Best Humor & Entertainment Books for Beginners

Matthew Perry's memoir follows his path from a childhood split between Montreal and Los Angeles to landing a lead role on the pilot that became Friends, then through addiction and recovery. Because most readers already know his voice from the show, the book feels familiar from page one, which makes it an easy first memoir.

The publisher describes the tone as both darkly funny and heartfelt. Be aware that it deals openly with addiction and serious health struggles, so it isn't purely lighthearted. It currently sits at the top of this best-seller list.

Murdle collects 100 humorous mini murder mysteries where you work out who did it, with what weapon, where and why by filling in a logic grid. Reviewers like that the difficulty steps up every 25 puzzles, so you get a run of easier cases before things get harder.

There's also a longer payoff: a buried secret ties the murders together, with a message you can only decode after solving them all. That gives committed solvers a reason to keep going. Buyers say it's great for long flights, though some find the logic more complicated than expected and wish the clues were more helpful.

Sylvester Stallone's memoir is framed between his arrival in New York City in 1969 and the triumph of Rocky at the 1977 Academy Awards. It covers a hard childhood, years of struggle and the persistence that led to his iconic roles.

Reviewers say it reads as though he's speaking directly to them and keeps them engaged start to finish. Several call it heart-wrenching at times, and they admire how he faces criticism and failure and keeps moving forward.

This is one giant puzzle rather than many small ones: 18 clues, 46,600 suspects and one killer to find by eliminating every name that doesn't fit. The revised edition adds updated graphics, a new culprit and a bonus puzzle.

The concept is simple to grasp, but buyers are split on difficulty. Some find it challenging without being frustrating and relaxing to work through, while others say it's harder and more time-consuming than they expected. Reviewers also note it's largely hundreds of pages of names, which won't suit everyone.

Murdoku blends the simplicity of sudoku with the storytelling of a murder mystery: you place suspects on a full-color map of each crime scene and reveal the killer. Its 80 scenes range from a bakery and a casino to a chess tournament and an opera.

For beginners, the key detail is that the puzzles start easy and gradually build to expert level, and reviewers specifically praise the clear instructions. Buyers also like it as a break from screen games. A few mention that some puzzles seem to give too few clues.

This 704-page hardcover packs more than 20 themed chapters covering movies and TV, American landmarks, animals, history, the supernatural and more. Articles, factoid lists and games mean you can open it anywhere and read for a few minutes.

Reviewers say the brief chapters make it easy to read and that they learn something new each time. It's popular as a gift, though some note it's very thick and the pages are thin, like bible paper.

Michael Douglas narrates his own life story, from growing up in the shadow of Kirk Douglas to winning an Oscar at 31 for producing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and a second for playing Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. It promises behind-the-scenes stories, some of them outrageously funny.

Listeners describe it as a fast, compelling experience they couldn't put down, with detailed insight into how movies get made. They also appreciate his honesty about his mistakes and relationships without self-congratulation.

Five hundred facts that sound made up but aren't, across science, history, sports, animals and pop culture. It's designed to be opened at any page and read aloud at dinner, on road trips or before trivia night.

Buyers say it's amusing and easy to read, with one noting it kept a child entertained for hours and others using it for quick bedtime reading. Reviewers also enjoy that it makes them want to check whether the facts are really true.