Recommendations for really funny books

[christie2]

I got from mumsnet the link to the top 20 BBC recommended funniest books and read alot of them. And they were, funny, more often ironic or wry humour, sometimes dark. More like the ricky Gervais "The Office" kind of funny. Brilliant, but I was looking for laugh out loud funny without the darkside. Any recommendations??? It has been a tough year and I need a good but light belly laugh.Chick lit is ok as long as it is heavy on funny and light on romance.

Try a Bill Bryson book. I laughed my way through 'Notes from a small Island'

I second Bill Bryson ..real laugh out loud funny

Another vote here for Bill Bryson. I always reread them when things feel dull - and I still laugh out loud even when I know what is coming!
Can't recall which book it is but my absolute favourite laugh-out-loud moment is when he is stuck in a queue with loads of old folk and he copes with the situation by reminding himself that at least they will all be dead soon! Of course, he puts the whole thing better!

Do go for the travel books though and not the non-fiction stuff on language or science. Great as those are, they are not ha ha funny!

This is non-fiction but had me in tears of laughter - Shit My Dad Says - Justin Halpern.

Fiction - Starter for Ten was cringingly funny
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
James Herriot

I read 'The Tent, the bucket and me' by Emma Kennedy recently and at one point was laughing so much - albeit silently as we were in bed - that my shaking shoulders alone managed to wake DH.

I tried to read him out another particlarly funny bit and we both ended up crying we were laughing so much.

I highly recommend it - especially if you ever went camping as a child.

www.amazon.co.uk/Tent-Bucket-Me-Emma-Kennedy/dp/0091926785

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. As well as being extremely amusing, a brilliant story.

French Revolutions by Tim Moore. I force copies of this on everyone I meet. Don't bother with his other books (sorry TM).

OK also personally The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford - chick lit of another era.

David Sedaris

saw the title of this thread and was about to post french Revolutions and saw maktaitai had beaten me to it, so I'll just totally agree with them - it's brilliant

Stuart Maconie 'Pies and Prejudice' amd 'Cider with Roadies.'

India Knight - Don't you want me.Snortingly funny.
Rafaella Barker - Hens Dancing or Summertime

Agree with the Nancy Mitford

I like Stephen Fry's novels, the earlier ones are more fun IMHO.

Bill Bryson crossing a road in Paris, it hurt

The Thought Gang is a kind of funny

some really silly Colin Bateman novels starting with Divorcing Jack

Laugh out loud funny without any kind of darkness? Has to be "The Timewaster Letters" by Robin Cooper. Not a novel but a collection of spoof letters and their responses that were really sent to publishers. Utterly uttterly hilarious.

Another Tim Moore fan here but must disagree with you maktaitai - Frost On My Moustache is the pinnacle of his achievements IMO. French Revolutions also great and Continental Drifter, although I think you need to read Frost first to get the flavour of his humour.

I've read FOMM many times and it still makes me laugh almost until I am sick.

Confessions Of A Failed Southern Lady is hilarious. I've lent (and lost) three copies so far.

Didn't get on with A Fraction Of The Whole at all, but it does have some very amusing moments.

Gabriel's Angel by Mark A Radcliffe.
Very VERY funny

David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day.

Gay man who writes about his (true) life stories which are just brilliant. Really endearing and absolutely hilarious. His life really has been a crazy rollercoaster and some of the stuff that has happened really has to be written down to be believed!

Terry Pratchett if you've a bent for the fantasy, the earlier books such as Men at Arms and Feet of Clay.

Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide goes without saying.

PG Wodehouse is always worth a good laugh if you like period books.

Also second Nancy Mitford Love in a Cold Climate.

Having just read Bryson's 'Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' I'd recommend you don't tackle the passage about his granny and the liquorice sweets if you have a weak heart or respiratory problems....

i find the Jasper Fforde 'Thursday Next' books very funny...

I second PG Wodehouse - pure lightness and fluff.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian I remember being very funny (sequels not quite so much though)

Def agree A Short history of tractors in Ukranian, very funny at times, had me really annoying DP by reading out parts of it to him

Clive James Unreliable Memoirs or Memories.. not sure which. I laughed out loud and often had to put the book down I was laughing so much. Just very, very funny. So much better than his programmes on the box.

For chicklit that is at least as much humour as romance you could try Trisha Ashley's "Good Husband Material" It is one of her earlier book I think but still my favourite.

The funniest thing I read recently was one of DD's books - "Spud" by John van de Ruit (or something like that)

Oh and another Bryson fan here.

Bridget Jones's Diary can still make me snort hysterically - can read opening bits here.

James Herriot's vet books: If Only They Could Talk, All Creatures Great & Small etc are brilliant, really properly funny (although there are saddish bits too, but "the cow died" type sad, rather than "and I realised my life was shallow and meaningless" type sad :)).

Billy Bryson - the opening chapter of Notes From a Small Island made me weep with laughter. Notes From A Big Country which is a collection of articles is great too, snapshots of life in America, each one quite short but very funny.

Taking The Devil's Advice by Anne Fine is bloody wonderful too - about a philosopher who goes back to live with his ex, her partner and their kids while he writes his autobiography. Gave it to my brother and he's still talking about it :)