Take Time to Laugh

Humorous Books and Short Stories That Can Be Read a Bit at a Time.

Nothing Will Lighten Your Day Like a Good Laugh!

 

 

Anthropology, by Dan Rhodes                                                                                                 203 p.

“Anthropology is a debut collection of 101 love stories, each 101 words long. Rhodes's method is to sketch a ready-made romantic drama and then push one of its elements past the point of absurdity. The form does not allow for in-depth character development…[but] this is not really a weakness, since the sudden deaths, betrayals, and other atrocities are described with a warped, deadpan humor that ties the stories together surprisingly well.” –Library Journal

 

Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups: Fairy-Tale Psychology, by Sue and Allen Gallehugh      150 p.

The authors retell favorite fairy-tales to illustrate principals of mental health.  Both laugh-out-loud funny and edifying, this book is a big improvement on the psychobabble found in many self-improvement books.

               

The Celibacy Club, by Janice Eidus                                                                                         199 p.

“These stories poke fun at the shallowness of Hollywood, mock the American obsession with

celebrity, and long for a lost childhood.”  --Novelist

 

The Color of the Wind: Fables for a New Age, by Theodore J. Nottingham                        107 p.

Though you could also read this book to children if you like, there is much for adult level enjoyment in these fresh tales that focus on our connection to the earth.

 

Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart                                                                                   272 p.

A lyrical portrait of a couple integrating themselves in a traditional community in the Alpujarra mountains of Andalucia, one of Europe's most beautiful regions. Stewart's writing conveys his amiability...He has a particularly good ear for dialogue. – Sunday Times

 

The Green, by Troon McAllister                                                                                               304 p.

“A laugh-out-loud take on big-time golfing, as a small-time hustler more than holds his own against the egos, bank balances, blood feuds, and beer guts of the international pros.”

--Kirkus Reviews

                                     

The Girlfriends’ Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood: Wise and Witty Advice on Everything from Coping with Postpartum Mood Swings to Salvaging Your Sex Life to Fitting into That Favortie Pair of Jeans, by Vicki Iovine                                                                                                                             288 p.

The lengthy title says it all.  Funny enough to be enjoyed even by those who aren’t new parents.

 

Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner                                                                                                400 p.

“From first-time novelist Jennifer Weiner comes a sharp-witted tale of one woman's struggle to come to terms with her larger-than-life self after her ex-boyfriend writes an intimate and embarrassing column about her in a popular national women's magazine.” –Bookbrowser

 

Guys In Suits, by Van Whitfield                                                                                                 272 p

“Two Washington, D.C., African-American men come to terms with their very average romantic prospects. Bus driver Simon and financial planner Stuart, Whitfield's two lovelorn Lotharios, are in their 30s now and ready to commit, but somehow the ladies aren't materializing.” –Publishers Weekly

 

It’s My &*%#! Birthday, by Merrill Markoe                                                                            192 p.

“On her thirty-sixth birthday, a Los Angeles high school art teacher reflects on her life and love affairs in a series of addresses written to herself on seven consecutive birthdays.” –Novelist

 

Keeping the Baby Alive Until Your Wife Gets Home: The Tough New ‘How-to’ for 21st Century Dads, by Walter Roark                                                                                                                                 160 p.

This book is tongue-in-cheek parenting advice written from the father’s point of view.  While honoring the difficulties faced by working parents raising kids, it also encourages parents to embrace their imperfections, stop being so serious, and enjoy their kids more.

 

Letters From a Nut, by Ted L. Nancy                                                                                          224 p.

Using the pseudonym, Ted L. Nancy, this modern folk hero peppers national publications, corporate bigwigs, politicians, celebrities and the industry that promotes them, with letters full of ridiculous commentary and outrageous requests.  Even funnier are the responses from those who take themselves way too seriously to see that he is joking.

 

Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked, by David Benjamin                                                    304 p.

Benjamin recounts tales of his youth and “whether one grows up in 1950’s Wisconsin [as he did] or in 1990’s California, many of the heights and lows of childhood are universal. He also possesses an acute, dry wit that illuminates his writing throughout, giving readers the world of childhood filtered through the adult mind.”  --Library Journal

 

Lucky Stars, by Jane Heller                                                                                                         352 p.

Stacey moves to Hollywood to escape her meddlesome mother and pursue an acting career.  She is horrified when her mother follows her, but can’t help doing a little meddling of her own when it is her mother who gains instant celebrity in a commercial and falls for a sleazy character.

 

Motel of the Mysteries, by David MacCauley                                                                              94 p.

An illustrated satire on the guesswork of archeology.  Our civilization is long destroyed when, in the year 4022, an archeological dig uncovers a second-rate motel that they decide is a relic of religious significance.

 

Moving Violations: Warzones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence,

by John Hockenberry                                                                                                                     282 p

Revealing and funny autobiographical stories from the wheelchair-bound journalist are collected in this volume.  They move from the personal to the professional, covering family secrets as well as his life as a National Public Radio and ABC correspondent.

 

Naked, by David Sedaris                                                                                                               291 p. 

“This collection of biographical stories from playwright and National Public Radio commentator Sedaris are at times heartwarming, poignant, sad, and laugh-out-loud funny” --Library Journal.

 

The Nanny Diaries, by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus                                                  352 p.

The authors’ own experience as nannies was used to create this parody of lifestyles of the wealthy in New York City.  Making money as a nanny while getting a degree in child development, Nan’s main responsibility seems to be to make sure her pampered mistress’s day goes smoothly.

 

Oy Joy, by Lucy Frank                                                                                                                   277 p.

”Although her ailing uncle creates problems for her whole family when he moves in with them, Joy survives his bungling attempts a matchmaking even as she plays the game herself.” –Novelist

 

Revenge off the Middle-Aged Woman, by Elizabeth Buchan                                                    352 p.

“Happy for 25 years, Rose watches aghast as both her career and her marriage suddenly go down the drain.” –Library Journal  “A wry and elegant tale about a woman of a certain age fighting back and winning unexpected victories”. –Kirkus Reviews

 

Seventh Son, by Orson Scott Card                                                                                                256 p.

This fantasy is the first in the Alvin Maker Series by this author better known for his award-winning science fiction.  Card creates an alternative American frontier where Native Americans remain powerful and folk magic shapes events.

 

Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character, by Richard Philips Feynman as told to Ralph Leighton                                                                                                                                350 p.

Anecdotal autobiograpy of this Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was also a bongo player, a practical joker, and a loving family man.

 

Wake Up, I’m Fat! by Camryn Manheim                                                                                     304 p.

The author is an Emmy Award-winning actress and “an "in-your-face" advocate for fat acceptance who practices what she preaches by challenging standards of beauty in her life and work.  Her confrontational style is abrasive, at times shrill, but she gets her point across in anecdotes that are alternately hilarious and harrowing.” –Library Journal

 

The Whore’s Child and Other Stories, by Richard Russo                                                         240 p.

Readers who the Pulitzer-winning Empire Falls won't be able to resist this first collection of seven stories by the Maine novelist.  It's a wonderful distillation of Russo's gifts for crystal-clear narration, subtle character portrayal, and irrepressible humor. –Kirkus Reviews

 

 

As noted, some of the review material is taken from these sources:

 

Bookbrowser – Reviews written by the editors of this Barnes and Nobles Search Engine

available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bookbrowser/Welcome.asp?

 

Kirkus Reviews – A literature review publication.

 

Library Journal – This trade publication contains reviews written by practicing librarians.

 

Novelist – A subscription database available in our Electronic Resources

 

Publishers Weekly – A trade journal review source.

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