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 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Classic Fiction
Much of the discussion around Winston Groom’s highly acclaimed 1986 novel Forrest Gump concerns how different it is from the wildly popular movie it inspired. This does the novel a disservice, in that it deserves to be judged on its own merits rather than solely in comparison. That said, thematically, it is identical to the movie, and the characters are nearly all the same. Forrest Gump is the first person narrator of the novel. He... Read Forrest Gump Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Animals
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 1978
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class
Tags Humor, Absurdism, Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor, Classic Fiction
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a 1987 novel by American author and actress Fanny Flagg, who also wrote an award-winning screen adaption of the book. The narrative contains two interconnected stories that unfold several decades apart. The frame narrative, which takes place in Birmingham, Alabama between December 1985 and December 1986, depicts the developing friendship between a middle-aged housewife named Evelyn Couch and an elderly widow named Ninny Threadgoode. As the... Read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Arts / Culture, Humor, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Biography, Mental Illness
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Language, Society: Education, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Education, Education
Frindle is a 1996 middle grade novel by children’s author Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick. The story follows a fifth-grade boy named Nick Allen who—both for fun and to exasperate his strict language arts teacher—creates a new word for pen: “frindle.” Nick’s new word captures more attention than he expected, and soon the entire country is engaged in a discussion about how people ought to use vocabulary. The novel explores themes about differing adult... Read Frindle Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Humor, Historical Fiction, Great Depression
Jennifer L. Holm’s Full of Beans is a 2016 middle-grade historical novel set in 1934. Main character and first-person protagonist Beans Curry is a 10-year-old boy born and raised in Key West, Florida. The Great Depression causes difficulties for the locals of the dilapidated town, including Beans’s family. “New Dealer” Mr. Julius Stone, Jr. arrives with the plan to boost Key West’s failing economy by recreating it as a tourist destination, but Beans decides that... Read Full of Beans Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Humor, Creative Nonfiction, Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, Biography
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up in America is a 2003 book by Firoozeh Dumas in which she describes her experiences as an Iranian immigrant to the US. The narrative follows a non-linear time structure, and Dumas often moves between different eras of her life, including the time of writing, when she is an adult. Much of her work centers on what life was like for her as a child who came to... Read Funny In Farsi Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Crime / Legal, Humor, History: World
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Post Modernism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Finance / Money / Wealth, Anthropology
Galapagos is a 1985 novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut. The novel’s narrator is the long-dead Leon Trout, a ghost who watched the evolution of humanity of the course of a million years. The story explores the themes Nature Versus Nurture, Pacifism, and Regret.This guide uses an eBook version of the 1985 Dial Press edition.Content Warning: This novel depicts explicit acts of violence and refers to death by suicide.Plot SummaryLeon Trout, the story’s narrator, is... Read Galapagos Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Children's Literature, Humor, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1564
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Fantasy, Humor, French Literature
The Life of Gargantua and Pantagruel is a series of five novels written in French by François Rabelais in the 16th century. The novel-cycle relates the adventures of two giants in hyperbolic, satirical prose. Using humor ranging from slapstick to irony, Rabelais explores serious themes such as the development of education and religious reformation. The books are noted for their colorful, rich literary style, bursting with puns, allusions, and social commentary. An early example of... Read Gargantua And Pantagruel Summary
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Children's Literature, Magical Realism, British Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Romance, Humor, Health / Medicine, British Literature, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction