Can anyone recommend a decent funny book?

[dalek]

I fabcy something that makes me laugh - or at least chuckle - any suggestions?

TIA
x

No I Dont Want To Join A Bookclub
about getting older. V funny.

Matt Beaumont - E
and 'The E before Christmas'
and 'the book, the film, the t-shirt'
very funny, especially if you've ever worked in an office.

Mavis Cheek - Janice Gentle gets Sexy or any of hers are a nice read and got some real funny bits in them.

Ben Elton books always make me laugh

I once read a book called Does my Bum Look Big in This? - it looks like a chic lit one but it's really funny - think it might have been by Arabella Weir

The Star's Tennis Balls - Stephen Fry also made me laugh.

Cold Comfort Farm

I really HATED that book by stephen fry...if its the one I'm thinking of...hated it so much it was about the only book I've ever binned. if it was funny it was way too black for me. Not what I'd recommend for a 'chuckle' anyhow!

I did like his one where someone went back to prevent Hitler being born - can't remember what that was called.

Making History -- that wasn't exactly a laugh-a-minute, though (although it was good and did have some darkly comic moments).

I don't like Stephen Fry's novels much, but his autobiography Moab Is My Washpot is excellent. I laughed and cried (not at the same time).

I'm seconding both Jasper Fforde and Christopher Brookmyre. They are both fantastic and hilarious and I haven't read a book by either of them that I didn't love. I've now read all of their books many times and none of them lose anything in repetition, iyswim.

Jasper Fforde is surrealistic, has two different series going: Tuesday Next (literary in a way you would not believe) and Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crime Division (even more surrealistic, whodunnits)

Christopher Brookmyre: crime novels, with generally hilariously incompetent criminals, quite political, very funny.

I've got a Christopher Brookmyre on the bookshelf - might give that a go next then.

Keep your suggestions coming though - I love hearing other people's likes and dislikes in books.

And god created the aupair
Gods in Alabama by Joshlyn Jackson

William Sutcliffe Are You Experienced?
Clive James Unreliable Memoirs
Ursula Bentley The Natural Order

would second:

Bill Bryson
Jasper Fforde
Pratchett
Are you Dave Gorman (Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace) - bought it just cos liked the cover and I don't think I have laughed so much at a book in years.

Mark HAddon 'a spot of bother' was fab too.

Loved 'My moab is my washpot' (stephen fry) but really hated the novels of his I read - didn't get past the first couple of chapters which is unheard of for me.

Just finished Spike Milligan's war diaries (again), they are good and if you find Spike funny then you will love them, if you don't click witht htat sense of humour then you won't.

Lorrie Moore makes me laugh. Who Will Run the Frog Hospital made me fall off the bed laughing.

If you like pratchett style fantasy stuff, then Tom HOlt is worth a try as well. Very funny.

'Under the Frog' by Tibor Fischer. Its premise does not sound hilarious, I grant you (it's set in Communist Hungaryin the 50s), but it's very funny. If you like black comedy.

Jonathan Coe 'What a carve Up' is also very very good.

I like Janet Evanovich, Christopher Brookmyre, Marian Keyes - they all make me laugh.

I also laughed at Tony Hawks' books - Quite droll and witty.

I have just read "Just a disco on an open-top bus" by Candy Guard who also wrote the Dolly Pond sketches which was great.

Also "The Fishfinger Years" by Fiona Gibson.

PG Wodehouse of course
Melissa Banks :the wonder spot" and "the girl's guide to hunting and fishing"
if you like him as a director, Woody Allen complete prose is great

Terry Prachett is wonderful, I just giggle through these books.
Janet Evanovitch
David Mitchell, Black Swan Green made me smile and squirm (probably wrong literary reaction)

There is a section in the library 827 in the Dewey Decimal System that has humourous writing. there are usually some hidden gems.
In the biography section there might be some lesser known writers to amuse you.

I have cried over Lilian Beckwith's writing about her life in the Scottish Isles, though I suspect it may be rather dated.

The supreme funny book for me is Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in A boat..I giggle, snort and insist upon reading aloud the funny bits to DP who just not get it, but does get extremely irate...

I picked up a copy of it yesterday as mine is so scruffy, i'll just get it....listen to this bit about the dead dog....
Listen..'it was one of the the most quietest and peacefulest dogs I have ever seen.....no honestly, it's really funny..go on..listen to this bit.....

For books that actually make you laugh out loud try the Carl Hiaasen novels

Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart and Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks both made me laugh. Good if you like travel books...

Anything by Marian Keyes, very light easy reading chick-lit, i love her

How to Talk to a Widower, don't remember the author, but library or Amazon will have it.

I second Cold Comfort Farm but must also add Round Ireland with a FRidge by Tony Hawks

It was recommended to me on here and I loved it.