Mallory Ortberg, also known as Daniel M. Lavery, is known for witty and humorous writing. Ortberg co-founded The Toast and wrote Texts from Jane Eyre, cleverly blending literature with modern humor.
If you enjoy reading books by Mallory Ortberg then you might also like the following authors:
Samantha Irby is a humorist and essayist whose work is sharp, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny. She openly discusses life experiences, personal insecurities, and everyday absurdities with unapologetic wit.
Her book We Are Never Meeting in Real Life showcases her blunt observations about everything from awkward social interactions to struggles with health and self-image, making her writing relatable and hilarious.
Lindy West's writing is bold, insightful, and fiercely funny. She tackles subjects like feminism, body positivity, and pop culture with sharp humor and thoughtful honesty.
Her book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman explores her experiences navigating misogyny and body shaming, all delivered with warmth, humor, and vulnerability. Fans of Mallory Ortberg’s wit and commentary will find West equally enjoyable.
Alexandra Petri is known for her satirical and absurdly funny take on politics, literature, and modern life. In her collection A Field Guide to Awkward Silences, Petri explores her misadventures, illustrating how awkwardness shapes her worldview and comedic style.
Her humor is clever without pretension, making even the quirkiest subjects feel fresh and entertaining.
David Sedaris has built a devoted following with his wry, offbeat storytelling and memorable characterizations of family and everyday life absurdities. His essays blend humor with pointed insights into human relationships and behaviors.
In Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris presents humorous and touching stories about his experiences learning French, navigating family dynamics, and facing the ridiculousness of daily life. His approach parallels Mallory Ortberg’s knack for highlighting life's oddities humorously.
Patricia Lockwood writes with inventive language, playfulness, and sharp satire. Her memoir Priestdaddy humorously portrays her experiences growing up in a highly unusual household—with a Catholic priest as a father.
Lockwood addresses family quirks, religion, and the absurdities of contemporary life with equal parts wit and warmth, appealing to readers who appreciate Ortberg’s clever, irreverent humor.
Sloane Crosley writes sharp, funny essays that capture everyday awkwardness. Her style is relatable and clever, sometimes poking fun at her own mishaps while quietly tackling themes of identity, friendship, and modern struggles.
Her collection I Was Told There'd Be Cake is filled with humorous observations and honest reflections, perfect if you like Mallory Ortberg's wit and insight.
Jennette McCurdy offers frank, darkly comic memoir writing. She unravels difficult subjects like child stardom, family dynamics, and personal identity with honesty and humor.
Her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, is powerful yet funny, displaying humor and vulnerability in difficult situations—something readers appreciating Ortberg's humorous candor would connect with.
Kate Beaton fills her work with playful, smart humor and insightful social commentary. Through clever illustrations and sharp observations, she explores literary themes, feminism, history, and pop culture. Her collection Hark!
A Vagrant is witty, fun, and surprising—ideal for Mallory Ortberg fans who appreciate an ability to laugh at serious and complex subjects.
Scaachi Koul writes essays filled with sharp humor, thoughtful observations, and relatable honesty. She addresses personal experiences from cultural identity and family life to internet culture and relationships.
Her essay collection One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter weaves genuinely funny moments with serious reflections, sharing Ortberg's knack for making readers laugh even as they ponder uncomfortable truths.
R. Eric Thomas combines humor and heart in personal, funny essays. He thoughtfully navigates identity, race, and the absurdity of daily life with cultural insight and warmth.
His book Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America offers sharp observations, relatable anecdotes, and a warm sense of humor—a combination that resonates for readers who enjoy Ortberg's clever and cheerful style.
Carmen Maria Machado writes fiction that's imaginative, spooky, and playful. She's good at mixing everyday life with eerie elements and unexpected twists, especially when it comes to women's lives and experiences.
If you enjoy humor laced with a bit of darkness, try her short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties.
Kelly Link's stories are strange and wonderful, mixing fantasy and magic into familiar settings. Like Mallory Ortberg, Link brings wit and charm to odd and haunting tales that always surprise.
Her collection Get in Trouble is a great example—full of dark humor, quirky characters, and playful supernatural turns.
Helen Ellis approaches domestic life with sharp humor and a dash of the surreal. Her stories poke affectionate fun at suburban conventions and modern womanhood.
Fans of Ortberg's irreverent takes will likely appreciate Ellis's short story collection, American Housewife, packed with playful and hilarious insights into daily life.
Nora Ephron had a wonderfully conversational and funny writing style. Her witty voice tackled love, friendship, insecurity, and ambition with warmth and humor, much like Ortberg's relatable and humorous approach.
Her book I Feel Bad About My Neck collects sharp, honest essays that feel like you're chatting with a wise, funny friend.
Jon Klassen's books stand out for their sly humor and clever, understated charm. His children's picture books delight with simple stories that hint at darker, funnier truths beneath the surface.
If Ortberg's carefully crafted humor resonates with you, try Klassen's hilarious and quietly mischievous picture book, I Want My Hat Back.