Jenny Eclair Books in Order (Updated 2026-02-09)

Jenny Eclair is a British comedian, actor, and author. Her fiction is not a long-running series: each novel is its own story world, so reading order is about preference, not continuity rules.

If you want the clearest route, split her books into two shelves, novels first (if you’re here for fiction), then memoir/humour (if you’re here for Jenny’s voice on the page).

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Two good ways to read Jenny Eclair

If you want fiction

Read the novels in publication order. It’s the simplest way to watch her themes deepen without jumping around in tone.

If you want Jenny Eclair the performer

Start with the memoir, then dip into the earlier humour books in any order.

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Novels in publication order

These are standalone novels; there’s no shared timeline to protect.

1. Camberwell Beauty (2000): A young woman’s messy friendships and choices unfold against a sharply observed London backdrop.
2. Having a Lovely Time (2005): A holiday escape turns into a pressure cooker where old roles and private disappointments won’t stay hidden.
3. Life, Death and Vanilla Slices (2012): A family’s tight bonds fray when illness forces everyone to reveal what they really believe they deserve.
4. Moving (2015): A move triggers a reckoning, as one woman confronts the weight of memory, family, and unfinished grief.
5. Inheritances (2020): A family story about what gets passed down, money, secrets, expectations, and how hard it is to refuse any of it.
6. The Writing on the Wall (2022): Two girls from different decades brush against each other’s lives, and the rules of time turn personal.

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Short story collection

1. Listening In: Stories (2017): Twenty-four quick, pointed snapshots of women at turning points, where a small moment changes the whole day.

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Memoir and humour books

These don’t connect to the novels, and you can read them in any order.

1. The Book of Bad Behaviour (1994): A comedic survival manual for anyone who’s tired of being told to be “nice.”
2. Live at Club Class (1996): A stage-on-the-page snapshot that leans into stand-up energy and sharp observation.
3. Wendy: The Bumper Book of Fun for Women of a Certain Age (2008, with Judith Holder): A playful, knowing book about midlife that treats laughter as a practical tool.
4. Grumpy Old Couples (2008, with Judith Holder): A comic take on long relationships, built around the daily negotiations nobody warns you about.
5. Chin Up, Britain (2010): A morale-boosting blend of humour and grit, focused on getting through the day without pretending it’s easy.
6. Older and Wider: A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause (2020): Candid, funny, and direct guidance framed around real-life experience and solidarity.
7. Jokes, Jokes, Jokes: My Very Funny Memoir (2024): A career-and-life memoir that tracks the work behind the laughter, and what it cost along the way.

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Suggested starting points

• Try one novel: Moving (a clean standalone with emotional weight).
• Try her teen fiction: The Writing on the Wall (time-bending, character-led).
• Try her nonfiction voice: Jokes, Jokes, Jokes (the most direct “this is Jenny” entry).

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FAQs

Do Jenny Eclair’s novels need to be read in order?
No. They’re standalones. Publication order is simply the most natural progression.

Is The Writing on the Wall connected to the adult novels?
No. It’s separate, and it reads like its own lane.

Why do some dates vary across listings?
Different formats (hardback, paperback, e-book, audiobook) sometimes land in different years. When that happens, the first publication year is the useful “in order” marker.

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Best default plan

If you came for fiction: start with Camberwell Beauty and read forward through the novels.
If you came for Jenny’s life and voice: start with Jokes, Jokes, Jokes, then pick any earlier humour title that matches your mood.