Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
The actual Top Ten Tuesday for today is ‘Hilarious Book Titles’, but that’s one I think I’d really struggle with! I absolutely cannot wait to see what others come up with for this one though. Instead, I thought I’d take a look through my read books to see which books made me quite literally LOL.
Top Ten Hilarious Books
High Society by Ben Elton
It’s been a long time since I read any of Ben Elton’s books, so I can’t talk to how well they stand up, but I remember reading this and just being completely sucked in by the humour and the very real, darker story about the war on drugs. Elton – at least when I first read his books and watched The Young Ones, Blackadder – just had a knack for getting his satire spot on.
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Of course, Elton’s books aren’t good as good – or even funny – as Pratchett’s. This list could half be the Discworld books, at least the ones I’ve read. This series is brilliant, and witty, but Equal Rites is the one that stands out to me right now, out of the handful I’ve managed to read. Though Small Gods will always have a fond place in my heart, being the first Discworld novel I read.
Related Book Review: Wyrd Sisters
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
I can’t remember exactly what it was in this book I found so delightful, but the general combination of Jane Austen with zombies snagged me pretty much instantly. And it hadn’t been that long before when I’d actually read Pride and Prejudice for the first time, meaning quite a lot of it I remembered clearly from the original. Grahame-Smith’s additions and amendments turned it into something very different, though Austen still has a great sense of humour.
Anti-Social by Nick Pettigrew
Nick Pettigrew fills the pages of Anti-Social with wit and sarcasm, often using it to underline more serious points, and to point to the absurdity of a system that works for pretty much no one. It’s not an easy read, and it’s likely one page has you crying tears from laughter while the next makes you well up and want to focus on anything except how depressing this country is. But Pettigrew balances it well, making this stand out as funny and poignant.
My review of Anti-Social
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
The main source of humour in Fright Night comes from our young protagonist – Toews does an excellent job of capturing a child’s view of the world, but it’s emphasised by her family, especially her larger than life grandmother. Everything comes to us through Swiv’s eyes, giving us, as readers, some wonderful situations that are extremely funny, while having a dry sense with Swiv, most things going over her head. But there’s sadness underscoring it, too. A truly wonderful book.
My review of Fight Night
#TheLeftoverBride by Elodie Nowodazkij
You might be planning your Christmas reading now, or soon at any rate, and if you’re looking for a light, fun read to pick up between the spooky Halloween books and the full on Christmas books, #TheLeftoverBride makes for a great bridge between the two. It’s more of a November than December read, with a lovely lead up to the holidays. I really enjoyed this, and there’s some great chuckle inducing moments.
My review of #TheLeftoverBride
Witch, Cat, and Cobb by J.K. Pendragon
There is such a fun, dry humour underscoring this wonderful novella, and a lot of it comes from the titular cat. It’s not explicitly comedy, but some of the stuff this cat comes out with really had me laughing. It’s a really enjoyable book and short enough to read in one sitting. It’s one of my highly recommended books for sure.
My review of Witch, Cat, and Cobb
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Ah, a classic and a favourite, how can this not be one of the best humorous books out there? The comedy here is as effective as it is in the film, and the pair go together well, but with the book we also get a lot of fun footnotes and asides, and it works as wonderfully here as it does in the Discworld novels. If you haven’t read this yet but want a fun, escapist, funny Fantasy to sink into, it’s worth it.
I’ve really enjoyed the Deadpool graphic novels I’ve been able to read so far, but this one really stands out. It’s pure Merc with the Mouth at his best, cracking jokes while facing off against Dracula himself and falling in love with Dracula’s bride. It’s funny and sweet with some killer jokes and a few “aww” moments.
My review of Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet
False Colours by Georgette Heyer
Heyer’s wit feels inspired by Austen without lifting too directly from her. The situations the characters find themselves in in False Colours are funny enough, but it’s in the way Heyer paints her characters that the humour really shines. She has a way of capturing them really well, it highlights how absurd disguising yourself as your twin brother and maintaining the lie really is. Her work is so fun to read and what more could you really ask for?
So there we have my amended Top Ten Tuesday. Feel free to drop some hilarious book recommendations in the comments or let me know your favourite hilarious book titles!
Unwrapping Words 
I should read Equal Rights sometime!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-hilarious-book-titles/
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Yes definitely – it’s a fantastic book!
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