20-Somethings - OT - Book Recommendations?

So I'm going to Orlando for a week for work - its going to be stressful, so I always like to read something light and fluffy.

I'm not a fan of romances and I've gotten my fill of Nicholas Sparks, but does anyone have any recommendations for some good, FUNNY books?

Thanks :)

If you havent read it, The Time Traveller's Wife (but im sure you have). Anything by terry pratchett, especially going postal and making money :D I just finished "this much i know is true" which was very very good. Ahh thats all off the top of my head, gotta check my shelves :dizzy:

The books by Laurie Notaro are hilarious!

If you havent read it, The Time Traveller's Wife (but im sure you have).

Favorite book...ever...

Thanks Jules, I'll look her up!

Anything by Jane Green. She's great :)

Or more specifically, hypocrite in a poufy white dress. Probably the most hilarious book I've ever read!

Jennifer Weiner is fun and a quick easy read.

I've read everything Jennifer Weiner has written - I love her.


Ok just the titles for LN are making me laugh- win!

I love that I can just download books now :)

I also agree -- I like both Jane Green and Jennifer Weiner -- have a lot of both of their books.

Jennierose -- her books are a bunch of collections of short stories and adventures. I laughed out loud so many times while reading those books. I recommend them to a lot of girlfriends who need some good laughs. :D

"good omens" by neil gaiman & terry pratchett. hilarious and great writing.

and of course jane austen....i'm sure it would be a re-read for you, but i can read her books over and over! my favorite for vacations.

The only Jane Austen I've ever been able to get through is Pride & Prejudice. I'm not a big fan of British writing (especially OLD British writing) - its too flowery and long winded and just gets on my nerves. I'm terrible, I know.

I did manage to get through Phantom of the Opera (French, but still old) and that was actually a lot better than I realized.

If you have a somewhat dirty & twisted sense of humor I highly suggest Chuck Palahnuick...I've read everything he's ever written and find his writing fascinating...but sometimes so gross!

Funny: The Eyre Affair and the books that follow by Japer Fforde.

Not funny, but amazing: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett

Epic and funny: Middlesex

I haven't read Palahnuick, but he's a really cool guy. He did a signing at the bookstore I worked at, and he made bracelets for some of the staff and mailed them to them after the signing!

(Meanwhile, Mitch Albom is known for being a jerk at signings).

Did you ever read The Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood?

That will keep you up at night. Amazing, yet haunting.

David Sedaris. His books are made up of short, autobiographical essays-hilarious if you aren't easily offended and don't mind laughing out loud while reading them. Me Talk Pretty One Day is my favorite of his.

Oh dear lord, go to the bookstore or library and get some of Jen Lancaster's reads.

Such A Pretty Fat
Bright Lights, Big ***
Bitter is the New Black

My friend loaned these to me and is about to delete me from her phone because I don't want to give them up! They are so hysterical you will cry.

I've heard good things about Jen Lancasters books. They are on my must-read list!

I love her. Her blog, Jennsylvania.com is also hilarious.

The only Jane Austen I've ever been able to get through is Pride & Prejudice. I'm not a big fan of British writing (especially OLD British writing) - its too flowery and long winded and just gets on my nerves. I'm terrible, I know.

I did manage to get through Phantom of the Opera (French, but still old) and that was actually a lot better than I realized.

God, I never even got through pride and prejudice. "oh my, her skirts are muddy!" You can stick up your *** :dizzy:

You must try Joe Bennett!

Stella you read my mind... I have nothing to read once I finish message in a bottle :)

I love reading about fundamentalist mormons... kind of weird, I know. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer is really good. He also wrote Into the Wild.

For fun, easy reading, I like to check out the stuff on Oprah's book club & Target's featured books or whatever they're called.

I've read all of Jen Lancaster's stuff too - I started reading her right after my mom died and it was the first time I could remember laughing since it happened. I had emailed her and she actually responded, so I'm a big fan :)

lol - Icon

That's so cool that she wrote back! I have high hopes for her new one.

Diana Gaboldon's Outlander series involves tiome travel, sexy men in kilts, accents, heroism, historical fiction. That is my fluffy series of choice. A real pleasure.

I love LOVE LOVE The Dresden Files, a sort of fantasy mystery humor novel series. Makes me laugh out loud. I reread my favourite parts. The TV show was BAD but the series only ever gets better.

I am very fond of Neil Gaiman. I liked the Stardust movie better, though, but Anasi Boys, American Gods are wway up there.

Eat Pray Love was really, really great., You felt like you were chatting with your best friend.


The above i have read multiple times. Yes, reread whole series'. I heart reading.

The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe. And yes, it is as ridiculous as the title suggests.

i've just found meg cabot is quite funny. Her books are cute in a way.
Also, if you want heart warming stories, I suggest read everything "chicken soup for the soul" - any book in this series.

If you like zombies you should check out World War Z.

It wasn't really funny, but was an amazing and innovative way to tell a story. :)

If you have a somewhat dirty & twisted sense of humor I highly suggest Chuck Palahnuick...I've read everything he's ever written and find his writing fascinating...but sometimes so gross!

My DH reads his books.. craaaazy guy.

I suggest the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They are hilarious! Has lots of humor, little bit of romance.. great series.. its all the way up to book 15 now. Love them!

Someone mentioned it but The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is one of my all-time favorites!

Okay, if you want a soft, really funny read, (I posted this in another thread but I'm mentioning it agin here) read Cecily Knobler's She's Crazy, He's a Liar. She's a comedian and you could sort of say it's written in the same light as He's Just Not That Into You, but it's more of a funny tale about what girls & guys do when dating or in relationships and even though doesn't offer much on the real-life advice side, it's hilariously funny and had me howling out loud on the subway to work!
(Side note, I've also cried on the subway...The Time Traveller's Wife made me do that!!

Wheel of time series also pretty good

Wheel of time series also pretty good

Icon, if you weren't in a relationship, you'd make several of my guy friends very very happy :)

Over summer vacation I read Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries (The Sookie Stackhouse books,) and they were awesome. I tend to like fantasy/sci-fi anyway and these books were a great mix of romance, vampires and mystery (and they are pretty funny!) It's the series True Blood is based off of. Wicked cool.

Chelsea Handler's books are hilarious and a quick read, I highly suggest them as well!

Everything else I read is for school or teaching so unless you want to read Anna Karenina, I'll stay out of the thread, lol.

I read the Sookie books this summer, too. Actually, deVOURED them is more like it.

Except I didn't know they'd be so graphic and I was reading them in my living room with my roommates, at one point CB was like hey, why is your face all red? ITS NOT LEAVE ME ALONE /storms out of the room.

American Gods was Awesome!!!

If you like Sci-Fi at all, I recommend Anne Mcaffery (very good) and John Varley (weird and HILARIOUS)

Jennifer Crusie is very funny.

Janet Evanovich :D I love the Stephanie Plum books and they are hilarious.

If you liked the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, I recommend the Queen Betsy series by MaryJanice Davidson.

Also, I recommend the Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot.

These are all chick-lit comedies, so there is a bit of romance, but not overwhelmingly so. Have a great vacation!

Icon, if you weren't in a relationship, you'd make several of my guy friends very very happy :)

I also play first person shooters and RPGs ;) And im half decent :lol: which is the important bit

I read the Sookie books this summer, too. Actually, deVOURED them is more like it.

Except I didn't know they'd be so graphic and I was reading them in my living room with my roommates, at one point CB was like hey, why is your face all red? ITS NOT LEAVE ME ALONE /storms out of the room.


AHAHAHHA! My coworker and I did this this summer. She would buy the books, read it and toss it to me. At one point I was begging her to finish a book so I could start it. Mind you, we were reading them in 2-4 days flat. LOL

Great series!!!! :)

These aren't new, and you'd have to appreciate British humour, but anything by P.G. Wodehouse or Douglas Adams Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy, make me laugh so hard that I get tears in my eyes.

I love The Sookie Stackhouse books! And I've been meaning to read at least one Stephanie Plum book. This also reminds me of the Anita Blake Vampire Slayer series. They aren't really funny and pretty violent...and occasionally erotic. and occasionally turns into the entire book with some of the later ones in the series.

These aren't new, and you'd have to appreciate British humour, but anything by P.G. Wodehouse


oooh yes I love Jeeves and Wocester

Love Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

Since we're getting nerdy....

Stephen Hawking's The Universe In A Nutshell is amazing.

No, seriously!

I know the move "Bridget Jones' Diary" was based off a book. I bet its a hoot. You should pick it up and read it, then send it to me so I can read it.

Bridget Jones' Diary - the book - was 10 times as funny as the movie.

I read a lot - typically if a movie is coming out, I'll read the book (if I'm interested)

LOL, the Stephen Hawking book IS interesting, but did you know he took half of it back recently? It was all theory to begin with, and I guess he came up with a better one!

Oh, and I bought my mom a copy of Douglas Adams' whole Hitchhiker's series a couple of years ago! My entire family loves them.

oh my god, the sequel to bridget jones' diary has the funniest passage i have ever read in a book ever. i mean crying, gasping for breath, shaking with laughter. in the book, bridget is interviewing colin firth. i always thought i was sad that the funniest part of the book couldn't be in the movie sequel because colin firth couldn't play himself and mark darcy. i never saw the 2nd movie, but i have re-read the 2nd book.

Eratos- yeah i thought that was brilliant. He was just like "i was wrong" xD I like him for that. Its not like he was like "oh, well you know, blah blah blah i never actually said blah squirmy wormy squirm" he was just like "meh, i was wrong" :lol:

Ok, so growing up without cable made me a HUGE reading dork. I purposefully avoided this thread until now because I knew I was going to take forever in writing what will probably be a ginormous response. Apologies in advance; future librarian here, books are my love. :book2:=Me.

I wanted to chime in on the love for Jennifer Weiner (although I haven't loved anything she's done as much as I did Good In Bed), the Sookie Stackhouse books (Jennierose, I had the same reaction to them), David Sedaris, Laurie Notaro, and Terry Pratchett (you really could just pick up any one of his Discworld books and enjoy it, but I really recommend starting with The Light Fantastic and then The Color of Magic).

Alrighty now, turning to my own bookshelf: (ETA: Ok, so looking back over my list, not all of these are necessarily funny, but they are all engrossing enough to take your mind off of your own life.)

-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- I've reread it almost every year from 7 grade on and come away with something new every time. Bronte's prose isn't as flowery as Austen's and it's certainly not as funny, but it is deeply touching and engrossing.

-Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier- Kind of inspired by Bronte, but awesome in it's own right. I stayed up all night reading it because I just had. to. KNOW.

-The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield- It was haled as a modern Jane Eyre when it came out and is easily one of my favorites. It gets pretty dark in some places, but I just did not want this book to end. Finishing it was so depressing because I didn't have anything as good to follow it up with.

-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith- I don't know how I avoided reading this one in high school, but my Dad gave it to me two Christmas' ago. I started reading it Christmas Day and literally could not put it down until I finished. Mom had to wrangle it out of my hands long enough for dinner. So amazing.

-The "Ladies' Detective Agency" books by Alexander McCall Smith- Pure and utter charm in book form. The characters are hilarious and the mystery side is very good. Honestly, they're like a mini-vacation to Botswana. I haven't seen the HBO version, so I don't know if they hold up.

-Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin- Murder mystery set in 12th century England, so it can get pretty creepy. The main character, Adelia, is a trained "doctor to the dead" (apparently there was a medical school in Salerno that admitted women). The description on Amazon explains a lot more, but it's a really interesting, engrossing read (that has two follow up books).

-Anything by Maeve Binchy. Seriously. Circle of Friends is a good place to start, but I've never read anything of hers I didn't adore. Her writing style is just so warm, comforting, and charming.

-Summer Sisters by Judy Blume- Great story, perfect for a vacation.
-Pretty much anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Jennierose, I know you said you weren't a big fan of romances, but these really are worth a try. SEP is mega funny and her characters are strong personalities. Try Nobody's Baby But Mine, It Had to be You, or Breathing Room.

Funny: The Eyre Affair and the books that follow by Japer Fforde.
Aurora, be my new best friend? ;) I feel like so few people know about these books and they are so clever! Also, I'm hopefully going to be starting my MLS soon. What field are you in?

If you like zombies you should check out World War Z.
Or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. ;) I'm nuts about Austen, read everything she's ever done, and usually I don't like when people mess with her. But the zombie version was so randomly funny, I couldn't resist it. (As a side note, Bridget Jones Diary is a modern version of Pride and Prejudice and the book really is laugh until you cry funny)

Jennifer Crusie is very funny.
Bet Me is one of my all time favorites. I swear I think that woman crawled inside my mind and found my almost-ideal man when she created Cal. It's really uncanny.

(Ack! Sorry for the epically long post :))

ETA-Ack again! How I could have forgotten Geraldine Brooks is beyond me! Her fiction is fabulous; if she writes it, I'm reading it. Haha, she needs to write another book ASAP!

-The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield- It was haled as a modern Jane Eyre when it came out and is easily one of my favorites. It gets pretty dark in some places, but I just did not want this book to end. Finishing it was so depressing because I didn't have anything as good to follow it up with.



i was SOO disappointed in this book. It was a good read (even though almost laughably salacious at times) but I just found the end to be way too ludicrous. It didn't seem to match the author's writing abilities.

Oh! Also! Jonathan Strange & Mr, Norrell by Susanna Clarke (and her follow-up of short stories The Ladies of Grace Adieu). I can NOT wait for her next novel.

I wanted to chime in on the love for Jennifer Weiner (although I haven't loved anything she's done as much as I did Good In Bed),

I've only read Little Earthquakes and Best Friend's Forever. I really loved them both. Best Friend's Forever had such a funny storyline that I laughed through much of the book. When she finds the "lump" (aka her hipbone) I nearly died laughing. I remember the times I'd lay on my side trying to find something that resembled a bone!

I love her. Her blog, Jennsylvania.com is also hilarious.

After I finished reading Bitter is the new Black and Bright Lights, Big ***, I went on her blog and I wound up reading the whole entire thing. Her obsession with the Twilight dolls was hilarious. I haven't read Pretty in Plaid and Such a Pretty Fat but they're sitting on my desk. My parents bought me a Sony Reader for Christmas and since then I haven't been able to bring myself to pick up an actual book.:(

Big ups to Mr. Hawkings for taking stuff back... the book was still amazing to me, but then again I'm pretty obsessed with Quantum Physics and Time Travel so I eat stuff like that up. Gets my noggin going...

My coworker tried to get me to read Pride Prejudice and Zombies. It wasn't that I didn't want to, school started which meant NO time for reading. I gave it back to her as I didn't want to hold onto it forever.

After I finish reading DMT : The Spirit Molecule I may borrow it.

i was SOO disappointed in this book. It was a good read (even though almost laughably salacious at times) but I just found the end to be way too ludicrous. It didn't seem to match the author's writing abilities.

Aw, see the end was one of my favorite parts. Yeah, it was tidy, but so are the endings of the type of book she was channeling. But I'll be honest, I love happy, tidy endings where all the loose ends are woven up. "The Lady or The Tiger" type endings make me absolutely miserable and crazy. Epilogues are fabulous things, in my opinion.

I saw some love for The Time Traveler's Wife upthread (to which I'd like to say ditto!), but has anyone read her new book? I've heard some mixed reviews.

ive just started reading push (by precious) and its pretty good, pretty gritty though, but i wanted to read it before i see the movie :D