Looking for some funny books to add to your reading list? Get ready for non-stop laughs with this collection of the funniest books that are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. From witty memoirs to clever satires to uproarious novels, these comedy books have it all. We’ve gathered some of the best funniest books that make you laugh to ensure you’ll be laughing until your sides split. Get ready for the funniest books you’ll ever read!
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publication Year: 2013
This beloved romantic comedy introduces the utterly endearing yet socially-challenged character of Don Tillman, a brilliant genetics professor whose logical over-thinking makes finding love a seemingly impossible quest. Narrating entirely through Don’s ultra-rational perspective, author Graeme Simsion satirizes the ludicrous rituals and unwritten rules governing modern courtship with hilarious precision. As the well-meaning Don devises an absurd questionnaire to identify his perfect partner, he finds himself entangled in one cringe-inducing yet laugh-out-loud dating disaster after another. Yet beneath the abundant romantic mishaps, Simsion crafts an ultimately heartwarming celebration of individuality and acceptance of each person’s endearing quirks. With The Rosie Project, the author welcomes readers into Don’s charmingly logical mindset to both satirize societal norms around love and human connection while reminding us to embrace idiosyncrasies.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Genre: Satirical Comedy
Publication Year: 2012
When formerly acclaimed architect Bernadette Fox mysteriously vanishes prior to a highly anticipated family vacation, her precocious 15-year-old daughter Bee decides to solve the bizarre mystery by piecing together the outrageous trail of emails, documents, and other source materials left behind by her eccentric mother. Narrating through Bernadette’s candid and hysterical voice, author Maria Semple wields ruthless satirical commentary aimed at lampooning societal ills like helicopter parenting, oppressive suburbia, our reliance on technology, and rampant cultural hypocrisy. Yet within this zany comedic framework is a surprisingly tender coming-of-age tale grounded in sincere emotion about a daughter’s love for her frequently exasperating yet brilliantly insightful mother. The book is both, an audaciously funny satire and a poignant intergenerational family narrative.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Genre: Mystery/Comedy
Publication Year: 2020
In his wildly popular debut novel, Richard Osman introduces readers to an utterly charming and hilarious group of septuagenarian amateur sleuths residing at a peaceful English retirement village. When a local developer is found dead, seemingly the victim of a home robbery gone awry, four unlikely friends—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron—decide to apply their unique array of life experiences and insatiable curiosity to investigating the murder themselves.
What ensues is a delightfully clever, twisty whodunit filled with dry wit, playful defiance of ageist stereotypes, and a pitch-perfect skewering of the staid conventions defining traditional mystery novels. As the Thursday Murder Club members pool their varying skillsets ranging from former MI5 intelligence analysis to psychiatric nursing to simply being cheeky octogenarians unafraid to hassle the inept police, Osman crafts an ingeniously plotted and refreshingly original comedic mystery brimming with heart, wisdom, and endless laughs. It’s a joyful celebration of friendship’s unbreakable bonds and a testament to the powers of curiosity and adventurousness persisting well into life’s latter chapters.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Publication Year: 2020
From the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes another wise and winningly humane novel that uses sublime comedic commentary to explore the foibles and profound depth of human nature itself. Anxious People begins with a seemingly straightforward crime scenario—a botched bank robbery wherein the hapless perpetrator takes a group of strangers hostage during an open house. Yet Backman swiftly pivots from this inciting dramatic incident into an ingenious character study dissecting each hostage’s rich backstory and crippling personal anxieties through multiple narrative threads.
As a nonchalant father-son hostage negotiation team attempts to defuse the tense standoff, Backman deftly alternates between present-day urgency and excavating the hostages’ pasts, revealing how seemingly disparate lives intertwine in unexpected ways. With his signature blend of dry wit, empathetic wisdom, and gently scathing cultural critique, the author uses these ordinary individuals’ relatable struggles with grief, parenthood, identity, and basic human confrontation as an entry point for profoundly heartwarming insights about resilience, connectivity, and our shared human condition. Both an endearing comedic drama and a soul-nourishing reminder to embrace life’s infinite blessings amidst the daily anxieties relentlessly raining down.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Genre: Mystery/Comedy
Publication Year: 2023
In this delightfully zany and refreshingly original mystery novel, Jesse Q. Sutanto introduces readers to the utterly unfiltered and hilariously pragmatic septuagenarian Vera Wong. When she finds herself in over her head after finding a dead body of an unknown man in her tea shop, Vera takes it upon herself to dole out some highly questionable yet darkly comedic advice on how to cover up the crime and evade law enforcement. What ensues is a madcap romp that satirizes everything from the staid conventions of the cozy mystery genre to the tribulations of modern Asian-American family dynamics.
As Vera employs an array of unorthodox “cleaning” methods and irreverent problem-solving tactics, Sutanto unleashes running commentary skewering racism, aging, parenthood’s daily insanities, and so much more through Vera’s inimitable acerbic voice. Yet beneath the boundless laughs lies an empathetic celebration of the resilience and unbreakable familial bonds forged across cultural and generational divides. Both an audaciously fresh spin on the mystery novel and a powerful statement about reclaiming one’s identity, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers announces Sutanto as a brilliant new voice in comedic crime fiction.
One More Thing by B.J. Novak
Genre: Short Stories/Humor
Publication Year: 2014
For readers seeking clever new comedic voices and laugh-out-loud funny books, B.J. Novak’s acclaimed anthology delivers hilarious tales brimming with innovative social satire and unexpected narrative premises. Best known for his acting and writing work on the iconic sitcom The Office, Novak establishes himself as a formidable singular talent through mind-bending stories exposing the strange nuances of contemporary life. From sending up society’s fixation on outward appearances to the shocking depths people pursue fame and attention, Novak’s boundless imagination and knack for searing humor make these experimental comedies some of the most original funniest books in years. Anchored by ingenious character work, satirical dialogue, and structural ingenuity, One More Thing marks the arrival of a bold new master of the form.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Genre: Satirical Novel
Publication Year: 1961
Joseph Heller’s landmark novel Catch-22 is a seminal work of 20th century American literature renowned for its darkly comedic take on the absurdity and contradiction inherent in military bureaucracy and war.
The novel follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force bombardier stationed on an island off the coast of Italy during World War II. Yossarian and his comrades are trapped in a paradoxical situation where airmen must fly a minimum number of extremely dangerous combat missions, but the more missions they fly, the more their service is extended by military bureaucrats continually raising the number required before being sent home.
Through Yossarian’s increasingly desperate attempts to avoid these deadly missions by feigning illness or insanity, the narrative exposes the “Catch-22” paradox – concerns over one’s safety are proof of sanity, but only the insane are excused from the missions.
With brilliant satirical humor, Heller skewers the circuitous logic, bureaucratic pettiness, and life-threatening dehumanization of military culture. Catch-22 has been hugely influential for its cutting examination of the absurd contradictions and inescapable mortal risks embedded within the machinery of modern institutions and warfare.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Genre: Satirical Fiction/Comedy
Publication Year: 2009
In this wildly imaginative and riotously funny debut book, Swedish author Jonas Jonasson introduces readers to the eccentric centenarian Allan Karlsson. On his 100th birthday, Karlsson simply climbs out the window of his retirement home and sets off a series of unlikely, anarchic misadventures involving an unintentional crime spree, a suitcase full of cash, and unexpected international escapades. As the authorities scramble to locate Karlsson, Jonasson uses frequent digressions to hilariously chronicle Karlsson’s implausible youthful exploits that inexplicably tangle him in every major geopolitical event of the 20th century—from stalking Franco during the Spanish Civil War to unintentionally sparking the creation of the atomic bomb.
What emerges is a supremely clever satirical comedy skewering human folly, political stupidity, and society’s obsession with propriety through Karlsson’s mischievous anti-heroics and laissez-faire disregard for rules or consequences. Yet there’s a deeper whimsical wisdom coursing through Jonasson’s outlandish tall tales celebrating resilience, lifelong curiosity, and joyful embracement of life’s beautiful inexplicabilities. For all its absurd hilarity, The 100-Year-Old Man doubles as a heartwarming modern fable reminding us to cherish our fleeting journey.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Genre: Fiction/Drama
Publication Year: 2003
Mark Haddon’s beloved and multi-award winning novel provides a poignant, profoundly insightful look into the world as perceived by Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy on the autism spectrum. When Christopher discovers his neighbor’s dog has been killed with a garden fork, his methodical investigation to identify the culprit sets off an against-all-odds journey of self-discovery.
Narrated in Christopher’s unique first-person voice, the story captures his matter-of-fact perspective filtering reality through inflexible logic, unswerving literal interpretations, and an intense discomfort with metaphors or imprecise language. Haddon authentically renders how seemingly mundane situations can precipitate intense anxiety and sensory overload for those on the spectrum.
Yet Christopher’s detective work slowly unravels far deeper family secrets and traumas his parents have long concealed. As he persists undeterred in the face of overwhelming challenges, the novel celebrates Christopher’s extraordinary mind and the resilience of the human spirit itself.
With its sensitive yet ultimately uplifting portrayal of a neurologically atypical protagonist, sharp satirical commentary on societal intolerance, and seamless blend of laughter and pathos, The Curious Incident emerged as both a literary phenomenon and a powerful tool for promoting empathy and understanding.
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Genre: Satire
Publication Year: 2015
Few literary works of satire have sparked as much conversation and acclaim as Paul Beatty’s provocative novel fearlessly delving into modern American racism through shocking yet resonant humor. When an eccentric young Black man attempts to reinstitute segregation and slavery in a twisted bid for empowerment, Beatty unleashes a torrent of scorching social commentary aimed at humanity’s most vile prejudices and hypocrisies. Yet through his uncompromising satirical lens, these lacerating cultural critiques are juxtaposed against authentic emotional truths about the enduring perseverance of marginalized people. Both one of the boldest, most cathartic exercises in comedic literature and a vital exploration of America’s oppressive past and present, The Sellout harnesses laughter as a potent weapon against injustice while celebrating the power of the human spirit.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Genre: Satire/Dark Comedy
Publication Year: 1980
John Kennedy Toole’s cult masterpiece novel has endured over 40 years as one of the most revered yet thoroughly hilarious works of comedic literature ever produced. At its repulsive yet bizarrely compelling center is Ignatius Reilly—a gluttonous, flatulence-plagued, arrogantly delusional amalgamation of pompous intellectual pretensions and shocking immaturity. As the insufferable antihero wanders through 1960s New Orleans encountering a colorful array of schizophrenics and oddballs, Toole unleashes a torrent of pitch-black satirical derision aimed at racism, existential loneliness, consumer culture, and the absurdity of the human condition through brilliant narrative ingenuity. Balanced by exquisite lyrical virtuosity, A Confederacy of Dunces transcends mere cringe comedy into a searing yet riotously entertaining psychosocial portrait for the ages.
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Genre: Office Satire
Publication Year: 2007
Long before sitcoms satirized cubicle culture tedium, Joshua Ferris’ acclaimed debut novel captured the surreal existential horror of corporate America with ruthless precision and devilishly sustained humor. Narrated through the first-person plural perspective embodying an entire downsizing-plagued ad agency, this book offers both a clinically funny examination of weird workplace politics and quiet indictment of capitalism’s emptiest promises. From hilariously cringe-inducing vignettes about petty feuds and office in-fighting to poignant musings on the American Dream’s decay, every page brims with audacious wit and lacerating pathos. Ferris’s page-turning chronicle of white-collar absurdity has endured as one of the most resonant satirical portraits of mundane adulthood in modern literature.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
Publication Year: 2001
With absurdist wit, metafictional ingenuity, and a profound love of classic literature, Jasper Fforde crafted one of the most uproariously clever and acclaimed funny books via the world of 1980s alternate history—where Britain exists as a semi-mystical realm where literature is actively policed against revision. This bizarre conceit allows the author to unleash wave after wave of hilarious satirical commentary sending up everything from bureaucracy and academic pretensions to reading culture’s most sacred cows. Yet equally remarkable is how Fforde surrounds the barrage of guffaw-worthy wordplay with a genuine celebration of great writing’s magical, transformative capacity. A cerebral comedy classic overflowing with whimsy, insight, and endless laughs.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Genre: Science Fiction/Comedy
Publication Year: 1979
Few funny books have achieved the iconic cultural status of Douglas Adams’ pioneering science fiction comedy about an ordinary Englishman who survives the total demolition of Earth. Beginning with the premise of Earth’s obliteration for an intergalactic highway construction project, Adams takes readers on an endlessly zany, quotable intergalactic romp populated by eccentric alien species, sarcastic artificial intelligences, and incisive observations about life’s absurdities. Yet beneath the space-age silliness lie profound musings on humanity’s cosmic insignificance and existence’s abundant mysteries. Adams’ sui generis comedic mastery and cerebral wit transform this story of planetary misadventures into a seminal work blending humor and philosophy. An indispensable masterpiece of funny books.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy/Comedy
Publication Year: 1990
From titans Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman comes one of the most delightfully charming yet satirically biting funny books ever published. This apocalyptic fantasy comedy follows an unlikely duo—a prudish angel and lackadaisical demon—who’ve grown accustomed to life on Earth and aim to prevent Armageddon by locating the errant Antichrist. Cue an endlessly quotable laugh-a-minute romp brimming with clever wordplay, hysterical footnotes, cheeky religious commentary, and boundless imagination as the pair embarks on their quest. Yet amidst the nonstop laughter lies sincere wisdom about humanity’s capacity for empathy. Good Omens’ marvelous blend of irreverence and lofty existential inquiries elevates it to sublime heights.
Pastoralia by George Saunders
Genre: Short Stories/Satire
Publication Year: 2000
George Saunders’ acclaimed collection showcases the author wielding laughter as an uncommon vehicle for truth and empathetic insight into 21st century American life’s oft-tragic realities. Across tales savagely satirizing societal ills like dehumanizing labor practices and consumer capitalism’s excesses, Saunders locates exquisitely resonant humanity shining through his outsider protagonists’ plights. With virtuosic comedic dexterity balanced by compassionate wisdom, Pastoralia uses outsider perspectives to critique power structures and social conditioning while moving readers to both gut-busting laughter and quiet contemplation. A trailblazing work of comedy fortified by a staunch moral core.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Genre: Historical Fiction/Comedy
Publication Year: 2016
Upon initial glance, a novel chronicling decades of a Russian aristocrat confined to a Moscow hotel seems unlikely comedic fodder. Yet Amor Towles renders his charismatic lead character Count Alexander Rostov with such disarming wit and wry humor that A Gentleman in Moscow becomes an immensely entertaining saga of Russia’s post-Revolutionary tumult and one man’s ability to find profundity in life’s limitations.
Brimming with clever wordplay celebrating life’s simple joys, mordant wit puncturing high society excess, and Rostov’s droll yet emotionally resonant perspective, Towles’ novel is a sumptuous comedic treat marrying irreverent laughs with hard-won existential wisdom. An infectious celebration of defiant resilience.
The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy
Genre: Comedy
Publication Year: 1958
Originally published in 1958 yet feeling remarkably fresh over 60 years later, Elaine Dundy’s cult classic novel chronicles a young American woman’s misadventures grifting her way through 1950s Paris while deludedly fancying herself the city’s next great literary voice. As Sally Jay Gorce navigates the City of Light’s bohemian hangouts seeking artistic validation, Dundy unleashes a torrent of sardonic wit, provocative satire, and pitch-perfect observations on wasted youth, cultural pretensions, and the hilarious alchemy of teen narcissism and naiveté fueling grandiose dreams. Both profoundly cringeworthy and enduringly relevant, The Dud Avocado is a deliciously scathing, comedic roman à clef brimming with timeless insights.
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
Genre: Comedy of Manners
Publication Year: 1938
Few authors have scaled the timeless comedic heights of P.G. Wodehouse, whose writing from nearly a century ago still influences generations of humorists. The Code of the Woosters is considered his crowning achievement, a pitch-perfect farcical tale centered on the misadventures of bumbling English aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his consummate gentlemanly valet Jeeves. When Wooster and his ultra-wealthy compatriots find themselves entangled in madcap mistaken identity antics involving a stolen cow-shaped silver creamer, Wodehouse uncorks a dizzying array of clever wordplay, slapstick hijinks, and winking satire lampooning England’s stratified upper crust. A masterwork exemplifying Wodehouse’s unparalleled gift for comedic storytelling.
The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 1945
James Thurber’s celebrated early 20th century omnibus of comedic stories, essays, and iconic cartoons remains an enduring exemplar of distinctly American literary humor over 75 years after its initial publication. Across this expansive collection in the book, Thurber exhibits an unparalleled gift for crafting hysterically funny observational stories rooted in life’s most mundane rituals and minutiae. From skewering his own eccentric family dynamics to the workplace politics of the reading rooms and night clubs he once inhabited, Thurber transforms the ordinary into comedic art through his pitch-perfect ear for the absurdities and indignities ingrained in daily life. A paragon of the form beloved by generations of fans and aspiring humorists.
The Martian by Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction/Comedy
Publication Year: 2011
What sounds like incredibly dry subject matter for a novel—the plight of a NASA botanist stranded alone on Mars—is transformed into an endlessly entertaining and thoroughly hilarious book in Andy Weir’s capable hands. Though grounded in meticulous scientific authenticity (owing to Weir’s background programming spacecraft), The Martian soars through the author’s ability to locate profound comedic potential in even the most dire life-or-death situations. As resourceful yet snarky botanist Mark Watney employs gallows humor while narrating his hilariously MacGyver-esque survival tactics on an inhospitable alien world, Weir recognizes laughter as often the most authentic human coping mechanism amidst daunting adversity. A wildly nerdy yet profoundly relatable seminal work blending gripping sci-fi drama and trenchant cultural satire.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 2000
David Sedaris cemented himself as a preeminent voice in literary humor through this iconic collection of uproariously funny yet poignant autobiographical essays in the book. With his signature wit, self-deprecating candor, and ability to transform the mundane into comedy gold, Sedaris chronicles his offbeat upbringing, personal shortcomings, eccentric family, travels encountering endless absurdities, and journey of self-acceptance. Whether recounting childhood speech therapy trauma, struggles learning French, or skewering urban living indignities through pitch-perfect social satire, Sedaris’ singular worldview resonates through empathetic introspection and comedic virtuosity. An indispensable classic showcasing one of the form’s greatest talents.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Publication Year: 2011
Comedy titan Tina Fey pulls back the curtain on her trailblazing career in this wildly entertaining memoir that doubles as both outrageously funny Hollywood tell-all and surprisingly insightful cultural commentary. With her signature sardonic wit, Fey regales readers with countless hysterical anecdotes and fish-out-of-water tales from her unlikely rise to stardom. Yet she also showcases impressive depth and candor in offering thoughts on everything from sexism in entertainment to the paradoxes of womanhood in contemporary society.
Whether recounting early humiliations or lampooning her personal and professional struggles to penetrate the male-dominated comedy sphere, Fey employs masterful humor in service of imparting hard-won wisdom about authenticity, resilience, and paving your own way.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Genre: Memoir/Comedy
Publication Year: 2016
As the son of a white Swiss father and black Xhosa mother born in apartheid South Africa, Trevor Noah entered the world under profoundly ludicrous circumstances defined by racist oppression. In his brilliant memoir, Noah channels his innate storytelling gifts and wicked satirical humor to reflect on the wild contradictions and absurdities that defined his formative years navigating subjugation and ever-present danger.
From his resilient mother’s tactics keeping him safe amid racist policing to his unique cultural displacement as a mixed-race “outsider,” Noah demonstrates an uncanny ability to find catharsis and even laughs amidst harrowing injustice. Both a blistering condemnation of institutionalized bigotry and a powerful celebration of the defiant human spirit.
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Publication Year: 2014
In her candid and entertaining memoir, comedian and actress Amy Poehler shares stories and personal anecdotes from her life and career in the entertainment industry. The book covers her upbringing, her early days in improv and sketch comedy, her big break on Saturday Night Live, and her success with the show Parks and Recreation.
Poehler writes with her characteristic wit and humor, providing laughs as well as insights into topics like friendship, parenthood, body image, and dealing with insecurities. The memoir aims to be an honest, funny, and motivational book about following your dreams while staying true to yourself.
Reviews praised Poehler’s warm, conversational storytelling style and her ability to find the humor and humanity in everyday situations. Many described the book as inspiring and empowering, in addition to being incredibly entertaining.
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Genre: Travel Writing/Humor
Publication Year: 1998
With his trademark wit and insatiable curiosity about the world, beloved author Bill Bryson recounts his attempt to hike the entire 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail in this laugh-out-loud travel memoir. When the sedentary 40-something writer impulsively decides to tackle one of America’s most grueling wilderness treks after moving back to the United States after two decades abroad, he recruits an equally unprepared old friend named Stephen Katz to join the endeavor.
What ensues is a hilarious series of misadventures as the hopelessly ill-equipped duo face a barrage of punishing physical challenges, bizarre characters, and humbling lessons about respecting nature’s intense power. Bryson intersperses hysterical accounts of their hapless misadventures getting hopelessly lost, massively over-packing, and spectacularly failing to adhere to any rational safety guidelines with digressive yet fascinating historical background on the trail’s creation and importance as an ecological treasure.
With his keen eye for highlighting the inherent comedy in human frailties and abundant charm as a storyteller, Bryson uses his and Katz’s hapless struggles to develop a profound appreciation for America’s fading natural majesty and the environmental imperative of preserving its remaining wildernesses. A Walk in the Woods adeptly balances irreverent humor and awestruck celebration of life’s simple joys.
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Publication Year: 2012
“You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder ‘What the hell is wrong with this lady?!'” This line perfectly encapsulates the utterly unique reading experience of Jenny Lawson’s breakthrough memoir. With ruthless honesty, Lawson shares a series of hysterically offbeat stories from her profoundly bizarre upbringing in rural Texas populated by personalities like her quirky taxidermist father and ultra-patriotic mother doling out baffling colloquialisms. Yet she also reflects with remarkable candor on her struggles with depression, anxiety, and mental illness—locating levity and humanity in even life’s most uncomfortable trials and imperfections. Lawson’s unfiltered authenticity and ability to find the funny in any situation shines through her relentlessly amusing yet poignant personal truth-telling.
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
Genre: Humor/Parenting
Publication Year: 2013
From his legendary standup specials dissecting indignities of modern parenthood and American food culture, Jim Gaffigan channels his signature comedic observations into this relentlessly funny ode to raising a family. Gaffigan unleashes uproarious riffs about the strange eating habits of his five kids, their profound hygiene aversions, and the existential challenges of fatherhood in contemporary society. Yet Gaffigan weaponizes his satirical gifts to roast not just family life’s daily chaos but also broader societal fixations like rampant over-consumption and unsustainable wellness fads. Both a hilarious love letter to parenthood’s beautiful insanity and an exercise in potent cultural critique, all delivered through Gaffigan’s inimitable comedic voice.
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Genre: Memoir/Comedy
Publication Year: 2007
Consummate comedic legend Steve Martin provides a refreshingly raw and insightful look into his iconic standup career in this memoir free of Hollywood self-aggrandizement. Rather than a compendium of jokes or behind-the-scenes stories, Martin thoughtfully dissects his artistic motivations, the cultivation of his eccentric stage persona, his struggles with fame’s personal tolls, and his ultimate decision to retire from standup at his creative peak. It’s a poignant love letter to comedy craft from an authentic philosopher capable of rendering even life’s most humiliating failures profound through the healing alchemy of humor. For aspiring humorists and comedy fans alike, Born Standing Up is an essential exploration of Martin’s influential genius.
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
Genre: Essays/Humor
Publication Year: 2019
You may have loved Ali Wong’s outrageously raunchy Netflix comedy specials, but the acclaimed comedian has only begun to share her masterfully profane yet empowering perspective on womanhood, relationships, body autonomy, and more. Styled as an irreverent advice book written to her two young daughters, this book is a blisteringly funny manifesto of candid feminist wisdom balanced with pragmatic self-actualization—and lots of scorching punchlines. Wong skewers everything from the horror stories of childbirth to antiquated stereotypes about Asian women, imbuing her volcanic candor with a sex-positive worldview anchored in radical self-love. Hers is a vital voice wielding humor to topple patriarchal norms and uplift marginalized experiences.
You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein
Genre: Essays/Humor
Publication Year: 2016
From Emmy-winning writer Jessi Klein comes this acclaimed collection of hilariously candid personal essays that poignantly blend sharp cultural critique with intimate autobiography. Klein fearlessly mines her own romantic foibles, quarter-life crises, and perpetual hang-ups for comedic gold while pointedly skewering broader societal ills like body-shaming, toxic dating norms, and internalized misogyny. Whether deconstructing the pressures of cosmetic neuroticism or lampooning the rituals of millennial urban life, Klein locates the absurdist humor in life’s indignities while offering perspective through empathetic wisdom. Her disarming wit and fearless authenticity make these essays both hysterical and powerfully resonant—a celebration of our perfectly imperfect shared journeys.
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
Genre: Essays/Humor
Publication Year: 2017
Few writers match Samantha Irby’s blistering talent for social satire and remarkably candid, cathartically funny personal storytelling. In her breakout essay collection, Irby mines her offbeat experiences as a Black millennial urban-dweller grappling with issues like Crohn’s disease, body image neuroses, romantic failures, and the strangest depths of internet culture for an endless wellspring of comedic insight. With wry irreverence and courageous vulnerability, Irby transforms even life’s most humiliating moments into comedic fodder while imparting profound wisdom about insecurity, self-acceptance, and the messy truth of human imperfection. Like her cult hit blog, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life sees Irby reclaiming the awkward peripheries of life with potent humor and fearless self-expression.
Gulp by Mary Roach
Genre: Science/Humor
Publication Year: 2013
Even the driest of topics—in this case, the physiological realities of the human digestive system—becomes fodder for resounding laughs in the gifted hands of author Mary Roach. With impeccable research and her innate wit, Roach makes the science behind eating, digestion, excretion and more not just wildly entertaining but downright profound. She takes readers on an unflinchingly side-splitting yet impressively educational journey exploring everything from saliva’s mechanics to the research studies of flatulence with endless curiosity and a willingness to fearlessly investigate our bodies’ grossest inner workings. It’s a comedic masterclass in rendering complex biological phenomena universally accessible through an ingenious humorous lens. Part revelation, part potty humor, Gulp is a singularly unique reading experience.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Genre: Memoir/Humor
Publication Year: 2011
Long before fame on The Mindy Project and The Office, Mindy Kaling charmed readers with this disarmingly candid and hysterical comedic memoir looking back on her younger years. With self-deprecating wit and perceptive social critique, Kaling reflects on everything from her struggles with body image and generational gaps in humor to balancing ambition with anxiety and her unconventional Hollywood rise. At its core, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without
Me? chronicles Kaling’s relatable journey from adolescent social outsider to self-assured comedian adeptly mining comedic truths from universal feelings of exclusion and wanting to fit in. Her gift for transforming personal insecurities into empowering laughs makes this an endlessly endearing and laugh-out-loud familiar read.
How Not to Get Shot by D.L. Hughley and Doug Moe
Genre: Satire/Humor
Publication Year: 2018
Legendary comedian D.L. Hughley and co-author Doug Moe unleash one of the boldest and most potent satirical works in recent memory with their audacious take on police brutality and America’s systemically racist justice system wrapped in gallows humor. Styled as a cutting satirical “self-help” survival guide for Black Americans navigating oppressive policing, this book broaches heavy themes like mass incarceration, gun violence, failed drug policy, and institutionalized racism through an unapologetically funny yet clear-eyed lens. Hughley and Moe wield blistering wit to skewer profound injustices while offering an urgently vital perspective on one of society’s most abhorrent ills. Both an essential read and a cathartic comedic rallying cry.
Calypso by David Sedaris
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 2018
David Sedaris—the reigning master of literary comedy and observational wit—delivers another brilliant collection of wince-inducing personal stories and razor-sharp cultural commentary. With his signature self-deprecating candor and knack for mining even life’s most humiliating lows for profound insights, Sedaris recounts hilarious tales about his eccentric family members, middle age’s indignities, bizarre travel misadventures, and so much more. Whether riffing on the myriad ways humans inadvertently humiliate themselves or lampooning contemporary society’s most ludicrous foibles through unsparing satirical jabs, Sedaris manages to locate universally resonant comedic truths amidst the cringe-inducing specificity of his stories. It’s a relentless laughter-filled romp showcasing one of literary humor’s foremost virtuosos operating at his insightful best.
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 2015
Beloved humor writer Jenny Lawson returns with another fearlessly candid and delightfully offbeat collection of comedic personal essays building upon the success of her debut memoir Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Lawson channels her signature self-deprecating wit and knack for finding levity amidst life’s most uncomfortable imperfections into poignant reflections on her battles with mental illness, struggles finding belonging and community, unconventional quest for happiness, and the wild misadventures populating her profoundly bizarre life. Through ruthless honesty and hysterical storytelling, she combats depression and anxiety not with cheap platitudes but hard-earned wisdom—locating profound human resilience in each perfectly-timed laugh. A bighearted celebration of resilience and weirdness.
I’ll Mature When I’m Dead by Dave Barry
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 2010
Over his decades-spanning career, the legendary Dave Barry has reigned as one of America’s most popular and consistently hilarious writers of comedic essays and columns skewering the strange nuances of modern life. I’ll Mature When I’m Dead collects some of Barry’s most uproarious commentary from his iconic syndicated column tenure—with no aspect of human behavior left un-satirized. Barry unleashes his masterful wit to lampoon everything from the absurd indignities of aging and marriage’s ongoing foibles to the existential horror of home repairs and being a plumber’s assistant with philosophical silliness and hyperbolic flair. This is one of the funniest book rollicking compendium of laugh-out-loud American cultural anthropology from one of the form’s undisputed kings.
I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
Genre: Essays/Humor
Publication Year: 2008
One of the funniest books and contemporary literary voices to emerge in the millennial generation, Sloane Crosley delivers an intensely likable yet razor-sharp collection of comedic essays reminiscing on single life in New York City. With self-effacing wit and keen cultural critique, Crosley recalls her romantic misadventures, oddball friendships and relationships, eccentric professional exploits, and the endless gauntlet of dignity-depleting incidents marking post-collegiate independence with wry authenticity and profound empathy. From skewering societal expectations about appearance and success to interrogating her own quarters-life anxieties and failures, Crosley locates the redemptive humor in even life’s most humiliating moments. The result is both a love letter to youthful freedom and bracingly satirical commentary on adulthood’s unrealistic pressures.
Naked by David Sedaris
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 1997
Before cementing his legend with subsequent iconic books like Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris delivered his funny, uproarious breakout collection of personal essays that announced the arrival of a major new literary comedic voice. Across stories like his experiences housesitting with an apartment full of hungry reptiles, or harrowing reflections on substance abuse and personal tragedy, Sedaris displayed his singular authorial gift for marrying unflinching candor with absurdist hilarity. He savagely satirized everything from generational gaps and human habits to community theater tryouts and marginalized identity politics with both devastating precision and endless humor. Naked remains a beloved exemplar of Sedaris’s abilities.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Genre: Humor/Essays
Publication Year: 2004
In yet another beloved funny book solidifying his reputation as the reigning king of literary humor, David Sedaris gathers a series of his signature sardonic yet perceptive autobiographical essays dissecting the innate quirks, dysfunctions, and ironies that collectively comprise our universal humanity. Sedaris casts his self-deprecating wit and unerring satirical eye toward subjects like his eccentric family’s bizarre holiday traditions, his childhood battles over speech therapy, a stint in domestic housewife servitude, and his lifelong struggles with obsessive compulsive behaviors. Yet within the depths of often humiliating personal detail, Sedaris locates profound human truths rendered with as much philosophical wisdom and empathy as laugh-out-loud levity.
