Page turners: Top titles to tickle your funny bone

Oak Bay's librarian offers her top picks for humour

A good time to laugh is any time you can.

~Linda Ellerbee

I am often asked for a funny book. Humour is not kept together in one section of the library but is found in both the fiction and non-fiction sections.

Need a few ideas?

Here is a handy list:

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, by  Douglas Adams – Tuck into this hilarious science fiction “trilogy” of four books.

Selections by David Barry – An American humour writer with many observations from life and the world.

The Road to Little Dribbling, by Bill Bryson – I just love all of Bryson’s travel books. In this one, laugh with the author all the way across England.

Terry Fallis – This Canadian humorist writes “laugh-out-loud”  fiction with a political setting. Titles include Poles Apart, No Relation, The High Road and Miles Apart.

Hitching Rides with Buddha: a journey across Japan, by Will Ferguson – Enjoy this funny travel book  from an award-winning Canadian author who also writes serious fiction.

Bossypants, by Tina Fey – Fey is a major American humourist who started out with the Saturday Night Live crew.

Republic of Dirt: return to Woefield Farm, by Susan Juby – A local writer, Juby won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour with this book.

The Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella – Modern, light domestic humour.

Stephen Leacock – The essential Canadian humourist.  A little old fashioned but still funny.

David Sedaris – Some biting social satire with an occasional dark edge.

P.G. Wodehouse – who can resist Jeeves?  The eminent British novelist stands the test of time.

Joy Huebert is a public services librarian at the Oak Bay branch of the Greater Victoria Public LIbrary, She writes twice a month about books for youth and adults.

 

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