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20 Funny Books To Read In Spurts, Because Your Kids Keep Interrupting You

by Cat Bowen

I am a huge reader. You can bet if I'm not working, I'm reading or listening to audiobooks. And right now, all I want are light-hearted books that I can put down and come back to. I just need a giant stack of funny books to read when kids keep interrupting me so that I don't have to worry about losing a plot line.

Honestly, books that you can read in short bursts that give you joy are some of the best books out there. Humor is an art, and let's face it, not all "funny" books are actually that funny. The books on this list are all genuinely funny and can be put down when your infant needs your boob, your toddler wants his hummus, and your second grader demands that you help them with their math that more closely resembles alien hieroglyphics. You could also read it at night as you chill out with your glass of wine or cup of tea, warm in your bath, before your partner asks you to find something for them in the fridge. (It's right in front of your face, I swear to all the heavens, just look.)

Some of these are essay-based, some are graphic novels, and some are light fiction and breezy enough to be put down and picked up at a moment's notice.

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1

'We Are Never Meeting In Real Life' by Samantha Irby

Be prepared to belly laugh. I mean, if you're pregnant, or have had a baby recently, pee is going to leak. It's totally worth it. Samantha Irby's We Are Never Meeting In Real Life is what I consider to be the gold standard of humor essay writing. Her voice is hopeful and confident, with just the right amount of doubt and sarcasm thrown in.

2

'Let's Pretend This Never Happened' by Jenny Lawson

This memoir got me through some seriously dark times. Jenny Lawson hits on some deep subjects, but it never feels as though she's putting that weight on her readers. Every chapter is more inappropriate and funnier than the last.

3

'Hyperbole and a Half' by Allie Brosh

This book is exactly what you want when you're pressed for time and could use a bit of lightness. Allie Brosh's cartoons are legendary, and this book is darn near perfect. Get the paperback, trust me.

4

'What If?' by Randall Munroe

This book is just right if you have a newborn, you haven't slept, haven't had much adult conversation in weeks, and you're pretty sure your brain is turning to mush. This book is scientific in nature, asking strange, hypothetical scientific questions and answering them as best they can be. The answers are sourced by real scientists, and in simple English. The questions and answers are often funny, and I swear you'll feel smarter for reading it.

Some questions are sillier than others, like "How much force power can Yoda output?"

5

'Dear Girls' by Ali Wong

Yes, Ali Wong wrote this book to her daughters, but with the understanding they don't read it until they're much, much older. Stories of sex and shoplifting, this book is riotous. Plus, it's written in capsule-like chapters, so you'll keep coming back to it.

6

'Truth or Beard' by Penny Reid

I have read this book no fewer than 10 times in the five years it's been out. Truth or Beard is the kind of romance novel that you pick up when you know that you want to escape into a world so wonderfully built that it will make you laugh while it buttresses all the hollow places in your mind as you take in its words. It's that good. A tale of mistaken identity, nerdy girls with crushes, and a sense of adventure in every moment, it's a breath of fresh air.

Also, Reid's books are written in a way that it's easy to hit pause on the audiobook or throw a baby sock in between the pages and get what you need to get done, done.

7

'Bossypants' by Tina Fey

If you haven't read Bossypants, now is the time. If you have read it — read it again. Tina Fey legitimately makes me want to be a bigger bad*ss, and she makes me laugh while doing it.

8

'Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal' by Christopher Moore

The first time I read this, I laughed so hard that I ended up pushing out a baby. The fictional untold story of Christ as written by his childhood BFF, it "tells the story" of the Jesus you've never met — and holy cow is it funny. It might not be for everyone, but me and my very religious Catholic husband could not love it more.

9

'Why Not Me?' by Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling is a spectacular author, and this book is everything you'd hope for from the Office star. In these essays, she talks about adulthood and responsibility with all of the humor in her nature. It's a wonder.

10

'The Last Black Unicorn' by Tiffany Haddish

If I didn't put Tiffany Haddish on this list, it would be a dereliction of duty. Tiffany Haddish's book is definitely rated MA, and isn't that exactly what moms need sometimes? I think that it is.

11

'Life Will Be the Death of Me' by Chelsea Handler

There is a whole story about how Chelsea has become her family's marijuana expert that is worth the cost of admission. Her style is very baudy and cheeky, and it's a rush just to read it. I love having a paperback of this book around just to pick up and peruse.

12

'War and Peas' by Jonathan Kunz & Elizabeth Pich

Told in four-panel stories, this is a blip in your day you'll be grateful for. It's an extension of the wildly popular webcomic of the same name, and fans were stoked when the book was released.

13

'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams

So long, and thanks for all the fish. Delve into the world of Ford Prefect and find out what the answer to the one question is. It is an easy-to-read, happy book, in spite of the end-of-the-world scenario.

14

'You Can't Touch My Hair' by Phoebe Robinson

This kindle is enhanced with audio and video, which is pretty neat. The book itself is very funny, with a deeper meaning that really gets you. Everyone should read it.

15

'Relatively Normal' by Whitney Dineen

This Kindle book is only $1 and worth much more. I literally just read this, and wow, what a joy. It's so much funnier than I thought possible about a book about a meet-the-parents gone wrong scenario.

16

'Scrappy Little Nobody' by Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick wrote this. Do you need to know anything else? No, you do not. Read this.

17

'How to American' by Jimmy Wang

Written by Crazy Rich Asians star Jimmy Wang, this book looks at the perils and pressure of first-generation Americans' need to make their parents proud in a way that everyone can relate to. The chapters are brief, fun to read, and the audiobook absolutely slays.

18

'The Greatest Love Story Ever Told' by Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman

Who doesn't want to hear the love story of Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman? I know that I did, and I'm glad I read it. And yes, there's a bit of Ron Swanson in Nick Offerman, and it's beautiful.

19

'Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl' by Issa Rae

Issa Rae is a star, and this book really set things off for her. If you're a fan of her show Insecure, or even if you're not, you should read this. She talks about being an awkward, introverted black woman, and how that has shaped her experiences. It's a super quick read, and while it would be a bummer to be interrupted, it won't break the stride.

20

'Amateur Hour: Motherhood in Essays and Swear Words' by Kimberly Harrington

Yes, it's a bit on the nose for a mom, but it works. These essays on parenting are sometimes brutal, but always funny. You'll fall into this book like chocolate cake, and never want to come up for air.