Books to Read When You Just Can’t Anymore

Hey, I don’t know if you are aware of this or not, but everything is awful now.

Everything is too expensive, everybody hates each other, and the social fabric of the entire world is unravelling like a spool on a Beyblade.

As such, I thought it would be a good idea to list off a few books that make me feel good inside in the hopes that it will help others find life less of a hopeless drudgery…if not for only a few hours.

Summary here.

Romance normally isn’t my genre, but I have a tender place in my heart for this book. It tricks you into thinking it’s going to be a run-of-the-mill haters-to-lovers romance, but turns a lot of the familiar plot beats from those types of novels on their heads. It’s funny, the characters are interesting and relatable, and it pulls at you heartstrings in all the right ways.

Summary here.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy is perhaps the funniest series I have ever read. Yes, this is a series so check out.

I read it when I’m sad, when I’m bored, and after watching horror movies way too late at night. If you enjoy dry British humor as well as absurdist comedy as much as I do, you will love it.

If you watched the movie and didn’t like it, don’t worry, the books are so, so, so much better…Although, truth be told, I still imagine Alan Rickman’s voice every time I read Marvin’s parts. Rest in peace.

Summary here.

Okay, technically this isn’t a “book” it’s a play, but you can still read it so it counts.

If you can’t tell by now, I have a soft spot in my soul for British humor and this play is brimming with it. You would think it would be a bit of a slog to get through taking into account it’s nearly 130 years old, but nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s a satire of Victorian values, but there is something inherently timeless about it. The way it takes swipes at members of the gentry is a joy to read (and to watch if you have the privilege of ever seeing it performed). It’s humorous without necessarily being vindictive. It’s a short, fun and hilarious read.

Let me take you back to a time when fantasy was fun. It’s a timeless, fun romp through an imaginary world where things were so much simpler. Back to a time when the good guys were valiant heroes with pure hearts and the bad guys were really ugly bastards with Northern English accents.

If you’re having a bad day, I would encourage you to listen to the audiobook. It will make you feel like a kid being read to by your parents.

“I didn’t have parents, Rachael, I was created in a laboratory by an invasive alien race.”

Okay, fine, it will make you feel like you did when you were rocked to sleep by the comfort synthesizer.

The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies of all time, so when I saw Cary Elwes had written a memoir about it (with the help of a ghost-writer) I was excited. A lot of people complain that it’s too happy-go-lucky with its interpretation of events, but I don’t particularly care. It’s a very wholesome, digestible book full of interesting facts and anecdotes.

For instance, I had absolutely no idea that The Princess Bride wasn’t commercially successful when it first came out. As someone who grew up with this movie and can quote it line-by-line, I was under the impression it was a well-loved movie since day one.

Regardless, I found it an incredibly engaging little read that will brighten your day if you have fond memories of this movie like I do.

I won’t bother to put a summary here since anyone who doesn’t live under a rock knows what it’s about.

Yes, it can be a bit slow and Tolkien is prone to long digressions, but there’s something cleansing about reading this OG Fantasy writer’s work. It’s like a day at the spa for your soul. You feel as though you have genuinely been transported into a better time and place.