Hey friends! We’re all looking for a laugh right now, so we rounded up some of our booksellers’ go-to funny reads. Every title is linked to our website, where you can get free shipping thru 3/22. You can also call us at 512-472-5050 for curbside pick-up, or to chat with a bookseller for other funny book recommendations! Enjoy!
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Several of our booksellers appreciate the comedian’s insightful and funny memoir about his life as the son of a black woman and white man in South Africa during apartheid. He talks about a very serious subject but his well known clever wit keeps you turning the pages and chuckling along!
Everything’s Trash, But It’s OK by Phoebe Robinson
We love Phoebe Robinson, but this comes directly from one of our Community Recommendation cards in-store! Lexi from Indiana says, “Phoebe dishes out deeply personal experiences to give readers an honest and hilarious perspective on a wide range of topics, like body image, interracial dating, workaholism, feminism, and of course, her undying love for Bono. This collection is as thoughtful as it is humorous– Phoebe’s endless charm and skillful criticism will have you laughing the whole way through.” Thanks for sharing, Lexi!
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
This collection comes recommended by a couple of our booksellers, including Molly, who says, “Are you a buttery croissant on a bright Parisian morning? Perhaps you’re a seashell, just delighted to dazzle. Or maybe, even, you’re a turtle neck of a person? This is for you.” SOLD! Thanks, Molly.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Rachel R. loves this story about an angel and a demon who realize the apocalypse is happening, but they like living on earth so much that they come together to stop it! And they become best friends… Hmmm friendship during the end of the world? We’re here for it.
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
Our booksellers LOVE anything written by Samantha Irby, and you’re in luck! Her third book, Wow, No Thank You is coming at the end of the month and you can pre-order it here. Eugenia is a huge fan and says, “I challenge you to read Sam Irby’s essays and not immediately want to drop everything, move in with Sam, spend countless hours watching make-up videos while eating massive amounts of junk food. Sam, can we be friends?”
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
This is a newer title, recommended by bookseller Olivia! All about the author’s experiences in her 20s– job searching, falling in love, getting dumped, etc–, Olivia says reading this book is like talking to your super cool best friend. That’s what we’re looking for right now, ya know?
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
We love this recommendation, because it comes from former BookPeople CEO, Elizabeth, who is now the General Manager at Jenny Lawson’s bookstore, Nowhere Bookshop. Ah! Years ago, EJ made a staff card for this book, where she noted: “READ THIS BOOK! Just… Don’t read it in public because you will inevitably find yourself laughing out loud and then you’ll be embarrassed about all the people on the bus/in the cafe/in the doctor’s office staring at you so you’ll try to stifle the laughter but you won’t be successful so you’ll just end up making this weird panting/hissing noise and that’s just not attractive.” Well, fortunately for us, we’re not going to be reading this book in public right now. So no need to stifle the laughter at home!
Made for Love by Alissa Nutting
Another Molly M rec coming your way! About Nutting’s novel, she says, “I don’t think I’ve gotten this much sheer pleasure from a book in a long while. It’s freaking off the wall bonkers in the best way. We follow Hazel, a woman on the edge recently escaped from her top of the tech world psycho of a husband (whom, she fears, desires to place a chip in her brain so that they may ‘meld’ consciousnesses), as she battles through hyper-surveillance for a life off the grid. Along the way, she meets a truly delightful cast of characters, gets into some absurd hi-jinks, and works through the piles of garbage the world has tossed her way so far.”
Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky
Our adult events & marketing manager, Cristina, loves this book, which she refers to as “literary reality TV”! She says, “Could this possibly get any crazier?!” is a feeling that lingers through every page in this book. Very Nice is literary world meets soap opera in a quick-witted and ambitious way. Marcy Dermansky is a resourceful writer with an invaluable voice. She is able to flawlessly navigate these pages with a humor that’s timely and fresh. With that being said, I applaud her triumph in bringing together the lives of these VERY intricate characters. This novel is quirky, electric, intellectual, and impossible to put down.”
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Here’s another great pick, courtesy of Merrilee! She describes Beauty Queens as a YA book that both teens & adult readers would love, and says, “if Miss Congeniality met James Bond on the set of a reality TV show sponsored by a big box chain store and they had an evil love child, it would be this book.” Uh… we’re hooked.
Pretty much anything by David Sedaris
BookPeople loves David Sedaris, so if you’ve never read the guy– or have only read one or two titles in your lifetime– NOW IS THE TIME. Stock up on his titles and delight in his unique perspective on life, family, love, and oh, so much more.
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