AB Reading group - July Book of the Month suggestions please

[sunny-dave]

I am arbitrarily choosing "Books that will make us laugh" as the genre for this month - after a few comments about the 'grim' nature of June's shortlist I thought we should lighten the tone - interpret this as loosely as you wish :+)

Please add your suggestions for specific books to this thread - give a bit of detail about each book (or a link to a synopsis on eg Amazon).

Feel free to endorse other people's ideas - I'll pick a few books for a selection poll in a week or so ...

dave xx

[johnny37]

My wife say Fifty Shades Of Grey will give you a laugh, though unintentionally!

[maggiebee]

Might I suggest "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", a novel by Mary Ann Shaffer. Sure readers will love this book, written as a series of letters.
On Amazon (used) from £0.83 + postage.

[sunny-dave]

Thanks maggiebee - good book

< if I don't get some more suggestions then I'm adding Proust and Joyce to the list - well they made me laugh ... >

[Bambiagain]

One of my all-time favourites is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It's not one of Pratchett's Disc World books, although it does borrow the odd element from them.

[Snafu03]

Bill Bryson - A Walk In The Woods.

This book follows Brysons attempt to tackle the world longest continuous footpath; The Appalachian Trial - 2200 miles long.

Written in true humourous Bryson style and peppered with interesting facts along the way.

[mccfluff]

terry pratchett - good omens or any of the wyrd sisters series crack me up

[bednobs]

on the bill bryson front, notes from a small island is the best/funniest one i think

[nannybooby]

Mother Knew Best by Dorothy Scanion, any Aleda Baxter (if she is still in print,London Fields by Martin Amis ( a murder story but with some hilarious bits)White Teeth by Zandie Smith serious book but some very funny espisodes)

[WyeDyed]

The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W E Bowman
A group of upper class twits climb the worlds second highest mountain. Told through the rose tinted eyes of team leader "Binder". A path finder who is constantly getting lost, an interpreter who makes subtle but significant errors and a native cook who they keep trying to loose but keeps turning up.
Not a long book (300 pages or so) but made me laugh out loud several times.

[nannybooby]

White teeth en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Teeth

Sorry but Dorothy Scannell and Aleda Baxter are out of print.

[Maydup]

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch is on my "to read" list, recommended as a LOL read. Makes you laugh and makes you think in equal measure.

http://www.amazon.co....Murdoch/dp/0140014454

[nannybooby]

Aleda Baxter www.amazon.co.uk/Flat-My-Back-Alida-Baxter/dp
/0352398973
- Similar

only a couple of copies I can really recomend this book its sooo funny.

[Maydup]

White Teeth is a good book but I have read it. Would prefer something not read before.

[sunny-dave]

That's better - I can put "À la recherche du temps perdu" back on the shelf.

Just musing over my favourite Terry P. - I like the witches, but also have a soft spot for Pyramids and The Last Continent - and the Tiffany Aching series is excellent too.

[rowanwitch]

Anything by Terry Pratchett is a good laugh my personal faves on the funny front being Monstrous Regiment and Carpe Jugulum Tom Holt is more of an acquired taste but I like his stuff

[WyeDyed]

From Terry Pratchet my I suggest Small Gods.

[Bambiagain]

My favourites are the ones featuring Death, closely followed by the witches. But I like them all.

[yogasun]

Agree with bednobs re. Bill Bryson

[Bambiagain]

Small Gods is actually one of the more serious ones. I saw Sir Terry (before he was a Sir) giving a talk and he said he was angry when he wrote that one!

[AB Editor]

Does Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh count?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vile_Bodies

"I first read this book when I still lived in London years ago, and laughed until tears rolled down my face. I still like to dip into the time worn pages of my Penguin book and chuckle over the antics of the "bright young things." The descriptions of "flapper" and air balloon parties, stupid politians, machevalian clergy, film making, sports car racing and love affairs are funny, funny, funny. The writing style is sparse, well thought-out and easy to read. The characters are engaging, the situations are absurd and I highly recommend Vile Bodies as a great way to spend a dull, rainy evening. It will liven you up!"

(From amazon review)

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

Also... Catch 22 made me laugh all the way through. Not sure if it counts though?