Recommendations for funny, uplifting books please 🙏🏻

[CanineJesus]

I’ve recently read a few pretty heavy, depressing books (haven’t even finished one of them, gave up half way through) and I’m desperate to read something much lighter and funny. ‘Laugh on the train’ type of book.
any recommendations please? 🙏🏻

The Coach Trip

The Importance of Being Earnest recently made me laugh out loud. An oldie but a goodie.

The Red Dwarf books are very funny.

The Tent, The Bucket & Me by Emma Kennedy, absolutely brilliant, don't be put off if you've seen the BBC tv adaptation of this, it was rubbish but the book is fab.

Recycling Jimmy by Andy Tilley is also a very funny read.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.
A long short story about the Queen’s journey to becoming a discerning reader.
This Christmas I gave a couple of copies to friends who felt they’d lost their impetus in reading.
It’s expensive to buy a hard copy (30p a page?) but no doubt you can find it on Kindle or at the library.

Loved the uncommon reader / following for ideas

+1 for Small Bomb at Dimperley. I read it on a whim and it is absolutely great - funny, kind, thoughtful, silly and not a word wasted.

Jodi Taylor, St Mary's books. Not so much laugh out loud as generally funny and so well written

Agree with lots mentioned.
Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James is very funny

It’s non-fiction but all of the David Sedaris books make me laugh

Bridget jones and any Sophie Kinsella

I didn't realise that Jane Austen's Juvenilia were so funny. I found myself laughing aloud a lot when I first read them. Some of the stories reminded me of Daisy Ashford's The Young Visiters and JA's History of England also made me think of 1066 and All That. Her childhood work helped me understand the humour in her adult novels much more and that was an unexpected bonus - I had a bit of an 'ah ha' moment.

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny is very funny.

Ooh I’m saving this thread - it can be my new reading list!
I recommend Miss Petticrew Lives for a Day - a lovely lighthearted, happy book.

The Diary of a Provincial Lady is hilarious.

If you enjoy a bit of romance, I find Emily Henry's books are well written and have a bit more substance than some.

Oh yes I love her books well written and intelligent but also very funny

I second Diary of a Provincial Lady, also agree about Bill Bryson and Adrian Mole.

I would like to add Diary of a Nobody. Surprisingly little has changed about human behaviour and what we find amusing in the 130 odd years since it was written.

Angela Thirkell, don't know if anyone has mentioned her?

Yes! I remember thinking when I read it that it could have been written yesterday. So funny.

when I had exactly the same request someone pointed me to the Stephanie Plum series about a New Jersey bounty hunter. There are 30 plus and while quality drops a bit in later books, the first ones absolutely hit the brief. It starts with One for the Money.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka - very funny.

Great list. Also adding Bella Mackie, Caimh McDonnell - silly, fun and easy reads.

Mrs Benson's Beetle by Rachel Hodges (I think?)

Autobiography, not fiction, but a strong recommendation for the Moon’s a Balloon by David Niven. Old but genuinely funny and great classic Hollywood stories.

I will definitely be following these suggestions up!
Also, I too would strongly recommend The Tent, the Bucket and Me - hilarious.
Short stories by Saki - some of them are quite dark but they are very funny.

Oh yes, I’d forgotten! I loved High Rising and the descriptions of the son. 😂