Top 10 Books Authored By a Comedian in 2025!
The Best Books Authored By a Comedian in 2025!
In 2025, comedians once again proved that the stage isn’t the only place to find some of the sharpest, most compelling writing —it’s also happening on the page. This year’s books written by comedians span the usual memoir, cultural criticism and personal history, often blending laugh-out-loud moments with genuine insight, vulnerability, and hard-earned perspective. But there’s also a novel, and an examination of history. Whether digging into family, identity, obsession, ambition, or the absurdity of modern life, these writers use humor not as a shield, but as a tool for clarity.
We’ve selected ten standout books that showcase just how expansive comedy writing can be, from deeply personal stories to love letters to the craft itself. Now it’s your turn. Read through the nominees, revisit your favorites, discover something new, and vote for the book you think deserves to be named the best comedian-written book of 2025.
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 2020, Colin Quinn returned to the best of the year list with “Overstated.” In 2021, the king of the comedy book was Tom Scharpling and his fantastic memoir, “It Never Ends.” And in 2022, another Tom took the title- Tom Segura with “I’d Like to Play Alone, Please.” In 2023, Joey Coco Diaz took the prize with his memoir, Tremendous, and last year, you voted for Mike Rainey‘s “Delco Dirtball.”
And now it’s time to name the ten best books, all must reads, that came out in 2025.
Don’t forget you can also Vote for Comedy TV Series of the Year! Best Comedy Movie of the Year, Best Comedy Documentary of 2025, and Best Independent Special.
COMING SOON: Comedian of the Year! Vote for Comedy Special of the Year!
NATE BARGATZE: BIG DUMB EYES. In Big Dumb Eyes, Nate Bargatze brings the same dry, unassuming failure/brilliance that defines his stand-up to the page. Subtitled “Stories From a Simpler Mind” Nate Bargatze’s Essay/Memoir has became an instant international #1 bestseller on many lists including the New York Times, and The Toronto Star. Nate tells us early on that he was a genius as a kid, until after Seventh Grade when he fell off a cliff and hit his head on a rock and then everything changed. The book finds humor in everyday misunderstandings and small personal failures. Bargatze’s voice—plainspoken, self-deprecating, and disarmingly sincere. His misfortune becomes your enterainment as the stories and essays from his hilarious childhood errors go on and on. Growing up in Tennessee, being shaped by a dad who works in clowning and magic, a story about actually losing his younger sister after they forgot to bring her home from church, through young adulthood, including his first car (old blue), his first apartment, basketball, girflfriends, and other hilarious stories of failure.
LOUIS C.K.: INGRAM. Louis C.K. wrote a novel, and its not just a novel- its literature. Let that sink in because its a tremendous accomplishment. Only a handful of comedians have ever written a novel, and none have written a novel that is not about comedy and that is not intended to be funny. Even though the book is not a comedic novel, there are funny moments, and sharp observations not totally unfamiliar to Louis C.K. fans. Ingram is a sharp, unsettling, and at times darkly funny tale of the title character’s journey- a journey that is literal and philosophical as Ingram leaves home as a young boy, on foot, with nothing in his pockets and little knowledge of the outside world. We follow Ingram as he travels across Texas, learning about the world and how to survive in it. We experience his first time tasting many foods, working a job, earning money, and getting out of trouble. Along his journey he reflects on the people and places he visits, looking at the world with his inexperienced eyes. Through Ingram, C.K. examines the meaning of power, shame, desire, growth, family, friendship, obligation, and humanity and ultimately invites you to reflect on life itself and what its all about.
JEFF HILLER, ACTRESS OF A CERTAIN AGE. Hiller’s National Bestseller uses the clever device of starting every chapter off talking about a different celebrity memoir- a genre that is a personal passion for Hiller. And then proceeds to share Hiller’s own stories from different periods of his life, encountering many personal struggles before eventually landing the dream role of Joel that landed him an Emmy in 2025. Along the way we hear tales of Hiller facing bullying growing up gay in the south, working unusual jobs before pursuing show business, his time spent in Africa as a missionary, the unglamorous years, and his brushes with being sort of known in his early years as an actor, including what he calls “three stories about buttholes”, and leaving his temp job behind to work with Bridget Everett on Somebody Somewhere
Hiller’s memoir is a love letter to ambition, delusion, and the sustaining power of self-belief. With theatrical flair, Hiller chronicles a life spent chasing creative fulfillment—often just out of reach—while navigating aging, identity, rejection, and the deeply specific humiliations of show business. He writes with wit and vulnerability, finding humor not just in failure, but in persistence—the decision to keep going long after the spotlight seems to have moved on. Warm, self-aware, and deeply human, Actress of a Certain Age is both a comedic triumph and a quietly inspiring meditation on what it means to keep wanting something, even when you’re told it might be too late.
ZARNA GARG: THIS AMERICAN WOMAN. If you love Zarna Garg’s comedy, you’ll really going to love her life story. Zarna Garg’s new memoir takes you through her fascinating story. It starts around age 14, when she escaped an arranged marriage and homelessness in India by moving to the United States, going to law school, and clawing her way to a career. She then gave all that up to become a stay-at home mom after finding her own love in the states, and eventually walked out onto a even scarier limb– performing stand up at an open mic night because her kids told her she was really funny. She defied all odds along with a long list of cultural expectations to get where she is today- at the top of her game with a sitcom in the works, and selling out sizable venues after just a few years on stage. But her memoir goes beyond biographic. Garg finds humor in the contradictions of modern American life, from the perspective of someone born into a different culture. One of the funniest and best of the year, This American Woman is a great gift for everyone on your list.
JUDD APATOW: COMEDY NERD: A LIFELONG OBSESSION IN STORIES AND PICTURES. In Comedy Nerd: A Lifelong Obsession, Judd Apatow opens up his lifelong fixation on what makes comedy work, offering an affectionate, deeply informed exploration of the art form through personal stories, interviews, and cultural history and images! Drawing from decades spent watching, making, and championing comedy, Apatow writes with the enthusiasm of a true fan- because he is one- but he also has the insight of someone who has helped shape the modern comedic landscape. The book moves fluidly between memoir and criticism, celebrating stand-up, sitcoms, and the people who dedicate their lives to making others laugh. Apatow isn’t interested in declaring final answers so much as tracing the lineage of comedy—who influenced whom, why certain voices endure, and how obsession fuels creativity. Thoughtful, passionate, and quietly funny, the book feels less like a manifesto and more like an invitation to appreciate comedy as both craft and calling, earning its place among the year’s most engaging books written by comedians.
ROY WOOD Jr., THE MAN OF MANY FATHERS. Roy Wood Jr.’s new memoir is a collection of life lessons that begin and end with his own experience of becoming a father. When he became a father, Wood realized that he was missing some life lessons he should have learned from his own father who died when Roy was just 16. This set him on a journey to examine all his experiences with father figures, and mentors who shaped his life over the years. It’s a look at identity, masculinity, and generational influence. Stories include lessons learned while washing dishes at Golden Corral, after he had gotten arrested and was put on probation, getting advice from pimps ex convicts, lessons learned coming up on the road and going through hell gigs, and lessons from The Daily Show.
ELYSE MYERS: THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, I’D LOVE TO TELL YOU. In That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You, Elyse Myers translates her singular, conversational comedic voice into a collection of personal essays and hand drawn illustrations that mirror the storytelling style she is known for on social media. The book leans into her experiences with neurodivergence, mental health, and the “painfully human” awkwardness of everyday life. You’ll find the “unspoken social contracts” she often missed, including a hilarious account of accidentally friend-zoning a crush during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. She details her experiences living with OCD, navigating panic attacks, and her reliance on a “Magic 8 Ball” keychain named Lucy to help make decisions when her anxiety felt overwhelming. There’s a “meat cute” of how she met her husband, Jonas, at a butcher’s counter in Australia, and her journey of moving across continents. And quirky “practical guides,” such as a 10-step rumination on how to fold hospital corners on a bed, alongside stories of “is-this-a-date” disasters
CHELSEA HANDLER, I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING. The title—a nod to the famous line from When Harry Met Sally—refers to the sense of confidence, independence, and fulfillment she has found as she enters her 50s. Self discovery and therapy are the main themes, as she tries to be less reactive and more introspective, particularly after her public relationship with comedian Jo Koy ended. Highlights include the story of her first lemonade stand- (with vodka!)- and using the profits to buy a first class ticket on her family vacation- all at age 10, a dose of honesty she got from Jane Fonda, and her own magic 8 ball story. Perfect for women of a certain age, and those getting close.
MATTEO LANE: YOUR PASTA SUCKS. Part cookbook, part storytelling,Your Pasta Sucks combines recipes with tales of food and family, and lessons about the traditions of Rome, Sicily and his own family kitchen. From Chicago, to New York City to Rome and Sicily, Matteo imparts wisdom, techniques, rants and a nice centerfold poster for your personal enjoyment. You will also learn how to make homemade pasta, how to order coffee in Rome, maybe too much about Matteo’s Italian family. It’s full of sass and sarcasm, critiques of culture, and though he’s not a professional chef, he knows everyone can learn a thing or two from his own experiences. He shares his favorite dishes created by his mom, grandmother and great grandmother. Rants about the culinary sin that is Alfredo sauce. And that time he went to the Olive Garden in Times Square and chaos ensued.
LARRY CHARLES, COMEDY SAMURAI: 40 YEARS OF BLOOD, GUTS AND LAUGHTER.
Charles takes us behind the scenes at Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat and Religulous. It is a gritty, “warts-and-all” account of his career as a writer and director for some of the most influential comedies in history. Part masterclass, part tell-all, it has just the right amount of both to keep it classy and interesting. You’ll read stories his early days writing for Fridays, working on Seinfeld and Curb, making movies with Sacha Baron Cohen, collaborating with Bob Dylan, and how his personal relationships suffered throughout his career, including his fallout with Bill Maher, and his parting with Sacha Baron Cohen.
