For librarians, finding the right funny book for the right reader is serious business. Nobody wants to be the person whose joke (or book recommendation) elicits a dead-eyed stare.
Humor transcends genre because we experience it on such a personal level: Some readers love a feel-good giggle, some prefer the equivalent of a slapstick pie fight; others delight only in witty irreverence. Here are my go-to tips for finding humorous fiction that keeps readers laughing -- and coming back to you for more. Special thanks to those who wrote in asking about humorous fiction -- keep your Beyond Genre ideas coming! |
Who's down for a hilarious series of Steampunk Meerkat books?
#somebodywritethem |
TONE
Tone appeals try to capture the feeling a book evokes, and to answer the question:
"What are you in the mood for?" |
Here are a few TONE APPEAL (TC) searches in NoveList that spotlight various kinds of humor:- TC Amusing → Light humor, that may accentuate more serious themes
- TC Funny → Laugh-out-loud humor
- TC Irreverent → No institutions, people, or beliefs are off-limits; subversive laughs
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WRITING STYLE
Writing Style appeals describes how the book is written -- from its level of descriptive detail, to the complexity of its language
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Try these WRITING STYLE APPEAL (RC) searches to find books with linguistic humor: - RC Witty → Cleverly written; inventive, humorous language use
- RC Banter-filled → Lots of snappy repartee
- RC Wordplay-filled → Uses puns, anagrams, & other language games
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 Got LibraryAware? Customize this flyer's template with your funny faves! |
 Just for Laughs
A list of funny fiction
handpicked for you!Search in NoveList:
UI 432054 A bonus for
nonfiction fans: humorous appeal! |
 Easy Book Display: Share a Smile in the Stacks - Use humor-related appeal searches in NoveList to find books that your library owns. (Feel free to start with titles from the flyer above!)
- Print out the double-sided "appeal name tags" (at right) for your book. Note: The example at right shows "I'm funny," but it links to a blank slip.*
- Write an appropriate appeal term on each side of the blank "name tag," (for example, "I'm WITTY!") and then slip it into a corresponding book.**
- Display the books in the stacks with their name tags peeking out so that readers can find their kind of funny at-a-glance!
*For the ready-made "I'm funny" slip, click here. :)
**LibraryAware subscribers can input appeal terms directly into this template: select Bookmark -2-page, search for "funny." |
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