TTT: Top 10 Books That Cracked Me Up

Copyright : The Broke and the Bookish
Copyright : The Broke and the Bookish

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) was too awesome to resist! I love to laugh, as I’ve mentioned before, and there is nothing better than a funny book. Well, except a book that is funny AND really well written. On the other hand, I tend to laugh at things that *shouldn’t* be funny. Morbid humor, parody, and sarcasm = me in a nutshell.

Top 10 Books That Cracked Me Up (with gifs, because, why not?)

1. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

It goes without saying that any Terry Pratchett book is hilarious. And while Reaper Man made me laugh pretty hard, only Monstrous Regiment has made me laugh so hard I cried. If you have ever read a fantasy (or historical fiction) novel with the heroine disguised as a man, then at least part of this book will make you laugh. After all, it’s mainly about a group of women, disguised as men. Oh, and half of the women are also monsters, disguised as human. And there is one man, by the way, and he’s the only one who convinces anyone he’s a woman when they’re all, you guessed it, disguised as women later on. Confused yet?

2. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl’s drama was one thing that is consistent with both movie and book

Another obvious one – but it’s that funny. From Howl’s dramatic antics, to Sophie’s asides, there’s a reason I reread this one when I’m having a bad day. All of Jones’ novels are pretty funny, but the only one that comes close to HMC’s level of hilarity is The Dark Lord of Derkholm. If you haven’t read it – it’s a parody of fantasy novels, that is a fantasy novel, that manages to make some very good points along the way.

*pathetic*

3. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

One of the parts in the movie that was accurate

While the movie was pretty funny (if rather foul-mouthed), the book is about 50 thousand times more hilarious (and heartbreaking – but equally foul-mouthed). Pat is one of the most interesting, sweet, silly, and unique narrators of any adult novel. He had me alternating between laughing and crying so many times that it was a testament to Matthew Quick’s skill as a writer. Never has Kenny G been so funny, yet so freaky . . .

Another pretty accurate part ;P

4. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Despite the fact that Brosh is (also) sometimes a little foul-mouthed for me, there’s no denying that Hyperbole and a Half is hysterical. From the odd little drawings to the endless musings on the perfection of cake, these comics are relatable and laugh-out-loud funny.

And yes – Brosh is the source of this meme

5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This might not be the obvious Gaiman pick, but it made me laugh the hardest. From the sly observations, to the cheeky prose, The Graveyard Book walks the fine line between hilarious and chilling. It’s also heartwarming, despite the fact that most of the characters are ghosts.

6. Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

-That feeling when you die before the save point-

Before there was Sword Art Online, there was a snide little book about a teenage girl who got stuck in a VR fantasy world. She also had to win to escape – but it was a lot less glamorous. Heir Apparent was another book I picked up on vacation when I was a teenager. It’s not the most profound or best written book ever, but it’s still just as funny. Look out for a hilarious parody of every fantasy character type ever. My particular favorite is Sister Mary Ursula – the mystic devotee of everything, who spends a lot of time yakking about becoming one with, uhm, everything. But there are warrior girls in impractical outfits, dangerous princes, deadly barbarians, and lots, and lots, of failures as the heroine tries to beat a ridiculous game.

7. Every book in the Squire’s Tales Series by Gerald Morris

I referenced The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf in a previous list – and while that book is hilarious, the rest of the series is also very funny. From trope trolling to much-needed sense in the King Arthur narrative, Morris does a fantastic job of retelling these stories. There are fairies, knights in disguise, knights who take vows of silence (which he talks about endlessly), and loads of fair (?) maidens. There are sword fights and romances, and lots of absurd lines. Why haven’t you read one yet?

It’s like if the funniest bits of Monty Python were collected in a less crude book

8. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

I’ve mentioned how much I love this play before, so I’ll be brief: it’s really funny, and you should read it often. And the movie versions are all pretty good!

He isn’t in love – he has a toothache. Obviously.

9. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

Imagine waking up with no memory, surrounded by bodies, with a strange letter telling you that you were a high-level supernatural operative, and someone wants you dead. That’s exactly what happens to Myfanwy Thomas. It doesn’t sound funny – but it’s the start of a hilarious yet suspenseful adventure yarn that is also one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. The part where they try to read the oracle – SO FUNNY! Better still, the sequel FINALLY comes out this June!!

10. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Ohhhh Haru . . .

The anime is funny, but the manga is even better. The characters range from quirky to downright terrifying – but they’re all pretty hilarious. It’s amazing how mangas can jump from cute to terrifying to hilarious to crazy and back again in a matter of pages . . .

Honorable mentions – The Time Paradox, Piratica, Adulthood is a Myth, Naruto, The Thief, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness . . .

Have you read any of these books, or do you plan to read them? What is one of the funniest books you’ve ever read?

Author: Beck

A writer who has been doing a lot of other things along the way Currently working on my Korean fluency and editing/writing/refining dozens of novels I love music almost more than I love food #BTSARMY

13 thoughts on “TTT: Top 10 Books That Cracked Me Up”

  1. I haven’t read any of these books… although I’ve seen the Silver Linings Playbook movie. But that doesn’t count, right? *blushes*

    Someone else just recommended Howl’s Moving Castle along with DWJ’s Fire & Hemlock to me. So they’re both on my wishlist now.

    I don’t know if I can come up with 10 books that have made me laugh… but three in recent memory that made me laugh until it hurt were both of Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller books and Andy Weir’s The Martian.

    Also, the sheer amount of awesome GIFs in this post is almost too much to handle. *lol* MONTY PYTHON!!

    1. The movie *was* funny. It just wasn’t as funny as the book. If you liked the movie at all, you’d probably enjoy the book a lot more. And hey, at least you knew what I was talking about!!

      READ DWJ. Seriously, she’s funny and clever and so, so British. Fire & Hemlock could probably fit into your TKC research too.

      I almost put down The Wise Man’s Fear, but it didn’t make me laugh as much as the above^^, but it still got me laughing pretty hard.

      Thanks! The gifs were making ME laugh as I added them, so I figured it worked, 😛 And oooh, Monty Python. Being the big King Arthur nut that I am, there are parts of MP that make me almost-cry with laughter just *thinking* about them!!

      1. I’ll have to check out the Silver Linings Playbook novel, then. I don’t typically read contemporaries, but since I liked the movie, I’ll probably like the book, too. 🙂

        Really? So there are fairies or Fey in Fire & Hemlock?

        “We are the Knights who say….. NI!” XD XD

        1. I really loved the book, and I normally don’t like contemporaries, so I’d give it a chance if I were you 🙂

    1. Thanks Giovanna! I’ll go check out your list 🙂

      The Silver Linings Playbook was funny, wasn’t it! I actually listened to an audiobook, which was almost funnier. The narrator had Pat down so well.

      Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  2. Oh I so adore your list!! ? Neil Gaiman’s style of humour IS SO AMAZING. I adored The Graveyard Book!! And Coraline (Although that one isn’t so much funny? But still awesome) and Good Omens had ME IN STITCHES BASICALLY. Eeeeep! And I loved The Silver Linings movie so I definitely need to read the book. (I’m kind of ashamed I saw the movie first, merrrp, don’t tell the bookworms!) ANDI MUST READ HYBERBOLE AND A HALF SOMEDAY. Her comics are terrific. ?

    1. Coraline IS TOO FUNNY. It’s also creepy. But I laughed out loud an awful lot.

      Yes – read Silver Linings – it’s hilarious!! And you should also read Hyperbole and a Half. Pick a really bad afternoon, one where you’re really frustrated, and read it then. Instant mood shift 😉

      Thanks for stopping by!

    1. Yes – they’re all good picks for a dreary day or when you’re feeling down. Tell me if you DO read them 🙂
      Thanks for stopping by!

  3. The gifs–the gifs in this are awesome, Rebekah! XD

    *Ahem* so on to books. I haven’t read any of these yet (smacks forehead) but I added Monstrous Regiment and The Rook, and I still need to get around to Fruits Basket.

    I haven’t read many books that have made me laugh to the point of tears, but Going Postal was one that did come close!

    1. Fruits Basket is a crazy bag of cats – but I laughed so hard I cried, so there.

      Thanks – by now, I think we all know how I collect silly gifs . . . I have a problem

      Thanks for reading/stopping by – and tell me if you do get around to reading any of these!

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