Have you ever had a moment while reading a book when you just burst out laughing and invited stares from strangers? Of course, it didn't matter, because the book was like a friend, passing on an inside joke with you as the world passed by. That’s why we say that books are a man’s best friend apart from a dog. Reading a book is always a good thing. However, finding a book that genuinely tickles your funny bone can be more complicated than you think. But here’s a general set of issues you will face in your search for the best comedy books:
The book's title will not even seem to match the comedy genre.
The best comedy books don’t do that well.
Amazon offers recommendations, but if people can’t find them, well, what can Amazon do?
Dare to venture into uncharted territory? Worry not, because we put together a list of the funniest books. Be warned, however - these books will incur non-stop laughter.
I'm Glad My Mom Died
By: Jennette McCurdy
Jennette McCurdy has had a rise to fame that most kids would dream of. But there’s a dark underside to her rise, and I'm Glad My Mom Died is a chronicle of the things she had to sacrifice to get there. But her dive into eating disorders and anxiety attacks forces her to give up her seat at the top and finally give herself the time to understand what she wants.
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
By: Steve Martin
Steve Martin's memoir Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life captures the humor and wit of the actor, author, comedian, producer, playwright and screenwriter. Released in 2007, it reveals the outstanding triumphs of Martin’s stand-up comedy days from playing dismal coffee shops to his rise as a comedy star. The memoir dives into his life, from his experiences working for Disneyland to performing at the infamous Bird Cage.
Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage
By: Joey Diaz
Joey Diaz is a man of many Aliases-- from his childhood nickname Coco to his comical new monikers like “The Cutman”, Joey has undoubtedly been through it all. But behind the comedian persona and wild stage presence lies something much more inspiring: an immigrant mentality and hardworking ethic that have taken him from grassroots hustle to significant success.
This Is How We Do It: A Pep Talk
By: Kevin Hart
Most of us slack around during our days when we could all change with a good pep talk. Well, maybe it's time you get one from the man who hates slacking around – Kevin Hart. Written by the comedy icon, This Is How We Do It: A Pep Talk is the man out bare in the open, talking about his struggles and failures in a manner that can make you laugh, then contemplate what you just read.
Stories I Can’t Tell My Kids
By: Immodium Abuser
This book is no snack - it's a five-course meal, and even the most insatiable reader will want to digest its wisdom. Warning, however: four out of five experts that looked at this book wet their pants in anticipation - only the fifth one avoided the inevitable thanks to his shorts! If you try to absorb too much at once, you'll be like me trying to swallow too much of a Fudgie the Whale ice cream cake (one shot at consuming all that sweetness was enough to make me wish I had stock in Imodium!).
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir
By: Matthew Perry
Written by Matthew Perry about his time working with the sitcom classic FRIENDS, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir is a memoir of his times with the show and his struggles with addiction. One would expect that the book would contain glamorous accounts of how he held the show together.
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard
By: Tom Felton
For those of us who grew up with the Harry Potter series, we cannot imagine the actors today in any other roles. Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard is the story of Tom Felton, better known as Draco Malfoy – the boy we began hating but soon understood the role he had to play in the bigger picture.
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words
By: Eddie Robson
In a setting where the people of Earth deal with alien diplomats to maintain the peace of the galaxy, Drunk on All Your Strange New Words is a refreshing take on what it means to be a really good sci-fi novel. The book’s protagonist is Lydia, a translator for the Logi cultural attaché to Earth.
Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk & Mistakes
By: Laura Clery
A second masterpiece from the critically acclaimed comedy writer Laura Clery, Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk & Mistakes is a collection of essays that have her exploring motherhood, the job of raising children, and finding any semblance of work-life balance in her career.
Peterdown: An epic social satire, full of comedy, character and anarchic radicalism
By: David Annand
Many novels follow a predictable route to find order from chaos within their pages, but few match the originality that Peterdown: An epic social satire, full of comedy, character and anarchic radicalism captures inside it. Excited by the opportunity for economic development, the town of Peterdown must decide which of their two landmarks must be demolished – the Larkspur Hill housing estate or the Chapel.
Start Without Me
By: Gary Janetti
Gary Janetti is a man with a reputation for an acid tongue – set to define the moments and times that made him the celebrity he is today. Start Without Me is relatable to the reader because of the frustrations of life’s smallest faults and frustrations.
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation
By: Hannah Gadsby
Authored by Hannah Gadsby from the iconic show Nanette, Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation pulls back the curtain on her otherworldly fame to show us the grind. A queer person from Tasmania struggling with ADHD and autism, she’s had it anything but easy. There’s some hilarious comedy in this book, but also some incredible sadness.
Happy-Go-Lucky
By: David Sedaris
David Sedaris is known as the “champion storyteller”. Happy-Go-Lucky was born in a time of uncertainty during the pandemic – a time where he’s stuck without being able to tour and do the work he loves. So how does he cope? By vacuuming his apartment twice a day, failing to get essentials while everyone else gets it, walking through a deserted city and wondering how sex workers and acupuncturists get by during quarantine.
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
By: Hendrik Groen
Hendrik Groen lives in a care home, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost any of his sarcasm. He also hasn’t lost his caring, thoughtful nature, as you can read from The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen – a documentation of a year in his life at the care home in Amsterdam.
I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays
By: Tom Segura
There are comedy books, and then there are comedy books written by comic legends. Written by Tom Segura, I’d Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays is a compilation of all the jokes he never said onstage. But there’s something in between the laughs that will make you go, “Hmmmm, I’ve never thought of it that way…”.
Off with My Head: The Definitive Basic B*tch Handbook to Surviving Rock Bottom
By: Stassi Schroeder
Stassi Schroeder, the star of Next Level Basic comes to us with her new book, Off with My Head: The Definitive Basic B*tch Handbook to Surviving Rock Bottom. The book is exactly what it says – a handbook for handling the rock-bottom moments in your life, from someone who really did not see her bad luck coming.
I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood
By: Jessi Klein
As a new mother or someone expecting, there’s enough and more happening in this world that makes you wonder, “What world is my child going to enter?” Jessi Klein helps you declutter the worry as she pulls apart cultural myths, the difficulty of being a mother, and a self-aware midlife phase for a mom.
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir
By: Bob Odenkirk
There’s one side of Bob Odenkirk that you are familiar with: Saul Goodman from the iconic show Breaking Bad. But this man has equal fame in the comedy writing circles, where he was once a top writer for SNL in its prime.
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir
By: Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon owns a place in our hearts as a core personality behind the Saturday Night Live sketches. But as a person, Molly grew up much sooner than she would’ve wished for. Hello, Molly!: A Memoir is a retelling of her life in her own voice.
This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir
By: Jenny Pentland
In This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir, Jenny Pentland is a normal person who has permeated into the lives of those around her more than they know. This is because most of her life spent growing up in a middle-class family in Denver formed the subject of her mother’s record-breaking hit sitcom.
Bossypants
By: Tina Fey
There’s never been a better time to get to know one of television history’s most iconic comedians – Tina Fey. When you get your hands on Bossypants, getting to know her doesn’t seem a distant possibility anymore. She details her dreams as a child to become a comedian on TV
Sisters Behaving Badly
By: Maddie Please
What happens when you put two estranged sisters as co-owners of a farmhouse that seems like a dream come true when you hear about it? Sisters Behaving Badly explores such a scenario through the lives of Kitty and Jenny, who had a falling-out during one Carvery lunch.
Barely Functional Adult: It'll All Make Sense Eventually
By: Meichi Ng
Meichi Ng probably never expected her webcomic to garner a following of over 125k followers on Instagram alone. Barely Functional Adult: It'll All Make Sense Eventually is a collection of these relatable stories about what life looks like in your twenties, represented through the life of Barely Functional Adult, the protagonist we never knew we needed.
People We Meet on Vacation
By: Emily Henry
Written by Emily Henry, whose famous debut Beach Read also features in this list, People We Meet on Vacation is a collection of witty banter and slow romance - tied together with creative storytelling. Poppy and Alex, best friends before their fallout, decide to come together for one final vacation to put everything on the table and settle their issues.
Less
By: Andrew Sean Greer
Less is possibly a book that we couldn’t love more. Arthur Less, the protagonist is a failing novelist who is turning fifty, his boyfriend of nearly a decade is getting married to someone else, and he is dazed and confused about his life. To skip town, he decides to accept invitations to literary events all around the world. At its core, Less is a romantic story though it seldom pops its head up for us to notice.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
By: Trevor Noah
Born a Crime gives away the story in its title. Trevor Noah’s birth, fathered by a white Swiss man and a black Xhosa woman, was deemed by apartheid South Africa to be a crime. Trevor Noah, who is now the hilarious host of The Daily Show, talks about how his existence was kept hidden from the government due to great risk to his mother and family.
The Unhoneymooners
By: Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners is a novel that almost seems like the first draft of a rom-com. Olive, the extremely "unlucky twin" of the family, finds herself with an all-expense-covered trip to Maui when her sister Ami, her sister's fiancé, and seemingly everyone else comes down with food poisoning at their wedding.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
By: Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling has had a spectacular rise in the world of comedy. In this comedic compilation of chapters, Mindy offers her advice on how one can be a great best friend, a great guy, and even the right amount of fame for a star. The book makes you realize that Mindy could have been your best friend in high school with the way she guides you through this book.
Robin
By: Dave Itzkoff
If we had to give you a reason to read this book, it is this – the book is a look into the life of Robin Williams. That itself is a testament that cannot be questioned. The novel is compiled from over a hundred original interviews with family, friends, and colleagues by David Itzkoff.
Hyperbole and a Half
By: Allie Brosh
A compilation of essays and artwork on her blog along with new content, Hyperbole and a Half is a hilarious adventure. Allie Brosh, who calls herself a recluse from Bend, Oregon, uses 369 pages to entertain and educate on various topics - from writing letters to her 10-year-old daughter to speaking about depression and finding one’s identity.
Furiously Happy- A Funny Book About Horrible Things
By: Jenny Lawson
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Humour is the mistress of sorrow.” Jenny Lawson does the impossible when she takes a tragic path of exploring depression through the eyes of a raccoon and turns it into an enjoyable, educational path. The educational tale is filled with hysterical stories that can have you laughing at one moment and crying in the next.
My Sister, the Serial Killer
By: Oyinkan Braithwaite
My Sister, the Serial Killer can be well-described as Modern Noir with a gem of a story: Korede, the practical one in the family, is not happy that her beautiful, sociopathic sister Ayoola is also a serial killer with three dead boyfriends. Furthermore, it is Korede who manages to keep Ayoola from doing anything stupid that can land her in prison.
Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir
By: Norm Macdonald
In this hilarious read, Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comedy artists of all time, pens down his life for the rest of us - but refuses to call it a memoir. Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir, contains a blend of facts and fiction that will have you wondering if what you read is just Norm’s way of pulling your leg.
Beach Read
By: Emily Henry
Beach Read is a much-acclaimed book and winner of multiple awards and accolades. The reasons are obvious once you read the first ten pages. The book is absolute, to coin a new term: “un-put-down-able.” Social commentary, solid commonsensical wisdom, and charming romance is penned into this 384-page book. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction, and January Andrews holds the same position in the romance genre.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee
By: Sarah Silverman
The Bedwetters: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee is written by Sarah Silverman, who is only one of the funniest female comedians of our time. Sarah holds our hands and walks us through her life, from learning to curse at 3 to wetting her bed until she could drive to losing her virginity to depression - and everything in between.
Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office
By: Brian Baumgartner
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely to have come across an episode or a meme of The Office at one point or another. The show defined TV culture, and its influence was, is, and will last for generations to come. Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office is a chronological format of the development of the show - compiled from interviews with the actors, creators, producers, and more.
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