The Best Books Authored By a Comedian (or About Comedy) in 2023!
The Best Books Authored By a Comedian (or About Comedy) in 2023!
This is one of the most fun categories to review every single year and its a very big exciting year- our tenth time picking the best of the best in comedy books. Something we’ve learned over the last ten years– comedians write great books. It’s because they’re great communicators. Memoirs and comedic essays can be a lot like reading a podcast- where your favorite comics share their most intimate personal moments, personal stories and insights. Or it can read like stand up, turning crazy or embarrassing stories into huge laughs. Here are ten of our favorite books in comedy this year. We love each and every one of them.
There are some themes this year. A lot of our 2023’s books by comedian touch on various types of mental illness, coping, being weird, and being different. Many delve into formative childhood moments, and if we’ve learned one thing, its that teacher can have a tremendous influence on young minds- but. not because of the subjects covered, or the politics of the teacher. A supportive adult in the classroom can fuel artistic ambitions, and.a teacher who doesn’t support students emotional teacher can leave lasting scars. Another theme in the books listed below is overcoming childhood challenges. Many of these authors had difficult and complicated childhoods, and every book is a page turner.
So let’s look back at our past winners. In 2014, you voted Joan Rivers ,”Diary of a Mad Diva” as the best book authored by a comedian and in 2015 Colin Quinn’s “The Coloring Book” grabbed top honors. Doug Stanhope won the prize in 2016 for “Digging Up Mother: A Love Story” and pulled a repeat win in 2017 for “This is Not Fame. ” In 2018 you gave Jim Florentine the best book of the year award for “Everybody is Awful (Except You)”. In 2019, Judd Apatow’s loving tribute to Garry Shandling, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Book” took the prize. And in 2021 year, Colin Quinn returned to the best of the year list with “Overstated.” In 2022, the king of the comedy book was Tom Scharpling and his fantastic memoir, “It Never Ends.” And last year, another Tom took the title- Tom Segura with “I’d Like to Play Alone, Please.”
And now it’s time to name the twelve best books, all must reads, that came out in 2022.
Don’t forget you can also Vote for Comedy Movie of the Year! Vote for Comedy TV Series of the Year! Vote for Comedy Special of the Year!
COMING SOON: Comedian of the Year! Comedy Album of the Year!
STEVEN WRIGHT: HAROLD. What if you filled a book with Steven Wright set ups that didn’t have punchlines? And what if you took those premises and put them inside the mind of a young weird boy who daydreams about absurdities? If you did, you’d have the brilliant new novel from Steven Wright, and you’d find that his premises are so brilliant that they stand alone without punchlines. This book is entertaining, thought provoking, and you don’t need to get the audiobook to hear it in Wrights signature voice, its embedded in your brain. This isn’t just a book written by a comedian- its literature, and its fun- in the way that Vonnegut always was. This is a perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list, but starting with yourself.
REGGIE WATTS: GREAT FALLS, MONTANA: FAST TIMES, POST PUNK WEIRDOS AND A TALE OF COMING HOME AGAIN. If you haven’t figured out yet that Reggie Watts is a national treasure then you are way behind. He’s a renaissance man for the modern world, blending humor, music, technology, and silliness in the best possible ways- and he’s a mensch. How does such a creative tornado get to be that way? This book takes you through every step, from his birth (no citizenship- anywhere!) to his incredibly colorful childhood, and his growth from artist and part time criminal to beloved creative genius. The stories are riveting, Gen-Xers and Boomers will love the window Reggie gives us into growing up in the 80s, and you won’t have to be a detective to see the building blocks that created the Watts we all know and love. Despite his own doubts, Watts is a tremendous communicator. Fun and fantastic. And yes, you can also grab it on Audible and get to not only hear Watts bring his own story to life, but some bonus material, sound effects and songs.
GARY GULMAN, MISFIT: GROWING UP AWKWARD IN THE 80’S. The second book on our list to delve into the DNA of a beloved stand up comedian- Gary Gulman takes us through his childhood outside of Boston in roughly the same time period as Watts was going through childhood in Great Falls Montana.Gary has a different story he’s telling, not so much showing us the stories that led to his brilliant stand up career, but the story that may have led up to his mental health crash just a few years ago. We hear about some of Gulman’s struggles in school, with adults and other students. I’m not saying that his second second grade teacher is 100% responsible but you will want to time travel to stop an incident that definitely left its mark. But Gary’s childhood is also full of beautiful moments and relationships, and whether he’s sharing a light or dark story, it’s all riveting. Gary intersperses his coming of age story with the more recent past, sharing the emotional and mental challenges he faced right before leaving stand up for a few years. Gary has written a true page turner, that will make everyone feel less alone. Also available on Audible with Gary narrating.
DAVE HILL: THE AWESOME GAME, ONE MAN’S INCREDIBLE GLOBE CRUSHING HOCKEY ODYSSEY. Stand up comedian, author, actor, rock musician, podcaster, stylist, designer and all around raconteur Dave Hill takes us inside sports for his fourth book. Dave doesn’t understand why only five percent of Americans consider hockey to be their favorite sport and he’s out to change that or at least understand. His search for the very soul of hockey takes him across the globe. And you won’t need to love or even like hockey to enjoy The Awesome Game. Dave’s got enough passion to carry you through.
MARIA BAMFORD, SURE I’LL JOIN YOUR CULT: A MEMOIR OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE QUEST TO BELONG ANYWHERE. Mental Health is a theme in this year’s books by comedians, and if there’s anyone who can be crowned the Queen of talking openly about mental health, its Maria Bamford. In “Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult” she takes being candid to a new level. Maria lets us know she’s a joiner, and she’ll join anything- unless of course she’s broke and your cult costs money. If we had to describe this book with only one word, it would be sincerity. If we can use one more word, it’s transparent. It’s also really funny, delivered in the way only Bamford can. And if you don’t mind hearing books instead of reading them, her voice escalates the written material. Plus Maria makes sure to sprinkle in some audible easter eggs just for the audio book version. Added value!
TOM PAPA, WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: SO MAKE SOME ROOM. Tom’s first book, “You’re Doing Great,” was all about making you feel better about yourself. His latest book, “We’re All in This Together” takes a different approach. Yes, you’re still doing great, but you can do better. Tom wants to urge all of us to be less divided, more understanding of others, and a learn to live together. He uses a series of really funny and subversively smart short essays to help us get to understand what he’s talking about with stories about personal hygiene, dating, owning a house, getting wasted, and hiding from your family. Tom’s a consummate writer, as skilled on pages as he is on stages. And if you love “We’re All in This Together” make sure you grab a copy of “You’re Doing Great” which also make our best in comedy lists back in 2020. Hopefully Tom keeps em coming, cause we’ll keep reading them.
JOEY COCO DIAZ, TREMENDOUS: THE LIFE OF A COMEDY SAVAGE. What Diaz did for comedy when he disrupted the stand up and podcast scene over a decade ago, he now does for the memoir experience. His story, like his background, is as colorful as you would expect it to be. Abrasive, unabashed, and mostly unapologetic, and never ever dull. Coco’s story is also authentic as fuck. This three act story is just screaming to be made into a movie with a fascinating childhood that sets the stage for all the fucked up shit that’s coming later, a race to hit never ending bottoms in the middle act, and yes, a path to redemption that truly shows its never to late to get your shit together. Along the way, you encounter a 5 year old Coco doing tequila shots, you witness him asking for a BJ before he even really knows what one is, you cringe through his homeless periods, crime sprees and series of bad decisions. Thank god that’s not where it ends, and the third act, is not only the path to better things, its also the most fascinating part of the read. Joey takes us step by step from his first tentative steps into the comedy universe, through open mics, slugging it out in the minors, and ultimately his step into real notoriety and celebrity. This improbable comfort to rags to doing pretty great story is a great read and a great listen too as Diaz himself narrates the audible version.
LESLIE JONES, LESLIE FUCKING JONES. Chris Rock wrote the forward for his dear friend Leslie Jones, and really sets the table for what’s coming. Leslie was always funny. Chris Rock knew she was funny. Leslie Jones knew she was funny. But the business wasn’t interested, and she had to slug her way in. Whether she’s talking about working the road in the early days and fighting for money and respect, or sharing stories about the business once she made her mark, at SNL, at the Olympics, in movies, on stage, and now in print, she remains a tough, take-no-shit-hilarious storyteller, and her memoir is one of the years best.
APARNA NANCHERLA, UNRELIABLE NARRATOR: ME, MYSELF AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Do you know what imposter syndrome is? Its that feeling that you’re getting away with something you don’t deserve. And Aparna Nancherla struggles with that syndrome on the regs. Her incredibly candid book freely admits that the author believes herself to be a fraud. In this collection of essays, she uses her best comedy skills to shed light on her own inability to meet self imposed standards of achievement. And she covers this particular slice of anxiety and depression in depth. She’s an accomplished writer, and does justice to this complicated subject, addressing what it is, what it feels like, and how insignificant it makes her feel, but there are winks, laughs, and maybe even a hint that some of those who think we are un-afflicted should rethink their stance.
AIDA RODRIGUEZ, LEGITIMATE KID. This book is not funny. It’s not meant to be. Some of it will break your heart. All of it is incredibly inspiring and if you don’t already love everything about Aida Rodriguez you will after reading this book. Aida is a beautiful, brilliant, and incredibly thoughtful comedian. She understands the community and culture around her, but also knows that she has more to learn. She sees the worlds complexities and shines a light on what is beautiful in dark places, as well as some of what is rotten in places that appear to be light. Aida grew up in a complicated environment. Surrounded by plenty of family, loving uncles, a dedicated grandmother, and more, she is also trapped in frightening situations, particular when new adult men are introduced into her family dynamic. She is raised in an environment where women are either virgins or whores, and expected to learn to cook clean and serve the men in their life. And yet, she becomes determined to rise above all of those constraints, be independent and have the career no one in her childhood could ever imagined possible. Aida has many gifts. One is being able to see which day to day events in her life have meaning and importance beyond the moment in which they take place. She also can see people beyond black and white – which is a meaningful considering she grew up in a colorist environment where even skin shade could hold you back and propel you forward. But her ability to see her culture and those she encounters as both beautiful and problematic, takes real wisdom. In her forward to the book Ariana DeBose praises Aida for being able to point out complexities, being proud of her community while knowing there’s work to be done. On the surface, this is a memoir- a look at AIDA’s life. AIDA’s family. AIDA’s community. But it’s also about the latin culture and community. And it’s also a book about women. And ultimately about all humanity. Being included, being excluded. Judging and being judged. As far as she’s come from that little girl in the early pages of the book, Aida Rodriguez should have even more recognition, so check out Legitimate Kid, and buy one for a friend.
