Funny books to read in 2026

Reading lists

Funny books guaranteed to make you laugh out loud

A feel good, funny and uplifting book that is impossible to put down

In Case of Emergency

'It is a joy to read a debut that has such heart, humour, and pathos' Taylor Jenkins Reid 
'The book of the summer' Stylist 
'A witty, thought-provoking read' Woman and Home 
___________________________________________ 
 
When Bel Kumar leaves for work in the morning, the last thing she expects is wake up in hospital later that day - with her ex from four years ago by her bedside. 
 
It turns out that: 
 
1) She's had a near-death accident outside work 
2) She urgently needs to replace her ex with another next of kin on her HR form 
 
But who can Bel turn to in a crisis? She's never been good at asking for help, but she knows she needs to reconnect with the most important people from her past. 
 
Within days she's navigating complex family history, old school friendships and romantic encounters - with consequences she never could have predicted. 
 
Perhaps the worst day of Bel's life will turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to her . . . 
___________________________________________ 
 
'An instant rom-com classic' Lindsey Kelk 
 
'Switching between the past and present, In Case of Emergency is a novel of self-realisation and the freeing power of defying both familial and societal expectations. It's simply impossible not to root for Bel' CultureFly 
 
'Fans of Dolly Alderton's Ghosts and Emma Jane Unsworth's Adults will adore IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. This book reminds us all that no matter how capable we might be, we're nothing if not properly connected to those around us. A remarkable and thought-provoking debut!' Laura Jane Williams 
 
'A gorgeous read full of warmth, humour and relatable moments that make you realise you're less alone in the world. The perfect book to curl up with this summer. I adored it' Salma El-Wardany 
 
'Funny and clever with a ton of swagger' Stacey Duguid 
 
'I inhaled this book. You really root for Poorna's characters. They're both relatable and relevant' Natasha Devon 
 
'We loved this warm and thoughtful read' Sun on Sunday 
 
'Journalist Bell writes with panache about a young woman finding herself... and finding what matters' Daily Mail 
 
'This smart and incisive debut novel explores the pressures placed on women and reflects the full intricacies, joys and nuance of life as a British South Asian woman in the UK today' Stylist 
 
'Bel is wonderfully flawed and relatable, and this is a witty, thought-provoking read. Great 90's references too' Woman Magazine 
 
'There's a moment in which the author describes the first sparks of love, a feeling so small yet unstoppable, with such aching delicacy it took my breath away' Ranvir Singh 
 
'In Case of Emergency explored some intricacies of growing up British Indian and the way Bel and her sister have taken radically different paths in life' Better Words

Plan B

'I will read anything Poorna Bell writes!' Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of Atmosphere 
 
From award-winning journalist Poorna Bell, the funny and uplifting new novel celebrating the freedom to define your own happiness, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Holly Bourne, and Emma Gannon. 
 
*** 
 
Fresh out of a long-term relationship, nursing the wounds of the future she thought would be hers – a large family, lazy Sunday mornings curled up with her children and husband, a home entirely of her own – Bhoomi is forced to reimagine what life looks like at 41, and how to build a future she wants, even if it’s all a little different to what she’d imagined. 
 
Encouraged by her best friend, Miriam, she creates ‘The Baby Plan’. A mission to find a suitable (enough) man to fall in love with, build a partnership and start a family. 
 
The plan sees her on a string of dates ranging from awkward to absurd: men more invested in their Rubik’s cube than conversation, a parrot flying overhead just as things are getting steamy, and the unexpected reappearance of old flames. 
 
At breaking point, Bhoomi beings to wonder whether she's being searching in the wrong places. Perhaps she's always had everything she needs to make this work . . . alone. 
 
*** 
 
PRAISE FOR POORNA BELL'Light, funny and gorgeous - but also at times gritty and profound' Good Housekeeping 
 
'Heartwarming and funny' Heat Magazine 
 
'Warm, witty, wise and brimming with heart' Zing Tsjeng 
 
'[Poorna] taps into the crevice of every human emotion and brings out pure light and joy. A must read' Poppy Jay 
 
'Funny, insightful and ranges thoughtfully over all manner of subjects that matter' Natasha Poliszczuk 
 
'A thought provoking and delicate read with a great deal of warm humour too!' Stephanie Yeboah

Poorna Bell is an award-winning journalist and author of twenty years, former Executive Editor and Global Lifestyle Head for HuffPost. She won Stylist's Rising Star award for 2019, Red magazine's Big Book Award for 2019 and a Sunday Times Sports Books Award in 2022. She was named as one of Marie Claire's top 30 women and is a Balance magazine top 100 Wellness personality. A judge for the Mind Media Awards and for the Costa Book Awards, Poorna has written for Red, the Telegraph, The Times, Stylist, I News, BBC, the Guardian and Grazia. 
 
Poorna has published three works of non-fiction: Chase The Rainbow, In Search of Silence and Stronger, which is part memoir, part manifesto about women's strength and fitness. She is an experienced public speaker and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio. 
 
Poorna's first work of fiction, In Case of Emergency was published in 2022 to high acclaim. This is Fine is her second novel.

Poorna Bell

'I will read anything Poorna Bell writes!' Taylor Jenkins Reid 
'Gorgeous, affirming, an exploration of why and how we nurture' Pandora Sykes 
____________________________ 
 
It might not be the stuff of dreams, but Padma and Wallace have spent ten years building a relationship that feels . . . fine. Until Wallace gives Padma an ultimatum about starting a family she's not sure she even wants. 
 
Padma's fifteen-year-old niece Myra is reaching her own crisis point. When she falls in with the wrong crowd and her life ends up in danger, it's the final straw for her parents. 
 
Now Padma will spend the summer with her niece - in a ramshackle, ivy-clad house on the Kent clifftops - running a DIY rehab of sorts. 
 
Will this be a pressure too far for her and Wallace? And how will she spend six weeks with a niece who, thanks to her sister, she barely knows? 
 
It's the last place they want to be. 
 
But this could just be the summer that changes everything . . . 
 
Praise for This Is Fine: 
 
'This Is Fine is so much better than fine, it’s totally genius. The writing is compelling and insightful – not to mention hilarious – and the story moved me to tears more than once. I LOVE THIS BOOK!’ Lucy Vine 
 
'A perfect summer novel with endless entertainment and escapism. Warm, funny, charming and so brilliantly executed' Salma El-Wardany 
 
'This witty, warm, beautifully written novel will both gladden and sadden; it'll crack open your heart and pour gold into it' Catherine Gray 
 
'A sweet, smart story about sisterhood, exploring complex themes courageously. I fell in love with Padma and Myra’' Daisy Buchanan 
 
'Light, funny and gorgeous - but also at times gritty and profound' Good Housekeeping 
 
‘A brilliant, highly relatable look at complex family dynamics and womanhood, This is Fine is a must-read this summer’ Olivia Petter 
 
'Warm, witty, wise and brimming with heart' Zing Tsjeng 
 
'[Poorna] taps into the crevice of every human emotion and brings out pure light and joy. A must read' Poppy Jay 
 
'Funny, insightful and ranges thoughtfully over all manner of subjects that matter' Natasha Poliszczuk 
 
'A thought provoking and delicate read with a great deal of warm humour too!' Stephanie Yeboah

Poorna Bell

Books by Poorna Bell

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Funny books guaranteed to make you laugh out loud

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