Gideon’s speech is modern and biting, there are darkly funny moments, and the friendships and loyalty Gideon the Ninth was unlike any fantasy novel I’ve read—Gideon’s speech is modern and biting, there are darkly funny moments, and the friendships and loyalty that develop seem impossible, yet resonate in a lovely

Geraldine Brooks; I'm listening to Happy-Go-Lucky, the newest book of essays from the oddball, poignant, darkly funny David Sedaris; and I'm reading The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston's adult debut about a romance In and among these scenes, Sedaris shares strange, sweet, funny moments with each of his living sisters

Cult Classic is a sometimes darkly funny, suspenseful story of love, memory, and mind control with a

love and loss, We All Want Impossible Things; I'm listening to Jen Beagin's recent (public February 7) darkly funny contemporary fiction, Big Swiss, about a sex therapist transcriptionist who falls for a client

connection--I was surprised by how much, and by how touching it felt to me--whereas Finley Donovan was darkly funny.

in the Machine. 02 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Gideon’s speech is modern and biting, there are darkly funny moments, and the friendships and loyalty resonate in a lovely way.

This fun, darkly funny, feminist story about a retiring female team of elite assassins was the right

The stories are sometimes dark and darkly funny, and the situations range from that of a Sarah who is

by Jen Beagin Jen Beagin's literary fiction novel is consistently bizarre, at times base, and often darkly funny as her characters alternately dive into and avoid facing the implications of their past traumas The dialogue is witty, odd, and often both cringe-inducing and darkly funny. The dialogue is exceptional in how real it feels--funny, heartbreaking, sometimes realistically without We All Want Impossible Things is heartbreaking and wonderfully strange, funny and full of love, and a

This is a darkly humorous, sometimes quirky tale that's edgy and provocative. You might also like these edgy books, darkly funny books, oddball, and bonkers books, as well as books

struggles; she is practical with her approaches to coping with various challenges; and she's often funny

She is often exasperated and very funny. Newitz provides all three in a cozy story that charmed me through both funny and poignant moments. that's revealed) had me swooning, and their banter is sometimes grumpy, hesitantly vulnerable, and often darkly funny.

It's often funny and consistently charming, but never cloyingly sweet. this title. 05 Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth I loved the octogenarian main protagonist of Elsie and the darkly funny start to the book.

Sunny is a journalist in New York City, eager to escape his overbearing family home in India. Sonia falls into a destructive relationship with a volatile older artist, while Sunny is living with Sunny and Sonia are both ambitious but are struggling to envision their career paths. Sunny and Sonia were briefly the subjects of a matchmaking effort by their families. I listened to the 688-page The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny  as a 25.5-hour audiobook.

It's a little dark, consistently fascinating, sometimes funny, and very satisfying. Bardugo doesn't take the easy way out with the plot, and the dialogue here is funny and smart. It's dark and darkly funny, with twists, turns, and satisfying relationship growth. 04 The Folk of the

This is zany, heartwarming, often funny, and just lovely. Many of the key elements of her observations are placed in quotation marks, and this is a very funny, This was wryly funny, sometimes zany, and so very heartwarming.

I loved Sunny's body positivity and her self-made-woman status. Sunny Greene is a 35-year-old, recently divorced head of her own PR firm. The body-positivity in Sunny Side Up was a highlight, as was the group of Sunny's bright, supportive I loved Sunny's independence, savvy abilities, strong will, and, of course, her fashion sense. More about Sunny I received an audiobook version of Sunny Side Up courtesy of Libro.fm and   Macmillan

Sarah Rees Brennan offers a funny, dark, clever story within a story in which the heroes and villains This is so funny, sometimes dark, and it has lots of heart. For two other great books that take a sympathetic, darkly playful view of a villain, check out Hench

Book two of the series sees our septuagenarian characters each trekking their own paths while working cooperatively to solve a new mystery. They show vulnerability and strength, use their instincts and smarts to outsmart criminals, and grow. I laughed while listening to this one; Osman's series has me hooked. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are septuagenarians feeling let down after the thrills, danger, and success of their first solved mystery (related in The Thursday Murder Club ). But things start getting interesting when a piece of Elizabeth's past is illuminated. Her ex-husband shows up, under the protection of fellow MI-5 spies, suspected of having stolen 20 million dollars' worth of diamonds and professing to still be in love with her. And someone has it in for him, which means danger for all. Not everyone is who they seem, and someone the group trust's may have let greed and deception compromise everything. I love that Elizabeth and the crew each have somewhat of their own individual paths in this installment, yet work cooperatively as in book one. Ibrahim turns inward and needs his friends to push him back to full form; Ron soars as he playacts and explores his tough-guy tendencies; and Joyce is more self-assured and independent than ever. Meanwhile, Elizabeth almost outsmarts herself as she explores who is not who they say they are, considers others' various layered motivations, works creative angles, and helps set up a grand finale. The group's friendship with local police officers continues, and the officers' private lives are beefier in this book as well (I liked the peek into their private lives and potential love interests). Meanwhile, Bogdan continues to steal the show character-wise with his gruff kindness to and friendship with the crowd and particularly Stephen, who has dementia; his handyman prowess and ability to get done anything needed; his unshakeable demeanor; and his complete loyalty. The main protagonists' tendencies and personalities have room to shine in book two of the Thursday Murder Club series, and Osman allows for vulnerabilities and also moments where the characters come into their own. Osman writes older characters with grace, not relying on archetypes but serving up poignancy, dialogue that made me laugh, and grand adventure that keeps his protagonists inspired and engaged. I listened to The Man Who Died Twice  as a library audiobook. More about This Series Richard Osman is an author and also a producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is a five-book series, and there's a film based on the first book. For my review of the first book in this series, The Thursday Murder Club , please check click this link .

I was highly entertained by the sometimes darkly funny, sometimes tragic A Thousand Ships. Through all of these accounts, Natalie Maynes offers frequently darkly funny moments and sometimes poignant In Steven Rowley's fun, funny, and heartwarming light fiction story The Guncle, aging former sitcom star

language and pacing is lovely, the World War II settings are exquisitely laid out, and the dialogue is darkly funny.

please check out Dolly All the Time. 02 Night Night Fawn by Jordy Rosenberg In this wonderfully bonkers, darkly funny novel, a dying Jewish matron with rigid views and a litany of disappointments to share with those

It felt important to be able to picture her likely and funny facial expressions as I heard her read this

Kosta is candid, and his smirking sense of humor comes across in funny, sometimes cringe-inducing situations

Maynes offers often darkly funny moments and sometimes poignant scenes showing unusual perspectives and

In Meredith Hambrock's darkly funny, satirical novel, Jessamyn St. This is zany, heartwarming, often funny, and just lovely. This was wryly funny, sometimes zany, and so very heartwarming.

It's also often wryly funny. Festival Days. 03 You Have a Friend in 10A by Maggie Shipstead Shipstead's varied stories range from funny with an edge to darkly haunting. In You Have a Friend in 10A, Maggie Shipstead offers gripping, sometimes haunting, sometimes darkly funny

Wellness is darkly funny, intriguing, and, at times, poignant. Land of Milk and Honey . 06 Good Material by Dolly Alderton Alderton's literary fiction rom-com is a funny Being with Jen list as well as a list of reasons why he's glad their relationship is over--tracing the funny

Elliott's book for young readers offers a boy-crazy, truly funny main protagonist in Haylah Swinton. It's also truly funny, and I can't wait to read the next book.

The friendship between Ganymedes and dark-humored 6-year-old Grasshopper is funny and sweet, and I loved that's revealed) had me swooning, and their banter is sometimes grumpy, hesitantly vulnerable, and often darkly funny.

Click here   for my full review of You Are Here . 04 A Modern, Darkly Funny Mystery Listen for the Lie For my full review, please see The Ministry of Time . 06 A Funny, Steamy, Sweet Rom-Com Funny Story by Emily Henry Funny Story  is the perfect rom-com read. I listened to Funny Story  as an audiobook (narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan). For my full review of this book, please see Funny Story .

Wellness is darkly funny, intriguing, and, at times, poignant.

Hell Bent is clever and sometimes darkly funny, yet a somber undertone runs throughout it. This didn't make The Golden Enclaves the most darkly fun, deeply emotional, or captivatingly paced book

Donovan Is Killing It, but The Maid offers more heartwarming connection, whereas Finley Donovan was darkly funny.

Six More Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read lots of entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic Second: Starter Villain is playful, darkly funny, big-hearted, and wonderfully weird. This was playful, smart, funny, and weird.

In Meredith Hambrock's darkly funny, satirical novel, Jessamyn St.

In Beautyland, Bertino offers a poignant, funny, strange story full of extraterrestrial observations Beautyland is strange, poignant, and funny.

She writes characters that are so funny, so poignant, so beautifully oddball, and so wonderfully open

Her memoir is candid, poignant, funny, and always entertaining. Garg offers an honest, funny account of overcoming sobering challenges and determining her own destiny I laughed out loud repeatedly while I was reading this charming memoir by this strong, funny woman.

As always, Black's characters show darkly funny humor and trade biting remarks, and creatures of all

This was funny, sweet, steamy, and poignant--a fantastic summer light-fiction read that I loved. The premise sounded like a slam dunk for me, and the reality of the book was a funny, poignant, banter-filled Hell Bent is clever and sometimes darkly funny, yet a somber undertone runs throughout it.

Kuang This darkly funny story made me cringe while staying riveted by the main protagonist's deeply faulted apart, but in the decades to come, when one of them feels adrift and lost, they come together in sassy, funny

Croucher's young adult queer medieval adventure romance is sweet, spunky, and full of great banter, with characters finding their way (and love) despite complex challenges. "You aren’t merry," Clem said to her captor. "And you aren’t all men. So there’s been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line." Mariel is the bristly new captain of the Merry Men and is anxious to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the retired Robin Hood (who now lives with his true love, William), and to make her hard-to-please father, who has wrested control of the Merry Men, proud. Clem is a jovial healer from the country who is advancing medical techniques and is sought out for her helpful salves and methods in a time of the outdated use of leeches and attempts to cure dark humors. Clem has only noble intentions of helping others, and she doesn't differentiate between those on the Sheriff's side and those on the Merry Men's side. When the Merry Men capture Clem in retribution for her help in healing the Sheriff of Nottingham, things get complicated for both Mariel and Clem in this sassy, fun, queer historical fiction young adult romance. Mariel is trying to find her way and keep her emotional walls up, while Clem's openheartedness seems determined to tear them down. The rest of the gang is fantastically spunky, tough, kind, and loyal--with nonbinary representation and lots of love. The group faces real challenges, and some characters don't make it through the battles and sometimes-messy plans-gone-awry. Consequences feel appropriately weighty. It's a young adult book, with lots of love and attraction but very little steaminess (none explicit), and it kept me hooked with the layers of emotional growth, the fights for autonomy, and the determination to build a new future. I am all in for Lex Croucher novels forever. The banter, the adventure, the medieval setting--yes yes yes. I received a prepublication edition of this book, which was published November 26, courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. More from this author: Lex Croucher is also the author of the wonderful Gwen & Art Are Not in Love .

01 Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn This fun, darkly funny, feminist story about a retiring

The title may be a little self-conscious, but the book itself is darkly funny, with wonderfully paced

More Funny and Sweet Light Fiction Adorable rom-coms feel like the perfect summertime reading, and I've This was funny, sweet, steamy, and poignant--a fantastic summer light-fiction read that I loved. The premise sounded like a slam dunk for me, and the reality of the book was a funny, poignant, banter-filled It's perfectly charming, funny, quirky, and sweet, yet it deals with grief and fear, hope and forgiveness Better Than the Movies is funny funny funny and so lovely and sweet, I adored the whole story, the characters

Here are my six favorite reads of the past month: a bitingly funny, poignant book of essays; a candid In and among these scenes, Sedaris shares strange, sweet, funny, pivotal moments with each of his living I love to laugh at Sedaris's darkly funny reflections about the world and society--and at his recognition Yet McCurdy is witty, often funny, and candid. With sections read by stars of The Good Place, Schur's How to Be Perfect is funny, interesting--and a

Funny and Sweet Light Fiction Is it really summer without some great rom-com reads teed up and ready Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me. Ann Liang I was hooked by Liang's fake-dating, famous-everyday relationship duo setup, fantastically funny Ann Liang's funny dialogue, characters' various interpersonal challenges and victories, and messy family Win and Harriet's interactions, when they do begin communicating, are lovely and sweet and funny and

Second: Starter Villain is playful, darkly funny, big-hearted, and wonderfully weird. This was playful, smart, funny, and weird.

here for my full review of Pretty Things. 04 Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn This fun, darkly funny, feminist story about a retiring female team of elite assassins was the right book at the right