Funny books to cheer you up during lockdown

Laughter is considered a great medicine; and as the Co-vid pandemic affects has had several adverse effects on people's health, even those not infected are understandably anxious, stressed and, some, scared, lonely or merely suffering from cabin fever. To lift their spirits and boost their immunity, an escape into a comedic book might be best. Here are the books longlisted for the Comedy Women In Print Prize for 2020 to choose from:

Photo: CWIPprize/Twitter

This book follows a Jamaican woman in her twenties who lives in London. She's a bit of a mess, having just gotten out of a long relationship and she stumbles through many bad decisions in the book. You might find the protagonist a little trying due to her silliness, but the book highlights how race can affect the way one is treated across many spectrums.

Photo: Simon & Schuster

Following an adult woman called Majella on the autism spectrum, we see how a week can change a life. She lives with her alcoholic mother in a small town in England and works in a chip shop. Her point of view is a pleasure to read, though the language and humour can be a bit crude for some. It's a funny and sweet book.

Photo: John Murray

The ninth book in the series is a great winter read. Becky, reader's favourite Shopaholic is on her annual spending spree around Christmas, but this year she also has to prepare and host dinner for the family and friends. With all of their suggestions and requests, it proves to be a tall order.

Photo: Bantam Press

In the second part of the Alexis Tyler series, we join the secret agent as she has raises her two year old and tries to find out who the leak in the MI6 is, before they assassinate the Chinese Minister of Commerce, all while keeping her job a secret from her husband who has a tendency to call her during gunfights. This book has a lot of comedy, suspense and action as well as humour.

Photo: Zaffre

Set in Johannesburg, we follow Bontle, a girl who has many admirers, a lovely home, car and a business. She seems to have it all but as her story unravels you realise she's come far from her roots and how she got there. Funny and crass, the book can be annoying because the main character is shallow but it's worth a read for the insight it gives.

Photo: Bloomsbury Publishing

This book is a sweet love story. It follows two people who share a flat, even a bed though they haven't met each other. Leon works night shifts at the hospitals so he's only in the apartment from 9 to 5 and Tiffy overworks at her 9-5 and they only communicate through post-it notes.

Photo: Quercus

This book highlights how lives that look perfect are far from it. Beth and Ruby are the two narrators, though through them we see the lives of many others. The book has several interesting characters. Both the narrators are mothers and are thought to have perfect lives though that's far from the reality.

Photo: HarperCollins

This YA book follows teenager Lizzie Vogel who just got a job as a Dental Assistant. The series started when she was 11 but now she has a slew of teenage problems to face, all with the characteristic humour of the series. This hilarious book won the 2019 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.

Photo: Penguin

This book follows a girl who decides to go on a trip around the world to figure out what she wants in life. She's 30 and all her friends are settling into their lives and careers but she's as adrift as she was in her twenties. The book is filled with funny incidences from her life and travels but has deeper messages and sweeter moments.

Photo: Orion

This funny book reads like a murder mystery written with P.G. Wodehouse's humour. Sir Ecgbert Tode of Tode Hall has passed away and his wife would like nothing better than to retire in Capri. A distant relative is chosen to handle to property but not long after he and his wife take over, Lady Tode is found dead in the mausoleum. Now the culprit must be found.

Photo: Piatkus

This is a book for bibliophiles. The protagonist Nina loves books over everything else. She's content with her literary life working in a bookstore. One day she finds out the father she never knew she had is dead and she has several relatives living in town with her and suddenly her life changes as she has to leave her shell and interact with all of them.

Photo: Headline Review

This YA book is written in diary format and is a must-read for every teenager. It features a protagonist who thinks she knows what a feminist is and grows into one as the story progresses. It's a coming of age tale that is funny, relatable and touches on many important topics

Photo: Hodder Children's Books

This historical fiction is set across two timelines, one in the past following Mary Shelly writing Frankenstein and the second in present-day, following AI specialist Victor Stein who, along with a transgender doctor called Rye, are developing artificially intelligent sex dolls. It's an interesting modern take on Frankenstein.

Photo: Jonathan Cape

The second book in the Miss Blaine series has all the humour of the first one but with a different adventure. Set in a small French village which is reeling with deaths, she finds herself in a Vampire hunt with Dracula himself helping!

Photo: Contraband