Books that actually made you LOL? Maybe not strictly Adult Fiction I know...

[LowLevelWhinging]

I'm currently exhausting David Sedaris' opus and I'm going to be so sad when I've finished them!


After having a baby and doing a uni course, I've found it really difficult to find the time/inclination to get stuck into a book and have ditched many. Sedaris' books have got me back into reading as they're just funny and charming, interesting and intelligent. And of course made me LOL many a time.

Any suggestions of what to read next please?

[Phineyj]

David Lloyd? Hmm, I think my subconscious is hot and wants to go swimming. David Lodge.

[Phineyj]

Ooh! Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City. Enjoyable, funny and very compatible with lack of time/short attention span as written in short chunks (originally it was a newspaper column).

[EugenesAxe]

Parker - yes! You are right. I just read Martin Chuzzlewit and found that incredibly droll; I definitely did LOL.

I forgot Terry Pratchett (I find you have to know what he's taking the piss out of, but hilarious if you do. My favourite was a book opening that parodied The War of the Worlds: 'No one would have believed, in the last years of the Century of the Fruitbat...'); I will add the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series that I also forgot.

[highlandcoo]

Yy to Three Men in a Boat.

Another old classic : Diary of a Nobody. A must for anyone who hasn't discovered it yet.

And I know Kingsley Amis was a misogynistic old fart but the scene in Lucky Jim when he realises what he's done to the bedroom makes me laugh just thinking about it. Must reread soon.

[bruffin]

Derec Longdens autobiographies he sadly died last month

[EstelleGetty]

Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh had me struggling to contain myself on the bus!

And John Waters' essay collection Role Models is cracking me up right now.

[LottieJenkins]

Oh no! I didn't realise Derec Longden had died............. He was soooooooooo funny! Such an amazing man too. Marrying Eileen after Diana died. I loved the cat in the fridge story!

[bigTillyMint]

A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon.

[bruffin]

Lottie
I only found out when i googled his name for this thread .I can never remember how to spell his name [embarrassed]. His books are so funny yet so sad as well. For some reason the long legged cat really tickled me and I cried with laughter.

[Cremolafoam]

I'm reading 'Capital' by John Lanchester which is a beautifully observed book about the residents of one street in London. I've been snorting out loud rather a lot. Well written and vair funny/ bittersweet .

Any of the marina lewycka books make me lol
Lewycka here

[CelticPromise]

Yy Lucky Jim. Hilarious.

[SparkyTGD]

Was going to say Marina Lewycka too Cremola, "A Short History of Tractors.." funniest I think, Two Caravans bit more serious.

[Galaxymum]

There are some great suggestions in this thread - I read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series a few years ago and now feeling very tempted to reread them. I just read a Catherine Alliott book A Rural Affair and felt so cheered by having a giggle in the sunshine as I read, I'm now considering some different authors for a good read. I've never read Bill Bryson so going to check out his books.

I really enjoyed Clare Balding's book - I had a a good laugh at her observations.

A Rural Affair by Catherine Alliott made me laugh out loud at her observations of country life.

[Hamwidge]

Yy to Bill Bryson. Do check you pick a light hearted one as some are more serious than others (A Short History.. etc)

[ChillieJeanie]

Terry Pratchett is wonderful, although my favourite of his - Night Watch - isn't really a laugh out loud one, I don't think. Another vote for Jasper Fforde, and I'll throw in Ben Aaronovitch with his Rivers of London books too.

Actually, the last book that had me literally crying with laughter was Jon Holmes' <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Star-Babylon-Jaw-dropping-ebook/dp/B002RI9VR6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374610359&sr=8-1&keywords=rock%20star%20babylon&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Rock Star Babylon. The story of Ozzy Osbourne filming the video of Miracle Man, complete with church, altar, and 1,000 pigs had me doubled over and gasping for breath.

[redacted]

Three Men in a Boat is absolute genius.

Also PG Wodehouse - especially the Jeeves and Wooster ones, e.g. 'Right Ho Jeeves'

I love all the Rumpole of the Bailey stories but may be funnier if you are a lawyer or know any

[bigbuttons]

I found 'a spot of bother' to be one of the most tedious and depressing books i have read!

[Primadonnagirl]

Just finished Where d'you go Bernadette and The Supremes at Earls All you Can eat...posted about them before brilliantly clever and funny

[Frikonastick]

Lisa Lutz's the Spellman Files series is very very funny.
Christopher Brookmyre is funny and anarchic especially pandemonium
The early Stephanie plums are fabulous. Although I still happily read the later ones.
And Jim butcher is quite funny too, if you like fantasy.

[spex11]

Try this one ..
www.amazon.co.uk/Mission-Mongolia-Two-Turning-Back/dp/1849530599/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

...some genuine 'loud out loud' moments!

[spex11]

..ooops, I meant 'laugh out loud'!

[ThursdayLast]

You can probably gues from my username that I'm a Fforde fan! But also wanted to recommend Christopher Moore...he's like an American version of JF, with strange ideas that are so well written you accept them without question. I started with 'A Dirty Job' and loved it.
Also, if you like dark humour and Christopher Brookmyre is up your street I cannot recommend Colin Bateman highly enough! The Dan Starky series is a little dated now, but if you wanted to try him, Mystery Man is more current. For some reason they started marketing him as just Bateman a few years ago...terribly poncey, his books are better than that implies!

[ThursdayLast]

Oh yes, and I agree with early Stephanie Plum books too..I haven't bothered past 13.

[millersangels]

Lets pretend it never happened by Jenny Lawson had me weeping with laughter at my desk one day.

[awaynboilyurheid]

good characters in the Stephanie plum books that can make you laugh out loud.