Viral Hooks
Trending short videosAuthors recommend their funniest books
U

@underthecover.books

Instagram · Interview Q&A

@underthecover.books In need of a read that will make you laugh? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their favourite funny books that are guaranteed to bring some joy 🧡 What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments - or you can get hold of any of the books mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page through the link below or in our bio (affiliate) Thanks to Fee Mak, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Rob Franklin, Orlando Whitfield, Olivia Petter, Xochitl Gonzalez, Patrick Radden Keefe, Kiley Reid, Elizabeth Day, Aimée Madill at Phlox, Leah Bronstein at Center for Fiction and Mariana Enriquez. You can scroll back through our page to see more of their recommendations! 📜 The list: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay Heartburn by Nora Ephron Me Talk Pretty One Day and Calypso by David Sedaris Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood The Sellout by Paul Beatty Middlemarch by George Eliot The New Me, Banal Nightmare and Jillian by Halle Butler Hope by Shalom Auslander Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

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The edit1 shot · 7 text
Shots Text1:18

Performance

Views
1.8M
Likes
60.2K
Comments
821
Engagement
3.4%
Outlier
23.8×
Length · 24 Apr 2026
1:18

Video #30388 · Interview Q&A

Authors recommend their funniest booksfrom @underthecover.books

[01]

Overview

The video asks various authors, booksellers, and broadcasters the question, 'What's the funniest book you've ever read?'. Each person provides their recommendation, briefly explaining why they find the book funny, while a graphic of the book cover and their name appears on screen. The video compiles these diverse recommendations into a rapid-fire listicle, concluding with a call-to-action to view a full list online.

[02]

Simple outline

  1. 1Pose a universal question
  2. 2Present expert endorsements
  3. 3Reinforce with consensus
  4. 4Provide intriguing justifications
  5. 5Offer path to explore

[03]

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[04]

Classification

Format
Interview Q&A
Concepts
Question MontageRapid Fire ListicleStreet Interview
Elements
Lower ThirdImage OverlayMontage EditingText Overlay
Account
BrandCurator
Topics
Reading LifestyleEntertainmentCulture

[05]

Hook analysis

What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds

Title hook · 50%

Funniest book you've ever read?

Verbal hook · 45%

What's the funniest book you've ever read?

Visual hook · 5%

Rapid cuts between multiple people in different bookstore and library settings, creating a fast-paced and dynamic opening that immediately establishes the video's theme and format.

[06]

Hook template

Steal this for your own video

We asked [number] [authority type]: What's the [superlative] [content category] you've ever [consumed]?

  • — We asked 20 chefs: What's the best meal you've ever eaten?
  • — We asked 15 personal trainers: What's the hardest workout you've ever done?
  • — We asked 10 travel agents: What's the most underrated destination you've ever visited?

[07]

Hook and payoff

The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back

Hook

A rapid-fire montage of the core question being posed to multiple people, establishing the video's central theme and creating a rhythmic, engaging opening.

Payoff

A clear, visual call-to-action that directs the viewer to a resource (like a link or a full list) where they can explore all the recommended items, converting passive viewing into active engagement.

[08]

Narrative framework

The structural pattern this video runs on

Framework

The Expert Consensus Carousel

To build a compelling, curated list by presenting a rapid-fire series of expert testimonials that answer a single, relatable question, leveraging authority and social proof to validate the recommendations.

  1. 1

    The First Endorsement

    The first full recommendation is presented, establishing the visual and narrative micro-pattern (presenter, item reveal with overlay, brief justification) that will be followed for subsequent items.

  2. 2

    The Consensus Peak

    A single recommendation is repeated by multiple, consecutive experts. This creates a powerful moment of social proof, elevating that specific item as a must-have or must-know.

  3. 3

    The Counter-Intuitive Pick

    An item is presented that subverts common expectations about its creator or category, generating surprise and demonstrating the depth of the curation.

  4. 4

    The Provocative Premise

    An item is described using a short, shocking, or high-concept pitch that creates an immediate and powerful curiosity gap, compelling the viewer to want to learn more.

  5. 5

    The Pop-Culture Analogy

    An item is explained by comparing it to two well-known, distinct cultural touchstones, providing a clever and instant shorthand for its tone and content.

Themes

  • Humor in literature
  • Book recommendations
  • Expert opinions

Techniques

  • Montage
  • Lower thirds
  • Image overlays

Trends

  • Expert curation
  • Rapid-fire content

Post caption

In need of a read that will make you laugh? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their favourite funny books that are guaranteed to bring some joy 🧡 What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments - or you can get hold of any of the books mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page through the link below or in our bio (affiliate) Thanks to Fee Mak, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Rob Franklin, Orlando Whitfield, Olivia Petter, Xochitl Gonzalez, Patrick Radden Keefe, Kiley Reid, Elizabeth Day, Aimée Madill at Phlox, Leah Bronstein at Center for Fiction and Mariana Enriquez. You can scroll back through our page to see more of their recommendations! 📜 The list: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay Heartburn by Nora Ephron Me Talk Pretty One Day and Calypso by David Sedaris Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood The Sellout by Paul Beatty Middlemarch by George Eliot The New Me, Banal Nightmare and Jillian by Halle Butler Hope by Shalom Auslander Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Text overlays

  • title · beginning

    Funniest book you've ever read?

  • contextual · middle

    Fee Mak Broadcaster

  • contextual · middle

    Meg Wolitzer Author

  • informational · middle

    Anything by David Sedaris

  • contextual · middle

    Kiley Reid Author

  • call-to-action · end

    Browse the full list at the link in our bio

  • title · end

    Books to make you laugh

Transcript

What's the funniest book you've ever read? Funniest book you've read? Funniest book you've ever read? This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kaye. Just a doctor's diary and the madness that he comes across. He's so sarcastic rank it's just great. Heartburn by Nora Ephron. She was a dear friend and it's just delicious. Anything by David Sedaris. Anything by David Sedaris. Anything by David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day. Calypso. He's the funniest man alive. Old Babes in the Good by Margaret Atwood. People don't really think of her as a comic writer, but this is a collection of short stories, and they made me laugh out loud. Brilliant. The sellout by Paul Beatty inevitably always makes me laugh. It's all so smart and brilliant. Middlemarch, which I came too late and is so funny. I guess people knew this. This is not news. The author that makes me laugh the most is Howie Butler. She's so mean and funny. Hope by Shalom Aislander. The premise is going to sound quite dark. Anne Frank is discovered alive living in someone's attic, but it's so deft and delicate and utterly hilarious. Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson. Jackson. Her moving her family across America to this dilapidated mansion. It's just pure comedy. My Sister's Serial Killer. Tier sister relationship in Fleabag meets Dexter. A Confederacy of Dances by John Kennedy Toole. He's so misanthropic, and he hates everybody, and it's it's very funny.