Any funny book recommendations?

[bif]

I need a good laugh after the travesty on November 2.

[AllegroRondo]

1. Anthing by Terry Pratchett

his Diskworld series is great.

[Angry Girl]

2. Here's a few

Steve Martin (yes, the comedian) wrote "Pure Drivel," a collection of short (and funny) essays. He writes well! "The Pleasure of My Company" is also supposed to be funny but I've not yet read it so cannot say.

"Plane Insanity: A Flight Attendant's Tales of Sex, Rage, and Queasiness at 30,000 Feet" by Elliott Hester was hilarious! I had read one of his chapters in this travel collection and tracked the book down because the chapter was so funny. The book did not disappoint!

If you haven't already read Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe" is less "ha-ha" funny but has a serious twist (makes you reflect on the bizarreness of humans, which can be funny-sad, I guess).

[bif]

9. Thanks

I'll check out the Hester book. I've read Steve Martin and the Hitchhikers guide. I thought the first book or two were good (Hitchhikers) but the books sort of fizzled out.

[Crankie Avalon]

3. "The Dog of the South" or "Masters of Atlantis"...

...by Charles Portis.

[bif]

11. "Dog" is one of my favorites

Laugh out loud funny. Is "Masters of Atlantis" by him too? I think he also wrote "True Grit." didn't he?

[Crankie Avalon]

16. Yes to both.

He also wrote "Norwood" and "Gringos." That's the list of his five published novels.

[AlCzervik]

4. America The Book by The Daily Show

hilarious.

[Jessica]

7. But beware of the Supreme Court Justices.

:scared:

[Telly Savalas]

29. Another politcal book that'll make you laugh

is James Wolcott's Attack Poodles

[AlCzervik]

30. Does he write for Vanity Fair? If it's the same guy

i've read some of his stuff and he very funny.

[Richardo]

40. That is a great book...

:thumbsup:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. What you want to be funny, the book or the recommendation? (nt)

[JimmyJazz]

6. Blood Sucking Fiends, A love Story - Christopher Moore

it is hilarious!

[intheflow]

13. Also by Christopher Moore:

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

and (my personal favorite)

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

These are really, really funny books. The best I've read in a long time, and I am a true bookworm.

[JimmyJazz]

20. I can't believe someone else has read

Christopher Moore! I was beginning to think I was the only one. I just finished Lamb and I also read Coyote Blue. I also am a bookworm. :hi:

[progressoid]

24. "Lamb" is the best thing I've read in a couple years

Well at least since "Me Talk Pretty..."

[Z_I_Peevey]

33. I just finished Lamb a day or so ago

It was amusing, but I found it slow going in the first half of the book. Just seemed like he was trying too hard.

I'm starting Tom Robbins' Villa Incognito tonight. Can't wait.

[intheflow]

36. Lamb slow-going?

Funny, that's how I felt about Robbins' Still Life With Woodpecker. :)

[Z_I_Peevey]

41. Ah well, to each his own

Maybe real life has dulled my sense of humor.

[intheflow]

42. Viva la difference!

That's what makes America great. (At least, that what the left thinks.)

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[progressoid]

43. Yeah, there were a couple iffy parts but that's OK with me

I don't really read many novels anymore. I'm going to have to stop reading books about the horrors of the b* administration because it's getting me down. I Haven't read anything by Robbins in about a decade. Maybe I'll give that a shot.

[intheflow]

37. OMG! I love David Sedaris!

Good call--a book I'd completely forgotten but definately belongs on any funniest book list.

My boyfriend read it when he had the flu last year. Laughed so hard he got into a coughing fit and puked! It was gross, but also funny in its own way. ;)

[gonefishing]

8. A Confederacy of Dunces

by John Kennedy Toole

Anything by Bill Bryson
start with "A Walk in the Woods" by Bryson is a hoot.

[bif]

10. Funniest writer alive!

I've read everrything Bryson's written. Except the short book he wrote for charity.

[gonefishing]

15. This is an email I sent some friends after reading Short History

I just finished another great book by Bill Bryson book "A Short History of Nearly Everything". I think I will understand if I read it 5 more times. However, at the end of the book

Bryson tries to explain a dichotomy of humans by using the stories of our careless extinction of the dodo bird and the creation of Isaac Newton's Principia. Here is a snip from the book I thought you guys would lke...

"We don't know precisely the circumstances, or even year, attending the last moments of the last dodo, so we don't know which arrived first, a world that contained a Principia or one that had no dodos, but we do know that they happened at more or less the same time. You would be hard pressed, I would submit, to find a better paring of occurrences to illustrate the divine and felonious nature of the human being-a species of organism that is capable of unpicking the deepest secrets of the heavens while at the same time pounding into extinction, for no purpose at all, a creature that never did us any harm and wasn't even remotely capable of understanding what we were doing to it as we did it."


If you want to get a travel writers explanation of everything from black holes, DNA, giant squid, java(as in java man), mitochondria, plate tectonics, quantum theory, and a few more topics, this is a excellent book to read.

[regularguy]

12. "He Died with a Falafel in his Hand" by John Birmingham

Australian hipsters, junkies, and misfits share various flats. Much hilarity ensues. Good fun, no socially redeeming qualities.

[CBHagman]

14. "The Santaland Diaries" in Barrel Fever by David Sedaris.

That made me scream with laughter.

If you're ready to read political or media-related books again, try to get Attack Poodles and Other Media Mutants by James Wolcott. There's something quotable on EVERY page.

[bif]

18. "Santaland Diaries" is even funnier read by him.

His imitation of Billie Holliday had me in tears.

[fleabert]

17. Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris

pee in your pants funny. o.m.g. funny.

[bettyellen]

34. Holidays On Ice is Sedari's' holiday reader and includes the

Santaland Diaries. He is hilarious, and just as much so to read! Only the "12 Poems about Dogs" is a must hear!
All his books are so good. Barrelfever is killer.
If you've ever felt like a misfit, been embarrassed by your family or had a crap job, you can relate. He rules. His latest "Dress your Family in Corduroy and Leather" is not quite as funny, it's a bit more heartfelt, but still darn good.

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Here are some more:

http://curvynovels.com/Humorous.htm

[bif]

21. Thanks for the link

A resource well worth mining.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Thanks! That site is the result of 3 1/2 years of hard work

Of course, it'll never be finished as long as new books are written. *g*

I also have books listed here on the Entertainment page:
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[bif]

23. Wow. Nice site.

I've bookmarked it and will return to check it out in detail. Obviously you've done a lot of work putting it together. Excellent job!

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. Thank you. I actually had to take on guest reviewers this year

on account of I am too busy editing unfinished novels to review published ones these days.

Now, if only I could find someone who wants to play web mistress I might actually have to time to review a book per month instead up update the site and newsletter. *g*

[NewJeffCT]

26. Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen

Really funny satire... I think that was my favorite of the books of his that I read, though I have not read them all.

[Midlodemocrat]

27. The Comedy Central

book America Inaction is laugh out loud funny.

[RiffRandell]

28. "About the Author" by John Colapinto n/t

[MsAnthropy]

31. Essays--Joe Queenan, Mike Nelson, Tony Kornheiser, JoeBob Briggs,

Al Franken, Jon Stewart, PJ O'Rourke (I'm a humorous-essay freak).

[warrens]

32. Porno by Irvine Welsh

The trainspotting crew 10 years later. Making porn films. Hilarious.

[Kid_A]

35. "Survivor" by Chuck Palahniuk

It's about a guy who was a member of a crazy religious cult, and when they all commit mass suicide, he just doesn't do it. The media latches on to him and treats him as a Messiah. The book is him telling his story into the flight-recorder of an empty 747 that he's about to crash in the Australian Outback. There's also a scene involving a landfill full of used porn.

Somehow, the book is even more bizarre that that description, but it's fucking hilarious.

[Catchawave]

38. George Carlin's

When will Jesus bring the Pork Chops

[buddhamama]

39. anything by David Sedaris

you won't be sorry.

[yellowdogintexas]

44. Patrick Dennis: "Auntie Mame" ...also

"Around the World With Auntie Mame" and
"The Joyous Season" ( usually I re read this one about every other year)

Patrick McManus has a huge list of hilarious books about being out in the wild, hunting, fishing, camping, etc. with some really stupid buddies..."They Shoot Canoes, Don't They", "Never Sniff a Gift Fish" &
"The Grasshopper Trap" are the ones I happen to own.

These are all series of short stories, like Sedaris.

Oh and I love Sedaris too.

Also read "Life Among the SAvages" and "Raising Demons" by Shirley Jackson, that is right the same Shirley Jackson who wrote all that creepy stuff also wrote two semi autobiographical novels about her huge and crazy bunch of kids. Laugh out Loud funny!

"A Short History of A Small Place" Is a good one too.


Janet Evanovich's crazy detective, STephani Plum!!!!! start with "One for the Money" and move down the list.

These just come to mind as I sit and think, I know there are other funny things that I have read over the years.