Funny books are my jam. Plenty of people cover sappy romance and dragon-slaying fantasy novels. I hunt down humor books across multiple genres. And I’ve read a lot of them.
Some are mildly amusing. Many earn a polite chuckle. But every once in a while, a book actually makes me laugh.
The list below includes some of the most humorous books I’ve come across.
This list includes 50 funny books that scored the highest on my completely scientific Hilarity Score. Some are books by comedians, some are funny memoirs, and others are humor essays and stories that simply turned out to be hilarious.
Yes, I’ve personally read every single one of them. No A.I. generated list here! (Although A.I. told me to say that.)
If you’re looking for books that are actually funny, this is a good place to start.
Just so you know – I may earn an affiliate commission if you click a link from my site and purchase a product. Don’t worry, it won’t cost you anything extra! Hopefully, I’ll rack up enough commission to treat myself to a coffee someday—nothing fancy, just a plain small coffee from a gas station on the edge of town. Thanks for supporting the blog!
Quick Picks: Funny Books for Different Moods
Not sure where to start? Try one of these depending on your mood.
Funniest Book by a Comedian
Big Dumb Eyes — Nate Bargatze
Funniest Parenting Book
Dad Is Fat — Jim Gaffigan
Funniest Essay Collection
Calypso — David Sedaris
Funniest Book About Mental Health
Furiously Happy — Jenny Lawson
Funniest Midwestern Humor
The Midwestern Survival Guide — Charlie Berens
Funniest Sports Humor
Who’s Your Caddy? — Rick Reilly
Funniest Travel Misadventure
Raw Dog — Jamie Loftus
Best Clean Funny Book
Essays Out of Left Field — Scott Johnson
(I wrote this book. Yes, you can still trust the rest of this list.)
Top 5 Most Humorous Books I’ve Read
Big Dumb Eyes — Nate Bargatze
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze shares stories about family, growing up in Tennessee, and the everyday life. Clean comedy at its finest. Nate is one of my comedy heroes.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Calypso — David Sedaris
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
David Sedaris delivers razor-sharp essays about family, aging, and awkward life moments with his signature dry humor. The reigning king of humor essays.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review (coming soon)
Congratulations, The Best Is Over — R. Eric Thomas
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A funny and heartfelt essay collection about growing up, faith, relationships, and navigating adulthood. Deliciously snarky and hilarious. I love me some humor essays!
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Dad Is Fat — Jim Gaffigan
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comedian Jim Gaffigan offers a hilarious take on parenting, marriage, and raising five kids in a small New York apartment. One of the best comedians out there (in my humble, but correct opinion.)
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Furiously Happy — Jenny Lawson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jenny Lawson blends absurd humor with honest reflections on mental health and life’s strange moments. Unhinged hilarity. Love funny memoirs? You might also like my list of funny memoirs that actually made me laugh.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
45 More Funny Books Worth Reading
Little Victories — Jason Gay
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sportswriter Jason Gay delivers ridiculous and insightful essays about parenting, sports, and everyday life. Ridiculous humor connected with me in the first few paragraphs.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
My Squirrel Days — Ellie Kemper
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star shares quirky stories from her childhood, career, and awkward moments. Charmingly goofy.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult — Maria Bamford
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comedian Maria Bamford explores belonging, mental health, and life’s strange communities with her unique voice. Bamford is so weird. And I mean that as the highest compliment. A truly funny comedian memoir.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Birdie and Harlow — Taylor Wolfe
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A humorous and heartfelt look at life’s unpredictable moments and relationships. My favorite book I read in 2025!
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Bossypants — Tina Fey
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tina Fey recounts her path from improv comedy to Saturday Night Live and television success. Everyone’s read this by now, right?
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review (coming soon)
Broken — Jenny Lawson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jenny Lawson returns with more hilarious essays about anxiety, awkward encounters, and everyday absurdities.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Essays Out of Left Field — Scott Johnson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clean, observational humor about sports, family life, and the everyday adventures of a Midwestern dad. I wrote this book. And this is my blog. So yes, I am entitled to adding my own book to my own list. If you like wholesome humor, check out my list of clean funny books.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Learn more
Food: A Love Story — Jim Gaffigan
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jim Gaffigan’s comedic love letter to food, snacks, and the strange ways people eat. Say it with me now, “Hot Pockets!”
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Here For It — R. Eric Thomas
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A witty essay collection about identity, faith, pop culture, and navigating modern life.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Holidays on Ice — David Sedaris
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sedaris delivers hilariously dark holiday essays, including his famous story about working as a Macy’s elf. In the holiday spirit? Check out more funny Christmas books.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety — Zachary Auburn
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A ridiculous satire offering serious “advice” about explaining complex topics to your cat. Short read. But I couldn’t keep this gem off the list.
📦 Check price on Bookshop.org
👉 Read my full review
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened — Jenny Lawson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jenny Lawson’s wildly funny memoir about growing up in rural Texas and embracing life’s weirdness. More Jenny. When I read her next book, it will be on this list too.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review (coming soon)
Raw Dog — Jamie Loftus
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jamie Loftus takes readers on a bizarre and hilarious road trip across America in pursuit of the nation’s best hot dog. Yes, you read that right. This one landed in my list of funny books about travel.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Sh*t My Dad Says — Justin Halpern
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A collection of blunt, hilarious advice and commentary from the author’s outspoken father. From famous Twitter feed to book, to (eventually canceled) TV show.
📦 Check price on Bookshop.org
👉 Read my full review
The Midwestern Survival Guide — Charlie Berens
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Charlie Berens celebrates the quirks and traditions of Midwestern life with affectionate humor. As a Midwestern guy, all of Berens’ bits resonate with me.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Toddlers Are A**holes — Bunmi Laditan
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A brutally honest and funny look at the chaos of raising toddlers.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Walking With Sam — Andrew McCarthy
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Actor Andrew McCarthy reflects on fatherhood while hiking the Camino de Santiago with his son. One of my all time favorite books!
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Who’s Your Caddy? — Rick Reilly
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sportswriter Rick Reilly caddies for famous golfers and shares hilarious stories from the course. I always wanted to be Rick Reilly (or at least have his job.) It’s a fantastic book for golf fans.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
A Guide to Midwestern Conversation — Taylor Kay Phillips
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
A humorous guide to the unspoken rules and phrases of Midwestern communication. More Midwestern humor. I’m probably biased.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank — Erma Bombeck
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Classic suburban humor from legendary columnist Erma Bombeck. Bombeck likely influenced many other authors on this list.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up — Kelly Williams Brown
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A humorous survival guide for navigating adulthood and responsibilities. Easy read. Funny graphics. Target audience is young 20-something women. But surprisingly great advice for old Dads like me.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Home to Harmony — Philip Gulley
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gentle humor and small-town charm in this warmhearted novel set in Indiana. Sneaky pick. You’ve probably never heard of this one. But this is the first book in a series (8 books) of “Harmony” adventures. It became my favorite book series and Gulley one of my favorite authors. Learn more about the Harmony series here.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
How You Ruined My Life — Jeff Strand
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A punk rocker deals with the chaotic return of a troublemaking cousin in this funny YA novel. Maybe it shows my maturity level, but I found it hilarious.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
If You Can’t Take the Heat — Geraldine DeRuiter
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A humorous travel memoir about food, culture, feminism, sexism, and misadventures around the world. I’m just a dude. What do I know about female empowerment?
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? — Mindy Kaling
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mindy Kaling shares funny stories about her childhood, career, and life in comedy.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Me Talk Pretty One Day — David Sedaris
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sedaris writes about family, language learning, and awkward life experiences.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Misfit — Gary Gulman
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comedian Gary Gulman reflects on growing up, mental health, and finding his voice in stand-up. One of my favorite books ever – full stop. (Actually, don’t stop, keep reading…) I’ve read a lot of hilarious books about mental health.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Paddle Your Own Canoe — Nick Offerman
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Parks and Recreation star shares stories and life advice in his trademark deadpan style.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Skipping Christmas — John Grisham
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A couple tries to skip Christmas entirely, leading to comedic chaos in their neighborhood. Yes, that John Grisham. He writes humor sometimes.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The Bassoon King — Rainn Wilson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The actor behind Dwight Schrute shares stories from his unconventional life and career. Funny bonus points for this one because I listened to the audiobook. Wilson is one of several actors from The Office who wrote books!
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The Downhill Lie — Carl Hiaasen
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Carl Hiaasen recounts his frustrating return to golf after decades away from the sport. Same guy that writes funny YA books (Hoot, Squirm, Chomp.) Do you like books about golf?
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The Incomplete Book of Running — Peter Sagal
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A humorous look at the joys and struggles of becoming a lifelong runner. Do you like books about running?
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World — Fredrik Backman
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A heartfelt and humorous letter from a father to his young son. Same guy who wrote A Man Called Ove.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
What in the World?! — Leanne Morgan
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Comedian Leanne Morgan shares funny observations about family, marriage, and Southern life. Trust me – listen to the audiobook on this one. That Southern drawl is delightful.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Wink — Rob Harrell
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A middle-grade novel blending humor and heart as a boy faces a medical challenge. Heartwrenching, but funny. More funny YA books here.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
It’s All Relative — A.J. Jacobs
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐½
Jacobs investigates his massive extended family tree in this humorous exploration of genealogy.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The Year of Living Biblically — A.J. Jacobs
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐½
A journalist attempts to follow every rule in the Bible for an entire year.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
A Walk in the Woods — Bill Bryson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Bryson attempts to hike the Appalachian Trail and documents the misadventure.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
Born a Crime — Trevor Noah
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Trevor Noah recounts his childhood growing up in apartheid South Africa. Everyone has read this one by now, right? Didn’t rank as high in the “hilarity score” for me, but the overall book awesomness was 5 stars.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
I Feel Bad About My Neck — Nora Ephron
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Nora Ephron reflects on aging, relationships, and life with wit and honesty.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
In a Sunburned Country — Bill Bryson
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Bryson explores Australia with humor, curiosity, and plenty of misadventures.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review (coming soon)
Rage Against the Minivan — Kristen Howerton
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Essays about parenting, family life, and the chaos of raising kids. Want more funny books for Moms?
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You — Elyse Myers
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
A collection of funny and relatable stories from the popular internet creator. Find her on Tiktok if you don’t know Elyse Myers yet.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
The World’s Worst Assistant — Sona Movsesian
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Conan O’Brien’s assistant shares hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from her career.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review
This American Woman — Zarna Garg
Hilarity Score: ⭐⭐⭐
Comedian Zarna Garg shares her journey from arranged marriage to stand-up comedy.
📦 Check price on Amazon
👉 Read my full review (coming soon)
More Funny Book Lists
- My Favorite Humor Essay Books
- Funny Memoirs That Actually Made Me Laugh
- Books by Comedians
- Clean Funny Books Worth Reading
- Funny Books for Parents
If you think I missed a hilarious book, let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for the next funny read.
And if you strongly disagree with one of these picks… you’re welcome to complain about that too. Just be prepared to defend your choice with something actually funny!
