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 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, (1981) is the sixth book in Beverly Cleary’s middle-grade Ramona series. It follows spirited and curious Ramona as she balances her excitement about entering the third grade with her trepidation over the Quimby family’s financial struggles. Through her misadventures, Ramona learns her place in the family and how to stand up for herself at school using determination and creativity.Known for realistic fiction, Cleary organizes the novel in a series of loosely... Read Ramona Quimby Age 8 Summary
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Classic Fiction
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary is a middle-grade novel published in 1968 by HarperCollins. Ramona the Pest is the second book in a series colloquially known as the “Ramona series,” comprised of eight books that revolve around the family and friends of Ramona Quimby, a spunky young girl navigating the ups and downs of being a kid in school and with her family. Beverly Cleary is a celebrated author of many children’s, middle-grade, and... Read Ramona the Pest Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor, Relationships, Depression / Suicide
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Fantasy
Reservation Blues tells the story of Coyote Springs, a Spokane Indian rock band. The band is founded on a reservation, slowly gathers fans, and begins to play shows. Coyote Springs is given the chance to audition for a major record company in New York City, but, ultimately, the band does not succeed. The book combines traditional narrative with a mixture of other narrative techniques, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, interviews, and excerpts from journals. Together... Read Reservation Blues Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Romance, Satire, Asian Literature
Rich People Problems, a contemporary romantic comedy of manners, was published in 2017. It is the third and final book in Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy, which includes the first installment, the eponymous Crazy Rich Asians (2013), and the second, China Rich Girlfriend (2015). Crazy Rich Asians was adapted into a film, released in 2018 and starring Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh. The film was a box-office success.Plot SummaryRich People Problems opens with the... Read Rich People Problems Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Romance, Humor, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1966
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Play: Tragedy, British Literature, Absurdism, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a three-act play by the English playwright Tom Stoppard. It is an existentialist, absurdist satire featuring characters and events from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. First performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1966, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead enjoyed critical success, winning The New York Drama Critics’ Circle’s Award for Best Play and four Tony Awards in 1968. Since then, the play has been adapted into several radio plays and a... Read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Summary
Publication year 1872
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Immigration, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Classic Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Travel Literature, Humor, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure
Roughing It (1872) is the second major work by American humorist Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). It recounts his experiences during the Nevada silver rush of the 1860s. After his failed attempts to make a fortune as a miner, Twain would later achieve prominence as a lecturer and writer. He initially drew acclaim for his fanciful short story entitled “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (1865). His best-known titles include The Innocents Abroad (1869)... Read Roughing It Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Travel Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Rules Of The Road is a contemporary young adult novel by established author Joan Bauer, first published in 1998. It is the first book in the Rules of the Road series. The second book, Best Foot Forward, was published in 2005. Joan Bauer’s own complicated childhood with an alcohol-addicted father inspired Rules of the Road, which was met with critical acclaim. It won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Golden Kite Award... Read Rules of the Road Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Humor, Psychology, Psychology, Biography
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs was first published in 2002 as a memoir. After several of the figures it features sued for defamation and dishonesty of its claims, however, it was recategorized as a book. It can also be classified as a bildungsroman since it follows the adolescent growth of its narrator and protagonist. Running with Scissors was adapted into a feature film in 2006.Other works by this author include Dry and A Wolf... Read Running With Scissors Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Humor, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Animals, Action / Adventure, Humor
Carl Hiaasen’s Scat! is a young adult thriller with a comic tone and an environmental message. Nick Waters and his best friend, Marta Gonzalez, are students at the private Truman School in Naples, Florida. When their biology teacher, Mrs. Bunny Starch, disappears, the two students are drawn into a conflict between a ruthless oil company and an informal band of environmentalists bent on protecting the breeding grounds of an endangered Florida panther and her cub. The... Read Scat Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Canadian author Gordon Korman’s middle-grade novel, Schooled, was published in 2007. The coming-of-age novel follows 13-year-old Capricorn Anderson after he leaves the commune on which he was homeschooled by his grandmother, Rain, to live with a foster family and attend public school while Rain recovers from an accident. With no knowledge of the outside world, Capricorn struggles to fit into his new middle school, learning lessons about how rules and norms govern society and how... Read Schooled Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty, Humor
Scrawl (2010) is a young adult novel by American author Mark Shulman, who has written more than 200 books for young readers. Scrawl follows a young teenage bully, Tod Munn, and his experience in detention where he is required by a guidance counselor to write about himself in a journal. In the journal, Tod describes his struggles with coming from a low-income family, low self-esteem, and his problematic behavior at school. The novel was a... Read Scrawl Summary