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Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday: I'm Not Laughing, You're Laughing


Everyone can use a good laugh sometimes and the last year or so has definitely been some time.  Where have you turned for humor lately?  Movies?  Television?  Internet memes?  YouTube?  The comics?  The place I have not been turning to, apparently, is books because I had a tough time coming up with titles to fit today's Top Ten Tuesday topic:  Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud.  If you spend any time at all here at BBB, you've probably realized by now that I'm not a big reader of light, frothy, funny books.  I tend to prefer darker, moodier reads.  Which isn't to say I don't appreciate a comical character or a humorous line or a scene that makes me snort-laugh.  I definitely do.  When I searched my memory (which is, admittedly, deficient in its old age), though, not a whole lot came up.  Apparently, I need more humor in my life, so lay it on me—what are some funny reads I need to check out?

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you definitely do), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the deets.

Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud  


1.  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion—This is the only book I can think of offhand that really fits the prompt.  Here's what I said in my review:  "This is one of those books that's embarrassing to read in public.  Not because of risqué cover art or a suggestive title, but because I couldn't stop laughing—out loud—at the antics of its main character.  This hilarious rom-com is so delightful that I could hardly restrain myself from smiling, chuckling, and sharing the best bits with the room at large."


2.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery—The titular character is an irrepressible redhead with a vivid imagination and a fiery temper, both of which lead her into hysterical scrapes. 


3.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—This is one of my favorite books, so I use it over and over for TTT prompts.  It has some hilarious scenes, especially those involving Jo March.  Meg's disaster with the jelly, though, is probably the one that makes me laugh the most.


4.  Little Men by Louisa May Alcott—As much as I love Little Women, I've never read its sequel for some reason.  I'm currently listening to it on audio and it also has some funny scenes, not too surprising since it's about the boys' boarding school Jo runs with her husband.


5.  The Tempe Brennan series by Kathy Reichs—This is a series of murder mysteries featuring a forensic anthropologist.  The books can be gruesome and disturbing, but Tempe's witty banter—both her internal dialogue and her verbal jousts with other characters—keep humor in the novels.


6.  The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz—It's been a long time since I read this series opener, but in my review I called it "engrossing fluff that ma[de] me laugh out loud," so I guess it's a funny book!


7.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson—What I remember most about this holiday novel is my taciturn third-grade teacher reading it out loud and laughing so hard she cried.  All of us terrified little kids were shocked!  It really is a hilarious book that was made into an equally hilarious tv movie.


8.  Anything by Ally Carter—Carter's books are engaging and fun.  I especially like her Gallagher Girls series.


9.  The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn—I love me a funny heroine and Veronica Speedwell, who is a lepidopterist, feminist, and amateur detective in Victorian England, is just that.

10.  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey—Although I'm the resident McConaughey fan, I actually haven't read this memoir yet.  My husband did, however, and laughed uproariously through the whole thing.  He keeps urging me to read the book since it's an easy, entertaining read.  I'll get to it one of these days!    

Phew!  I made it to ten.  What do you think of my picks?  What are your favorite funny books?  Which should I pick up?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

61 comments:

  1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever sounds great!

    My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-made-me-laugh-out-loud/

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It's a cute book and movie. I loved it as a kid and I loved it just as much when I re-read and re-watched it as an adult.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lydia!

      Delete
  2. I really adored Don and Rosie, and I laughed a lot as I read all three books. Anne was such a character (in the best way). I laughed and smiled. She was so OTT. My sister has so much praise for Greenlights. She is making her whole family read it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weirdly, I haven't read the Rosie sequels. Not sure why not. Yes, Anne is definitely a memorable character!

      I was really surprised when my husband picked up GREENLIGHTS (usually he reads dense non-fiction) and even more surprised by how much he loved it. Didn't see that coming at all.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  3. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is such a great choice. One of my favourites to read aloud to my students years ago. You will love Greenlights, highly irreverent and yes, funny. Great list, Susuan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a great read aloud! My husband and I watched the movie at Christmastime and we were both dying. I'd forgotten how truly funny it is.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!

      Delete
  4. Oh I loved the TV series based on Kathy Reichs’ books. I should definitely check that out. Thanks for sharing your list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, the books and the tv show are actually really different from each other. Tempe has a totally different personality in the books and none of the characters in the show appear in the books. Interesting, right?

      Thanks for stopping in, Andge!

      Delete
  5. Ah I love Little Women! What a great choice. ☺️ The Rosie Project is also on my tbr!!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. LITTLE WOMEN is a great book for so many reasons! THE ROSIE PROJECT is also a great read. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

      Thanks for coming by, Theresa!

      Delete
  6. I had to go back over past lists to try and find books that made me laugh just because I couldn't remember any off the top of my head, but I did finally come up with ten. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I actually put "laugh out loud" in the search bar on my blog because I seriously could not think of anything! This was a tough topic for some of us :)

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!

      Delete
  7. I couldn't come up with any books for this list but I forgot about Anne! There are lots of funny scenes in that book. And Veronica Speedwell is definitely a sharp witted character. The audios always make me giggle.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I came close to not doing this topic because it was hard for me to think of anything. I do love Anne and Veronica Speedwell - both are funny characters in their own ways.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Katherine!

      Delete
  8. I've found that laughing out loud can be enhanced by reading out loud, having someone to share the humor with. The moments when you just can't go on because everyone is laughing so hard are priceless! A couple of my family's favorites are Big Money (or nearly anything else) by PG Wodehouse, and Hogfather by Terry Pratchett.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True! I definitely remember laughing out loud while reading picture books to my children, probably at least in part because THEY were laughing out loud. It's definitely fun to share that experience :)

      Believe it or not, I've never read anything by Wodehouse. Nor Pratchett, but his humor seems a little too zany for me. I'm not sure I would really enjoy his books. Never say never, though.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, T!

      Delete
  9. I would be hard put to do this too. Odd scenes in a book make me laugh or maybe the amusing style in which a book is written. But rarely do I read a book which I find uproariously funny all the way through. Bill Bryson comes closest, he has such a funny way of describing everyday scenes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! I tend to shy away from books that are purposely funny. I prefer a mix of serious and funny more than just funny/funny.

      I actually just got A WALK IN THE WOODS today. I'm excited to read it, especially since I've never read Bryson before.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Cath!

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. Thank you! It was tough to put together, but I think it turned out okay :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Ritz!

      Delete
  11. Ahhh, I am so glad to see The Rosie Project!! I loved that book and it was so funny. Don't see a lot of people talking about it. I'm so glad you thought Greenlights was funny. I'm on a super long hold for the audiobook but can't wait! Great list!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? I wonder why. It's a great book and it isn't that old. You'd think it would get more attention.

      I want to listen to GREENLIGHTS on audio, too. I'm sure it will be a long wait for me as well. *Sigh*

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Leslie!

      Delete
  12. You are the second to say Greenlights is good. The Rosie Project is just fun and light--I loved it. The sequels were ok.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read the Rosie sequels for some reason. I really don't know why ...

      My husband enjoyed GREENLIGHTS so much, I was surprised. I'm sure I'll like it as well as it just seems totally entertaining.

      Thanks for stopping in, Lisa!

      Delete
  13. Great list! I'm really enjoying the Veronica Speedwell books too, and The Rosie Project definitely made me laugh out loud!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't the Veronica Speedwell books fun? They always make me smile. And THE ROSIE PROJECT remains the only book (at least that I can remember) that has literally made me laugh out loud!

      Thanks for coming by, Lisa!

      Delete
  14. Oh, yes, I do laugh over Little Women and Little Men too!

    I don't know that I've ever laughed over any of the Kathy Reichs books, but I've enjoyed quite a few of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both LITTLE WOMEN and LITTLE MEN have some great funny scenes in them!

      Tempe's sense of humor is what makes me chuckle in the Reichs books. Otherwise, they're really not funny at all.

      Thanks for stopping by, Rachel!

      Delete
  15. I will have to check some of these out. I love that you included that gif from Mary Poppins... such a great movie! A Curious Beginning has definitely caught my eye. Great post! Happy TTT. I hope you have a great rest of your week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dick Van Dyke always makes me laugh :) Burt is my favorite Mary Poppins character by far.

      Thanks for coming by, Maya!

      Delete
  16. I loved Rosie Project and Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. I've never really thought of reading Little Men---don't know why---but now I am.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here. I've long loved LITTLE WOMEN, so it's weird that I never bothered with the sequel before now. So far, LITTLE MEN isn't as charming, but it's still fun. I'm enjoying it.

      Thanks for stopping in, Deb!

      Delete
  17. Oooo, I'm excited to see Little Women on here. I'm trying to read that this year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I adore LITTLE WOMEN. I listened to it on audio this year, which was fun. It's a loooonnnnggg listen, but a delightful one :) I hope you love it.

      Thanks for coming by, Felicia!

      Delete
  18. I've been reading far too many serious books for months (except for the light-hearted romances). I could do with some laughs so I am really enjoying everyone's lists.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the great thing about TTT - even when you can't think of anything for your list, lots of other people CAN. I've seen some great suggestions for funny reads this week.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!

      Delete
  19. These look fun. I've always thought the Anne of Green Gables books looked good. We have at least the first one around here too. I should pick it up some time for some nice wholesome reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've actually only read the first Anne book, although I've read it a number of times. It really is delightful! Montgomery loves to describe things, so it's not a fast read, but it is a really fun one. I love the movie adaptations starring Megan Follows, too.

      Thanks for stopping in, Greg!

      Delete
  20. I'd be stumped if I'm asked to list out books that made me laugh. Nowadays I read mostly thrillers so don't think they'll have any LOL moments (humorous dialogues, maybe). That said, I'll keep in mind of your list should the mood strikes. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here. I definitely find funny characters and humorous lines in mysteries/thrillers, but I wouldn't describe the books themselves as funny.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Melody!

      Delete
  21. I've read several of these books but did not know about Little Men.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't believe it's taken me this long to read LITTLE MEN! Jo's my favorite character from LITTLE WOMEN and this is her continuing story, so it's a fun read so far.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Mystica!

      Delete
  22. Totally agree with you on The Rosie Project. There are numerous laugh-out-loud moments in that one.

    Others that made me do the same are Spooner by Pete Dexter and Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. I'm re-reading Lonesome Dove for the second time right now, in fact, and finding it as funny the third time around as it was on the first read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you mentioned LONESOME DOVE. I loved the book when I read it years ago, so I've been wanting to re-read it. I just bought a copy of it the other day. I'm excited to get started on my re-read.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  23. I love Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. I've never read Little Men though! I should make time for it. Thanks for visiting Long and Short Reviews. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LITTLE MEN has been a good read so far. It's similar to LITTLE WOMEN in that it has no real plot - just scenes from life. It's entertaining, though. I hope you enjoy it if you get around to reading it!

      Thanks for stopping in, Poinsettia!

      Delete
  24. Both Green Gables and Little Women had so many funny moments, and such perfect comfort reads! I still have to read Rosie Project, I've heard such great things about it.
    ~ Lex (lexlingua.co)

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    Replies
    1. The ultimate comfort reads for sure! I haven't re-read ANNE in a few years, so I might need to do that soon.

      Thanks for coming by, Lex!

      Delete
  25. I just got that Ally Carter book for my daughter. I think I'm going to have to borrow it now when she's done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely! All the books I've read by her have been light, funny, and entertaining. I definitely recommend them for when you just want a fun read.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deanna!

      Delete
  26. Great list! I've been meaning to pick up the Temperance Brennan books for a while now. I loved the show Bones, and some of the scenes there were hilarious, so I'm hoping they books will be just as funny. Thank you for sharing and for stopping by my blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's weird, actually, because the Temperance Brennan books and the show are actually completely different. Book Tempe has a totally different personality than tv Tempe and the secondary characters are all different. I'm not sure why the producers decided to change everything! I love the books, but I was never able to get into Bones for some reason. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the books.

      Thanks for stopping by, Ruby Jo!

      Delete
  27. I'm with you, I like the darker books! Thank goodness that dark humor is a thing. I don't think I've read any of these (or it was so long ago that I can't remember), but I'm very curious about Greenlights!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do like a dash of humor in dark books - it provides a nice contrast, you know?

      Thanks for coming by, Sammie!

      Delete
  28. Nice choices! "Little Women" and "Anne of Green Gables" are definitely good picks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use them both over and over in TTT prompts! They fit so many of the topics.

      Thanks for stopping in, JadeSky!

      Delete
  29. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is hilarious. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is, and touching too.

      Thanks for coming by, Suzanne!

      Delete
  30. I didn't do the prompt this week -- or at least I haven't yet, though I'm unsure I will -- for similar reasons. I did come up with 8 or 9, but they're all so mainstream I had nothing to say. Although I've noticed with some surprise, as I reread Harry Potter, that many of the quips do indeed result in L-O-L moments, even after all this time)

    Interesting about the Alcott books and our approaches -- I listened to Little Men on audiobook (without having previously read it) last year and I liked it, but don't remember laughing out loud. But I don't think I did with Little Women either, much as I adore it. I can definitely see that reaction to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, though!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Some great books here, I even read a few this time. And hardly anyone had a twist this week. I guess we all love to laugh, especially at the moment.

    My TTT.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Furiously Happy by Jennie Lawson, you had some good choices as well.

    ReplyDelete

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