12 Funny Audiobooks to Make You Laugh Out Loud 

Beloved actor Leslie Jordan exudes warmth, humility, authenticity, and a mix of sweetness and mischief in this award-winning audio collection of essays about his life and career. His well-known, lilting, southern-accented voice — an instrument tailor-made for storytelling — makes the narration a joy, and his vocal mannerisms played in our heads for days afterwards. Whether sharing memories of growing up gay in Tennessee, his newfound fame on Instagram, his sobriety, or so many hilarious moments of misadventure, his overarching theme is how happy and lucky he is, making his unexpected death in fall 2022 a pointed and poignant undercurrent. But listen anyway — it keeps this very funny man with us a bit longer, and he’d find it a hoot that he’s still making us laugh.  

Amber and Lacey are back with even more crazy stories about racism that you would hope are not true — but are. We’re lucky that for their second book, they decided to open things up: while more crazy things happened to Lacey, the whole Ruffin family gets involved (mom, dad, all their siblings) as well as some friends. The banter between the sisters is perfect, and while things get a bit more serious in this book, there are still silly moments to laugh at, so you’re not just shaking your head in disbelief the whole time. If you missed the first book by these hilarious sisters (available here), we highly recommend you listen to it, too, before or after this one.  

Like a good TV series, this is one of those books to read over and over again. Considered one of the greatest science-fiction spoofs of all time, this hilarious story will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. Each line of this book is a treat to read (or listen to), and you’ll be quoting it for weeks — or months, or years. (OK maybe that’s just us.) This book is the perfect blend of humor, sci-fi, adventure, and absurdity. Trust us: whether you like science fiction a little bit or lots’o’bits, you are going to love this book. So long, and thanks for all the fish!  

Get a glimpse into the life of a comedian from the gritty stand-up shows at dive bars to TV show auditions with AMC. Odenkirk tells his story with wit that will have you chuckling the whole way through. Whether you aspire to comedy or acting yourself, or you’re simply interested in the life of an actor, comedian, and producer, you’re sure to love this memoir read by Bob Odenkirk himself. While being familiar with his work (Mr. Show, Better Call Saul, etc.) provides interesting background, it’s not necessary for diving into this book. In addition to the funny quotes he adds throughout, there are also a number of reflections and lessons learned that result in inspirational takeaways we can all use in our lives.  

This fast-moving listen, narrated with surprising earnestness by comic genius Conan O’Brien’s assistant and podcast co-host, offers both the obvious and the unexpected. Movesian has a matter-of-fact and self-aware tone, which makes her stories very approachable. There are lots of bits you’d expect, like amusing behind-the-scenes details about her unique employer/employee relationship, which includes a lot of mocking, joking, apologies, and genuine friendship. But it’s the unpredictable pieces that make this much more than just a humor book. With a simpler-than-it-sounds combination of self-deprecation and self-confidence, Movesian shares advice for workers on the low end of the totem pole: how to command respect from higher-ups, how to say no to impossible and unreasonable tasks, and how to focus on job fulfillment. She may not be an A+ assistant, but this audiobook delivers top grades for entertainment and empowerment. (And don’t miss her boss’s foreword, which humorously ridicules and praises his longtime assistant all at the same time.)  

We initially started to read this before deciding to switch to the audiobook — which we enjoyed so much that we immediately listened from the beginning again. Prior to reading this, we knew of Tom Segura but hadn’t watched any of his specials (you can listen to two of them here). While this is not quite a memoir, you’ll get some stories about Segura’s family and childhood. We appreciated the sound effects and voices sprinkled throughout, which kept things interesting and us laughing. Lost Wallet was one of our favorite stories, though it was hilarious hearing about some of his celebrity encounters (Serena Williams, Mike Tyson). See, celebrities are just like us and get excited to meet other A-listers! 

Iliza Shlesinger has been making us laugh for a while now with her multiple streaming stand-up specials, movie appearances, and as a winner on Celebrity Jeopardy! Shlesinger says, “I wrote the type of essays that I would want to read.” Combine that with her no-bullshit comedic style, and this is the result. There’s no shortage of laughs here, whether it’s for some fun nostalgia or as she asks — “Am I an annoying person?”  She does tackle some serious subjects, including a miscarriage, but she always includes some humor to get us back to laughing. Enjoy the charming foreword by Margaret Cho, and the endless insights and (many) laughs.  

Just like it’s tough to pick a favorite episode of the TV show Seinfeld, it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite chapter of this audiobook. But that’s not surprising when Jerry Seinfeld and a long list of comedy greats let us listen in as they discuss everything from their favorite diner food to humor as an art form to the triumphs and tribulations of life. Listen straight through or select chapters at random featuring the largest collection of performing legends ever assembled for an audiobook: Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Don Rickles, Eddie Murphy, Trevor Noah, and over 80 more. Topics range from serious to silly, with Seinfeld’s frequent laughter a welcome sound effect and his respect for well-crafted jokes and those who perfect them a repeated theme. A must-listen for any fan of stand-up comics and comedy writing.  

Nora Ephron brought us When Harry Met Sally…, Sleepless in Seattle, Silkwood, and Julie & Julia.  But she also gave us this autobiographical novel (her first) — about a marriage that comes to an end when seven-months-pregnant Rachel’s husband Mark has an affair with another woman. Ephron went on to write the screenplay for the film adaptation starring Meryl Streep as Rachel (who is based on Ephron), making Streep the perfect narrator for the audiobook. Come for the iconic voice and stay for the delectable recipes included throughout the story.  

We’ve previously written about our love for David Sedaris. And while reading a book of stories by the funnyman is great, there’s only one thing we enjoy more — and that’s hearing Sedaris read his work. But here we’re not talking about him reading his books in the studio. This is hearing him actually perform. There’s a bit of magic when you’re able to see Sedaris live — we’ve had the pleasure of doing so a few times — and this compilation of past appearances is perfect for anyone who hasn’t, or who wants to be able to relive those past magical nights. That’s exactly what Live for Your Listening Pleasure does — makes you feel like you’re in the audience as the people around you laugh, while Sedaris delivers these hilarious performances as only he can.  

Honesty is the best policy, so we’ll tell you that we originally picked this up based solely on the cover. And we’re sincerely glad we did. You’ll laugh, cry, cringe and quite possibly scream as you listen to Samantha Irby hold nothing back in this collection of essays about relationships, her estranged father (and his ashes), illness, a memorable 18th birthday, and more. Irby’s fans (aside from us, who chose her award-winning Wow, No Thank You as one of our Best Books of 2020) include Roxanne Gay, Lindy West, the New York Times, Buzzfeed, Time Magazine… and many others. This is another case where you’ll read one book and likely want to read the rest (find them all here).  

It’s no wonder why this novel was adapted to film. The plot sounds like the perfect movie premise, which makes it a great story to listen to. You’ll laugh, you’ll probably cry, and your heartstrings will surely be pulled. Ove is the stereotypical “grumpy old man” who believes that everything was better “back in the day,” and that strict rules are required to keep people in line. He develops an unlikely friendship with his new neighbors, a young family who are seemingly oblivious to his bitter exterior. While Ove helps them with various things from driving lessons (does no one drive stick shift anymore!?) to watching their kids, it turns out that they are helping him, too, in ways that cannot be seen. Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons’s narration moves at a swift pace while capturing the range of emotions Ove feels, from irritated and lonely to sentimental and caring. This book is the gentle reminder to put yourself in another’s shoes because you never know what someone is going through.  

For four years we waited patiently for a new essay collection from David Sedaris. And of course, it was worth the wait. There’s always a good chance he’ll make us laugh so much that we cry (and it’s equally likely that we’d tear up a little anyway). As usual, no topic is off limits: from politics and the pandemic to loss and life in general… and everything in between. An exciting part about the audiobook edition — the 2023 Audie Award Winner for Humor — is that it includes some live recordings of these essays sprinkled in alongside the studio readings. We think hearing Sedaris perform in front of an audience is one of the best ways to enjoy his work.