Hilarious & heartfelt
Need some joy in your life? Here are 8 titles that make reading fun
BOOKS
Doomscrolling getting you down? Tired of distressing headlines? Want to disappear into a diff erent world for a bit?
Reading is the cure to many emotional ailments, especially when what you need is a bit of levity. When life gets hard, sometimes all you want is a good laugh.
Here are eight joyful books to consider:
'American Fantasy'
By Emma Straub
In the latest release from the "This Time Tomorrow" author, 50-year-old Annie embarks on a boy band nostalgia cruise alone after her sister backs out. Newly divorced and an empty-nester, it's in the company of feverish fangirls that she can awaken a long-buried part of herself and find an unexpected friend.
'Lost Lambs'
By Madeline Cash
This clever novel follows the madcap Flynn family: Parents Catherine and Bud are opening their marriage (reluctantly); eldest Abigail is dating an older man dubbed "War Crime Wes"; middle child Louise is building a bomb in the backyard treehouse with the help of an online friend; and youngest Harper, too smart for her own good, is sniffing out a hunch about the town's billionaire resident.
'Margo's Got Money Troubles'
By RufiThorpe
Thorpe's 2024 novel recently debuted as an Apple TV series starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiff er, and Nick Off erman. This quirky and hilarious story follows the college-aged daughter of a Hooters waitress and former pro wrestler who gets pregnant by her English professor. After the baby is born and her estranged father shows up at her doorstep, she turns to OnlyFans to keep her money problems at bay.
'Nothing to See Here'
By Kevin Wilson
What do you do when the kids you're supposed to be watching start spontaneously combusting when angry? This is the hilarious premise of "Nothing to See Here," which follows Lillian, a woman reuniting with her former best friend Madison, who needs help caring for her unique twin stepkids Bessie and Roland.
'The Hike'
By Drew Magary</p>
"The Hike" follows a suburban family man on a business trip to rural Pennsylvania whose harmless pre-dinner walk turns into something far whackier, sending him on a quest in a world full of giant demons and insects, magical tools and a profane crustacean.
'Stop Me If You've Heard This One'
By Kristen Arnett
Big-hearted and knock-yoursocks-off funny, "Stop Me If You've Heard This One" follows Cherry Hendricks, a professional clown and part-time aquarium store employee who is down on her luck. She's constantly hooking up with the wrong person's mom, her own is judgmental, and Cherry's grief over her deceased brother is always popping up when she least expects it. Then, she meets Margot the Magnificent, a much older magician whose success and charm pull Cherry in swiftly.
'Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers'
By Jesse Q. Sutanto
Lonely tea shop owner Vera Wong goes from meddling mother to bona fide detective when she finds a dead man in the middle of her tea shop with a flash drive in his hand. Surely she can do a better job solving this mystery than the cops? "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" is a sweet whodunnit, more whimsical than creepy.
'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?'
By Mindy Kaling
An oldie but a goodie, this 2011 memoir from comedian and actress Kaling still makes our staff ers laugh. Written as her career soared during "The Office" and "The Mindy Project" days, Kaling rounds out her book of essays with observations on romance, friendship and Hollywood.
