1. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson - I love this book. I've read it a couple times now and it still cracks me up. It's a great to pick up sporadically. There's no real story so it doesn't matter if you put the book down for a couple months and then pick it up right where you left off. I'm sort of making my way through it and when I get to the end I just start over.
2. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged by the Reduced Shakespeare Company - I can't tell you how many times I've read this play. All the times, if I had to venture a guess. I pretty much know it by heart but that's OK because it's great and I heart it. Nerdy Shakespeare jokes for the win.
3. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde - The whole series counts as a single light and fun read, but seriously, it's so good. It's fun and it's quirky and it has Bookworld. How can you have a Bookworld and have it NOT be fun?
4. Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson - As I mentioned in the Lawson entry, I like books that I can pick up and put down without worrying about losing my place. This is a collection of columns Bryson wrote for The Mail on Sundays about what it was like to move back to the States after living in England for so long and it's so Bryson-y. He curmugeons about things, and is in awe of the wonders of the world, almost in equal parts.
5. Moranthology by Caitlin Moran - This is a new addition to my collection of light and fun reads (and I'll have that review written any day now. You know, after I finish procrastinating by writing posts like this.) Like the Bryson book, it's a collection of her columns from Times about things like how Ghostbusters is the best movie ever.
6. Bossypants by Tina Fey - And while we're on the topic of hilarious ladies, Fey's memoir is the best. It's hilarious and she has lots of stories about being a woman comedy writer and a mother, sometimes even at the same time.
7. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - Who knew that a book about the male psyche would be one of my favorite books? Well actually, considering how many "middle class white guy problems" books I've read, perhaps it's not that surprising. But still, isn't that in itself surprising? Anyway, listening to Rob & company take music way to seriously is lots of fun, even when he's making bad decision after bad decision. Bonus, since I'm also a fan of the movie, I always picture Jack Black as Barry.
8. Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt - I've recently been listening to the Freakonomics podcast so this book is on my mind. Want to examine how incentives affect just everything? Want to compare how the KKK is like real-estate agents or if names really matter.
9. Who Are You People? by Shari Caudron - Why yes, I would like to read a book about a journalist who decides she needs to get to the bottom of people's obsessions, including ice fishing, Barbie enthusiasts, and Josh Groban fans. The book is funny without being condescending to the people she's writing about and she's only sort of creeped out by the furries. So there you go.
10. Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson - Any collection. 10th Anniversary that includes notes from Watterson? Definitely. The Complete Calvin & Hobbes? As long as you have a comfortable couch to sit on, absolutely. There's never a bad time for Calvin & Hobbes.
What are some great light & fun reads that I've missed?
Update: I need to include one more because HOLY HELL how did I forget Attachments by Rainbow Rowell? I'm disappointed in me, and I also blame ebooks, since having it on my Kindle means I can't just glance at my shelves for inspiration. But seriously, this book is so good and cute and funny and every time it's mentioned I want to read it again. It's such a feel good book.
