For the comedic value, have you tried He Who Fight With Monsters? It’s my most reread series by far, and is what I always give people after Carl.

Cradle is the other big one. The first half of book one is a bit of a hump for me, similar to reading Kal’s perspective in Way of Kings, but it picks up fast. The audiobook is magical; just about anything read by Travis Baldree is worth the time.