If you are anything like me, you probably enjoy playing with words. Basing your joke on the way words are pronounced or spelled adds an entire new layer to the funny part. And as an avid reader, I can definitely appreciate a good book pun when I see one.
An interesting thing about puns is that even bad jokes somehow make you laugh if they are built on word play. Even if you are more of the intellectual humor type, you can’t help but agree that book jokes can actually be used for more than just passing entertainment.
Puns with book titles are a fun and unconventional way of drawing interest towards reading. Libraries and bookstores have been employing this method, placing book puns on posters, boards, and souvenir cards, and were indeed able to get quite a few chuckles – and happy visitors – in return. A joke about books will not only put a smile on your face but is very likely to get you interested in a book or author you may not have read before.
Here are some of our absolute favorite book and reading puns. I am really curious to know what the best pun about books you have ever come up with was, so make sure to leave a comment and let me know!
#1 This One’s Quite the Bard Joke
Why did Shakespeare always write with a pen? Because pencils made him ask, “2B or not 2B?”
#2 Clearly, the shelf had it out for me
A book fell on my head. I can only blame my shelf.
#3 This One’s Got Layers
What building has the most stories? The library.
#4 Plot twist: I’m actually lost
I started reading a book about mazes—I got lost in it.
#5 Library visit or epic quest?
I haven’t been to the library in a while—how Dewey find the books?
#6 Plot twist, literally
A book never holds a grudge: it is always ready to turn over a new leaf.
#7 Footnotes: The OG breadcrumb trail
How do you track a book?
You follow their footnotes.
#8 This kid’s got closet goals
Why did the kid always sit in his wardrobe when reading a book?
Narnia business!
#9 Accidentally sucked into this one
I’m reading a book about black holes; it really draws you in!
#10 Plot twist: They’re already dead inside
What is the spookiest kind of author?
A ghostwriter.
#11 Busy but still reading, somehow
Why don’t readers have extra time? They’re booked.
#12 Plot twist: Dewey Decimal no more
I’ve decided to retire as a librarian to start a new chapter in my life.
#13 This Friendship’s Not Shire-locked
My best friend just told me she doesn’t like Lord of the Rings, but she definitely doesn’t know what she’s Tolkien about.
#14 When Your Feet Decide They’re Frodo
I started walking around without any shoes, and it sort of became a Hobbit.
#15 Swipe right for killer intros
Why was the book so good at using Tinder?
He had a good opening line.
#16 Too Sirius for Its Own Good
Did you hear they were going to make an entire book about Harry Potter’s godfather, but then it got axed?
They thought it would be too Sirius.
#17 This dad joke chapter is peak comedy
Why did the man stick himself between the pages of a book?
He was a book Mark.
#18 Plot twist in relationships
Why do bookworms breakup ?
Because they are not on the same page.
#19 Iconic vibes or just sketchy parties?
Never read Fitzgerald? You Gatsby kidding me!
#20 Books with perks and quirks
Do you like the book you’re reading? It has prose and cons.
#21 Sliding into my DMs like…
Why did the librarian fall down?
She was in the non-friction section.
#22 Sequels: Always Playing Catch-Up
Why are books so afraid of their sequels?
Because they always come after them!
#23 Well played, pupper!
What do you do if your dog starts eating a book?
You take the words right out of his mouth!
#24 Classic John Green Detour
Did you hear John Green got lost in Canada? Yeah, he was Looking for Alaska.
#25 Classic with a twist
Did the bartender tell you his favorite book? It’s Tequila Mockingbird.
#26 Poetry’s Cool, But Nah
You can write poetry if you want, but I think it’s best left to the prose.
#27 Bee-lieve me, that’s a good one
What is a bee’s favorite book?
The Great Gats-bee.
#28 Relatable Pain, But Make It Math
Why is a math book always unhappy?
It has so many problems.
#29 Plot twist: it’s a real page-turner—just kidding
Want to hear a joke about a book?
Never mind. It’s tear-rible.
#30 Books that bite back
Why did the vampire go to the library?
He wanted to sink his teeth into a really good book.
#31 Why Is This My Morning Mood?
Morning Radio: A. M. Effem
#32 When Books Forget Personal Space
Why are books so annoying to be around?
They don’t have any shelf awareness.
#33 Rated R for Reading Room Drama
Why do people get jealous when they date a library book?
Someone else is always checking them out.
#34 Plot twist level: Sirius-ly dark
I found the first four Harry Potter books to be quite light hearted.
The fifth one was dead Sirius.
#35 Jurassic Wordplay Energy
A dinosaur that knows a lot of synonyms is a thesaurus.
#36 Guess I’m reading my own book instead
I wanted to visit the world’s biggest library but it was overbooked.
#37 Defying all book laws here
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity and it’s impossible to put down.
#38 Plot twist: Too many books, not enough time
Are you sure you want to borrow all those books? You don’t want to overdue it.
#39 That joke actually slayed me
Why did the dog run after the book? He was chasing his tale.
#40 Caught in a Weighty Story
I started a book about gravity. It’s heavy.
#41 Powerfully Unplugged
This book on electricity is shocking.
#42 Loudest Book in the Room
Why was the encyclopedia removed from the library?
He couldn’t control his volume.
#43 Well, That Took a Dive
I had plans to begin reading a book about sinkholes but they fell through.
#44 Plot twist, but make it literal
The book about the adventurer in the mountains ended with quite a cliff hanger.
#45 Prehistoric Wordplay, Anyone?
What kind of book dates back to the Jurassic period?
A Thesaurus.
#46 This Pun Took My Breath Away
Why do people get asthma if they haven’t read Charlotte Brontë?
It’s hard to breathe with no Eyre.
#47 Dad jokes level: War and Peace
After watching me read “War and Peace”, my son asked me, “Dad, why is your book so thick?”
I said, “Well, it’s a long story.”
#48 Finally, the wait clocked out
My book on clocks finally arrived.
It’s about time!
#49 Spell-check? More like spell-craft.
Witches are the best editors because they always run spell-check.
#50 Welcome to the future you didn’t ask for
Dystopian novels are so 1984.
#51 Shelfie feels, no filter
When I think about books, I touch my shelf.
#52 Plot twist: It’s a page-turner
I like big books and I cannot lie.
#53 Peak suspense, no less
The book about Mount Everest had quite a cliff hanger.
#54 This Book Really Slipped By Me
I read a book about Teflon, but it contained no frictional characters.
#55 Not a Plays-By-Yourself Moment
Don’t Shakespeare into anyone’s window.
#56 Poetry Never Tasted So Sweet
Life is like a box of Walt Whitman’s chocolates.
#57 Plot twist: ghosts are speed readers
Why are ghosts always reading? They go through books too quickly.
#58 Proofreading Level: Thoreau
What makes “Civil Disobedience” such a great essay? Thoreau editing.
#59 Proof reading vibes only
Book on the bright side.
#60 That moment you didn’t see coming
Ouch! A. B. Stung
#61 Too Much Manual Labor
I was looking for a book to teach me how to fix my car’s gearbox, but the library only has manuals.
#62 Weekend plans: finally a glow-up for my brain
I cannot wait to start reading my new book this weekend. It is going to be LITerary.
#63 Booked and Buzzing, Please
You cannot enter a reading club on a whim. You need a proper booking for entry.
#64 Book hoarder problems, am I right?
Did you hear about the guy who bought so many books he was eventually crushed underneath them?
He can only blame his shelf.
#65 Accounting for the Pun
Why don’t they let accountants into the library?
They’re bookkeepers.
#66 Literally Built Different
Why are books so brave?
They have the spine for it.
#67 Plot twist: Justice served literally
Did you hear about the librarian who was sent to jail?
The judge threw the book at him.
#68 Plot twist: literally falling for it
I’ve written a book about falling down a staircase.
It’s a step by step guide.
#69 Sliding into my next obsession
I’m writing a book about WD-40.
It’s non-friction.
#70 Plot twist: Library vibes got electric
The librarian didn’t know what to do with the book about Tesla’s love of electricity, so he filed it under “Current Affairs”
#71 Plot twist: childhood got spooky
What do you get when you cross Neil Gaiman with A.A. Milne?
Tigger Warning.
#72 Pun Intended, Clearly
I’m thinking about starting a publication for bookworms who enjoy jokes about food coloring
I’ll call it Readers Dye Jest.
#73 Addicted to Boss Babes
What do you call a bookworm who can’t get enough of strong female characters?
A heroine addict!
#74 Wait, Kafka Was Here?
But first, Kafka.
#75 Classic Milton: Lost in the Dice Game
Why is John Milton a terrible guest at game nights? Because when he’s around, there’s a pair of dice lost.
#76 When Your Magic Misses a Word
This book of spells was useless. The author forgot to run spell check.
#77 Classic with a modern twist
I got my friend to read Jane Austen. She just needed a little Persuasion.
#78 That plot twist just teleported me
Have you read the book on teleportation? It’ll definitely take you somewhere.
#79 Plot twist: This one nailed it
A good book really hits the plot.
#80 Sharing? Sorry, that’s fiction.
I don’t loan out my books. Some say I’m shelf-ish.
#81 Brain Benders, Not Clock Tickers
Writing a time travel story is all about thinking outside the clocks.
#82 Shakespeare Would Approve
What’s the best book to read whilst eating breakfast?
Much Ado About Muffin.
#83 Okay, that was pun-derful
What do planets like to read?
Comet books.
#84 Pause for the pun, not the book
Why did the Romanian stop reading for the night?
To give his Bucharest.
#85 Wind’s got jokes today
Any way the wind Poes.
#86 Beans really do have stories now
I’ve just read a book about a bean growing up in Southern USA. It’s called The Adventures of Tom Soya.
#87 Solo vibes, but make it opera
Singing without an orchestra: A. K. Pella
#88 Fake authors, real chill
I borrowed a book written by a ghostwriter, but to be honest, it really was not that scary.
#89 Punny Farm Facts That Hit Different
Where does the water come from on Animal Farm?
A pond Orwell.
#90 Lowkey Thoreau Was an Editing Genius
Why is Walden such a good book?
Thoreau editing.
#91 Plot twist you can literally feel
I’m reading a horror book in Braille.
Something bad is going to happen.
I can feel it.
#92 Plot twist: DIY endings only
All the comic books I bought from the store are missing the last page.
I have to draw my own conclusions.
#93 Plot twist: mice are picky readers
Two mice are chewing on a film roll.
The first one says, “I liked the book better.”
#94 Plot twists? More like plot Swiss cheese.
Why don’t bookworms make good authors?
Because their plots are always full of holes.
#95 Classic Lit, But Make It Sassier
Brontë? What a breath of fresh Eyre.
#96 Plot twist you didn’t see coming
Have you read the book about hands? It’s a real page turner.
#97 Plot twist: following the script
Readers do it by the book.
#98 Plot twist: Reading’s making a comeback
Reading is a novel idea.
#99 Plot Fuel, Not Just Paper
Books provide food for plot.
#100 Booked solid, brain on standby
All booked up and nowhere to go.
#101 Romance: My Happy Escape
Why do you enjoy romance novels? I like to book on the bright side.
#102 Grammar never felt so relaxing
What did the bookworm say to the massage therapist? I’m feeling a little past tense.
#103 Plot twist: chores with Chekhov vibes
Anton Chekov items on your to-do list.
#104 Walking that Gray line
There’s a lot of Thomas Gray area.
#105 Book Club Just Got Purr-fect
What book did the librarian take out for her cat?
The Prince and the Paw-purr.
#106 Bookish Thrills Incoming
What’s the best book for Halloween?
A Midsummer’s Night Scream!
#107 Plot twist: the bricks lead somewhere weird
Follow the Coelho brick road.
#108 That pun just Darcy-ed to be this good
What did Mr. Darcy say to Elizabeth? “I had a will of iron until you Bennet it.”
#109 Bookish flex, not sorry
When I get home, I like to say to my books “Where my prose at?”
#110 Accidentally Heart-Eyed Again
Wilde thing, I think I love you.
#111 This thyme’s a mystery
What do you never know whether the food Charles Dickens cooks for you will be good?
He has the best of thymes and the worst of thymes.
#112 Plot twist: Books have appendices too
Two books meet in a library. The first book says, “You don’t look too well”.
The other book replies “Just had my appendix removed.”
#113 Plot twist: I did it for the snacks
Becoming an author is a write of passage.
#114 Plot twist: Writers survive the bear attack
If a bear were to encounter both a reader and a writer, who would it eat? The reader. Haven’t you heard of writer’s cramp and Reader’s Digest?
#115 Sorry, I only do subtitles, not title.
Books are my kind of texts.
#116 Planting Judy Vibes Only
Judy Blume where you’re planted.
#117 Choose your fighter
Ernest Hemingway or the highway.
#118 Unexpected Dracula Energy
We didn’t Bram Stoker the fire.
#119 Elf yourself proud
You’ll get a good Tolkien to if you keep that up.
#120 Dead Good Reading List
What is a vampire’s favorite book?
Wuthering Bites.
#121 This pun slayed me
What is Emily Dickinson’s favorite reindeer? Dasher.
#122 Plot twist: Meet cute turned mystery
Strangers on a Twain.
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