Janice in NJ Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 American Lit Your favorite light, funny, we-loved-this-book-because-it-made-us-smile titles.... American lit please..... Literature Biography Historical Fiction Nothing to discuss, just a page-turner that forced you/your kids to stay on the couch to finish even though life was calling.... the kind of book that makes your kids wander around the house reading aloud to anyone who will listen. It would be nice to LAUGH next year! Some of this high school stuff gets too heavy. Rec titles for high school boys and/or girls and their need-to-smile momma. THANKS! You guys are AWESOME!! Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiec Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) This is probably not appropriate for American Lit, but the funniest book I have ever read by an American author is Mark Twain's Innnocents Abroad. It's a tome, and you really will have to have gone to Europe to appreciate it or at least on a cruise. It's a tome and I laughed so hard I was crying and could barely breathe :) I read it aloud to my family, but they couldn't quite appreciate it as much as I did. I had traveled abroad before marriage and kids. I guess this qualifies as literature, though it really is a non-fiction book from when he was working as a reporter in San Francisco, and traveled with a religious group to Europe and the Middle East via ship (and some overland). He wrote a series of articles about his trip and it was later complied into this book. Really, it's hysterical ~ Edited April 24, 2009 by debbiec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison_B Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 This is not a book, but a movie ... The Great Race with Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon. I loved this movie when I was a kid and I recently bought it at B&N with Buy 2/Get 1 Free special. At first, my sons thought it was going to be lamed, but once they started watching - they were laughing so hard with that deep belly-laugh. It made me feel wonderful to share a classic with them. Jack Lemmon was wonderful in the movie as the villian. It is a great movie to rent or own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 In the biography category, I propose Russell Baker's wonderful book, Growing Up. Losing his father on the heels of the Great Depression insured that life would not be easy for Baker or his family, but the recounting of the grace and drive that his mother instilled in him is inspirational. Baker is an American treasure, a wonderfully understated humor writer whose columns in the NY Times brought me great joy. I heartily recommend Growing Up. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April in CA Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Penrod, or Penrod and Sam, by Booth Tarkington - laugh-out-loud funny, especially if you read aloud with appropriate accents. I found this gem at a library sale for a quarter - one of the best quarters I have every spent! If you want something else fun, but by a Brit (but one who loved America, so it could work with a little stretching...), try PG Wodehouse. Any of his Jeeves and Wooster stories are hysterically funny. If you enjoy Wodehouse, look for the Jeeves and Wooster DVDs staring Stephen Frye and Hugh Laurie. Some of the stories are set in New York, so if humor is your main goal, I would count them and Am Lit! Blessings, April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 "The Twenty One Balloons" by William Pene DuBois. My Dad first read this in his twenties and laughed out loud all the way through it. "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "Belles One Their Toes" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Not literature but a great read and listen (as this comes with an audio CD) is Classic Feynman: All the Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman. Truly fun! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Eliana, Thanks! Printing! You are the BEST! Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Kareni, This is is on his nightstand. And yes, he follows me around the house reading from it aloud. :001_smile: More title like this would be great! Peace, Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Kareni, This is is on his nightstand. And yes, he follows me around the house reading from it aloud. :001_smile: More title like this would be great! Peace, Janice Another title to consider: Uncle Tungsten: Memoir of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sachs. Not American, so I had hesitated to post. Laugh aloud and aha moments in this one. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Jane, Just put it on hold. Thanks! Interesting quick-read science-related titles are definitely welcome. Peace, Janice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Atoms in the Family by Fermi This is a biography of Henri Fermi written by his wife. Though initially set in Italy and written by a woman born in Italy, much of the book takes place in America. Great to read after reading the Feynman book, as it talks about living in Los Alamos . Amusing, interesting, not a hard read. Easier and shorter than Uncle Tungston which I also enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison_B Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Hi Janice, I saw that you lived in New Jersey. If you grew up near Trenton, you have to read the Janet Evanonich mystery series, "One for Money ...", etc. Let me state this is for you, not for the HS. I grew up near Trenton, and everything she writes in her books are so true. Again, this series is light readings and are definitely for Mom who needs a break and a good laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnG in Arizona Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 The two American classics that come to mind which are laugh-out-loud funny are: Tom Sawyer and Cheaper by the Dozen. And for a not-so-classic but hilarious piece, I recommend Hank the Cowdog. Seriously. Oh, and the short story "Ransom of Red Chief". Another laugh-out-loud piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 For some reason, Feynman always brings to mind Tom Lehrer. You might look for his musical satires at your library. We particularly love his albums in which he introduces each number. Try this one: Revisited by Tom Lehrer. Be forewarned that some of his numbers have adult content. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Life With Father by Clarence Day, Jr. is a riot! Not funny at all, but a can't-stop-reading, page-turner is Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I really enjoyed My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. It would be for high school and beyond. Enjoy! GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 We all loved A Long Way from Chicago and it's sequel A Year Down Yonder by Peck (No, it's not based in Australia, it's in southern IL during the depression.) For Twain, don't forget A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, as well as some of his short stories. James Thurber is good, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Just another vote for Cheaper by the Dozen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 A Year Down Yonder by Peck (No, it's not based in Australia, it's in southern IL during the depression.) I'm so glad you reminded me of this book. I'm from Southern Illinois, and it's one of those books I'm always meaning to read but keep forgetting about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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