Laughing Medicine

MyLifeLine.org has found that frequent laughing is crucial to healing and reducing stress during cancer treatments. It's not always easy to find things to laugh about, so we're constantly on the prowl for the wry, the lighthearted, the pithy, and the just plain funny. Because a smile on your face is a joy to everyone who knows you.

Our members have suggested the following movies and books that helped them and their loved ones through treatment for cancer. If you have your own suggestions for us, please submit them via our feedback form.

Funny Movies for Adults

Funny Movies for Kids

Humorous Perspective and Funny Books

• Bosker, Gideon. Medicine's the Best Laughter. St. Louis: Mosby, 1995
• Callahan, John. (1990) Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. NY NY: Vintage Bks.
• Clifford, Christine. (1996) Not Now, . . . I'm Having a No Hair Day , Minneapolis, MN.
• Hammer, Kathryn. And How Are We Feeling Today. Chicago, Contermporary, 1993.
• Kenefick, Colleen and Young, Amy (eds). The Best of Nursing Humor Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus, Inc., 1993.
• Kenefick, Colleen and Young, Amy (eds). The Best of Nursing Humor Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus, Inc., 1999.
• Klein, Allen. (1991) Quotations to Cheer You Up When the World is Getting You Down, NY NY: Sterling Pub.
• London, Oscar. (1987) Kill as Few Patients as Possible. Berkeley CA: Ten Speed
• McPherson, John. The Get Well Book. Kansas City: Andrew and McMeel, 1998.
• Saltzman, David. The Jester Has Lost His Jingle. Palos Verdes Estates, CA: The Jester Co. 1995.
• Wise, John. Tales From the Bedside. St. Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Book, Inc; 1994.
• Wooten, Patty. Heart, Healing And Humor. Salt Lake City: Commune A Key Pub, 1994.

Funny Books for Adults

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• The Widow's Club by Dorothy Cannell
• Puckoon by Spike Milligan
• Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
• Fluke by Christopher Moore
• The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin
• Sex and Sunsets by Tim Sandlin
• Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins
• Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
• Fat White Vampire Blues by Andrew Fox
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
• Naked by David Sedaris
• The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus
• The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson
• "Could Be Worse!" by James Stevenson
• Murder With Peacocks (A Meg Lanslow Mystery) by Donna Andrews

Funny Books for Teens

• Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (Hitchhiker's Trilogy, Book 1.)
• Bauer, Joan. Rules of the Road.
• Cabot, Meg. The Princess Diaries. (First in the Princess Diaries series.)
• Clark, Catherine. Truth or Dairy..
• Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. (First in a series.)
• Creech, Sharon. Absolutely Normal Chaos.
• Danziger, Paula. This Place Has No Atmosphere
• Ferris, Jean. Love Among the Walnuts
• Fleischman, Paul. A Fate Totally Worse Than Death.
• Frank, Lucy. Oy, Joy!
• Gliori, Deb. Pure Dead Magic. (First in a series.)
• Goldman, William. The Princess Bride.
• Haddix, Margaret Peterson.
• Howe, Norma. The Adventures of Blue Avenger. (First in the Blue Avenger series.)
• Kindl, Patrice. Goose Chase
• Koertge, Ronald. The Harmony Arms.
• Korman, Gordon. A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag
• Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted
• Limb, Sue. Girl, 15, Charming But Insane.
• Lipsyte, Robert. One Fat Summer.
• Lynch, Chris. Slot Machine. (Followed by Extreme Elvin.)
• McCants, William D. Much Ado about Prom Night.
• Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me.
• Paulsen, Gary. The Schernoff Discoveries.
• Peck, Richard. A Long Way From Chicago. (Followed by A Year Down Yonder.)
• Pinkwater, Daniel Manus. Young Adult Novel.
• Pinkwater, Jill. Buffalo Brenda.
• Plummer, Louise. The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman
• Powell, Randy. Is Kissing a Girl Who Smokes Like Licking an Ashtray
• Powell, Randy. Three Clams and an Oyster.
• Pratchett, Terry. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.
• Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. (First in Georgia Nicolson Diaries series
• Sachar, Louis. Holes.
• Spinelli, Jerry. Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?
• Stine, R.L. Phone Calls.
• Vande Velde, Vivian. Never Trust a Dead Man
• Van Draanen, Wendelin. Flipped.
• Wilson, Jacqueline. Girls in Love. (First in the GIRLS series.) Ellie
• Wrede, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons. (First in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.)
• Young, Karen Romano. The Beetle and Me: A Love Story.