I like when books make me feel things, and I know that a lot of readers agree with me. It's why we aggressively recommend the books that have turned us into sobbing messes. However, I think as a whole, we think of feeling things while reading as feeling sad or angry or frustrated. Why don't we put a little more focus on the books that make us happy? I was very glad to see that this week's Top Ten Tuesday (a weekly feature at The Broke and the Bookish) was top 10 books that will make you laugh. So take a break from the tearjerkers, sit back, and relax. (You'll laugh till you collapse! This is what happens to me now that Animaniacs is on Netflix.)
1. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (Shades of London #1) - Maureen Johnson is one of the funniest YA authors I know of. I don't think I've ever read a book by her that hasn't made me laugh. This one just happens to be the one I read the most recently. I'll admit that this doesn't really look like a funny book, but don't be fooled. It's wonderful.
2. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh - If any of you haven't checked out the blog Hyperbole and a Half (which unfortunately hasn't been updated in a long time), you're missing out. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. This book contains some blog posts and some completely new content, and it made me laugh so hard I cried multiple times. And there's another book, Solutions and Other Problems, coming out later this year!
3. The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare - If you're looking for something that's exclusively funny, then this might not be for you. But this has so many hilarious conversations that it would be a shame not to include it. Plus, it has Will Herondale, one of the funniest characters I've ever read about.
4. Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson - This book didn't make me laugh out loud as much as some of the other books on the list, but I'm always at least smiling when I'm reading this. (And there are a few hilarious moments, too! Otherwise, it wouldn't be on the list.) Ms. Marvel has achieved the rare, beautiful balance of being both amusing and genuinely thought-provoking.
5. The Heist Society trilogy by Ally Carter - This is another one where the humor is mostly in the interactions between the characters. When you get a bunch of professional teenage thieves together to plan a heist or two, there's going to be quite a few laughs. And Ally Carter always knows how to mix humor and action.
6. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson - I had to include Calvin and Hobbes. This is probably my favorite comic strip of all time. And I'm counting it as a book because there are plenty of books, too.
7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - I'm willing to bet that even if a lot of you haven't read this book, you've seen the movie. If so, you know what you're getting into here, and you know it's going to be a fun time. And if you haven't, what are you doing? Go watch it now. Stop reading and go watch. Trust me.
8. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Did you really think I was going to get through an entire post about humor without mentioning Terry Pratchett at least once? Good Omens is the funniest book about the apocalypse you'll ever read. To give you a taste, the main characters are (in the book's own words) Aziraphale, an angel and part-time rare book dealer, and Crowley, an angel who did not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards. What's not to like?
9. Dave Barry is from Mars and Venus by Dave Barry - Okay, so anything by Dave Barry will probably make you laugh. I just happened to pick this one because it's one of the books that introduced me to Dave Barry's humor and because it's a collection of his newspaper columns, which means that it's really easy to pick up for about five minutes whenever you need a laugh. I read the column about the first Thanksgiving every year, and it still makes me laugh.
10. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I happen to have almost exactly the same sense of humor as Caymen, the protagonist of this book, so it made me laugh quite a lot. I'm not sure whether that'll be the same for everyone who reads this post, but if you're a fan of sarcasm and dry humor, read this immediately.
What are some of your favorite funny books? Which do you like more: when a book makes you laugh or when it makes you cry? Tell me in the comments!
1. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (Shades of London #1) - Maureen Johnson is one of the funniest YA authors I know of. I don't think I've ever read a book by her that hasn't made me laugh. This one just happens to be the one I read the most recently. I'll admit that this doesn't really look like a funny book, but don't be fooled. It's wonderful.
2. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh - If any of you haven't checked out the blog Hyperbole and a Half (which unfortunately hasn't been updated in a long time), you're missing out. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. This book contains some blog posts and some completely new content, and it made me laugh so hard I cried multiple times. And there's another book, Solutions and Other Problems, coming out later this year!
3. The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare - If you're looking for something that's exclusively funny, then this might not be for you. But this has so many hilarious conversations that it would be a shame not to include it. Plus, it has Will Herondale, one of the funniest characters I've ever read about.
4. Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson - This book didn't make me laugh out loud as much as some of the other books on the list, but I'm always at least smiling when I'm reading this. (And there are a few hilarious moments, too! Otherwise, it wouldn't be on the list.) Ms. Marvel has achieved the rare, beautiful balance of being both amusing and genuinely thought-provoking.
5. The Heist Society trilogy by Ally Carter - This is another one where the humor is mostly in the interactions between the characters. When you get a bunch of professional teenage thieves together to plan a heist or two, there's going to be quite a few laughs. And Ally Carter always knows how to mix humor and action.
6. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson - I had to include Calvin and Hobbes. This is probably my favorite comic strip of all time. And I'm counting it as a book because there are plenty of books, too.
7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - I'm willing to bet that even if a lot of you haven't read this book, you've seen the movie. If so, you know what you're getting into here, and you know it's going to be a fun time. And if you haven't, what are you doing? Go watch it now. Stop reading and go watch. Trust me.
8. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Did you really think I was going to get through an entire post about humor without mentioning Terry Pratchett at least once? Good Omens is the funniest book about the apocalypse you'll ever read. To give you a taste, the main characters are (in the book's own words) Aziraphale, an angel and part-time rare book dealer, and Crowley, an angel who did not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards. What's not to like?
9. Dave Barry is from Mars and Venus by Dave Barry - Okay, so anything by Dave Barry will probably make you laugh. I just happened to pick this one because it's one of the books that introduced me to Dave Barry's humor and because it's a collection of his newspaper columns, which means that it's really easy to pick up for about five minutes whenever you need a laugh. I read the column about the first Thanksgiving every year, and it still makes me laugh.
10. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I happen to have almost exactly the same sense of humor as Caymen, the protagonist of this book, so it made me laugh quite a lot. I'm not sure whether that'll be the same for everyone who reads this post, but if you're a fan of sarcasm and dry humor, read this immediately.
What are some of your favorite funny books? Which do you like more: when a book makes you laugh or when it makes you cry? Tell me in the comments!
The Princess Bride made my list too!! I love that one!
ReplyDeleteI love The Princess Bride! I finally got around to reading it last summer, and I don't know what took me so long.
DeleteI've only read the Peter and the Starcatchers books by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, but that one always makes me laugh. And I haven't read any books by Maureen Johnson, but I adore her blog (which unfortunately isn't up and running at the moment). And Terry Pratchett. All hail Terry Pratchett.
ReplyDeleteThe Peter and the Starcatchers books were so great! Dave Barry's humor in his newspaper columns is a little different, since it's meant for an older audience, but it's definitely just as funny. I'd definitely recommend picking up a book by Maureen Johnson sometime! And yes, all hail Terry Pratchett.
DeleteYayyy I'm so glad we have some of the same ones!! :D I adore Cayman's humour. Like, omg, a book that is so centered on sarcasm?! WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE. Also Cassandra Clare is like queen of the sassy characters. And I MUST read Hyberbole and A Half eventually. XD (I'm sad she doesn't blog anymore, because that blog is hilarious.)
ReplyDeleteI love crying over books...but I prefer laughing at them. Or laugh/crying, because it's really hilarious one minute and then super traumatising the next. AS BOOKS ARE PRONE TO BE.
The humor in The Distance Between us is about 79% of why I absolutely ADORED that book. And you really should read Hyperbole and a Half! Maybe as a break from the next traumatizing book you read?
DeleteI can't really decide whether I like laughing or crying at books more. The books I cry at usually stick with me for longer, but I enjoy reading the books that make me laugh MUCH more. So a book that does both is great.
I love this topic! I just finished Career of Evil, so I definitely need more books that make me laugh. I agree about The Infernal Devices - the comebacks and quips in that series were gold. I feel like I need to start reading Ally Carter's books - I've seen her mentioned a lot! Anyway, great list! :D
ReplyDeleteThe Infernal Devices is GLORIOUSLY funny. I always go through Goodreads quotes for books I've read and save the ones I like, and most of the ones from that series are funny comebacks. And YES, read some Ally Carter books! My personal favorite of hers was All Fall Down, the first book in her Embassy Row series. But all of her books are funny.
DeleteI'm so glad The Infernal Devices is on this list! I always found it extremely funny and sassy but never seemed to find someone who agreed, lol
ReplyDeleteThe level of sass in The Infernal Devices is one of my favorite things about it! All Cassandra Clare books have that kind of humor, but I think The Infernal Devices is the best by far.
DeleteArgh I regret passing up Good Omens when I had the chance. It was $2 and in prime condition! WHY. Ahem anyways, I love your list (even though I haven't read quite a few of them). I have watched the Princess Bride movie and absolutely adored it.
ReplyDeleteOn whether I prefer books to make me laugh or cry . . . I would have to say cry. Maybe I'm a masochist but I feel like it makes it all a bit more real and touches the heartstrings a bit more.
You should definitely get Good Omens sometime! I can DEFINITELY relate to the why-did-I-pass-up-a-cheap-book feeling. And if you liked the Princess Bride movie so much, you should definitely read the book.
DeleteI do love books that make me cry, and those are the ones that tend to make my favorites list. But I don't know whether I can just choose between books that make me laugh and books that make me cry! They're both so great. And, of course, the best books usually make you do both.