When you’ve had your fill of gloomy headlines and perfectly curated Instagram lives or you’re simply craving a good laugh, a book that offers a well-timed dose of humor can shift your whole outlook. There’s a reason funny stories have been popular since the days of Aristophanes’ Old Comedies. A protagonist’s wild antics can shake off the summertime blues, while a dose of dry wit might just shift how you see the world around you.
Our handpicked selection of the funniest books has something for every kind of reader, from sharp satire and sly revenge plots to delightfully awkward road trips and the occasional homicidal spouse. You’ll also find quiet chuckles from days gone by, a Labrador with questionable boyfriend potential and even a man who walks into a cemetery dressed as Kermit the Frog. So settle in and let these stories do what social media never could—actually put a smile on your face.
The Good Boy by Stella Hayward
What traits make the perfect boyfriend? Genie is hoping for loyalty, kindness and unconditional love—the very things she already gets from her beloved golden retriever, Rory. But when she jokingly wishes that he could become human so they could finally talk, she doesn’t expect the wish to come true (thanks to a little magic from her grandmother). Unfortunately, her new ‘man’ still has all the quirks of a dog: boundless energy, a love of long walks, a strong dislike of clothing and absolutely no interest in holding down a job. Can Genie turn him back before things spiral out of control? Maybe her oldest friend, Miles (the boy next door), can help?
Family & Other Calamities by Leslie Gray Streeter
Dawn Roberts’ life has unraveled—her career is in ruins, her husband is gone and the people she once trusted have turned on her. To top it off, her former mentor, Joe Perkins, has written an exposé, soon to be a movie, in which she’s cast as the villain. Returning to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes might be a chance to make peace and rewrite the past. Then again, maybe not, as readers discover in this book that blends laugh-out-loud wit with nuance and unexpected tenderness.
Grave Talk by Nick Spalding
If you’re looking for a laugh, you might not expect to find it in a story centered on grief. Yet Nick Spalding, in his inimitable style, manages to find humor in the most unlikely of places. When Alice visits her husband’s grave, the last thing she expects is to find a man dressed as Kermit the Frog, bowed over the headstone in the next plot. This bizarrely funny moment sparks a story of unexpected friendship, mutual support, more costumes and plenty of laughter along the way.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
If you’ve yet to read this bestselling book by Beth O’Leary, you’re in for a treat. With London’s rental prices sky-high, it’s no wonder Tiffy opts for a flat share instead of trying to afford a place on her own. She finds one that’s surprisingly affordable. The catch? There’s only one bed. But with landlord Leon working nights and Tiffy working days, they can share the same space—and the same bed—without ever crossing paths. Of course, things don’t stay simple for long. Throw in a wrongly imprisoned brother, an obsessive ex-boyfriend and a jealous girlfriend and the complications quickly pile up.
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Madeline Hill has spent the past twenty years living quietly on a Tennessee farm with her mother, ever since her father vanished and left them to get by on their own. But everything changes when a man named Reuben shows up in a PT Cruiser claiming he might be her half-brother—and that their shared father may have fathered even more children along the way. Cue a road trip full of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt revelations. Madeline and Reuben set off to track down their elusive father and the trail of half-siblings he left behind, uncovering the many lives he seems to have lived—each more contradictory than the last. As new siblings join the journey, a picture begins to take shape.
Salty by Kate Myers
Denise is forced to reunite with her estranged sister Helen, who’s just been fired and returns to their hometown to take a job aboard the luxury yacht Denise captains. The two are soon united by a shared mission: getting revenge on the yacht’s owner, the same man who bulldozed their childhood home to build high-end condos. When a dead body turns up after a nearby building collapses, their plan shifts into high gear. What started as payback quickly becomes a race to uncover the truth and expose it before everything disappears for good. This laugh-out-loud romp is fast, sharp and full of heart—you’ll be cheering the sisters on as they chart a course for justice.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
This infamous novel, whose title has become shorthand for any no-win dilemma, is more than 50 years old, but its humor still holds up. Set in Italy during the Second World War, it follows pilot Yossarian, who’s understandably frustrated that so many people he’s never met are trying to kill him. But there’s no clear escape from the ever-growing list of dangerous missions he must fly before finishing his service. It’s a thorny situation: willingly facing danger is considered insane and potentially grounds for discharge, but if he wants out, that proves he’s sane, which means he’s fit to fly.
My Wife, The Serial Killer by H. J. Garbett
Nothing says laugh-a-minute like a story about a serial killer, right? Well, maybe. My Wife, the Serial Killer pulls it off with pitch-perfect black humor, thanks to social worker Fran, whose charm and quirks almost make you forget she’s a cold-blooded criminal. Things can get tricky when you’re a murderer married to a detective—especially when your husband gets assigned to the case of your missing neighbor. Can Gareth connect the dots? And what will he see when the full picture comes into focus? A darkly funny tale of murder, marriage and the secrets even the most perfect partners might be hiding.
Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon
Most of us can agree that social media is a minefield and not everyone is completely truthful online. So what harm could there be in a little white lie to help a friend’s business? When Georgia creates a fake Twitter account to support her friend Lydia’s brand, things quickly spiral. Lydia begins confiding in her mysterious new follower and lets slip that Georgia’s husband might be having an affair. Caught in the web she spun, Georgia is left navigating a double life with no easy way out. What is her husband hiding? How does Lydia know? And in a world where everyone’s curating their own version of the truth, who can you really trust? Smart, sharp and laugh-out-loud funny, this novel will have you rethinking your own online life.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Think Victorians were all stiff collars and serious views? Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome will make you think again. Join friends J., George and Harris—along with the ever-opinionated dog Montmorency—as they set off on a boating holiday along the River Thames. What follows is a string of comic misadventures, petty squabbles and one unforgettable cheese-related disaster. And what’s even funnier? The book was originally meant to be a travel guide. Crack this novel open to step back into 1889 and see just how little human nature has really changed.
