Looking for books that make you laugh

[tmm99]

I am going on a long road trip and I am looking for some light, entertaining books that make me laugh (not a joke book or comedy club kind of routine, but more in the area of novels or essays)- some big belly laughs would be good. Some tear jerking "almost peed in my pants" laughs would be even better, but I know those are hard to come by.

I realize everyone's sense of humor is different, but I would like to see what books you've found entertaining in this regard.

Thank you!

 

[bbbamI]

In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash ...by Jean Shepherd

(it's not about money)

http://www.amazon.com/God-We-Trust-Others-Cash/dp/0385021747#_

(and I think I did pee my pants)

 

[Purron]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Just kidding! I would recommend The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Here's the wikipedia link:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[W2R]

I have read a couple of Dave Barry books in the past week or two. He has written many, and personally I think they are absolutely hilarious.

Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like: Why is there a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?

and

Homes and Other Black Holes

There is one on every topic imaginable - - he has written dozens. These books really lighten my day when the "doom 'n' gloomers" on the news get me down. Balance in all things, y'know.

 

[ziggy29]

No personal experience, but my wife loves the Stephanie Plum series of novels written by Janet Evanovich.

 

[Moemg]

They funniest book I have ever read is "Sh-t my dad's says " . It is laugh outloud funny . You can go to his web site by the same name and see if you would like his humor .

 

[Moemg]

No personal experience, but my wife loves the Stephanie Plum series of novels written by Janet Evanovich.

I love Stephanie Plum . Her books are hysterical but they are geared towards women .

 

[tmm99]

No personal experience, but my wife loves the Stephanie Plum series of novels written by Janet Evanovich.

Interesting. I was surfing for "funniest book I've ever read" and her books were mentioned on some threads.

 

[ziggy29]

I love Stephanie Plum . Her books are hysterical but they are geared towards women .

Yes, and I checked that the OP's profile said "female" before I suggested it. Not that there's anything wrong with men reading them...

 

[tmm99]

Yes, and I checked that the OP's profile said "female" before I suggested it. Not that there's anything wrong with men reading them...

I thank you for that Ziggy - for your thorough approach!

So far, I have prepared to check out Dave Barry's "I'm mature when I'm dead", "Sh*t My Dad Says" (I read some exerpts and yes, I laughed out loud!) and "One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1)". (Thank you Purron for your suggestion too, but I've already read that one.)

They will keep me busy for a while (about 15 hours on the road)...

 

[W2R]

I am going to look into "S*hit My Dad Says" and "One for the Money" too. They sound great!

 

[Moemg]

I thank you for that Ziggy - for your thorough approach!

So far, I have prepared to check out Dave Barry's "I'm mature when I'm dead", "Sh*t My Dad Says" (I read some exerpts and yes, I laughed out loud!) and "One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1)". (Thank you Purron for your suggestion too, but I've already read that one.)

They will keep me busy for a while (about 15 hours on the road)...

Once you read one Stephanie Plum prepare to be hooked . I have read every one and they are all hysterical .

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I don't read too many books, but my sister sent me one when I was recovering from knee surgery. "TALES FROM THE DAD SIDE" by Steve Doocy (Fox and Friends) was great.

 

[ronocnikral]

me talk pretty one day by david sedaris. i haven't listened to it, but i have read it a couple of times and made me laugh so hard. i have heard it is so much funnier with sedaris narrating.

i also enjoy this american life. it's free as long as you download it each week. i find them very entertaining. some are funny, some are serious, some stink.

garrison keillor (sp?) also makes for some entertaining short stories. your local library should have those.

 

[ziggy29]

garrison keillor (sp?) also makes for some entertaining short stories. your local library should have those.

Better yet, IMO, look for Garrison Keillor's narrated stories on CD. (I think there are also some free things you can download to an iPod and such). The written stuff is nice, but it really comes out in Keillor's narration. Usually I find the book is better than the movie or the audio CD, but when it comes to Keillor I'd prefer his narrative.

 

[HFWR]

+1 on Dave Barry. And I'm not making this up...

 

[BTravlin]

You might like this one. I thought it was very funny.

Amazon.com: Smile When You're Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer (9780805082098): Chuck Thompson: Books

 

[harley]

The whole (definitely nsfw) Kinky Friedman series. Amazon.com: Kinky Friedman: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

If you really want to get into it you can listen to his albums at the same time.

 

[WM]

+1 on Sh!t My Dad Says, but also on checking the website first to see if it's your kind of thing. For those who are curious but aren't going bother with a book, you can just read the twitter feed, also of the same name. And actually, even if you did read the book, read the twitter feed too, because there's a lot of funny stuff on there that's not in the book.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Just listened to "Hurricane Punch" by Tim Dorsey (Amazon.com: Hurricane Punch CD: A Novel (9780061227233): Tim Dorsey, Oliver Wyman: Books) on a road trip this week. Parts of it had us laughing so hard we were crying.

(we checked it out from the library)

 

[caninelover]

I like Bill Bryson, specifically A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. Its about a travel writer to decides to through-hike the AT and has some very entertaining moments, but also is a nice story. Good on audiobook for the car too.

Amazon.com: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail…

 

[Coach]

Another vote for David Sedaris. I listened to When You Are Engulfed in Flames on a recent road trip and laughed out loud a lot.

Coach

 

[Bestwifeever]

David Sedaris is a very funny man, I agree vehemently! His sister Amy is also very very funny. Here is another fictional book-on-CD I checked out of the library, written by Amy Sedaris and starring Amy, Steve Colbert, and Paul Dinello as cuckoo residents/peripheral characters of Wigfield and its struggles, narrated by Colbert:

Amazon.com: Wigfield (9781565117723): Amy Sedaris: Books

Also fun to listen to are the Firesign Theatre recordings (dwarf, electrician, bozos).

 

[Orchidflower]

Sherry Shepard's Permission Slips was funny to me. I found myself laughing out loud in my room alone, so that, in my book, qualifies as a good and funny book.

 

[modhatter]

"Wishful Drinking" by Carrie Fisher. (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher's daughter) Autobiographical and very funny. Read in almost one setting and laughed outload alot.