Stein was supposed to be caring for, after the dog has a heart attack. Along the way, the two of them accidentally turn the dog/alien into a highly-sought-after canine star, and various other Hollywood-related mayhem, as they say, ensues.

    Available in print on Amazon/at the library/etc, or for free here: http://www.scalzi.com/agent/

  636. The Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Clune. Seriously, laughter is assured.
    Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

    Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam’s pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King’s Wizard, Morgan of Shadows.

    When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

    At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

    Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can’t control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan’s boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

    Or so he thinks.

  637. Ooh! Forgot to mention Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants by Jill Soloway (writer and co-executive producer of Six Feet Under). Here’s what one of the reviewers said about it: “Sisterly, smart, funny, and vulgar, Soloway’s debut deserves a space on the shelf beside David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs.”

  638. I think you’ve already read it, Furiously Happy. The 2nd funniest book is My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. Perfect if you love animals, crazy families and life in a foreign country.

  639. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened
    The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Something like that, anyway.)
    Most of Terry Pratchett’s oeuvre

  640. Laugh out loud funny: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

  641. Most of the Discworld books are fantastic, and A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore is probably the funniest book I’ve read.

  642. Audiobook of Bill Bryson reading either “A walk in the woods” or “In a sunburned country”. He’s the funniest travel writer around, and hilarious reading his own books. Enjoy!

  643. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
    When Parents Text by Sohia Fraioli
    very funny books

  644. Nuts by Alice Clayton. It’s a romance novel and so funny in a kind of dirty way. Case in point: the heroine meets the hero when she literally falls into his crotch as he is delivering nuts to the diner she is working at. I’ve also read the second book in the series, Cream of the Crop, which features a badass plus-size cheese-addicted heroine who falls for a dairy farmer that looks like Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones/Aquaman from Justice League).

  645. “Holy Cow, An indian Adventure” – an audible book that made me pee. Written by Sara MacDonald, read by Kate Hoskins

  646. Murder on a girls night out.
    Murder on a bad hair day.
    The author is Anne George. She wrote about 6 of these and they are fun.

  647. In addition to the excellent recommendations I see repeated here often (Yourself, Doug Adams, Sir Terry Pratchett, etc) I would add Charles Stross (of Antipope fame) specifically his Laundry Files novels as well as an old favorite P.S Your Cat is Dead.

  648. First your books had me laughing out loud hysterically.. However, being those you are aware of one that has never left my memory all the years ago I read was “Motherhood the Second Oldest Profession” by Erma Bombeck. Note: It takes a great a great sense of humor to bring me to the point of performing the act of vocal outbursts in public while reading a book. Hope all these wonderful suggestions can raise your spirits!

  649. My go-to funny books are yours, so…. Most of the ones I can think of off the top of my head are kid’s books. ‘How to Eat Fried Worms’ by Thomas Rockwell, ‘The Turkey That Ate My Father’ by Dean Marney… The only other things I can think of are actual joke books and such. ‘Fun Fare- A Treasure of Reader’s Digest Wit and Humor’ is an old joke book that I constantly go back to. Something a little more unique is ‘Amy’s Answering Machine: Messages from Mom’ by Amy Borkowsky, literally a book about hilarious and ridiculous messages the author gets from her overprotective mom.

  652. When life is too dark for me and I need something ridiculous, I go and re-read the Louise Ann Rennison books. They are fluff, but sometimes that’s what I want

  653. Well, after you . . . my favorite genre of books are memoirs, especially funny ones, so books by David Sedaris, Bill Bryson (though not all of his books are written for laughs), and Augusten Burroughs come to mind. I agree with others who recommended Dave Barry. Also ‘A Girl Named Zippy’ and ‘She Got Up Off the Couch’ by Haven Kimmel, and ‘It Takes a Village Idiot’ by Jim Mullen. I could list more, but I’ll stop now.

  655. Babies and Other Hazards of Sex, by Dave Barry. I give one to all my expectant friends and family. I laughed so hard when I was reading it, it was hard to breathe.
    AAAANNNDDD- Good Omens, by Gaiman and Pratchett-which you’ve probably already read-but you laugh just as hard on every subsequent reading. So keep it around forever. Buy new copies when the covers fall off of the old one-or when you drop it in the bathwater. Or when you loan it to a criminal “former friend” who fails to give it back. I am on my 6th copy.

  656. Hahahahah, I don’t have any suggestions right now but if I did I’m pretty sure they’d be covered in the 652 replies above my head 😀

  657. This is a warm hug book with lots of hope and some chuckles, rather than laugh out loud –
    Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon

    Seconding Penny Reid – always worth a re-read
    Neanderthal Seeks Human
    Beauty and the Mustache (The purple nurple scene made me laugh out loud)
    and all of her other books really

    Thirding Tom Holt
    Who’s Afraid of Beowulf (The jail breakout scene makes me laugh every time)
    Expecting Someone Taller

    Thanks for making this request – it reminds me to seek out some hope and joy in my own life – and I hope some of these choices bring that home for you.

  659. Well, one that I have driven around laughing my head off like a crazy person listening in my car is David Spade’s memoir. Maybe because of my age (ahem, 44) I remember all of those things and people from Saturday Night Live so well and the stories are stupid funny. Do the audible because him telling you the stories is so hilarious. Hopefully it will make you snort soda out your nose from laughing…to hear the Chris Farley stories to Eddie Murphy Threatening to kick his ass to his crazy assistant who tried to kill him…it’s nuts in all the best ways! Enjoy, laugh and feel better!❤️

  660. Janet Evanovich’s Motor Mouth. A very laugh-out-loud book. Hope you’re feeling just the thing soon!

  662. This Little Piggy went to the Liquor Store by AK Turner. It’s been awhile, but I remember LOLing.

  663. Easy. I laughed in public on a DC metro train so hard I cried. “The Sex Lives of Cannibals”. By J. Maarten Troost if you don’t want to see random google results searching the title. It’s right up your alley.

  665. Janet Evanovich books are pretty hilarious. The main character is always getting into crazy situations, plus she loves cake so I can relate to her.

  667. I loved Big Trouble by Dave Barry and Baja Oklahoma by Dan Jenkins. I hope your hole is a shallow one.

  668. P.G. Wodehouse books and short stories, especially those starring Bertie Wooster and his intrepid manservant, Jeeves.

  670. Any of the “Aisling Grey, Guardian” books by Katie MacCalister. The series starts with “You Slayton Me”. Laughed so often as I read them

  671. The House of God by Samuel Shem. It’s about the life of a young medical resident in a hospital and his methods for coping.

  673. The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love: A Fallen Southern Belle’s Look at Love, Life, Men, Marriage, and Being Prepared by Jill Conner Brown

  674. Great question!
    #1. Your book!!!

    2 Just One Damed Thing After Another. The whole series.

    Thank you for helping me find great new books too. Adding many to my wish list!

  676. Bridget Jones’ Diary. Book is much better than the movie. I laughed until I cried and people I love thought there was something wrong with me

  677. Bridget Jones’ Diary. Book is much better than the movie. I laughed until I cried and people I love thought there was something wrong with me

  679. I worried a flight attendant at 30,000 feet because I seemed to be having some sort of siezure… but I was just reading Augusten Burroughs’ ‘Possible Side Effects’! His ‘Magical Thinking’ is equally incredible- I reread certain chapters when I need a laughter induced dopamine surge/ab workout. Another hugely favorite author is the almighty David Sedaris. But, you already know that. His audio-books should come with a warning as it’s quite difficult to safely navigate roadways while tears of hilarity cloud your vision. I definitely don’t even attempt to operate heavy machinery while listening to your books! Looking forward to the next one!

  680. Furiously Happy by Je….. wait. You already know my first choice!
    Second choice is definitely Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. Death decides to get a new job, so he takes his scythe and becomes a farmer.
    Also the Hitchhiker’s Guide series by Douglas Adams.
    And Swimming Chickens by Colin McEnroe! (May be swimming WITH chickens.)

  683. Lamb by Christopher Moore. You know how Jesus was born and then went MIA for 33 years? Well this fills in the blanks. I’m sure it’s totally accurate.

  684. Bill Bryson – especially “Notes From a Small Island” and “A Walk in the Woods”.The book is so much better than the movie! Anything by Caitlin Moran. And if you can find a dvd of her TV series “Raised by Wolves” then watch it. It’s awesome. “Cold Comfort Farm” by Stella Gibbons. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s “Good Omens.” Whit Stillman’s retelling of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan” – it’s called “Love and Friendship” and there’s also a delightful movie of it. “How to be Champion” by Sarah Millican. “Animal: the Autobiography of a Female Body” by Sara Pascoe. And I love the silliness of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” It’s a play but it’s so fun to read or you could check out the movie version with Reese Witherspoon in it. Soooo good!

  685. Hi Jenny: I’m sorry to hear you’ve been down. I know someone suggested Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money. I totally second that. For a good laugh I suggest any of Carl Hiaasen’s zany Florida thrillers. I also highly recommend P. G. Wodehouse’s Leave it to Psmith (“the P is silent, as in phthisis, psychic and ptarmigan”). Book-length-silliness masquerading as a crime novel. Utterly inspired goofiness. For gentler humor, Ron Hansen’s “Isn’t It Romantic?” (a wry gentle comic novel about a pair of Parisians who find themselves stranded in Seldom, Nebraska (population 395)

  686. Jenny Honey you wrote the most hysterical FUNNY book I’ve ever read! Anything by Christopher Moore will tap a funny bone.

  687. Bossypants by Tina Fey, Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell, Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. If you like funny but sometimes sad too, David Sedaris or Jonathan Tropper. My kid is suggesting Good Omens but I suspect you may have read that already.

  688. Kurt Vonnegut Breakfast of Champions. Great writing and wonderful illustrations.

  690. Katherine summed it up. I’m saving this page when I need to find a funny book.

  693. A few that haven’t been mentioned yet:
    “I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats” and “I Could Chew on This and Other Poems by Dogs” by Francesco Marciuliano
    “I, Humpty” by Eric C. Wilder
    “In His Own Write” and “A Spaniard in the Works” by John Lennon

  694. No More Dead Dogs. It’s a young adult book, but I roll in the floor every time I read it.

  695. I twelve millionth Lamb by Christopher Moore and am adding the e-book Super Powereds by Drew Hayes. The editing isn’t great, but I laugh out loud the whole way through every time I read it – and it’s the first in a series, and the characters and the world-building and the twists are SO GOOD. I’m dying waiting for the last book!!!

  698. I enjoyed the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” series. Light, fun, easy read and IMO very creative.

  699. This won’t help you because honestly and truly the funniest book I have ever read is Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. I laughed OUT LOUD so many times, and this is not usual for me. I have recommended it to several people, all of whom said it was the funniest book they ever read, hands down.
    But maybe that does help you just a bit because you have brought so much joy and laughter to the world. Thank you, Jenny. ♥♥♥♥♥♥

  700. The only great ones I have found so far were written by you!! I needed it as well and I thank you greatly!

  702. Everything by David Sedaris. You guys are kindred spirits in your love of taxidermy.
    I would start with “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.”

  703. Just re-read Anansi Brothers, by Neil Gaiman. Help get me out of a funk a big

  704. I love the Thursday Next series. The humor comes at you sideways, and is best appreciated by a book lover.

  706. Hold Me Closer Necromancer – Lish McBride
    Easy young adult reading – but definitely funny!

  707. Two non-fiction books for you: What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe and Thug Kitchen: The Cookbook – Eat like you give a f*ck

  710. The Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love. I read it on an airplane and laughed out loud so many times everyone either hated my guts or came over to see what I was reading.

  711. I have never laughed harder out loud than I did reading Let’s Pretend this Never Happened. Also like yaya sisterhood and Hyperbole and a half. Maria Bamford is funny, altho not a book!

  712. Ketchup Is a Vegetable and Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves by Robin O’Bryant. Absolutely hysterical!

  715. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and its sequel Necromancing the Stone, both by Lish McBride. They are YA fantasy, but there’s a character named Sexy Gary and an entire army of garden gnomes with names like Gnoman Polanski and The Darkness Known as Mittens. I don’t know that I’ve ever laughed so hard or needed to read them out loud so much.

  716. Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan zweibel; the Martian by Andy weir. Janet Evanovichs Stephanie plum series

  717. Anything by Janet Evanovich, really, but my favorite series by her is Fox and Chase. She also has a bunch of random sorry romances that you can find in collections. The best part about her writing is it doesn’t require a lot of thinking and her stories are quick and easy to read (I can mostly get though a book in 2-3 hours) so they are still good even if your attention span isn’t there. The Xanth series by Piers Anthony is also awesome, as long as puns don’t bother you. There are a ton of stories in the series, but they all more or less stand alone.

  720. I read Flora and Ulysses for a children’s literature class and I thought it was hilarious. It’s intended for kids, yes, but it’s hilarious and has a magic squirrel. And Flora is the best wry kid protagonist ever.

  721. Christopher Moore is a favourite, but it-really-happened, fall-on-the floor-laughing… Puckoon by Spike Milligan and Bored of the Rings by the Harvard Lampoon 🙂 and a good number of your blog posts

  722. These are old, but the Phule’s Company books by Robert Aspirin. There are 5 or 6 of them, but the first two are my favorites.

  723. I love Christopher Moore, but for it-really-happened, fall-on-the floor laughing… Puckoon by Spike Milligan and Bored of the Rings by the Harvard Lampoon 🙂 and a number of your blog posts

  724. “Furiously Happy”. But that’s probably only because I haven’t read “Let’s Pretend…” yet. : )

  726. For those late-night moments when you can’t really focus on anything for long but need a quick distraction, I highly recommend Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer. A writer’s guilty pleasure. Less than a page and you’ll fall asleep snorting, snickering, snurkling, or belly-giggling to yourself over mangled syntax. I promise.

  727. If you haven’t read it yet, or even if you have, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is by far the funniest book I have ever read in a lifetime of seeking out funny books. Second best is Richard Russo’s Straight Man, but it might not be quite so funny if you aren’t a college professor or familiar with higher ed. (But maybe it is. I don’t know, because I’m a college professor. Fish and water.)

    But let me also put in a plug for the Renaissance French writer François Rabelais’s Gargantua and Pantagruel, in Burton Raffel’s translation. My gut nearly needed reconstructive surgery after reading it—especially after reading about Brother John’s brave defense of his monastery’s wine cellar.

  729. My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman. Not funny all the way through but has some of the funniest, laugh out loud descriptions I have .ever read

  730. I’m currently reading Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No Bullshit Guide to World Mythology by Cory O’Brien and it is the first book in a while that’s made me laugh this hard. It’s also really easy to read and has short chapters which are great for days when the monsters in my head are attacking the most.

  731. I used to pee myself reading Dave Barry compilations of his Miami Herald columns – I swear to God, he did a restrospective column of the year 1987 that I couldn’t breathe over for several minutes. And I’m so glad to see people mentioning Erma Bombeck – the first author who made me pee laughing and I was only like 10 when I first read her – she reminded me of my own Mother. And here’s one I’ll bet no one else has ever even heard of: “A Minnesota Book of Days” by Howard Mohr. It’s like the diary of a small Minnesota town, and each day has an entry like “what happened on this date.” Bigfoot is mentioned several times, visiting the appliance store, trying to use his frequent flyer miles to get to Orlando, or driving a modified Plymouth Fury at the drag strip.

  732. I’m on the Bill Bryson bandwagon, but let me suggest one I haven’t seen mentioned, his memoir “Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.” The lincoln logs story made me snicker and snort on the bus to work.

  733. Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons, about 1931 I reread it whenever I’m in a funk. Never tire of it. It’s the best!

  735. Spaulding gray. Especially his early works. And any travel book where things go so wrong such as whole travel vacation disaster comedy. You can lose yourself laughing at someone else’s expense on what could possibly go wrong traveling to…… so much fun and so many places I don’t have to go now thanks to these wonderful stories

  736. I highly recommend Hoofin’ It by RJ Blain. Highly.

    It features an alpaca, a former police officer with one eye, and werewolves. It’s hilarious.

  737. After your books, of course, the funniest books I’ve read in a long time are Trailer Dogs: Life in America’s New Middle Class (The Trailer Dog Chronicles Book 1) and Revenge of the Trailer Dogs (The Trailer Dog Chron. Bk. 2) by Ellen Garrison; excellent!

  739. Spaulding gray. Especially his early works.any travel vacation story where it all goes wonky. So fun to be sitting in a comfy chair or public transportation laughing out loud at someone’s unfortunate yet hilarious travels . Bill Bryson does travel writing elegantly and funny.

  740. Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look at the Right. When I was pregnant 22 years ago, my husband and I used to drive around the countryside while I read this out loud, and we’d have to pull over to the side of the road, we were laughing so hard.

  741. John Hodgman ” The areas of my expertise” , Mike Birbiglia – sleepwalk with me, Allie Brosh -Hyperbole and a half,

  742. Anything by Christopher Moore, but especially Dirty Job and its sequel Secondhand Souls, and The Stupidest Angel, which is a quick read.

  743. Oh, and Make Fairyland Great Again: Fractured Fables for a National Nightmare by: N.T.O. Zamboni.

  745. Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes who Fought them and It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History, both by Jennifer Wright,both darkly hilarious in a way only non-fiction can be.

  746. Notes From a Small Island, by Bill Bryson. Also, The Santaland Diaries, by David Sedaris.

  747. This is hard… whenever people ask me about a funny book I point them towards the books you’ve written, because they make me laugh but also make me think about the world.

  751. “A Short History of a Small Place” by T.R. Pearson. It includes Junious (aka Mr. Britches), the pantsless monkey, Bald Jeeters, and litigious Pink Throckmorton.

  753. I think you could pick a blog post you stayed (easy!) and read the comments. Your tribe makes me pee myself! Also, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk – witty collection of short stories by David Sedaris. LPTNH is my laugh out loud favorite so good luck in your quest. I think you’ll do ok with 747 suggestions??

  754. Just read “One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter” by Scaachi Koul. Very funny overall, although it has serious moments also. Thanks for helping to generate a lovely list of books for me to read next time I need something funny <3

  755. I have never laughed so hard as I did reading Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid!

  757. OOoh also, the Jodi Taylor series that starts with “Just One Damned Thing After Another” scifi/romance/history/comedy

  759. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
    The story of moving with the dogs have made me and several of my friends laugh until we cry and made us suffer from oxygen deprivation because we are unable to take a breath because we are laughing too hard.

  761. I just read “The Pros of Cons” and thought of you because it includes a taxidermy convention. Funny new YA novel. Also,any of the Donald Westlake “Dortmunder”books (a band of hapless crooks whose plans always go hilariously awry). I second any of the Sweet Potato Queens books, especially the earlier ones.

  762. Honestly, Furiously Happy is one of the funniest books I have ever read. The Japanese toilet part makes me cry laughing. I am reading Believe Me by Eddie Izzard. He is my favorite comedian and although the book isn’t all funny (it’s his autobiography), it’s pretty entertaining. I hope you find a good one to cheer you up.

  763. I’m sure this will sound incredibly strange, especially since I haven’t even read the first book but had to share because it was unexpectedly hilarious (especially considering the topic is money): The Wealthy Barber Returns by Dave Chilto. It is truly LOL funny and has as ton of great finance advice, which most people really need so it’s a must!!!

  764. Three Men in a Boat To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Jerome K. Jerome. I think it’s Connie Willis’ favorite, too, if that helps.

  768. Sadly, I think the funniest book I’ve ever read was one YOU wrote, so that won’t help. Other than your books, I can recommend “The World’s Largest Man” by Harrison Scott Key — it’s got sadness, but sections of it made me laugh so hard I thought I’d split in half. I’m sure you’ve already read Allie Brosh’s book…. Oh! “Between the Bridge and the River” by Craig Ferguson. Also poignant, but hilarious.

  771. Funniest book I have ever read… I shit thee not is Let’s Pretend This Never Happened! I listen to the audio every other night and it still cracks my ass up!!!!

  772. Lamb by Christopher Moore. I know it has been mentioned already, but it is good. And distracting.

  773. Yours, of course. Terry Pratchett. And this might be good, it’s a series of five books, self published on Amazon. His name is Andrew Stanek. They’re silly, funny, books that don’t require much work to enjoy. You’re Dead Please Sign here . Is the first one and they’re not deep but funny

  774. Christopher Moore- Fluke, Fool, Bite Me, etc
    Jenny Crusie- Agnes and the Hitman, Bet Me, Faking It
    Jim Butcher Dresden series- its grown up Harry Potter with more laughs

  775. Hi Jenny – I didn’t see Jennifer Crusie on the list above – I especially love Wild Ride and Maybe Next Time, but they’re all funny (and light, and romantic). Also, the Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold. Thanks for asking this question – I’m going to troll the list for books I haven’t read yet myself 🙂

  777. Is it okay to say your books? 😉 and your blog. I really love your humor. I hope you feel better soon. You apparently have a lot of suggestions to wade through here.

  778. Sex lives of cannibals by Maarten Troost.
    He’s got others but this is the funniest by far.

    McCarthy’s Bar

  780. Don Callender’s Mancer series is light-hearted fantasy, and I enjoyed the magic system in it. Also been rereading Douglas Adams Hitchhiker’s series, that’s a certain laugh every time I share it with people.

  781. I love Carl Hiassen, funniest guy ever! And Tim Dorsey’s Serge Storm series will have you laughing at the incredible bad guy becomes Robin Hood character! For fun light reading try Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plums series. Dave Barry, David Sedaris. But the funniest book I’ve ever read in my life is yours! Please write a new one so I can laugh until I hurt

  782. Read Jill Conner Browne Sweet Potato Queen books!
    The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love
    To know the Sweet Potato Queens is to love them, and if you haven’t heard about them yet, you will. Since the early 1980s, this group of belles gone bad has been the toast of Jackson, Mississippi, with their glorious annual appearance in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. In The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love, their royal ringleader, Jill Conner Browne, introduces the Queens to the world with this sly, hilarious manifesto about love, life, men, and the importance of being prepared. Chapters include:
    The True Magic Words Guaranteed to Get Any Man to Do Your Bidding
    The Five Men You Must Have in Your Life at All Times
    Men Who May Need Killing, Quite Frankly
    What to Eat When Tragedy Strikes, or Just for Entertainment

    And, of course:
    The Best Advice Ever Given in the Entire History of the World

    From tales of the infamous Sweet Potato Queens’ Promise to the joys of Chocolate Stuff and Fat Mama’s Knock You Naked Margaritas, this irreverent, shamelessly funny book is the gen-u-wine article.

  783. Let’s pretend this never happened🤣 take care and keep fucking going…😘

  784. Barry Hutchinson’s Space Team series. You can read each book in a couple hours, and they are delightful, especially if you like Red Dwarf.

  785. If you haven’t read Gini Koch’s Alien series, you should check it out – first in the series is ‘Touched by an Alien’ – laugh out loud funny 🙂

  786. Yes, your first book had me laughing so hard, the cat came in from the other room to see what was going on. And yes, all of the Sweet Potato Queens’ book of Love series had me laughing til I cried. I don’t know if you’ve read Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series, but those books made me laugh so hard, again, the cats all came in from the other room to see what their human was doing.

  787. David Sedaris! And if you feel like listening instead of reading, I know you can get audio versions of him reading at least some of his books. It’s even funnier to me when I hear his voice reading to me.

  789. Not to throw has on the fire, but…

    The Hypochondriac’s Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have

    Hot on the heels of the wildly successful The Hypochondriac’s Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have comes The Paranoid’s Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On, Dennis DiClaudio’s hilarious look at fifty disturbingly familiar maladies you just know are buried deep in your psyche. This inspired new collection profiles the most nerve-wracking, harebrained, loopy, life-threatening and totally out-there mental disorders you could imagine-and some you could never imagine.

  790. GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet A comedy about the anti-Christ, the apocalypse and the peculiar partnership between a demon and an angel.

  792. The Spellman Family Series by Lisa Lutz. The family is so disfunctional and the main caracter probably the most and there so funny with a little bit of a mystery to solve in each one.
    I hope you’ll feel better soon!

  793. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. (didn’t read all the comments so I don’t know if anyone else suggested this). This it first in a series.

  794. Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe stories are brilliant, with the short story “Dave Cooks the Turkey” being the ultimate Canadian Christmas story. I’m pretty sure it’s scientifically impossible to feel bad after reading a Vinyl Cafe collection, seriously, go try it. You’re welcome.

  799. I had fun with Matt Wongs Futuristic Weapons and Fancy Suits. It wasn’t a comedy book, more action sci-fi, but it had some very funny moments. Hyperbole and a Half book is really funny. Keith Lowell Jensen released a comedy album recently that was also really good.

  800. I love the Iron Druid Cronicles by Kevin Hearne. His main character is a Druid who has a telepathic link to his Irish Wolf Hound and their banter is great. Also, there’s good adventure in it as well. His books always make me feel better. Also, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore always pulls me out of my funk too. But I’m sure you’ve already heard of these…but just in case you haven’t!

  801. “Look Evelyn, Duck Dynasty wiperblades, we should get some” by David Thorne what I found after reading furiously happy… almost as funny seeings how he seems to be from australia and all

  802. p.s. anything by Gerald Durell (Spelling) who wrote about catching little animals in africa for zoos in england. lovely tales of “beefs”, hard to find though. not just the beefs but the books too, all quite old now. there is a program on pbs(?)-bbc(?) about his life as a kid living in greece.

  803. Wow I’m late to the party on this one! Your books are numero uno of course, but if I had to pick some other top favs I love “Hospitality Under the Influence” and “Crafting for Poor People”
    by Amy Sedaris-fit w/laugh out loud worthy pictures, goofy crafting projects and yummy recipes. She also has a show on trutv called “At Home w/Amy Sedaris.” If I need a laugh she’s one of my go-to gals.

    Also I laughed all the way through the awkward trials and tribulations of Clinton Kelly’s life in “I Hate Everyone, Except You.” Hubby also got me “Buddy Babylon: The Autobiography of Buddy Cole” by Scott Thompson and Paul Bellini. I haven’t read it yet but it’s probably hysterically funny-especially if you’re a Kids in the Hall fan like me. Cheers! Enjoy! And depression lies.. Bravo for picking up funny books. I do that too with my depressive tendencies.

  804. For hilarious yet poignant, Operating Instructions by Anne Lamont. For a fun romantic romp, Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. But for over the top craziness, plus porn, it’s hard to beat Helicopter Man Pounds Dinosaur Billionaire Ass.

  806. Like 9 others here – Jim Gaffigan always makes me laugh. My current favorite by him is ‘Dad Is Fat’. Even better if you can get you hubby to read it to you outloud (laughter is contagious, you know).

  807. The “Wilt” books by Tom Sharpe. The main character – a teacher – ends up in the most absurd situations via a series of small, and seemingly normal and rational decisions.
    Should be right up your alley…

  808. Ann B. Ross’s Miss Julia series. There are 19 books in the series — enough to get you through even a long-ish depressive episode. I guarantee you’ll love them! (Read them in order. You will come to know and love Miss Julia and her friends.)

  810. Willard and his Bowling Trophies by Richard Brautigan (an old hippie favorite)

  813. Your books, actually, are probably the funniest I’ve ever read. But I do also love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Bossypants by Tina Fey is amazing. Martin Short’s book “I Must say” isn’t necessarily hysterical, but it is an excellent read. Also, there are some great, funny kids’ books out there. “Matthew and the Midnight Turkeys”, “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” is a great take on fairy tales and fables.

    Hope these bring some laughter to your life.

    Carina

  815. Jodi Taylor- The St Mary’s series, The Nothing Girl, The SomethingGirl and Little Donkey
    Sophie Kinsella- Can You Keep a Secret, I’ve Got Your Number
    Jennifer Cruisie- Bet Me
    Debra Geary- The Witchlight Trilogy, Modern Witches series
    Justin Halpern- Shit My Dad Says
    Graeme Simsion- The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect

    Of all of these, Bet Me by Jennifer Cruisie is probably the funniest without too much complication- The St Mary’s series are hilarious, but also have some sad parts. Shit My Dad says is just straight up humor, so that would be a good one right now.

    Hope you stay out of the hole- It’s a challenge, I know! Sending big hugs and big laughs that make snot come out your nose!
    Erin

  816. Unqualified by Anna Faris (she has a podcast by the same name), I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi, I’m Fine…and Other Lies by Whitney Cummings, It Ended Badly and Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright, Pip Barlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures by by Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pearce, and all those ‘F in Exam’ type books – some of those answers are amazing! The ninja takes on children’s classics by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Dan Santat ‘Three Ninja Pigs’ and ‘Ninja Red Riding Hood’ are excellent.

    Also, not a book, but Rhod Gilbert’s description of his lost luggage always makes me happy: https://youtu.be/7KnzRoHFNFA

  817. TRIGGER WARNING: I love Evanovich, but if you have not read her early series, SKIP the first book. It’s got some pretty brutal scenes in it, and the series gets much funnier starting with #2.

    I will add my vote for Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat. Especially if you can parse Victorian subtlety. It’s hysterical.

    The only Christopher Moore book I’ve read was Practical Demonkeeping, but it had me laughing out loud. (And your book may be the only other one that has ever done that.)

    And I strongly recommend that if you want to do Sedaris, and you haven’t already bought the books, get them on CD. They’re even better to listen to, than to read. And it takes less effort.

    Best of luck on finding your upswing. I found one this week, and it’s helping.

  818. First Peel the Otter by John Henry Dixon. Also one of the best titles for a book ever.

  819. Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters by Jean Shepherd. A lot of these stories were used in “A Christmas Story” 🙂

  820. My very favorite book – “Leave It to Psmith” by PG Wodehouse. Very silly.

  821. An odd choice… O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker. It’s a Scottish tale with dark humor that pokes fun at the Gothic.

  823. R. L. Mathewson’s stuff is really funny, makes me crack up every time 😊

  824. An “adult” book I’ve always loved is “Good Omens” by your buddy Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Two much quicker reads, since I teach little kids, are “I Want My Hat Back” by Jon Klassen and “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (their version of “The Ugly Duckling” literally made me laugh out loud in front of my students when I first read it).

  825. Try Rats, Mice and Other Things You Can’t Take to the Bank. It will give you a chuckle. Plus someone I know said to read it. Feel better soon!!!! #depressionsucks #readingismoodaltering

  827. Any way you could induce amnesia and then read your OWN work? Cuz I don’t think there’s anything funnier…

  828. Lamb: The Gospel according to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.

  829. An oldie but a goodie- The World According to Garp. Funniest book I ever read then or now.

  831. If you’re looking for something short, try Go the Fuck to Sleep. It’s narrated on Youtube by Samuel L. Jackson.
    With that said, Sh*t my Dad Says is absolutely hilarious.

  832. Howls Moving Castle– It is a YA book, but it is sweet and uplifting and humorous, good if you just need something quick to read.

  834. Laughing All the Way to the Mosque: The Misadventures of a Muslim Woman, by Zarqa Nawaz.

    “Being a practicing Muslim in the West is sometimes challenging, sometimes rewarding and sometimes downright absurd. How do you explain why Eid never falls on the same date each year; why it is that Halal butchers also sell teapots and alarm clocks; how do you make clear to the plumber that it’s essential the toilet is installed within sitting-arm’s reach of the tap?

    Zarqa Nawaz has seen and done it all.

    And it’s not always easy to get things right with the community either: Zarqa tells of being asked to leave the DBW (Dead Body Washing) committee after making unsuitable remarks; of undertaking the momentous trip to Mecca with her husband, without the children, thinking (most incorrectly) that it will also be a nice time to have uninterrupted sex; of doing the unthinkable, and creating Little Mosque on the Prairie, a successful TV sitcom about that very (horrified, then proud) community.

    You have to laugh.”

  835. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. If you want to laugh, run don’t walk to get it and read it.

  836. Hyperbole and a Half, anything by David Sedaris, Laurie Notaro, Mamrie Hart, Kelly Oxford or B.J. Novak.
    Honestly your books are the ones I really turn to when I need a mood enhancer though, so thank you!

    (Also, my to-read list is soooo much longer after looking at these comments!)

  837. Lamb by Christopher Moore. The Greatest Story Ever Told, as told by Christ’s childhood buddy, Biff.

  841. I don’t know if it’s the funniest book I’ve ever read, but I laugh at The Importance of Being Earnest every time I read it.

  842. Let’s Pretend tops my list (I just lent out one of my multiple copies a couple of days ago). David Sedaris (I want the story “Big Boy” read at my funeral). Laurie Notaro. Justin Halpern. Celia Rivenbark. Jen Lancaster. Haven Kimmel.

    Because of depression (lying asshole) and Multiple Sclerosis (fucking asshole), I haven’t been able to read an “adult” book for a couple of years. Before I became unable to work, I was a Children’s Librarian for more than a decade. I had about 20 copies of this chapter book, but there were rarely any on the shelves, because it was one of “Miss Martha’s Favorites” . . .

    “Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger” by Kevin Bolger

  846. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham was pretty hilarious (but if you aren’t a Gilmore Girls / Parenthood fan it may not be quite as funny).
    Yes, Please was also hilarious!

  847. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, any Douglas Adams books really. Also any Terry Pratchett Discworld Series books.

  850. Anything by Mary Roach. My personal favorite is “Stiff”, but “Spook” is a close second.

  851. Anything by Mary Roach – I started with “Stiff” and was laughing out loud through the whole thing… even though it’s all about what happens to the bodies of dead people – when you donate your body to science, what does that mean, etc… she is the master of witty/informative/hilarious footnotes.

  852. No one has mentioned Bill Bryson yet – I cry laughing every time I read the train scene in “In a Sunburned Country”

  854. Well, when it’s not you, I would suggest “Bream Gives Me Hiccups” particularly the section entitled “My Prescription Medications as Read by my Father” by Jesse Eisenberg. It is hysterical. I laugh until I can’t breathe and I chuckle every
    time I think about it. Other stories in the book will do the same but I think this one will be of a big help.

  855. The I haz a cheeseburger books. They are hysterical, and are cat and dog memes . There are three and I love them. I’ve given them as gifts they’re that funny. Love your books!

  856. another vote for pratchett. Pretty much any of his disc-world novels
    Also Villians by Necessity. Don’t remember the author, but I finally found out why assassins wear black undies 🙂
    Patrick McMannus’ The Grasshopper Trap had some really funny short stories.

  857. The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is hilarious, but also offers serious commentary. Besides your work, I’d consider it the funniest I’ve read.

  859. The miss fortune series by jana deleon (if possible in Audio Version)
    My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand , Brodi Ashton , Jodi Meadows in Audio

  860. Jennifer Crusie – Getting Rid of Bradely or Agnes and the Hitman
    A. Lee Martinez. – lots of humor, books have a paranormal edge at times. the only title I can remember off the top of my head is Gil and the All Night Right Diner. But any of this author’s books is awesome.

  862. Lisa Lutz’ Spellman series is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. I was howling with tears running down my face, it was so funny.

    Also, book version of He Died With a Falafel in His Hand is hysterical.

  864. You can’t go wrong with anything by Christopher Moore. I would also recommend Rachel Van Dyken’s Consequences series for farcical romance.

  866. I can’t say enough good things about the delightful graphic novel “Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too” by Jomny Sun (https://goo.gl/PbTyGW) It will brighten your day to no end!!

    Or for light science fiction and witty word play (almost akin to Douglas Adams), try Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St. Mary’s series!

  867. Not that it will help you much, but it was your first book!!!! 🙂 I read it on a work trip and people on the plane were looking at me like I was delirious. It was AWESOME.

  868. Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by Mil Millington. So wonderful. I take it everywhere and it can sustain me even in the bleakest of times. Happy Reading 🙂

  869. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole makes me laugh and laugh to this day. Author Sue Townsend manages to create a ridiculously funny character struggling with his “spots” and crushes. Quote: “Glenn has been excluded from school, for calling Tony Blair a twat.”

  870. If you like the Marvel Universe the Squirrel Girls books by Shannon Hale are funny, particularly the texts between her and the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy

  871. Any newspaper since Trump was elected. Or watch George Carlin on YouTube. Seriously, was anyone ever a better comedian?

  872. Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip or Fat Girls in Lawn Chairs and Revenge of the Paste Eaters both by Cheryl Peck. Hilarious times about weird girls, like us.

  874. I just listened to Carol Burnett’s ‘This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection’. She reads it. It’s not all funny, but it all made me feel better during a tough time.

  875. Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome, Connie Willis’s Bellwether, and if you’re looking at the Christopher Moore list, I’d aim you at The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove which I think is his most laugh-out-loud funny.

  876. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Every line is funny.
    Earth-based humor: Confederacy of Dunces
    Illustrated: Hyperbole and a Half

  877. The Charlie Davidson Series by Darynda Jones. First Grave on the Right is the first one! You’ll LOVE them.

  878. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Literally laughed so hard I cried multiple times.

  880. Almost anything by Christopher Moore – which you probably already know. Try Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. 🙂

  881. I mentioned this to my husband who promptly volunteered “Cooking with Fernet Branca” by James Hamilton-Paterson. It’s a sendup of alllll the books that tried to match the popularity of “A Year in Provence”. 🙂

  882. Candy Freak by Steve Almond. Currently reading it, and always hungry because of it. BTW, you are gonna wanna get yourself some 5 Star Bars and GooGoo Clusters. Just trust me on this.

  884. Anything by Christopher Moore. Lamb is my all time favorite. Anything by Carl Hiaasen. His books all take place in Florida and he takes crazy things that happened in true life and builds a mystery.

  886. Lisa Lutz’s Spellman series. However, I recommend stopping at #4 because I hated the plot/character swing in #5. It made me angry. After #4 I was blissfully happy. Stop at 4.

  888. Janet Evanovich’s “Stephanie Plum” series. Her characters make me laugh out loud every time.

  889. To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis. Humor, romance and time travel expertly done. By the way bbc 4 is running a new Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series. Available free on the net.

  890. I would suggest the Charlie Davidson series by Darynda Jones for fiction, and “How not to Completely Suck as a New Parent” for non-fiction especially if you have had children. We give it to all our friends who are expecting as an antidote to all the various “how to raise children” books etc out there. Even funnier when you get through baby and toddler stage and re-read it because you understand it so much more!

    https://www.amazon.ca/How-Not-Completely-Suck-Parent/dp/0771047541

  893. If you grew up in a camping/fishing family, I would suggest any of the Patrick McManus collections, e.g. “They shoot canoes don’t they?” or “Grasshopper Trap” There are a couple of scenes that always have me snickering and giggling for minutes (and I’m an over 60 male.)

  896. Christopher Moore – The Stupidest Angel – actually ANY book by Christopher Moore.

  900. Oh!! Also a couple by Terry Pratchett – Carpe Jugulum and Lords and Ladies! Happy reading!!

  902. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, I Hate Everyone Staring With Me by Joan Rivers, Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews, Shop Till You Drop by Elaine Viets, The Book of Awesome, What If? by Randall Munroe, anything by Jim Gaffigan, The Art of Not Giving A F***K, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea, Not Taco Bell Material, In Fifty Years We’ll All Be Chicks, and children’s books You’re Only Old Once and Beautiful Oops.

  903. There are too many comments for me to check to see if anyone already suggested it but one of my favorites is Patrick McManus. He published several books of short stories. The first one was A Fine and Pleasant Misery. (You can tell it’s about camping just from title.)
    I almost always take one his books with me whenever I have to fly anywhere. The stories are short enough for me not to lose interest while being distracted by the kid behind me screaming or kicking my seatback. Plus they are so funny that I end up laughing out loud like a crazy person, which is always a great impression to make on strangers trapped on a plane with you.

  904. Funniest story I ever heard (not a book,but,) Squirrel Cop from This American Life. I laugh until I cry every time I hear it.

  905. French for Cats by Henry Beard and Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris (especially funny on audio recording because you get to hear Sedaris’ particular intonation and timing)

  906. The Stickwick Staplers by Bernie Douglas. It’s very difficult to describe but I really think you’d like it. It’s a precognitive memoir detailing a number of harebrained schemes to achieve fame/acquire riches/marry Nasim Pedrad (with his wife’s permission). And a lot of it is set in Texas!

  907. I came to recommend Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome to find that 6 others also recommended it. Looks like I’m in good company. Join us!

  908. =”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1weuTK3gtNzBWbsM0AymA” rel=”nofollow”>Beauty Box

  910. I always turn to audible for Cabin Pressure by John Finnemore or The Correspondent by Tom Allen or any Roger Moore autobiography. I like to be entertained while keeping busy to keep the negatives away. All the best.

  911. I don’t know if they’ve been mentioned or if you’ve read these, but I am a big 30Rock and Parks and Rec fan. I have loved loved loved Tina Fey’s book, Bossypants; Amy Poehler’s book, Yes, Please; and Nick Offerman’s book, Paddle your own Canoe.

  912. Yours. But you’ve read those ones.
    I assume you’ve read Hitchhiker’s Guide as well (but still good for a reread).
    Literally anything from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is excellent (for you I’d recommend starting with the witches arc, so you’d want Equal Rites).
    I’m Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi

  913. All the above plus the Doctor Proctor series by Jo Nesbo. They are kids’ books, not crime thrillers. I tried to read them to my kids and could not stop laughing.

  915. My recent new favorite is Whitney Cummings “I’m Fine (and other lies)”. I’ve read it three times since I bought it!

  916. The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love–you have to laugh at this Southern take on men and life.

  917. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (and sequels)
    Sue Townsand

    Comics/graphic novels/manga:

    Yotsuba series
    Kiyohiko Azuma

    Penny Arcade series
    Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik

    Cul de Sac series
    Richard Thompson

    Petit Nicolas series if you happen to read French
    Goscinny Sempe

  918. Robert asprin’s myth series, ESPECIALLY if you like puns. Born a crime by Trevor Noah. His stand up comedy on Netflix is really good as well

  919. “e: a Novel” by Matt Beaumont, for anyone who’s ever worked in a disfunctional office
    Nick Spalding’s “Love… From Both Sides” and the sequels. Most hilarious sex scene ever written.

  920. I recommend Christopher Moore’s “The Stupidest Angel”; or “You Suck,” from his vampire love story trilogy. I have listened to these and laughed out loud because the narrators excellently express different character voices. An especially funny and memorable character in “You Suck” (my favorite) is Abby Normal, a teenage goth-girl with who wants to become a vampire.

  921. An oldie that made me laugh out loud while riding the bus to work is “A Prayer for Owen Meany.”
    I second (or third or?) anything by David Sedaris and the Stephanie Plum books (Grandma
    Mazur! So funny!)
    a hilarious and touching memoir, ” Tender at the Bone” by Ruth Reichl. I highly recommend this one, the prologue alone is a total crack-up.
    If your taste runs toward the sf/f genre, I recommend any book by Lindsay Buroker and the Samantha Moon series by J. R. Rain
    <3 <3 <3

  922. I saw a lot of Dave Barry suggestions. I would add Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs. And not a book (though there is a book), if you don’t already know about it, I would recommend the ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS Tumblr. It’s fantastic!

  923. Honestly? Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. But for one that is not yours, I would pick Groucho and Me by Julius “Groucho” Marx which was a fun autobiography with plenty of funny jokes and stories.

  924. I don’t know if someone mentioned it in the Dave Barry suggestions above, but I remember crying with laughter reading “Big Trouble”. And I even read it BEFORE I lived in Florida for over a decade.

  926. “Notes from a Small Island” by Bill Bryson. I laughed out loud many times (woke my husband up a lot). I hope someone is creating a list and puts them in order of most suggested.

  927. I ALWAYS choose Christopher Moore for funny. Lamb is my all time favorite.

  930. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Friend

    By Christopher Moore

    The best version is bound like a leather, embossed Bible with red sided pages

  932. Maaaan everyone already got my good suggestions but I’ll second A Girl Named Zippy, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, Paula Poundstone, and so on, but I’ll add… Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus, Allison Hawn

  934. “How to Shit in the Woods” by Kathleen Meyer. Seriously, it’s a real thing. Even if you’re not into camping, it’s a good manual to have on your coffee table.

  935. ‘How to be a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran. Seriously an amazing funny inspiring read!

  936. Sorry, Jenny – I’m waiting for YOUR next book for the funniest book ever! Let’s Pretend and Furiously are the most recent ROFLMAO books I’ve read and I read A LOT! So feel better soon and get yourself back to work!!

  937. Lost in Place by Mark Salzman or Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

  938. Any of the “Jeeves and Wooster” short stories by PG Wodehouse. Also, when I am down my go to read is historical fiction by Georgette Heyer. Lots of humor and nothing relating to real life. Recently I picked up shirt stories by Mark Twain and I was surprised at a how funny they were.

  939. When I need something to read to keep myself from falling into the hole I re-read one of your books. So thank you for that. And “e” by Matt Beaumont is hilarious.

  940. I laughed out loud at Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams – also his book Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul. He has that dry, wry wit, and Last Chance to See was also really great because he travelled to far-flung places to see endangered species. A fave!

  942. Douglas Adams (especially Long Dark Teatime of the Soul and Last Chance to See) and Jasper Fforde (Especially the Friday Next series, starting with the Eyre Affair). I assume you’ve already read Good Omens, but if not, that should top your list

  943. Book 4 of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. (1-3 are good too, and you probably have to read them to truly appreciate book 4. But book 4 is laugh out loud and wake the baby kind of funny)

  945. “The Plague and I” by Betty McDonald, describing her time in a Seattle TB sanatorium in the 1930’s made me snort tea out of my nose. Monica Sone was her roommate.
    “My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell is charming, fascinating and very funny.
    Anything by PG Wodehouse about Bertie Wooster
    And, yes, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
    If you’re looking for funny recordings, the BBC’s “Cabin Pressure” is brilliant – Benedict Cumberbatch before he was famous – get the entire set – you won’t regret it. There’s a put-down for every occasion.
    Sending you lots of love.

  947. Any collection of Dave Barry’s columns from when he wrote for Miami Herald. He also wrote several novels, but I have not read them. Also Gavin Edwards’ collection of misheard song lyrics.

  948. No word from Gurb by Eduardo Mendoza. “A shape-shifting extraterrestrial named Gurb has disappeared in Barcelona, having assumed the form of Madonna, whose image he glimpses on a street poster. His partner, desperate to get him back, goes about trying to find him in a more discreet guise, scrupulously writing his observations in a diary …No stone is left unturned, no danger too much, in the search for his old pal Gurb in the topsy-turvy world of planet Earth. “No Word From Gurb” is a riotous satire highlighting the contradictions of Western society in a lively, intelligent and sweetly ironic way.”

    I remember crying in laughter so many times…

  950. Have you read either of Mindy Kaling’s books? Not the funniest I’ve ever read but a delightful pick-me-up. 🤩

  951. Any of the Callahan books by Spider Robinson. The first few are all short stories so they’re fast reads. Be careful, though. Every now and then he slips in a story that is so true and heart-punching that you curse his name as you cry into your whiskey.

  953. Was just about to come in and suggest the Callahan books, but Angie got in two comments before me. 🙂 You rock! Seconding the recommendation in that case. Because as funny as they were, they were also the books that I needed to be reading when the depression and anxiety was getting the better of me.

    Also a bunch of books by TJ Klune, like The Lightning Struck Heart or Tell Me It’s Real. Totally NSFW, but holy shit, you will wet yourself laughing.

  954. I promise I’m not trying to be a kiss ass but genuinely it was yours. We were camping at the time and I kept silent giggling so as not to wake my husband but I shook the whole bed so I think he was onto me 😂

  956. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman. It’s a little out dated now but I’ll always remember my mother (she’s reading in Heaven now) sitting in her chair wiping away tears of laughter. And truly, you will never forget Mrs. Pollifax crawling through a goat herd in Albania. Also add me to the Jennifer Crusoe group. Bet me is one of my favorites!

  958. Blue Jelly by Debbie Bully, Road Trip by Tim Cahill, California Rush by Sherwood Kiraly

  960. “By the way, you can work on yourself and still have sex with someone at the same time. Or at least around the same time. Your pussy and brain don’t have to take turns. Besides, there’s a bunch of hours in the day. You can actually get to therapy and go on a date on the same day.”
    ― Gabrielle Union, We’re Going to Need More Wine

    Also Laurie Notaro’s It Looked Different on the Model has a scene where she’s struggling in the dressing room that was so funny it stands out to me over a thousand books later.

  961. The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club – Laurie Notaro. And YES to the dressing room story from her other book It Looked Different on the Model.

  963. Ali Wentworth’s Ali in Wonderland and Happily Ali after, waiting fir Go Ask Ali. But I’ve always got a copy of “Let’s Prentend This Never Happened” around for a quick pick me up when needed.

  964. Sorry, Jenny, but yours were the funniest I’ve ever read. ❤️❤️❤️

  965. Han Solo at Stars End by Brian Daily. OR anything by Brian Daily that involves Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhue. Disclaimer: I was aged 11-15 when I read these books, so I am not sure how you will see them as an adult. My mother kept coming to my bedroom door because she thought I was sobbing, and was highly annoyed when she found out I was laughing.

  966. The Gro Vont Trilogy (that is now 4 books) by Tim Sandlin… or anything that Tim Sandlin wrote.

  967. The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw by Patrick F. McManus (or any other book he has ever written).

  968. Science Fair by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It’s about a small country’s plot to take down America at a middle school science fair.

    The other is a romance called Trickery by Jaymin Eve. It’s kind of weird and funny at the same time.
    Another is Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister. It’s a supernatural romance and the woman is plagued with false accusations of murder, hot men, and dog shaped demons with a wicked sense of humor. Hope that this helps!
    😀

  969. Nora Ephron! One of my favs on aging – I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman.

  971. For a quick pick-me-up to stick on your medicine cabinet or a extended therapy session, any Gary Larson cartoon or book of cartoons.

  972. Listening to “Bossy Pants,” on audio book! It’s read buy Tina Fey, who’s also the author 🙂

  973. Just about anything by Charles Portis, I remember laughing out loud, reading one of his books at the Starbucks on Capitol Hill, right across from Seattle U. So, good memories too.
    Tina Fey’s book also made me laugh out loud because, Tina Fey

  976. One more vote for the Jeeves & Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse. And, the audio books are especially funny.

  977. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Be sure to get a newer version as it has the first chapter of the sequel, Buttercup’s Baby. I have read this book MULTIPLE times and it never fails to cheer me up and make me laugh. I love William Goldman’s sense of humor.

  978. Any of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. You can read them out of order or sequentially but I recommend reading them in order so you can get a feel for the characters and how they met. Each book has the number in the title so its easy to read them in order. This series never fails to make me laugh out loud. She has written 24 so far, 25 is due out soon so…get to reading!

  979. Saw many of my faves are already posted, and I’m sure someone also posted Good Omens — which you’ve probably already read. But I didn’t notice Happiness by Will Ferguson. Laugh out loud, don’t read in public unless you want stares (or fellow book lovers to come over and ask you what you’re reading). It’s a pretty quick read, only… 356 pages, haha (you’ll get that after you read it) and takes a silly, sarcastic, cynical poke at the publishing industry and self-help books.

  980. Tom Sharpe, Ancestral Vices. First read the pork scene sitting on the subway in Toronto, Canada. We Canadians are unfailingly courteous in public and drawing attention to yourself on public transit is a big no no. I starting laughing so hard that I was crying and hiccuping and had to get off at Yonge and Bloor to find a bathroom before I peed my pants. Thirty odd years and multiple readings later, it still makes me laugh out loud.

  981. Play James, by Sarah Mason. British author, totally ridiculous chick-lit about a newspaper reporter assigned to follow a police detective. Sort of like Castle, but without Nathan Fillion. It makes me laugh so hard I cry on a regular basis. I picked it up at a book swap at a hotel in Fiji and brought it home with me. I must have read it 50 times now. And it still makes me laugh.

  983. But I will second (5th?): Pratchett (Small Gods), Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers’s Guide), Carl Hiassen (Skinny Dip), Christopher Moore (Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff), and Dave Barry’s Big Trouble. (The bracketed is the fave that comes to mind, but there are many more funny ones by each author)

  984. What if? by Randall Munroe is wonderful and the author also has a webcomic called xkcd, also, A Is for Asteroids, Z Is for Zombies: A Bedtime Book about the Coming Apocalypse is HILARIOUS if not a little disturbing

  985. R.L. Mathewson’s “A Neighbor from Hell” series. Each book has laugh out loud moments, especially the early ones.

  988. Sorry I couldn’t read through all posts to see if these are already mentioned-Holiday on Ice by David Sedaris or any of his books, Bridget Jones Diary books

  989. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – hands down the first on my deserted island book list.

  991. One of my favorite books of all time and it’s HILARIOUS and I think you’ll relate to it is “Mommas makes up her mind: And other dangers of Southern living” by Bailey White

  992. Anything by Barbara Robinson, a children’s author. Her most famous is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, but she has others. My personal favorite is My Brother Louis Measures Worms and Other Stories. Pee your pants, out loud roaring laughter.

  994. I second Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde and Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman. And Me Talk Pretty One Day by Sedaris–If you’ve ever tried to speak a second language, you will die laughing!

    Also Where’d You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple.

  995. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1866996.Shaggy_Planet
    ^ I loved this book, but it apparently wasn’t highbrow enough for most of the reviewers. Echoes of Douglas Adams in there with the absurdist leanings (not saying it was AS good as Adams’ books, but it was good and I highly enjoyed it and think it would make quite a funny movie)

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1629226.Eddy_Deco_s_Last_Caper?from_search=true
    ^illustrated, funny sometimes, dark others, but definitely weird. Loved this book.

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1443100.That_s_All_Folks?from_search=true
    Kafka’s Metamorphosis… except actually average dude turning into a cartoon character.

  996. Anything by Thorne Smith.I can speak for The Stray Lamb and The Bishop’s Jaegers being enough to make tears run from laughter. He has his own page on Amazon.

  1000. And any audio books by David Sedaris but especially Me Talk Pretty One Day

  1003. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. Try to read it aloud and see if you can do it without laughing so hard you’re unintelligible.

  1004. Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David is a really good, sarcastically funny story. If you feel like branching into fantasy satire.

  1005. Any and all David Sedaris books are “laugh out loud” funny. While they might not count as books to read, I love Gary Larson’s The Far Side comic collections and Jim Unger’s Herman comic collections. If you’re looking for instant humour, comics are easy entertainment without much of a time investment.

  1006. Today will be different by Maria Semple. I devoured it…it is not laugh out loud but still an amusing read.

  1007. Carl Hiaasen’s Sick Puppy is hilarious. Hyperbole and a Half makes me laugh and cry, but mostly laugh. Davis Sedaris is funny and I want to read Amy Sedaris’ book eventually.

  1010. Heartburn by Nora Ephron and The Life and Loves of a She Devil by Fay Weldon never fail me

  1011. To be truthful, the funniest book I have ever read which really helped me with my depression is Furiously Happy, but you’ve probably read it so many times while editing that it’s not funny to you anymore 😉
    But when I’m feeling really ugh, I like to read all sorts of books that I read in my childhood, because it brings me back to ‘the good ole days’

  1012. Trying to come up with things that haven’t been mentioned already–I feel the same about funny books, such a lifeline, which is what makes you such a treasure–to add to Ephron and Weldon–anything by Jon Ronson, of course, but especially the Psychopath Test, but really…anything…and also The Idiot by Elif Batuman–it’s hysterical for anyone “our age” 🙂 but I’m not entirely sure anyone older or younger would find it quite as charming…the dawn of the internet for the college-aged and its unprecedented effect on relationships. I also love Barbara Ehrenreich and she has something new out. Oh! One that may not show up on the usual radar–The Woman At the Washington Zoo–a little sad but also wonderfully funny.

  1013. Oh!! Also, James Herriot’s stuff–it’s just delightful–I kind of assume you’ve read him already.

  1015. I agree with the above usual suspects; The Sedaris family, Hiaasen, Moore, most comedians, Fisher, Ephron, etc- but I’ll also add:

    -Crackpot- John Waters (actually, pretty much anything by John Waters) (even though the world has caught up to his style; when Crackpot first came out it was one of a kind)
    -The Randy Scuffle Papers- Phil Reebius (made me laugh so hard I almost choked to death)
    -Geek Love- Katherine Dunn
    -Jennifer Government- Max Barry
    -Mistress Bunny and the Cancelled Client- Michael Penkas (about a crime-solving dominatrix- ‘nuf said…)
    -most things by: James Thurber, Dorothy Parker, S.J. Perelman, Jean Shepherd or Dan Clowes (and even H.L. Menken to some extent…)

    …and lately, rewatching “Idiocracy” repeatedly. But with that, I no longer know whether to laugh or cry…

    sigh

    I certainly hope that something on this list will surprise and delight you (and others) as they have me!

  1016. For what it’s worth, your first book saved me in a similar time. Praying for you…

  1017. When I need ridiculous, I go back to “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Douglas Adams), “The Stupidest Angel” or “Lamb” by Christopher Moore. Even sillier, Molly Harper’s books/novellas of werewolf/vampire hijinks.. “Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs” starts it off ..

  1018. Actually, your books are the funniest I have ever read. Hands down, no question about it. Thank you. But others that made me laugh out loud are: Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi, Penrod, by Booth Tarkington, and anything by Patrick McManus. Bossypants by Tina Fey, Yes Please by Amy Poehler, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling, and Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, were also funny autobiographical works A book I found funny was The Girl from the Golden Horn, although I am not sure it was supposed to be. I envisioned Kate Hudson playing the lead role when I read well over a decade ago. Most of Jane Austen should be read as the scathing satire and comedies I suspect they really are. If I think of any others I will come back and write again. I read a lot, but came to the humor genre late in life. So far, you are the best. At least according to my own quirky laugh-meter.

  1019. Eliza Crewe Cracked. It’s a Sci-fi book, YA-ish but so inappropriate at times. It’s the inner monologue that we all have , but don’t want anyone to know!

  1021. “My Family and Other Animals”, by Gerald Durell
    “Birds, Beasts and Relatives”, ditto

  1024. Christopher Moore’s A Dirty Job is a go to book when I am depressed. Pretty much his entire catalog. If you are entire audiobooks I HIGHLY suggest the John Scalzi books narrated by Wil Wheaton. They are all wonderful, and if you want to bust a gut, listen to the first chapter of Android’s Dream, which ends with the funniest sentence I have ever heard.

  1025. David Sedaris. Dress your family in corduroy and denim.
    By the end of the book I was laughing so hard I seriously thought I might hurt myself.
    I think it might be possible to die laughing. Be careful.

  1026. E by Matt Beaumont – about the shenanigans of an ad agency starting work on the pitch of the biggest account they will ever hold. All told by emails, blisteringly funny and so very true. A fly on the wall account of life inside a London agency.

  1030. To say nothing of the dog – Connie Willis
    Modern Manners – PJ ORourke
    Good Omens – Gaiman and Pratchett and anything by Pratchett

  1031. I know you didn’t do this as pandering, but honestly Furiously Happy is the only book that that I can remember made me belly-laugh out loud. And it came to me at the perfect time. Thank you SO much!

  1032. Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series, and the Parasol Protectorate series. Not lol funny, but wonderfully light and engaging. Also well-written. No “mute points” and no horrible punctuation mistakes. When I’m in a Hole, a run-on sentence that the editor Should Have Caught can make me throw things. These keep me reading until it’s better. And I like the vampires and werewolves in society.

  1033. Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews. It’s funny every time I read it.

  1034. The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro. I’m laughing just thinking about it….

  1035. The Martian by Andy Weir, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers, It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro, Moranthology by Caitlin Moran, Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace.

  1037. The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life (and anything else) by Laurie Notaro. Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg

  1040. Jenny, some of my favorites are already listed here, but I can’t vote, cause I don’t have a website. They are: Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love, anything by Bailey White, anything by David Sedaris, Bill Bryson. Also, for an author from the 1930s, SJ Perelman, Acres and Pains (to start – he wrote prolifically, some better than others).

  1042. Also, I forgot. A contemporary of Perelman was James Thurber, also hysterical – see ‘The night the bed fell.’ Another I’d recommend are the recently published memoirs of a North Texas cop who grew up in South Africa – The Lawdog Files. He has a blog that I love by the same name. The South African stories are hysterical; they might be in print by now. -Jennifer-with-Ralph-the-taxidermized-groundhog-you-baptized.

  1044. David Sedaris. You will love “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” Right up your alley with the animal theme.

  1046. Anything byTom Sharpe. British satire at its best, acidly sarcastic, borderline evil and very, very elegant.

  1047. Laurie Notaro, especially her first book. And you cannot go wrong with Terry Pratchett. His Discworld books are hilarious.

  1049. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. It’s a teen book, but the whole series is clever and funny and made me laugh until I cried at parts. (I was TAing ESL at the time, and didn’t know how to explain why I was laughing during silent reading…)

  1050. Not sure if anyone mentioned this one yet:
    Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
    By Therese ONeill
    🙂

  1051. Sometimes my depression and anxiety gets super bad I can’t concentrate on a book and remember what i just read. All these books come in audio versions so you can just listen while you walk or Google or play or work. Another good thing is these all are series so if you like them there are lots more. Good luck and thank you for the laughs you gave.

    Darynda Jones series starts with First Grave on the Right… Very Quirky and lol funny. Dont listen to the audio book in public unless you’re good with spurting your drink out your nose with witnesses.
    Betsy the Vampire Queen series by Mary Janice Davidson is super silly and light hearted. First book is Undead and Unwed.
    Molly Harper is great for light super funny reading. First book is Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs.

  1052. Pretty much anything by David Sedaris. And I have a new book ordered called “Less” which is supposed to be hysterically funny. Check it out!

  1054. Um, both of yours?! The funniest books I ever read. Keep yourself out of the pit of despair. Remember the machine sucks away years of your life. ❤

  1055. Most of my suggestions already on here but Caitlin Moran ‘how to be a woman’ made people check if I was OK in the same way ‘let’s pretend..’ did 🙂 …thank you and sending hugs xxx

  1056. “Fourtunetly the milk” by Neil gaiman. It’s a children’s book but I found it funny and the illustrations are great:)

  1058. American Housewife by Helen Ellis- hysterical, wicked, even has taxidermy

  1059. Most all books by Patrick McManus. They Shoot Canoes Don’t They?, A Fine &Pleasant Misery, Camping From Aaiiii To Zzz. All short laugh out loud stories . Great pick me up books.

  1061. For big laughs in every paragraph, read anything by Rodney Lacroix.

    “Things Go Wrong For Me” stories about his lifetime of bad luck
    “Perhaps I’ve said Too Much” about his penchant for telling whopping lies that get him into trouble
    “Romantic as Hell” – His guide to romance
    “The Vasectomy Diaries” – (his funniest one) the story of his vasectomy.
    “But Did You Die” Parenting tips

    https://www.amazon.com/Rodney-Lacroix/e/B00ANN9ZVE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1524357473&sr=1-2

  1063. One of the funniest books you will ever read is: APATHY and OTHER SMALL VICTORIES: A Novel. By Paul Neilan
    It will only take a couple hours and any office experience (human resources) will make it even funnier to you. Just look at the cover and tell me you don’t want to read THAT.

  1068. OMG!
    This is what I asked for during Christmas for my gift exchange…..i didnt get a book 🙁 I dis get something really nice though.

  1069. Stingray Afternoons by Steve Rushin. Very few books make me laugh out loud but this one did. Growing up in the 70’s-even though it’s by a guy, I loved it.

  1070. To be honest… this weird little book called “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened,” you’ve probably never heard of it…. 😉

    But more helpfully, if you haven’t read Libba Bray’s “Beauty Queens”– it feels so exactly up your alley.

  1071. Holy cow, over 1,000 responses!!! Your Tribe really does come through. Well, if you have insomnia, make a link on your page to include: happy books people recommend. I just wrote down a hand full of these to look into! And the cat clip was hysterical!

  1074. Jen Lancaster’s memoirs (not her fiction) but I’ve actually cried laughing at her memoirs!

  1077. I am going to third the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison, first is “Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging”….and also recommend another YA book, “Bad Kitty” by Michele Jaffe. Both of which got me glares for bursting out laughing while reading.

    And in case anyone else enjoys reading children’s books, “Pure Dead Magic” by Debi Gliori is a favorite. Harry Potter meets The Adams Family in a Scottish Castle with a bestiary in the dungeon, a vegetarian crocodile in the moat, well, while there is a moat, and uhm, lots of silliness. Theres six books, I think, in the series.

  1080. “The Mezzanine” by Nicholson Baker: It’s about “a man’s lunchtime trip up an escalator in the mezzanine of the office building where he works…and describes the thoughts that run through a person’s mind in any given few moments, and the ideas that might result if he or she were given the time to think these thoughts through to their conclusions (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mezzanine).”

  1081. Towing Jehovah by James Morrow, really most of his but that’s a good start

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Barking at the Moon: If your dog is your furry child, you will laugh out loud at Tracy Beckerman’s book about her family & a one-dog wrecking ball named Riley.

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Beautiful Writers book: Writers! This coming-of-career memoir (w/ the BEST advice from celeb authors, real shit you haven’t heard) is life. A page-turning beach read doubling as how-to. #Magic

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Where Do I Belong? A memoir of Sarah Carrington: The unbelievable story of growing up in a religious cult in the mountains of Northern British Columbia. What happens to you in life doesn’t make you strong; rising above it does.

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