Our Laugh-out-Loud Books Collection highlights titles that bring levity to literature through satire, dark humor, or hilarious dialogue. Representing genres ranging from romantic comedies to classic children's titles, this Collection features titles to tickle every reader's funny bone.
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: War
Tags Satire, Classic Fiction, Humor, British Literature, Historical Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Education
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Humor
Publication year 1999
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Humor, Education, Education, Southern Literature
Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children” debuted in the March 1997 issue of The Atlantic. Gautreaux was born in Louisiana, and his novels and short stories, like this one, draw from his experience of growing up in a Southern, blue-collar family. His characters include a range of rural Louisiana residents, many of whom struggle with societal and generational changes. Gautreaux has received numerous awards, most notably the 1999 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for... Read Welding with Children Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Space & The Universe
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability
Tags Humor, Inspirational, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, LGBTQ, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography
Josh Sundquist is a cancer survivor, Paralympic ski racer, motivational speaker, and stand-up comedian. Sundquist’s memoir Just Don't Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain was published in 2010 and became a national bestseller. While his first memoir showed how he was able to overcome health challenges to become a sporting hero, his second book We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story (2014) deals with the most... Read We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarassingly, A True Story Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Humor, History: World
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Humor, Education, Education
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Publication year 2002
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Education
Tags Spoken Word Poetry, Free verse, Education, Education, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers
Tags Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Where’d You Go, Bernadette, published in 2012, is the second novel by Maria Semple, a former television writer who worked on shows such as Mad About You and Arrested Development. A bestseller praised by numerous critics as one of the best books of the year, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is a fast-paced comic novel with a complex narrative structure. The book follows an epistolary format, meaning the text is largely composed of letters, emails, and... Read Where'd You Go, Bernadette Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags British Literature, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
White Teeth is an award-winning novel by Zadie Smith, published in 2000. The novel, which was developed into a four-part miniseries for British audiences in 2002, follows two men from different backgrounds who meet and become friends during World War II.Plot SummaryWhite Teeth opens on New Year’s Day, 1975, with the attempted suicide of a middle-aged Englishman named Archie Jones. Following his failed marriage, and in despairing of his generally mundane existence, Archie flipped a... Read White Teeth Summary
Publication year 1941
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class
Tags Southern Literature, Race / Racism, Southern Gothic, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World, Historical Fiction, Humor, Classic Fiction
“Why I Live at the P.O.” is a short story written in 1941 by Eudora Welty, an author and photographer from the American South. The story’s narrator, Sister, narrates her family’s reaction as her sister, Stella-Rondo, leaves her husband and returns to the family’s home in China Grove, Mississippi, surprising her family with a young child in tow. As conflict unfolds among the family members, Sister moves into the post office where she works, seeking... Read Why I Live at the P.O. Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Bullying, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Winger is a young adult novel written by American author Andrew Smith and first published in 2013. It belongs to the genre of contemporary early 21st century teen fiction and garnered recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), Publishers Weekly, and the Junior Library Guild. Because of Winger’s storyline involving LGBTQIA+ issues, it was also chosen as part of the ALA’s 2014 Rainbow List in 2014, made up of books for children and young adults... Read Winger Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Health / Medicine, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class
Tags Humor, LGBTQ, Diversity, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Biography
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Society: Colonialism
Tags Heinemann African Writers, Satire, Realistic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Class, History: African , Politics / Government, Love / Sexuality, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Humor, African American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Xala: A Novel was written by the Senegalese writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. The satirical work was originally published in France in 1974 and released in the United States in 1976. In 1975, it was adapted into a film directed by Sembène. The postcolonial novel deals with the aftermath of Senegal’s formal independence from France on August 20, 1960—two years after the country had become a republic. Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4... Read Xala Summary