10 Books That Made Me Laugh

I don't know about you, but I enjoy reading lists of books that struck people particularly. (Or maybe I just like reading lists of books, period). I hope you enjoy them too. ;P Do let me know if you do or don't. :) Today I'll be listing some books that made me laugh aloud. I love to laugh, and I love a good book that makes me laugh! ;D

1. Malory Towers Series by Enid Blyton.

 

I defy anyone to read these books and not laugh out loud. They still make me grin--and laugh aloud!--even if I've read them dozens of times. They're hilarious. But they're also deep, with good message o real life. And they're well-written and full of amazing characters and... yeah. They're just good. ;) 

My reviews: 

1. “First Term at Malory Towers.” 
2. “Second Form at Malory Towers.” 
3. “Third Year at Malory Towers.” 
4. “Upper Fourth at Malory Towers.” 
5. “In the Fifth at Malory Towers.” 
6. “Last Term at Malory Towers.” 

2. Paddington Series by Michael Bond.

 

So far I've only read four of these books (+ Love From Paddington, which doesn't seem to actually belong to the series & which was actually really disappointing) but they've all been absolutely hilarious and British and so, so funny. I can barely read these aloud--even a second or third read makes me laugh. They're so funny!!

My reviews: 

1. “A Bear Called Paddington.”

2. “More About Paddington.”

6. “Paddington Marches On.”

7. “Paddington at Work.”      

3. Bloopers, Botches, & Blunders by Allan Zullo. 

OH. MY. WORD. This book made me almost sick with laughter. Those insurance excuses are the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life! I laugh so hard each time I read it. I highly recommend this book. It is FULL of humour but it is also super clean! 

{ My review }

4. The Bastable Children Series by E. Nesbit.

These books are particularly funny to middle-graders, I think, but I still find them really funny. They're so real and so absolutely crazy, although as a grown-up I cringe for the children a couple times... xD As a family read aloud this would have you in stitches. 

My reviews: 

1. “The Story of the Treasure Seekers.”
2. “The Wouldbegoods.”
3. “The New Treasure Seekers.”

5. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. 

Okay, okay. This one is still hilarious even if I've read it a hundred times, more or less. White has a gift for humour. Of course this book also tugs at your heartstrings and even tears you up a little, but it definitely makes you laugh out loud. The "Escape" scene is my favourite, I think, but the Goose is always hilarious. 

{ My review }

6. Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat. 

Oh yeah. This one. I dare you not to laugh out loud on this one. It is hysterical. The very first chapter has you screaming. It is so funny. The perfect quick, light, funny, satisfying read. 

{ My review }

7. Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson. 

I recommend this to any writer. But it's also just a hilarious book to read. The crazy mistakes people do are absolutely.... I'm running out of words here. xP This made me laugh so hard. (While you're at it, read E.B. White & William Strunk Jr.'s Elements of Style. 100% useful, and very funny.)

{ My review }

8. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.

E.B. White really has a gift for nonsensical but hilarious and somehow sensible humour! The cob is hilarious and I love to quote him--and his wife. They're such a perfect couple, really they are. XD And there's a host of other humorous characters, though the cob & his wife steal the show. ;) It's not as funny as Charlotte, but it's a different kind of funny. 

{ My review }

9. Winnie-the-Pooh Series by A.A. Milne.

Oh, me... these books are so sarcastic and so real. The dry-humour-outlook on life is so refreshing & makes you think. These are books for all ages.

My reviews: 

1. “Winnie-the-Pooh.” 
2. “The House at Pooh Corner.” 
3. “When We Were Very Young.”
4. “Now We Are Six.”

10. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. 

Hilarious in English. Hilarious in French. So realistic and yet so crazy. The British vs. French caricatures of Fogg & Passepartout are amazing. The suspense and drama and beauty and genius of this book is amazing too. But really... it was SO funny. 

{ My review }

~ // ~

Let me know--have you read these books? What are some books that made you laugh?? Would you like so see more posts like thus???

8 Reasons to Re-Read a Book

I have been a big reader almost all my life. I would read a book, and some time later--weeks, most of the time, but in some cases days--I would read it again. And then a little while after that, I'd read it again. And again. I didn't have a huge selection of books as a child--books that belonged to me. The greater portion were schoolbooks. But I often reread those schoolbooks--dozens of times, for the most part.

Then, when I was around sixteen or seventeen, I entered the blogosphere (merely as a reader, not as a blogger). I began to follow the bloggers I followed on Instagram. and I began to notice something. Those bloggers bought at least one book a month--more often than not, four or five (or eight or ten, in extreme cases ;) ). They also got a few review books, pretty regularly. They read between 8-15 books a month. BUT. They hardly ever reread a book. If they reread a book, it was a huge deal. It was a phenomenal book!

My personal reading style is to read a book--very fast. Then, a few months later, I read it again, more slowly. And a few months after that, again--more or less slowly. Rereading has helped shape me in many ways. Last year I read A TON of new books; this year, my goal is to read as many old books as new books. And as I reread, I remember why I do it. Today, I am going to share ways that rereading has helped me. Rereading may not be applicable to every person (or every book!), and rereading might not do for others what it has done for me personally, but I still believe it is well worth doing, even a little. 

1. Rereading has helped me remember information. 

I have often found that rereading books many times had implanted information on my brain. I can remember the details of a historical occurrence long after I read it because I have read the book many times. This could be simply that I have a good memory for words. However, I've seen that rereading also helps me remember information about things I don't particularly care for.

Example: My mother was reading a schoolbook (that I have never read) to my younger siblings. It was describing a certain bird. (I am not particularly interested by natural history). My mother asked my siblings if they could guess what bird it was. Based on the descriptions (a twittering bird with grey/brown stripes on its side and a bright red cap & breast), I answered, "I think I know what it is." She looked at me and replied, "I don't think we have those here." I answered offhandedly, "Redpoll or Redbreast." The answer was a redpoll. She replied jokingly that she guessed I hadn't had that bad of an education after all! The fact was, I had immediately remembered a bird that shows up in The Burgess Bird Book for Children (which I have read at least eight times). If I had only read that book once, I would very likely have completely forgotten that unimportant little fella. But reading it so many times had imprinted it on my memory.

2. Rereading has helped my writing. 

When rereading, I often notice things I did not notice the first (or second, or third) read. Like how certain characters changed. How an author wove certain parts of their books together. How they wrote a certain scene. How they worked plot twists. How dialogue showed the characters' growth. How forshadowing began. It's taught me things about the writing craft. I've often fallen upon cool writing tricks that I would not have seen if I had not reread the book. It has also taught me words (I always look up words while rereading but very, very seldom while reading for the first time--unless its a boring book!). I sometimes stop to notice how a phrase was worded. I stop to notice quotes much better than during the first read, too. ;)

Example: When I reread Ivanhoe, I was amazed to see how Scott deftly pulled characters together and how the climax slowly worked up to a huge incident. Since I had read the book before, I knew when characters would reappear and I noticed how certain happenings helped work in the climax. When I reread Enemy Brothers, I noticed SO many ways that Constance Savery revealed characters, expressed their emotions, etc. 

3. Rereading has turned books into deep friends. 

How many times have I reread Little Women? What about Anne of Green Gables? Or the Little House on the Prairie series? Understood Betsy? Our Island Story? I've lost count. But I know those books (among others) like my own bedroom. Those books seem to hold my childhood in them. They hold the dreams and tears and laughter and happy sighs of my growing years. They are home. I know their pages like I know my parents' faces. They speak comfort and happiness. The characters are more than just acquaintances. They are friends--deep, real friends. It's hard to even describe how dear those books are to me. And I think that's a lovely problem to have. ^_^

4. Rereading has improved my vocabulary/writing style. 

 I reread books so often that many phrases and/or words have stuck in my head. Often when I am speaking or writing, I come out with good words to describe things or a phrase which sums up the subject. I have an extensive outlay or words to choose from and many good quotations. I strongly believe that's just because I read good books so often that their styles & vocabularies bled into me. 

5. Rereading has brought a lot of fun into my life!

There's nothing like quoting "has anybody seen my mouse?" when you hear anybody walk around complaining, "Has anybody--?" There's nothing like quoting an sentence from Little Woman and having your sister reply with the next sentence. (It's even more fun if it's a dialogue and you know

 almost, if not all, of it.) There's nothing like having your sister read out a sentence from a book and you're able to tell exactly what scene she's on. ;)

6. Rereading has helped me see things I missed the first time.
This sounds like a repeat of #2, but it isn't. Rereading helps me understand the story better. While rereading, I see where a character first pops up, why they actually were in a certain situation, who this personage was, etc. I am going slower, and I know what happens in the end, so I understand things better. 

7. Rereading gives a book a second chance.
Sometimes I read a book and I find it disappointing, boring, etc. It's not bad, it's just not what I expected. Often, when I reread the book, I find that I enjoy it much more. Perhaps I'm in a better mood. But generally it's because I know now what will happen so I'm not disappointed by how it all turns out. I like giving books like that a second chance. :) 

8. Rereading helps me rave about books better. 

Mwahaha, that's open to debate, I suppose. But I can tell you it's much better to be able to spill out the whole plot of a book in detail than to have to frown at the cover and say, "I remember really loving this book, but I have no idea why anymore..." xD When rereading a book, you see things you never noticed, you dig deeper, you remember it better, you develop a special knowledge of the book, and you enjoy it again. All of which helps it stay longer in your mind. :) 

~ / /~

So, are you Team Reread or Team One Read? And why? :) 

The Second Chances Book Tag

We all know I love the themes of second chances, redemption, hope... so this was such a fun tag! And I thought it was appropriate to this month. Give yourself & other people second chances, friends. <33 

1. Name a book you expected to dislike but ended up loving because you stuck with it to the end.

“With Roberts to Pretoria” by G.A. Henty. The beginning wasn’t very interesting, & I was pretty sure it would be among Henty’s duller, dragging books. But I chugged on & I was pleasantly surprised!! It was exciting, interesting, & enjoyable. 

2. Admit it--we all judge books by their covers. What is one book you’ve given a try and enjoyed despite a less-than-appealing cover? 

I really don’t love the cover of Livy Jarmusch’s Tales of Tarsurella. They’re just not my type at all. So the covers definitely didn’t move me in favour of them. But I gave them a try and I’m SO glad I did because I really, really enjoyed them!! 

3. Ranting opportunity! Which author are you forever mad at for denying a character their second chance? Talk about it. 😀 

There was this one L.M. Montgomery short story about a scoundrel who was engaged to a girl. He heard people talking about how miserable her life would be with him & because he truly loved her, he decided to pretend to abandon her & leave so she could marry someone else & be happy. I was so happy with his changing but I was SO MAD that he didn’t have a second chance with the girl!!!! 

4. Do you have a favourite book that includes a theme of second chances?

Do I?? Do I!!! Alone in London, Charlie to the Rescue, Beloved, Off Course, A Tale of Two Cities, Until We All Find Home, Johnny Tremain, Enemy Brothers, The Reb & the Redcoats, The Dark House on the Moss.... yes, yes, I do, I do. <33 

 

5. Name a favourite fictional romance that only succeeded because the characters were willing to let go of their first impressions and move on.

Everyone’s thinking Pride & Prejudice here, hm?? XP I’m saying Persuasion. Both Anne & Wentworth had to let go of some impressions & seek the other. I do know several other romances where the characters had to let go of impressions and move on, but I just can't think of them right now....

There ya go! Feel free to steal this tag. and tell me one book you gave a second chance to. ;)

The Chocolate Book Tag

Aaaand we're back with another fun bookish tag I picked up I-don't-know-where. Thank you to whoever posted it originally. XD It's about books and chocolate--who can resist??

Instructions: Answer the questions and tag as many people as you want to answer these questions. 

((*pauses to appreciate how easygoing the rules are*))

1. Dark Chocolate (a book that covers a dark topic).

Stay Where You Are & Then Leave by John Boyne deals with shell-shock, enemy aliens, cowardice, conscientious objectors, deceit, war, grief... lots of heavy topics. And though it tears your heart to pieces & almost oppresses you at times, it ends with such a lovely note. It makes you think in so many ways, & it’s so worth it. 

2. White Chocolate (a light-hearted humorous read).

(I love white chocolate FYI. Most people don’t know. Count yourself privileged). Red Rover, Red Rover, & the other Emily Abbott books. They’re very exciting, but also really humorous and light-hearted, the perfect read when you just need to be entertained & cheered up. And I love them so much. 

3. Milk Chocolate (a book with a lot of hype that you really want to read).

Taylor Bennet’s Porch Swing Girl. I’ve seen it around a lot & I snagged a free copy at one point & I’m eager to read it.

4. Caramel-filled Chocolate (a romantic book).

Anne of the Island. It’s a book that deals with true love & knowing your heart. And the last chapter—oh my word. True love at it’s best. So sweet & lovely. <33 

5. Wafer-less Kit-Kat (a book that surprised you).

A wafer-less Kit-Kat sounds like a pathetic disappointment to me rather than a surprise! Is this suppose to be a good or a bad surprise?? If good, then... Yellow Star was not what I expected! It was just so sweet and uplifting and thought-provoking, and flowed so well. For bad, then I have a number of books that disappointed me. Like Pieces of the Past which could just have been so good & was just not. 

6. Snickers (a book you are going nuts about).

Heh heh heh... as of the writing of this post (don't judge meeeee) I'm still going nuts over 5 Star Spy by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick! I really, really love it. ;D 

By the time this goes live I'll probably be going nuts over another Emily Abbott book, so... 

7. Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows (a book you go to for a comfort read).

(I do not like hot chocolate...) Generally I pick an old favourite for this. Like Enemy Brothers or The Reb & the Redcoats or Understood Betsy... pretty much anything that isn’t heartbreaking, just happy. 

8. A Box of Chocolates (A series you feel has something for everyone).

Anne of Green Gables series... Little House series... Little Women Series... The Paddington Series... The Kitten Case Files Series... there are lots, guys! ;D

So there you are! Feel free to steal this tag if you're a book lover and/or a chocolate lover! Comment below and tell me what book you're going nuts about right now. ;D