4 Books That’ll Make You Laugh Out Loud
Spring cleaning, winter cronut weight, and the fast approach of tax season (already?) are nothing to laugh at, so you better find something that is. Because you can only watch two dogs eating ice cream so many times, we suggest picking up a book that’ll make you cackle like nobody’s watching, and turn pages like you’ve never been bored. From a hilarious blog-turned-book to the first collection by an acclaimed TV writer, here are the funny books we’re reading now:
One More Thing, by BJ Novak
Best known as ambitious intern Ryan on The Office (not to mention a staff writer on that show and others), Novak’s sharp, continually surprising debut collection comprises more than 70 stories. He plays with the form, exploring satire, absurdism, and the George Saunders-y terrain of surreal-yet-moving bite-sized fiction. This book will mow down any reservations you may have about his ability to write for the page instead of the screen.
Reasons My Kid is Crying, by Greg Pembroke
This blog-turned-book is based on the painfully funny Tumblr Reasons My Son is Crying, and it’s enough to make you break down in tears—either because you’re laughing so hard, or because the dog just stole your Cheerios. Depending on whether you’re reading the book or appearing in it.
Uganda Be Kidding Me, by Chelsea Handler
Can we be blamed for getting nervous at the idea of Handler trapped on a plane (or should we say, all those passengers and crew trapped on a plane with her) for the multi-hour flight to Africa? In her fifth book, the comedian and TV personality mines laughs from the fish-out-of-water setup of her first African safari—and the personal indignities, gastrointestinal and otherwise, that went with it.
I See You Made an Effort, by Annabelle Gurwitch
Gurwitch chronicles another brand of indignity in this essay collection, focused on surviving middle age armed only (or most importantly) with a sense of humor. But tucked in among comic essays about May-December romance and beauty regimens are pieces about the darker realities of growing old, including health scares and career hurdles. Sometimes hard-won laughter is the sweetest kind.
What’s your favorite funny read?