Funny Book Name Generator

Joke book titles, fake guides and pun authors

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Funny book names for sketches, props, party games and gag gifts, from Parallel Parking a Blimp to Cat Care by Claude Sofa. 500 invented titles across mock self-help, overlong memoirs, absurd how-to guides, fake textbooks and titles by pun authors.

About funny book names

A funny book title is a whole joke on a spine. Most of them borrow a serious shelf of the bookstore and fill it with the wrong subject: self-help with no ambition (Dare to Be Mediocre), a how-to guide nobody needs (Parallel Parking a Blimp), a textbook about nothing (Introduction to Advanced Basics) or a picture book about adult chores (The Bunny Who Filed His Taxes).

This generator has 500 of them in eight styles: mock self-help, overlong memoirs of ordinary lives, absurd manuals, fake textbooks, children's book send-ups, genre spoofs from thrillers to cookbooks, jokes about books themselves (Second Edition, Same Mistakes) and the old playground format of a title followed by a pun author, such as Furniture Assembly by Alan Key or Long Division by Carrie Dewan. The author jokes are clean, and nearly every title is short enough for a prop cover or a quiz slide.

Plenty of real books have funny names, and lists of those are easy to find. This list is the other kind: invented titles, not real books with a word swapped, and no real author is named. We have not searched each one, so a published book with the same title may exist. Look it up before you print one on anything you plan to sell.

How to choose funny book names

  • Read the pun author titles out loud. Trouble Sleeping by Eliza Wake and Long Car Rides by R. V. Thereyet only work when the author's name is said at normal speed.
  • For a prop or a gag gift, match the cover to the shelf the title borrows from. Mock self-help wants a sunrise and bold capitals, and a fake textbook wants a dull two-color cover with an edition number.
  • In a party game, deal each player a title and give them thirty seconds to invent the first line or the blurb on the back cover.
  • Use the shortest ones for background shelves in a comic, a game level or a stage set, where a viewer has a second to read a spine. Advanced Sitting and Theoretical Lunch read at a glance.
  • To write your own, pick a serious format first (field guide, memoir, second edition) and then give it the smallest subject you can think of.

Frequently asked questions

What are some funny book names?

From this list: Juggling Porcupines for Beginners, My Life in Parking Tickets, Quantum Mechanics of the Sock Drawer, The Duck Who Read the Terms and Conditions and The Chosen One Calls in Sick. The pun author format gives titles such as Cat Care by Claude Sofa and Reading Glasses by Ike Antsee. The other 490 or so run through the same eight styles.

How does the joke with the author's name work?

The title sets up a subject and the author's name, said aloud, finishes the sentence. Cat Care by Claude Sofa sounds like "clawed sofa", and Homework Excuses by Doug Ateit sounds like "dog ate it". Just under a fifth of this list uses the format, and the crude schoolyard versions are left out.

Are these real books?

No. They are invented joke titles, and none of them is a real title with one word changed. We have not searched each one, and short phrases get reused, so a published book with the same name may exist somewhere. Real books with funny names are a different thing, and a library catalog or a bookseller's list is the place to find those.

Can I use these at school or at a family party?

Yes. The humor is clean: no toilet jokes, nothing sexual, and no title makes fun of a real person. Titles such as Where Do Odd Socks Sleep? and Teach Your Goldfish to Fetch suit a classroom display, a library quiz or a game of charades as they are.

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All 500 funny book names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 35 names

  • A Bestseller in the Author's House
  • A Childhood in Hand-Me-Down Trousers
  • A Concise History, Volume 1 of 40
  • A Dark and Stormy Tuesday
  • A Field Guide to Missing Socks
  • A Is for Audit
  • A Life Spent in the Wrong Line
  • A Page-Turner About Paper Cuts
  • A Pop-Up Book of Potholes
  • A Short History of My Long Weekend
  • A Tourist in My Own Garage

A, continued

  • A Very Brief History of Last Tuesday
  • Acknowledgments: The Full Story
  • Adrift in the Furniture Store
  • Adulting: A Rough Draft
  • Advanced Placement Doodling
  • Advanced Sitting
  • Airport Delays by Wade N. Gates
  • Algebra for the Emotionally Unprepared
  • All My Houseplants, Remembered
  • Almost Finished by Justin Abit
  • An Alphabet of Excuses
  • An Encyclopedia of Things I Forgot

A, continued

  • An Oral History of Our Family Road Trip
  • Ancient Civilizations and Their Parking
  • Appendix B Demands a Chapter
  • Applied Daydreaming
  • Archaeology of the Couch Cushions
  • Archery by Beau N. Arrow
  • Arguments I Won in the Shower
  • Art History of Refrigerator Doors
  • Assembling a Tent in Under a Weekend
  • Assertiveness, If That's Okay with You
  • Astronomy for People Afraid of the Dark
  • Awkward Handshakes I Have Known

B: 24 names

  • Baby's First Performance Review
  • Babysitting by Rock A. Bye
  • Backpacking Across the Living Room
  • Bad Haircuts by Bangs Tooshort
  • Bad Weather by Dee Luge
  • Bagpipes for Apartment Dwellers
  • Basic Arithmetic, Give or Take
  • Become Your Best Self by Thursday
  • Bedtime for Mr. Accountant
  • Beekeeping in a Studio Apartment
  • Believe in Yourself, Someone Has To
  • Benny Badger Fills Out a Form

B, continued

  • Betty Beaver Builds Without a Permit
  • Bird Watching with Your Eyes Closed
  • Birds of the Supermarket Parking Lot
  • Blank Pages: An Anthology
  • Board Game Rules My Brother Made Up
  • Book One of Probably One
  • Botany of the Neglected Windowsill
  • Bowling Night by Lane Gutterman
  • Breakfast in Bed by Crumb Z. Sheets
  • Breathe In, Breathe Out, Eat Cake
  • Build a Canoe Out of Regret
  • Burnt Dinner by Chris P. Edges

C: 28 names

  • Calculus, but Slightly Less Awful
  • Camouflage for Tall People
  • Canoeing Uphill
  • Card Tricks by Ace Upton Sleeve
  • Carpool to Andromeda
  • Carrying All the Groceries in One Trip
  • Casseroles of Questionable Origin
  • Cat Care by Claude Sofa
  • Catching Trains You Already Missed
  • Cereal for Dinner: A Cookbook
  • Chapter One and Other Beginnings
  • Cheese Rolling: Theory and Practice
  • Chemistry Lab by Beaker Spillman
  • Chess Openings by Rook Takespawn

C, continued

  • Chronicles of the Slightly Magic Spoon
  • Circling Back: Essays
  • Codename: Casserole
  • Cold Snap by Winter Coates
  • Colors of the Laundry Pile
  • Comparative Literature of Cereal Boxes
  • Competitive Staring, Third Edition
  • Confessions of a Reluctant Jogger
  • Confessions of a Serial Hobby Starter
  • Conversational Seagull
  • Counting Deadlines with Bunny
  • Counting Sheep by Barbara Blacksheep
  • Crossword Help by Sven Across
  • Curse of the Unread Emails

D: 11 names

  • Daddy Is Resting His Eyes
  • Dare to Be Mediocre
  • Decluttering Other People's Stuff
  • Deep Sea Diving by Marina Trench
  • Desert Crossing by Sandy Shoos
  • Diary of an Assistant to the Assistant
  • Diary of an Indoor Camper
  • Do Not Judge by the Cover
  • Dog Training by Rollo Verr
  • Dog-Eared: A Library's Revenge
  • Dragons of the Cul-de-Sac

E: 8 names

  • Early to Bed, Early to Regret
  • Economics of the Last Slice
  • Elementary Squirrel Psychology
  • Embrace Your Inner Couch
  • Epilogue: The Director's Cut
  • Essential Shrugging: Theory and Method
  • Ethics of the Armrest
  • Excalibur in the Umbrella Stand

F: 21 names

  • Falconry with a Pigeon
  • Falling for the Forklift Driver
  • Farm Life by Hayden Barn
  • Feeling a Draft by Isadora Jarr
  • Fencing for People Who Own Fences
  • Field Notes on the Common Shopping Cart
  • Fill in the Blanks by Phil Dout
  • Find Your Passion (It's Probably Napping)
  • Finding Yourself (Check Behind the Sofa)
  • Five More Minutes, Said the Bear

F, continued

  • Fixing the Roof by Rufus Dripping
  • Fly Fishing in the Bathtub
  • Footnotes: The Collected Edition
  • Forecasting Weather with Your Knee
  • Forgetfulness by Watts Hisname
  • Forty Years of Holding the Door
  • Frog Has Thoughts About the Pond
  • From Intern to Slightly Older Intern
  • From Rags to Slightly Nicer Rags
  • Front Row at the Wrong Concert
  • Furniture Assembly by Alan Key

G: 13 names

  • Gardening in the Dark
  • Garnish: The Parsley Years
  • Geography of Places I Made Up
  • Geometry by Trey Angle
  • Getting Fit by Flex Moore
  • Glossary of Words My Uncle Invented
  • Goals Are Just Wishes with Spreadsheets
  • Gourmet Meals from the Vending Machine
  • Grandpa's Chair Makes That Noise
  • Gratitude Journal of a Grumpy Man
  • Growing Up Beige
  • Growth Mindset for Houseplant Owners
  • Guinea Pig Law: Cases and Materials

H: 22 names

  • Haiku for the Microwave Timer
  • Hamster Wheel Maintenance and Repair
  • Handbook of Unnecessary Meetings
  • Hands Off the Thermostat: A Memoir
  • Healing Your Inner Toddler
  • Heavy Lifting by Armand Legg
  • Hedgehog Has a Dental Appointment
  • Herding Cats: A Practical Manual
  • Hide and Seek by Reddy Ornott
  • High Noon at the Car Wash
  • Home Security by Locke N. Key

H, continued

  • Homework Excuses by Doug Ateit
  • Horse Riding by Winnie Trotter
  • House Painting by Hugh Swatch
  • How to Assemble Furniture Without Crying
  • How to Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Myths
  • How to Look Busy
  • How to Lose at Chess Gracefully
  • How to Open Jars: A Family Approach
  • How to Wave at Boats
  • How to Whisper in a Helicopter
  • Hydrate and Hope for the Best

I: 18 names

  • I Alone Finished the Group Project
  • I Brought a Salad to a Barbecue
  • I Came, I Saw, I Forgot Why I Came
  • I Held the Ladder
  • I Play the Tuba Now, Apparently
  • I Thought It Was a Costume Party
  • I Waved at a Stranger and Other Regrets
  • Ice Sculpture in Summer
  • Icy Sidewalks by Skip N. Slide

I, continued

  • Inbox Zero, Laundry Infinite
  • Index to a Book That Was Never Written
  • Inspector Crumb Investigates
  • Interior Design by Paisley Drapes
  • Intermediate Napping, with Answer Key
  • Interpretive Dance for Accountants
  • Introduction to Advanced Basics
  • It Came from the Crisper Drawer
  • It Won't Start by Otto Parts

J: 2 names

  • Jigsaw Theory: The Missing Piece
  • Juggling Porcupines for Beginners

K: 3 names

  • Kite Flying in a Phone Booth
  • Knitting by Pearl Stitch
  • Knitting with Spaghetti

L: 24 names

  • Large Print Edition of a Very Short Story
  • Late Again: A Time Traveler's Memoir
  • Late Fees by Owen Moore
  • Later: A Philosophy
  • Latin for Arguing with Pigeons
  • Lawn Care Through Negotiation
  • Leadership Secrets of a Middle Child
  • Learn Whale in Thirty Days
  • Learning to Juggle by Ida Dropdit
  • Learning to Swim by Belle E. Flopp
  • Let Go of the Past, Keep the Receipt
  • Lift the Flap: What's in the Junk Drawer

L, continued

  • Linguistics of the Awkward Pause
  • Lion Taming by Mail
  • Little Spoon, Big Soup
  • Little Walrus Learns About Deductibles
  • Live, Laugh, Lie Down
  • Logic for People Who Disagree
  • Long Car Rides by R. V. Thereyet
  • Long Division by Carrie Dewan
  • Looking Back, I Should Have Turned Left
  • Loose Ends by Lou Sends
  • Lost at the Mall by Esther Wayout
  • Lost in My Own Neighborhood

M: 30 names

  • Macroeconomics of Pocket Lint
  • Make Friends by Bringing Snacks
  • Making Peace with the Group Chat
  • Manifesting a Parking Space
  • Marathon Training by Aiken Knees
  • Math Homework by Adam Upp
  • Memoirs of a Third-String Goalkeeper
  • Meteorology: It Might Rain
  • Microwave Cuisine for One
  • Midnight at the Self-Checkout
  • Mime for Radio
  • Mindfulness for People Who Lost Their Keys
  • Minimalism: The 900-Page Edition
  • Mommy's Coffee Is Not for Sharing
  • Moon Base Book Club

M, continued

  • Moose Gets a Library Card
  • Morning Commute by Carl Pool
  • Morning Routines of People I Made Up
  • Moving a Piano with Former Friends
  • Moving the Needle and Other Sewing Tips
  • Mr. Wiggles Pays the Water Bill
  • Music Theory for Car Singers
  • My Big Book of Small Print
  • My Boundaries Have a Gate
  • My Brief Career as a Mall Santa
  • My First Book of Mortgages
  • My Journey to the Far End of the Couch
  • My Life in Parking Tickets
  • My Long War with the Duvet Cover
  • My Years as a Human Traffic Cone

N: 11 names

  • Napping Professionally
  • Nearly Famous in My Own Kitchen
  • Neat Handwriting by Callie Graphy
  • Networking from Behind a Potted Plant
  • No Fingerprints on the Cookie Jar
  • No Wi-Fi at the Lighthouse
  • Nobody Touched the Broccoli
  • Noisy Neighbors by Bangor Wall
  • Notes from the Middle Seat
  • Notes in the Margins by Marge Inns
  • Now a Major Motion Picture (It Isn't)

O: 17 names

  • Oceanography of the Kiddie Pool
  • Odd Jobs by Andy Mann
  • Ode on a Grocery Receipt
  • Oliver Owl Stays Up Past Eight
  • One Hundred Ways to Burn Toast
  • One Man, One Kayak, No Paddle
  • One More Chapter at 2 A.M.
  • One Star: Reviews of Natural Wonders

O, continued

  • Open Windows by Bree Zee
  • Optimism by Bea Positive
  • Organic Chemistry of the Office Fridge
  • Organize Your Life in One Easy Panic
  • Origami for the Impatient
  • Otter Learns to Merge
  • Overdue Since March
  • Overpacking by Zip Wontclose
  • Own Your Morning, Rent Your Afternoon

P: 19 names

  • Painting the Ceiling Without Looking Up
  • Parallel Parking a Blimp
  • Parenting a Houseplant
  • Part Two of a Trilogy in Five Parts
  • Peak Performance at Minimum Effort
  • Per My Last Email: Collected Letters
  • Percy Penguin Forgets His Password
  • Philosophy 101: Who Took My Lunch
  • Piano Practice by Major Scales

P, continued

  • Picnic Trouble by Ann T. Hill
  • Please Return This Book to Gary
  • Pop Quiz by Noah Clue
  • Positive Thinking for Pessimists
  • Principles of Applied Procrastination
  • Principles of Queue Dynamics
  • Procrastination by Al Dewitt Later
  • Prophecy of the Misplaced Comma
  • Public Speaking by Lex Turn
  • Public Speaking to Pigeons

Q: 3 names

  • Quantum Mechanics of the Sock Drawer
  • Quest for the Remote
  • Quiet Please by Wes Pering

R: 16 names

  • Rainy Afternoons by Pitter Patterson
  • Raised by Librarians
  • Raking Leaves by Autumn Piles
  • Read This Instead of the Assigned Reading
  • Reading Glasses by Ike Antsee
  • Recipes I Got Wrong
  • Reinvent Yourself Every Other Tuesday
  • Reply All: A Horror Story

R, continued

  • Revolving Doors: A User's Manual
  • Rhetoric for Backseat Drivers
  • Rightful Heir to the Beanbag
  • Rivers I Have Stood Near
  • Roses Are Red, Invoices Are Due
  • Rosie Rabbit Reads the Manual
  • Runner-Up: My Spelling Bee Years
  • Running Late by Misty Bus

S: 41 names

  • Salad Days by Lettice Tossit
  • Salads My Family Ignored
  • Sandcastle Engineering, Load-Bearing Edition
  • Sandwiches of the World, Unranked
  • Say No to Everything Except Dessert
  • Second Chance at the Salad Bar
  • Second Edition, Same Mistakes
  • Second Helpings by Moe Please
  • Second Place: A Lifetime of Silver
  • Seize the Day After Tomorrow
  • Sewing Basics by Bobbin Thread
  • Shaving a Yak Safely
  • Sheriff of the Snack Aisle

S, continued

  • Short Stories by Paige Count
  • Sleepless Nights by Owl Knighter
  • Slow Down: You Were Late Anyway
  • Small Engine Repair for Poets
  • Small Talk for Large Introverts
  • Snorkeling in the Desert
  • Sociology of the Elevator
  • Sonnets to a Parking Meter
  • Soup: It's Just Wet Salad
  • Spare Keys by Dora Matt
  • Spelling for Beginers
  • Spoiler: Everyone Is Fine
  • Spring Cleaning by Dustin Shelves
  • Squirrel Saves for Retirement

S, continued

  • Stain Removal by Mark Remains
  • Standing Ovation for One
  • Stargazing by Seymour Skies
  • Statistics: Probably the Second Edition
  • Staying Organized by Al Phabetical
  • Still Looking for My Glasses: A Life
  • Stilt Walking in Low Doorways
  • Stolen Glances at the Laundromat
  • Stop Overthinking (A Twelve-Volume Set)
  • Study Skills I Will Read About Later
  • Surviving My Own Surprise Party
  • Swept Away by the Street Sweeper
  • Synchronized Swimming Alone
  • Synergy: A Love Story

T: 114 names

  • Table Manners for Raccoons
  • Table of Discontents
  • Tales from the Back of the Group Photo
  • Tap Dancing in Snow Boots
  • Tax Returns in Iambic Pentameter
  • Teach Your Goldfish to Fetch
  • Ten Thousand Steps to the Fridge
  • The Abridged Unabridged Edition
  • The Anatomy of a Club Sandwich
  • The Art Gallery by Drew A. Crowd
  • The Art of Leaving Early
  • The Atlas of Dead Ends
  • The Audiobook, Transcribed
  • The Author Would Like a Word

T, continued

  • The Beginner's Guide to Expert Excuses
  • The Billionaire's Coupon Book
  • The Book the Movie Wasn't Based On
  • The Bookmark Fell Out
  • The Broken Clock by Tamsin Wrong
  • The Bunny Who Filed His Taxes
  • The Butler Was at Lunch
  • The Case of the Missing Stapler
  • The Chosen One Calls in Sick
  • The Clue in the Couch
  • The Collected Forewords
  • The Complete Guide to Incomplete Projects
  • The Confident Wallflower
  • The Courage to Reply Later

T, continued

  • The Crayon Behind the Radiator
  • The Dark Lord's Day Off
  • The Dinosaur Who Missed the Bus
  • The Dragon Who Feared Birthday Candles
  • The Duck Who Read the Terms and Conditions
  • The Duke of the Drive-Through
  • The Elephant Who Took the Last Seat
  • The Elf Who Read the Fine Print
  • The Empty Fridge by Hugo Shopping
  • The Five-Minute Nap That Took Three Hours
  • The Footnote That Ate Chapter Four
  • The Fox Who Asked for the Manager
  • The Giraffe Who Bumped His Head on Everything
  • The Goblin Tax Code

T, continued

  • The Goldfish Saw Everything
  • The Goose Who Honked at Meetings
  • The Haunted House by Emma Fraid
  • The Haunting of Cubicle Nine
  • The Highlander's Lawnmower
  • The Hippo Who Wanted a Quiet Evening
  • The Joy of Cancelled Plans
  • The Kitten Who Ignored Her Name
  • The Last Charger in the Galaxy
  • The Law of Finders Keepers
  • The Leaky Tap by Constance Dripping
  • The Little Cloud That Rained on the Picnic
  • The Llama Who Would Not Carpool
  • The Long Hike by Miles Togo
  • The Man Who Said 'You Too' to the Waiter

T, continued

  • The Meeting That Was an Email
  • The Moon Is Not a Snack
  • The Noisy Book of Quiet Time
  • The One That Got Away by Finn Slipped
  • The One-Page Business Plan, Volume Two
  • The Owl Who Replied All
  • The Periodic Table of Snacks
  • The Physics of Falling Toast
  • The Pirate Who Got Seasick
  • The Plot Thickens, Then Thins
  • The Pocket Book of Enormous Words
  • The Pocket Guide to Large Coats
  • The Prequel to the Sequel
  • The Puddle That Was Deeper Than It Looked

T, continued

  • The Quiet Strength of Staying Home
  • The Quiz Show by Buzz Infirst
  • The Reading Group Didn't Finish It
  • The Scenic Route to the Dentist
  • The Sequel Nobody Requested
  • The Sleepy Little Stapler
  • The Snail Who Was Early
  • The Sock with No Partner
  • The Sorcerer of Accounts Payable
  • The Spreadsheet Conspiracy
  • The Summer I Grew a Mustache
  • The Suspect Wore Slippers
  • The Tall Ladder by Luke Down
  • The Teddy Bear's Expense Report

T, continued

  • The Thing in the Lost and Found
  • The Tiny Kite and the Very Tall Tree
  • The Toast Cookbook, Revised and Expanded
  • The Twist Is on Page Nine
  • The Unauthorized Biography of My Cat
  • The Wind Took My Hat: A Trilogy
  • The Worm Who Overslept
  • The Year I Learned the Recorder
  • Theoretical Lunch
  • Thermodynamics of Lukewarm Tea
  • Thirty Years, One Stapler
  • This Book Has No Chapter Seven
  • Thought Leadership for Beginners
  • Three Stars: A Novel

T, continued

  • Thriving on Four Hours of Motivation
  • Tidy Desk, Messy Everything Else
  • Tidy Garages by Clara Shelf
  • Tightrope Walking at Ground Level
  • Tilly the Turtle Runs Late Again
  • Too Tall for the Ball Pit
  • Touch and Feel: Sandpaper
  • Traffic Jams by Rhoda Closed
  • Translated from the Original Mumble
  • Treasure Hunting by Mark D. Spott
  • Trees That Looked at Me Funny
  • Trigonometry: Why Though
  • Trouble Sleeping by Eliza Wake
  • Tug of War by Paul Hard
  • Twelve Jobs, Eleven Farewell Cakes

U: 10 names

  • Umbrella Repair in High Winds
  • Unabridged Dictionary of Grunts
  • Unbothered: Notes from a Hammock
  • Undefeated at Tic-Tac-Toe (Age Six)
  • Underwater Basket Weaving, Volume Nine
  • Unicycle Maintenance for Commuters
  • Unleash Your Inner Houseplant
  • Unlock Your Potential, Then Lose the Key
  • Unputdownable: A Book About Glue
  • Untitled Novel, Final Draft 12

V: 4 names

  • Vacation Photos by Thumb Overlens
  • Ventriloquism for the Shy
  • Visualize Success, Then Lunch
  • Voted Most Likely to Nap

W: 18 names

  • Waiting Rooms by Mag A. Zines
  • Wake Up at Noon and Still Win
  • Walking into Rooms and Remembering Why
  • Walking Tours of the Hallway
  • Wallpapering Around a Sleeping Cat
  • We Should Have Asked for Directions
  • Where Did the Remote Go?
  • Where Do Odd Socks Sleep?
  • Whittling Furniture from Soap

W, continued

  • Who Left the Fridge Open?
  • Window Cleaning by Streak Lee Pane
  • Winner of No Awards
  • Winning at Life on the Easy Setting
  • Winter Driving by I. C. Rhodes
  • World History: The Boring Bits
  • Wrestling Alligators on a Budget
  • Wrong Turn by Miss D. Exit
  • Wrong Turns Only: A Driver's Life

Y: 6 names

  • Yard Work by Trim D. Hedge
  • Yes You Can, But Should You
  • Yodeling in the Library
  • You Are Enough (Snacks Would Help)
  • You Can Do It Tomorrow
  • Your Comfort Zone Is Fine, Actually

Z: 2 names

  • Zebra Can't Find Parking
  • Zoology of the Junk Drawer