This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2026/04/11/joyful-funny-books-to-read/89537476007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
Doomscrolling getting you down? Tired of distressing headlines? Want to vanish into a unique world for a bit?
Reading is the remedy to many emotional illnesses, particularly when what you want is a little bit of levity. I usually gravitate towards emotionally weighty reads. I really like a heart-wrenching household drama. But when life will get laborious, typically all you need is an effective snicker.
I not too long ago had this expertise with two books. One of my first reads of 2026 was “Lost Lambs” by Madeline Cash, an absurdist satire that’s so intelligent, I like to recommend it to virtually everybody. Then I learn “American Fantasy” by Emma Straub, which made my coronary heart soar. It’s heat and enjoyable and brimming with pleasure, soothing the internal fangirl alongside the best way.
In my interview with Straub, she put into phrases what I used to be feeling – after she wrote a novel that made her cry each day, she simply needed to have enjoyable: “In this world that we all live in together right now, we are all sorely missing joy.”
Joyful books to stock your shelves with this spring
In search of replicating that, I polled my USA TODAY colleagues: What is the funniest book you ever read? Or one that felt like a delight to read? Between old books and new releases, here’s where we landed:
‘American Fantasy’ by Emma Straub
In the latest release from the “This Time Tomorrow” creator, 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 within the firm of feverish fangirls that she will awaken a long-buried a part of herself and discover an sudden good friend.
‘Lost Lambs’ by Madeline Cash
I – and several other mates – have burst into spontaneous, doubled-over laughing suits in public whereas studying “Lost Lambs.” 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 Rufi Thorpe
Thorpe’s 2024 novel debuts as an Apple TV series next week starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman. 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 children you’re presupposed to be watching begin spontaneously combusting when indignant? 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
For followers of “Dungeon Crawler Carl” and different LitRPG books, “The Hike” follows a suburban family man on a business trip to rural Pennsylvania. His 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-your-socks-off humorous, “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
This one is for the comfortable thriller followers. Lonely tea store proprietor Vera Wong goes from meddling mom to bona fide detective when she finds a lifeless man in the course of her tea store with a flash drive in his hand. Surely she will do a greater job fixing this thriller than the cops? “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” is a candy whodunnit, extra whimsical than creepy.
‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?’ by Mindy Kaling
An oldie however a goodie, this 2011 memoir from comedian and actress Kaling still makes our staffers laugh. Written as her career soared during the “Office” and “Mindy Project” days, Kaling rounds out her book of essays and stories with observations on romance, friendship and Hollywood.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or inform her what you’re studying at [email protected].
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you’ll be able to go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2026/04/11/joyful-funny-books-to-read/89537476007/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
