The Illusive Funny Bone
It’s April Fool’s Day! That special day when you can’t believe anything you read online and you watch your family and friends warily, eyes full of suspicion. Or perhaps you’re chuckling to yourself right now at some ingenious prank you’ve just pulled…
Either way, I thought it would be a fitting day to chat about funny books–those reads that put a smile on my face no matter what else is going on in the world.
Now, humor is *tough* to write, IMHO. It needs to be somewhat zany, have that element of surprise, and be riddled with snappy details. I have so much admiration for authors who can do it well.
Here are some of my favorite laugh-out-loud books:
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion — Don Tillman is quirky, lovable, and hilarious. He gets himself into so many awkward situations, and most of the time he doesn’t even realize he’s done something completely ridiculous. Not to mention, the story itself is super sweet. Seriously, read this book if you want to have ALL of the feels.
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella — Kinsella’s standalone novels are all solid, but this is my favorite. It’s about a girl who, while traveling home from her first business trip, thinks the plane is going down so spills all of her juiciest secrets to the passenger sitting next to her, only to find out he owns the company she works for. As you can probably guess, hilarity ensues.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh — Brosh is so brilliant. This graphic novel is based on her blog with about 50% new content. Her illustrations are simple, cute, and super funny, especially paired with her touching stories that are so relatable. My personal favorites are God of Cake and Depression Parts 1 & 2, which show both her scope and talent as a humor writer. Simply put, I like this alot #alotmonster
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton — The humor in this book took me by surprise. It’s flirty, sexy, and silly, mostly thanks to the strong main character and her fun, and at times insightful, inner dialogue. Plus, it never hurts to have a feline sidekick with a purr-sonality all of his own (sorry for the pun…couldn’t help myself).
Bossypants by Tina Fey — I’ve been a Tina Fey fan ever since she was on SNL’s Weekend Update, and when 30 Rock ended a few years ago, I knew I had to read her book. It’s funny, inspirational, and full of behind the scenes quips–from her time playing Sarah Palin to her struggles balancing her career with her family life. I have so much respect for this lady!
What are your favorite humorous books? Are there any I need to add to my TBR list?
What I’m reading: Yes Please! by Amy Poehler
What I’m listening to: The Shins — Chutes Too Narrow
I don’t read a lot of funny ones, but Bridget Jone’s Diary and Can You Kee a Secret (as well) come to mind.
Ooh, I’ve never actually read Bridget Jones’s Diary but LOVE the movie! Makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it 🙂