Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Literary Laughs…

The books gathered here have caused me to laugh out loud in public places, stop pedestrian traffic as I bent over to catch my breath, grin like a lunatic auditioning for a DC Comics film role, snort in very unladylike ways, and maybe pee a little.

While we need laughter every day to feed our soul and counter act those WTF lines, we may need some now more than we ever have before.

So, let’s get to it shall we…

Darkly Funny

…often self-depreciating, or sharply pointed jabs at the expense of others…

We Are Never Meeting In Real Life – Samantha Irby

In all her writings, Irby is painfully relatable. You may find yourself cringing as you read, but only due to the deadpan, droll and spot on insights into a multitude of situations many of us have found ourselves in.

John Dies At The End – David Wong

Stop. You should not have touched this book with your bare hands. NO, don’t put it down. It’s too late. They’re watching you. None of this was my fault. With an opening like that you know you’re in for a bizarre ride! Described as a mash up of Douglas Adams & Stephen King…so, funny and scary!

Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl – Issa Rae

Hysterical accounts of the moments in life that shape us, embarrassing and universal. Humor for the misfits, the hapless and the introverts. And for those that love them!

How To Weep In Public – Jacqueline Novak

The subtitle “feeble offerings on depression from one who knows”, should give you a good sense of what you are in for here. Labelled the darkest of dark humor you will get tales of the joys of crying on your cat and weeping on the public transit. Been there, done that…

My Year Of Rest And Relaxation – Ottessa Moshfegh

The story of a crazed and furious pill head whose ramblings are strange and funny and sad. Our narrator decides to hibernate from the world for a year to figure out why she can’t be happy. Not just darkly funny (as prefaced by the heading) but caustic, merciless, withering and brilliant.

Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris

To be clear, all Sedaris books could be included here but I’m limiting one choice per author. In this collection Sedaris strip mines his real life and mocks it relentlessly in a manner only he is capable of. Seething with sarcasm…just like I like it!

New Waves – Kevin Nguyen

Biting humor and piercing observations from a fictional tech industry insider, this is a story for our age. Wry and edgy, its perfect for those who don’t mind a little sad mixed in with their funny. Smart and sharp!

Bad Monkeys – Matt Ruff

An edgy and witty roller coaster ride of a book! Clever and gripping with the high octane of an action movie and the twists and turns of a thriller. And the funny of course!

Pretend I’m Dead – Jen Beagin

A scathingly and droll story of a women seeking to escape her life as she meets up with a community of cast-offs and fellow crazies along the way. Equal parts hilarity and heartbreak.

A Few More…

I Was Told There’d Be Cake – Sloane Crosley

You’ll Grow Out Of It – Jessi Klein

Shrill – Lindy West

Motherless Brooklyn – Jonathan Lethem

Crooked Little Vein – Warren Ellis

That’s Hilarious

…laugh out loud; either due to brilliant humor writing or straight up bat shit crazy characters…

Basket Case – Carl Hiaasen

Let me say this about Carl Hiaasen, he is a shrewd, sharp, dry comic genius. And if you haven’t devoured his generous backlist with a gluttonous delight…no time like the present!

High Fidelity – Nick Hornby

Years before nerd culture became inescapable, Hornby captured the essentials of it through his characters in this novel. A wonderful love letter to music, despite the characters propensity to lord their expertise over others!

Good Omens – Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

We can only pray that Armageddon is this funny. An angel and a demon team up to find the Antichrist and put an end to the End Times. Clearly, I’m the demon in this scenario, anyone want to be my angel?

How I Became A Famous Novelist – Steve Hely

The main character of this satirical novel decides he wants to write a bestselling book, otherwise described as a latticework of literary sewage. Are you laughing yet? Highly entertaing…

How Not To Die Alone – Richard Roper

Andrew’s job is finding the next of kin for those that die alone. As he meets a woman, the fake life he’s built that includes a loving family to go home to every night begins to unravel. But as luck would have it, it morphs into something just as special. Wry and quirky.

Gil’s All Fright Diner – A. Lee Martinez

A werewolf and a vampire walk into a diner…and run into a zombie problem. A silly and funny romp amongst the undead, its gory and flat out hilarious!

Nothing To See Here – Kevin Wilson

An uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability. They spontaneously combust when they get agitated. These weirdo characters will mesmerize you with moments you won’t see coming!

The Gunseller – Hugh Laurie

This concoction of comic zingers and over the top action results in a brilliant spoof of the spy genre. With a snark only a Brit is capable of! This book is an unexpected treat by this amazing actor.

Dear Committee Members – Julie Schumacher

A novel written as a series of recommendation letters by a cranky long-suffering English professor. A deft mix of comedy, social criticism and righteous outrage. Scathing and laugh out loud funny.

A Few More…

The Princess Bride – William Goldman

The Martian – Andy Weir

Mostly Dead Things – Kristin Arnett

Why Mummy Drinks – Gill Sims

Postcards From The Edge – Carrie Fisher

True Story

…memoirs by those with a comic gift to find humor in anything, and I mean anything…

Born A Crime – Trevor Noah

Eloquent, touching and funny anecdotes on the comedian’s childhood growing up in South Africa. Its starts with a story of Noah’s mother throwing him out of a moving car to avoid a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters. So, not your average childhood!

Self-Inflicted Wounds – Aisha Taylor

There are few things as pleasurable as enjoying a funny memoir, one where you find yourself laughing from the start and barely stopping for breath! This book is my kind of funny. Self-depreciating as it provides us with tales of the spectacular debacles that occur in the attempt of living one’s life.

Bossypants – Tina Fey

She stole the title of my memoir. The life is completely different of course, but just goes to show you bossy people are everywhere!! Stories of how a nerdy but self-confident girl embarked on a theatrical life. Smart and funny!

Wishful Drinking – Carrie Fisher

She is painfully comical, and nothing is safe from her scathing humor as she writes of her childhood growing up as Hollywood royalty. While I’m sure many of us would say that family has driven us to drink upon occasion, you will see a whole new level of that here!

Dear Girls – Ali Wong

Her heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters cover everything they need to know of life. From the unpleasantness of dating, working in a male dominated profession to trapping a good man. Fierce and funny.

I Don’t Know What You Know Me From – Judy Greer

With her trademark acerbic wit, Greer delivers the tales of a life lived as a kinda celebrity. Its frank and intimate and reads like a conversation with a funny friend that starts off with…you won’t believe what I said/saw/heard/did…

Sh*t My Dad Says – Justin Halpern

Irreverent and refreshing, especially if you are choking on political correctness and a rampant lack of common sense among your fellow humans. I dare you not to laugh!

Gross Anatomy – Mara Altman

Divided into two sections, the top half and the bottom half, this is a wildly amusing journey through all of our bits. And the pieces.

Big Activity Book For Anxious People – Jordan Reid

When colouring just won’t cut it…follow a step by step guide to building an underground bunker. With other activities like; your hotel room carpet, a petri dish of horrors, this is just the right kind of ridiculous for right now.