10 Funny Books to Cheer You Up in Lockdown
I read an article recently about how book sales have been affected by COVID-19: apparently dystopian fiction is flying off the virtual shelves, especially if it deals with a pandemic. Frankly, I don’t understand this at all - I’m looking for books that take me away from the current crisis and provide some light-hearted escapism.
So, for those of you who share my induced dystopia-phobia, I’ve compiled this list of books guaranteed to bring laughs, conversation topics and much-needed comic relief.
Really funny Non-Fiction books
This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂😂😂
Summary: Former junior doctor Adam Kay recounts the lows, highs and hilarities from his time on the front line of the NHS.
Why I Chose It: This Is Going to Hurt went straight to the top of my list - I think it’s the funniest book I’ve ever read! It’s also a moving tribute to our NHS staff, which couldn’t be more timely.
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂😂
Summary: Comedian Ali Wong writes letters to her daughters before they are born, gifting them ‘Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life’.
Why I Chose It: Dear Girls won the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award in the category ‘Humour’, and 41,000 people can’t be wrong! Clearly, many women relate to her down-to-earth and hilarious portrayal of life as a working mother.
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂
Summary: In The Diary of a Bookseller, the owner of Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshop shares the weirdest and funniest anecdotes from between the shelves.
Why I Chose It: One for the bibliophiles! If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of your favourite bookshop, this quirky read will be right up your street.
Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman
Humour Rating: 😂😂
Summary: When a past crime catches up with her, middle-class career woman Piper Kerman is sentenced to 15 months in prison and must learn to cope with life behind bars.
Why I Chose It: Did you know the popular Netflix series was based on Kerman’s book? While it deals with more serious subjects, such as the state of the US justice system, the friends she makes on the inside provide plenty of laughs as well.
Good Things Happen to People You Hate by Rebecca Fishbein
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂
Summary: In this collection of personal essays, Fishbein looks at a series of life disasters, from the minor (such as a bedbug infestation) to the more serious (including alcoholism) through a lens of resilient, snarky humour.
Why I Chose It: Just the title of this one makes the cynic in me laugh! Good Things Happen to People You Hate is suited to those readers who like their humour a shade darker.
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂😂
Summary: Stand-up comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish recounts her inspiring rise to stardom from being a foster kid in one of the poorest areas of Los Angeles.
Why I Chose It: Another Goodreads Choice award winner, this one from 2018! Not only that but Haddish’s unfiltered and honest humour has made her book a New York Times bestseller.
really funny Fiction books
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Humour Rating: 😂😂
Summary: Eleanor Oliphant lives in an unvarying routine - same job, same meals and same bottles of vodka by herself every weekend - until a new friend at work begins to change her outlook.
Why I Chose It: Although much darker themes are explored in this book, particularly in the latter half (content warnings for childhood trauma and suicidal ideation), the unparalleled character of Eleanor will make you laugh and warm your heart too.
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂😂
Summary: Infinite Jest is a comic take on the American Dream and modern media, managing to capture both the dinginess of a drug den and the elite grounds of a tennis academy.
Why I Chose It: Coming in at a whopping 1,000+ pages, Infinite Jest is the perfect heavy-duty but light-hearted read to keep you entertained for the duration (hopefully!) of lockdown.
Humour Rating: 😂😂😂
Summary: Tired of her family’s interference and attempts at match-making, single convenience store worker Keiko relents and decides to give “normality” a shot…with disastrous consequences.
Why I Chose It: This offbeat, satirical story will delight your inner non-conformist!
Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Humour Rating: 😂😂
Summary: When Clay Jannon takes on a job as the night clerk at an eccentric bookstore, he is drawn into an ancient mystery that will take a game designer, a Google-bred genius and lots of bibliophiles to solve...
Why I Chose It: Mr Penumbra is a wonderfully geeky story, complete with a cast of quirky characters. It proves books still aren’t dead, even in a digital world!
Written by Florence Edwards
Disclaimer: Almost all book links in this article link to Amazon. This is because we have an affiliate deal with them, meaning that if you buy any of the books we’ve recommended, we get a little bit of money (from Amazon, not the authors or anything extra from you). But we’ll only link to books we’ve read, reviewed and are sure you’ll enjoy!
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