# I Want Something Light and Amusing to Read **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [January 24, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312 "2022-01-24T15:09:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/1 "2022-01-24T15:09:10Z")
I’ve just finished off the Woodward trilogy on the Trump years, and before that have read books like _White Rage_ about racism in America. I need a break from the depressing state of affairs today. What are some light and funny books that I can read? I love history, so amusing takes on that are an option. Bill Bryson did the genre to perfection, but now he’s retired, and I have everything of his except his _Dictionary of Troublesome Words_. Please no Sedaris. Not a fan. And Dave Barry sure isn’t what he used to be. Other than that, please put forth and briefly describe your suggestions. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/2 "2022-01-24T15:13:35Z")
> **[Book Review: Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir by Graham Roumieu](http://www.ismellsheep.com/2012/09/book-review-me-write-book-it-bigfoot.html)** > > quirky site for paranormal book, movie and comic reviews with author/actor interviews and guest posts ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/3 "2022-01-24T15:14:57Z")
Anything by Terry Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/4 "2022-01-24T15:36:09Z")
This might be a good counterpoint to your last read: > **[Squeeze Me (novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeeze_Me_(novel))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Squeeze Me is a novel by Carl Hiaasen released on August 25, 2020. > Hiaasen dedicated the novel to his younger brother, Rob, who was killed during the Capital Gazette shooting on June 28, 2018. The book debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list. > The trade paperback edition of Squeeze Me was released on May 11, 2021, featuring a brand-new epilogue written in the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election. Hiaasen explaine... ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/5 "2022-01-24T15:41:07Z")
Try P.G. Wodehouse, particularly the Blandings novels. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/6 "2022-01-24T15:43:01Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Anything by Terry Pratchett. Seconded Try the TIFFANY ACHING books as a starter. Teacher: “Zoology, eh? That’s a big word, isn’t it." “No, actually it isn’t,” said Tiffany. "Patronizing is a big word. Zoology is really quite short.” ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/7 "2022-01-24T15:46:48Z")
I’ve laughed at all the Jason Pargin books: [Amazon.com: Jason Pargin: books, biography, latest update](https://www.amazon.com/Jason-Pargin/e/B09DHFWFSH/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1) AKA David Wong; used to write for Cracked. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/8 "2022-01-24T15:48:08Z")
If you don’t mind a children’s book, I find myself re-reading my favorite book, _The Phantom Tollbooth_ by Norton Juster, at least once a year. It’s an adventure filled with wordplay. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/9 "2022-01-24T16:00:56Z")
I was going to suggest either Hiaasen or Christopher Moore. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/10 "2022-01-24T16:03:26Z")
I didn’t think I’d like Georgian period romances written in the 1930s, but then I found Georgette Heyer and realised that in fact I love them. Consistently witty, with the settings, period detail - especially the language - and characters all sufficiently strong that the fact you know the spirited young heiress will in fact end up with the haughty yet kindly viscount 12 years her senior doesn’t deter you at all. Like Wodehouse, it’s the journey, not the destination. Bonus - she wrote a lot of them, so if you do like them you’ll be set for a while. ETA - didn’t think I’d be the first to mention Heyer on here, and behold, she had an appreciation thread a while back: [Slap Up to the Echo: The Georgette Heyer Appreciation Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slap-up-to-the-echo-the-georgette-heyer-appreciation-thread/437888) ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/11 "2022-01-24T16:08:21Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > I love history, so amusing takes on that are an option. > **[Amazon.com: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody eBook : Cuppy, Will,...](https://www.amazon.com/Decline-Fall-Practically-Everybody-ebook/dp/B085GMT39L)** > > Amazon.com: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody eBook : Cuppy, Will, Steig, William: Kindle Store **The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody** by Will Cuppy _The_ classic book of hilarious and irreverent history. Very light and enjoyable reading, but well-researched and basically true too. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/12 "2022-01-24T18:42:40Z")
One of the reasons I read romance is because it ends happy. The outside world might suck and probably will continue to get worse, but inside this book, these two (or more) fictional people will carve out a place where things work out for them. It’s nice. I’m happy to give specifics if someone wants them. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/13 "2022-01-24T18:48:26Z")
If the novel is more funny than gushy, then sure, get specific. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/14 "2022-01-24T18:55:33Z")
I’m considering Terry Pratchett, having heard good things about Disc World. _The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody_ sounds like something I’d like. _The Phantom Tollbooth_ is another possibility. Please feel free to suggest younger reads. I LOVED the _Little House_ series, and even a few American Girl Mysteries. Although those American Girl Mysteries have been discontinued. Sometimes reading something below adult level is a wonderful restful experience for the brain. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/15 "2022-01-24T19:04:39Z")
One time where the film adaptation is pretty true to the book. The Susan Cooper YA Fantasy novels. The Dark is Rising series. Not funny however. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/16 "2022-01-24T19:07:12Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > I’m considering Terry Pratchett Can’t really go wrong with Pratchett, but don’t start chronologically. He got so much better after his first few, though the early ones were worthy efforts. If you start with the Tiffany Aching series as already suggested, I think you’ll be delighted. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/17 "2022-01-24T19:07:18Z")
I would suggest “Good Omens” by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It’s basically a completely tongue-in-cheek, humorous accounting of the apocalypse, but pretty much exactly as you’d expect from those two working together. It’s laugh out loud funny in parts, and chock full of smaller jokes and social commentary. And strangely, despite being about the apocalypse, it’s a feel-good book. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/18 "2022-01-24T19:11:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The Susan Cooper YA Fantasy novels. The Dark is Rising series. Not funny however. Yeah, YA is okay, but this one sounds like, you know, it’s about darkness. I’ve had as much as I can stand about dark subjects lately. Dark humor is welcome though. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/19 "2022-01-24T19:23:12Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > If the novel is more funny than gushy, then sure, get specific. Heyer’s novels aren’t laugh-out-loud funny. Their charm is wit, plus Heyer’s amazingly detailed accuracy about the Regency period. She apparently had her own personal archives of contemporary publications with an emphasis on the idioms in use at the time. They’re definitely not gushy. (Were any English romance novels ever gushy? Heyer is closer to stiff-upper-lip romance.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312/20 "2022-01-24T19:24:19Z")
Different books entirely: you might try the Bandy Papers, written by a Canadian, Donald Jack, about the experiences of a young Canadian soldier in the trenches, and eventually in the air, during World War I. The background is serious, but the situations are funny. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-something-light-and-amusing-to-read/958312.md?page=2)