4 Brilliant Books For Readers Who Want to Laugh Out Loud

“A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.” —Madeleine L’Engle 

Have you ever wanted to read a book that makes you laugh? Not just smile, but laugh out loud, maybe even ROFL?

If so, the following books will hit the spot. Here, we have a sci-fi-fantasy story about a high-tech heist, a mistaken-identity romp involving Regency-era fops, a life-or-death survival story with hilarious monologues, plus a book poking fun at bookworms like ourselves. Keep reading to find out more 🙂

Artemis Fowl 3: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

“I never tell anyone exactly how clever I am. They would be too scared.” — Artemis Fowl 3: The Eternity Code

Artemis Fowl 3: The Eternity Code is one of the rare books that almost literally had me rolling-on-the-floor-laughing, and did so even when I re-read it, several times. This is the fantasy-adventure story of an Irish boy genius (the eponymous Artemis Fowl) who bites off more than he can chew when he crosses an American tycoon (Jon Spiro) who steals technology from Artemis.

Problem is, the technology Spiro has stolen was created from technology Artemis himself stole…from the fairies. And now, Spiro has his hands on something that could reveal an entire secret underground civilization and destroy the world as we know it.

Eoin Colfer’s portrayal of fairies as magical and highly-technologically-advanced beings who live under the ground is a clever twist on the original concept of fairies and magic. And the banter and hilarious characters in this book make it highly entertaining reading for young and old alike.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” — The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest is technically a play, not a novel, but plays come in book form too!

This story of two Regency-era gentlemen masquerading as the same (nonexistent) person (the titular “Ernest”) in order to evade responsibilities and win over the women they love will make you laugh out loud. Especially if you watch the movie as well, performed by a delightful and talented cast of pros:

There’s a ton of clever wordplay, mistaken identity, and much poking fun of familiar comedy-romance tropes. It’s no wonder why Oscar Wilde was one of the funniest, most popular playwrights of his time.

The Martian by Andy Weir

“I was the very lowest ranked member of the crew. I would only be ‘in command’ if I were the only remaining person.
What do you know? I’m in command.” — The Martian

It took me a couple tries to read The Martian, because I first picked it up at a low point in life when I couldn’t bring myself to read anything.

But one line in the book made me come back and revisit it, a few years later, and I’m so glad I did:

The Martian was originally self-published by a former computer programmer and web comic writer, before it got picked up by a traditional publishing company and eventually even made into a feature film starring Matt Damon in 2015.

The book tells the story of a quirky botanist who is accidentally left for dead after a botched Mars expedition. Using his knowledge of science, Mark Watney “MacGyvers” his way through multiple life-threatening challenges while NASA and his team frantically figure out ways to come back and save him before he runs out of food, water, heat, or oxygen.

Based on that summary, this could just be a suspenseful survivor’s tale, but Watney’s humorous commentary and clever hacks make it so muhc more than that. Even if you’re not a science or science-fiction fan, you’ll probably laugh out loud at the zany monologues. Highly recommended.

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

“That’s absurd. Nobody can read too much. That’s like saying someone breathes too much.” — Wonderland Creek

Wonderland Creek is Lynn Austin’s spoof on wild-west adventure books and bookworms, and it is delightful. This is the story of a young volunteer librarian who goes to help out a disadvantaged community and gets embroiled in an attempted-murder plot, complete with a generations-long feud, a grumpy head librarian with a funny name, and book-delivery-by-horseback.

I love almost all of Lynn Austin’s books, and many of them are mildly humorous, but this one was definitely written to be laugh-out-loud funny, and it really hits the spot. If you like historical fiction, good-natured humor, and laughing at yourself for being a book nerd, this is the book for you 🙂