Am particularly interested in more recent authors / books, as opposed to classic reads such as Austen, Wodehouse, Amis, Sharpe, etc.

Thanks

Cry for the Moon

This one is quite funny at times.

Here are a few I like:

- Fight Club by Palahniuk (not as good if you've already seen the film - best if you don't know the plot)
- The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry
- Making History by Stephen Fry
- Striptease by Carl Hiaasen (much better than the movie with Demi Moore)
- JPod and Microserfs by Douglas Coupland

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls
Eating Blackbirds by Lorraine Jenkin
The Matchmaker of Perigord by Julia Stuart (She has a new novel out 4 Mar 2010 which should also be funny)
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Fatty batter by Michael Simpkins

I'm a huge fan of Christopher Brookmyre. Darkly comic but real laugh out loud moments guranteed in each book. All Fun and Games until Someone Loses an Eye LARGE PRINT is by far my favourite so far. Also a fan of the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde: The Eyre Affair

I'd second Jasper Fforde, Thursday Next series, 80% literary parody, 20% dystopian & time-travelling sci-fi (must be read in order: The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; Something Rotten; First Among Sequels). Also:

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, comic sci-fi (must be read in order: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, The Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Mostly Harmless. Eoin Colfer's official sequel comes out today incidentally, it's called And Another Thing).

Terry Pratchett, Discworld series, comic fantasy (can be read in any order plot-wise, although the occasional in-joke might go over your head. My personal favourites would be Wyrd Sisters; Soul Music; Maskerade).

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens, comic Armageddon.

Try Mrs Fisher's Tulip by a new author Melanie Hughes, a bitter sweet view of adult life seen through the eyes of a young teenage girl. I couldn't put it dawn and laughed out loud many times reading it. I hope there's going to be a sequel soon.

Mrs Fisher's Tulip

Anthing by Ben Elton for parodies on Big Brother, friends Reunited, X factor. The stars tennis balls by Stephen Fry.

Tony Hawkes Round Ireland with a fridge.

Spike Milligan's books about the time he was in the army.

Leslie Thomas's books are funny.

Ben Elton's books.

Narrow Margins by Marie Browne it only came out last month, but I laughed so hard I got shushed by a gentleman on the bus.
The other one I really like but it's a lot older is The World According to Garp by John Irving rather dark in places but you can't help laughing.

Kingdom Of The Burning Cow by T. Edward Devilish!

Sorry, I should probably clarify. Kingdom Of The Burning Cow is warped, twisted and laugh out loud funny - a bit like Chuck Palahniuk doing P.G. Wodehouse, writing his take on Orwell's 1984. It's great!

the Mapp and Lucia books - brilliant!

also "good omens" terry pratchett and neil gaiman

Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim. (Top of the pile.)
John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces
Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm
James Wilcox, Modern Baptists
George Orwell, Coming up for Air
Anything by P.G. Wodehouse or S. J. Perelman.

Jasper Fforde - The Fourth Bear

Try 'Raffles and the Match-Fixing Syndicate'

Many thanks for some wonderful suggestions. I have to start somewhere, so I'm going to order The Matchmaker of Perigord. I may also give Terry Pratchett another try. I tried Good Omens once but gave up.

Cheers
Mike

Mike - really hope you like it - it's one of my favourites; very quirky and charming. Let us know what you think when you've read it.
Janet

No contest! The funniest book I've read recently is 'Education, Edukation, Edukashun.' by James Rainsford. it's absolutely hilarious. Read the reviews here: Education, Edukation, Edukashun

He's not a novelist, but writes short stories about his life and they are hilarious! David Sedaris 'Me Talk Pretty One Day'. Warning, he is not PC! Hope you enjoy it.

"Mrs Fisher's Tulip" by Melanie Hughes, a new author. Bittersweet evocaion of sixties childhood. Laughed out loud several times and simply couldn't put it down. I re-read it and it still made me laugh.

Mrs Fisher's Tulip