Thank you so much to everyone for participating in the Inaugural First Page Critique, and especially to Michelle, our Inaugural First Pagee. There have been requests afoot for this to be a regular feature, and: consider it done!
Every Monday henceforth we’ll have a page (and occasionally query) critique, and I’ll continue to reward those with fast fingers and critique the first one posted in the comments. I liked the idea of choosing randomly from the comments section to account for time zones, but First Comment ensures randomness, there won’t be delays as I wait for someone to reply, and creates an intriguing element of competition.
This also means we have a nicely symmetrical weekly schedule: Monday page critiques, Tuesday new, Wednesday You Tell Me, Thursday new, and Friday This Week in Publishing.
So be on the lookout Monday for the next Page Critique session! Also, I swear this only partly a shameless plug, but just so that everyone is on level footing: if you Follow the blog it updates almost instantaneously after I’ve posted in feed readers and the like, and I’ll also update my Twitter feed when it’s up as well. Hopefully that will save some people from the refresh button.
Now then! I am lifting this question directly from the Forums, and it was originally posed by Colonel Travis (yes, the real one from the Alamo, check the avatar!!):
What is the funniest book of all time?
Some of my favorites include Roald Dahl’s books, but I’d ultimately have to go with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
What do you think?
I'd have to put in a vote for Adam Rex's THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. It's pretty much mpossible to read Boov conversations without cracking up.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues!
Re: "an intriguing element of competition." LOL. Nathan, I never saw the sadistic side of you before! I'll be sure to wave at you up there in the stands as you watch your disciples jockey for position and battle it out to be First Past the Post on Mondays.
Sharpen those typing talons, everybody. 😉
As far as the funniest book of all time goes, I'll have to think about it. I loved both Roald Dahl and THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE, but I also enjoyed UNDER THE FROG by Tibor Fischer and everything written by Bill Bryson. So before I award the title "Funniest of All Time", I'll need to do some nostalgic perusing of my bookshelves.
Tanya Huff's SUMMON THE KEEPER still makes me giggle whenever I read it, even though I first read it nearly 10 years ago. And the first read had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.
I write YA and read a ton of it. No other book in recent memory had me laughing so much as SPANKING SHAKESPEARE by Jake Wizner. Loved it! I felt like one of the guys!
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. When the bever exploded I had to use my rescue inhailer.
Tibor Fisher's The Thought Gang.
It doesn't get funnier than HITCHHIKER'S.
That said, I enjoy Christopher Moore's books. A DIRTY JOB comes to mind. Hilarious.
BORED OF THE RINGS, a National Lampoon parody, but it only works remotely well for total aficionados of the original. And an Honorable Mention for HOW TO ATTRACT THE WOMBAT by Will Cuppy.
Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey.
"I hope some animal never bores a hole in my head and lays its eggs in my brain, because later you might think you're having a good idea but it's just eggs hatching."
anything by Wodehouse, Waugh, Vonnegut, Lodge… will always make me laugh.
My real favourite for funnies is the sadly deceased Miles Kington, though he never wrote anything that was strictly a novel. I'd say his best was SOMEBODY LIKE ME. or HOW SHOULD I TELL THE DOG?
also, been listening to an old Pratchett (THE FITH ELEPHANT)as an audiobook recently. forgotten how much he brings the lols. it's kind of overshadowed by how he brings the people and humanity and wisdom and intrigue, but the lols are what first drew me in.
Hmmm…it's gotta be either one or another of the Dr. Seuss books or Calvin and Hobbes (do comic books count?)