15 Books to Read If You Loved "Where'd You Go, Bernadette"
Hilarious fiction, right this way
A few years ago, we fell pretty hard for Bernadette Fox, the hilarious (and a little unhinged) heroine of Maria Semple’s novel Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Now (hooray!) Semple’s new book has arrived. But we know that when we’re done, we’re going to be jonesing for more of that same warm, quirky humor. Here are 15 funny reads to ease the pain.
1.
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
First on our list? Duh, Semple’s new book. This one introduces us to Eleanor, who, in the course of one terrible day, has to abandon all of her usual neuroses and think about the future in an entirely new way. Buy the book
2.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
For a brilliant scientist with Asperger’s syndrome, finding a wife is just like any other science project. At least until he figures out that love is a different discipline entirely. Buy the book
3.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove is the quintessential grumpy old man, until a new family moves in next door and an unlikely friendship forms. A story can’t get any more charming than this (seriously, there’s even a lonely, blue-eyed cat involved). Buy the book
4.
The Guineveres by Sarah Domet
A debut novel about four girls improbably all named Guinevere who find friendship in a dark place—the Sisters of the Supreme Adoration convent. Buy the book
5.
Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
This Australian best-selling author can always be counted on for likable characters and excellent plot twists. But her debut—about a beautiful, hilarious and very dramatic set of 30-something triplets—is often overlooked. Buy the book
6.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
In a bourgeois Parisian apartment building, the daughter of a parliamentarian has vowed to kill herself on her 13th birthday. Until she meets the lonely concierge. Buy the book
7.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey’s memoir isn’t just laugh-out-loud funny, it’s laugh-so-loud-you’ll-wake-the-baby funny. But, seriously, what did you expect? Buy the book
8.
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
This zany debut follows an immigrant family on a cross-country road trip as they try to save face and fortune after a disastrous turn in the recession. Buy the book
9.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Clay Jannon trades a soul-sucking Web-design career for a job at a bookstore. But he soon realizes the shop is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle, and Clay is about to get sucked in. Buy the book
10.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
A wildly inventive, big-hearted book about a Midwestern woman who becomes the world’s best chef. Warning: Don’t read when hungry. Buy the book
11.
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Sophie Straw has always been beautiful, but she’d rather make people laugh. And in 1960s London, that’s not something that many women do. Buy the book
12.
Barbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes
The title of this irreverent, deadpan story collection kind of says it all. Buy the book
13.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
Wunderkind Blue van Meer is struggling socially at her new prep school….until she gets entangled in a group of elite students and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. Buy the book
14.
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Pretty much anything by Ephron will do, but we especially like her only novel, based on the unraveling of her marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein. Never has a gut-wrenching divorce been so hilarious. Buy the book
15.
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
Edie Middlestein has always had a love-hate relationship with food. Now, as her family crumbles around her, she’s gaining weight faster than ever. Attenberg is a master of dark humor and we just can’t get enough. Buy the book
