My nightstand is currently a non-fiction book graveyard. What optimistically began as a way to keep "optimizing" in my downtime has instead just turned me against my beloved nighttime reading. I need something I can look foward to and can compete with the dopamine hit of evening scrolling. I know I can break this dry spell with some good, juicy fiction. Anything for total escapism (fantasy, mystery, romance, whatever) nothing too "real" or even remotely work-related (health, wellness, artificial intelligence) My last successful read was 'The Night Circus' and loved it. More like that please!
by eliikon
9 Comments
Try Thomas Perry. The Butcher’s Boy is a great place to start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butcher%27s_Boy
The Knife Thrower and Other Stories by Steven Millhauser has been my go-to for evening reads. It’s a small anthology of fantastic short stories. the fact that it’s short stories helps me get to bed; there’s a natural stopping point. And a lot of them are just helpful in helping me get to sleep without being boring.
You could also consider another Erin Morganstern book, the Starless Sea.
If you have a Kindle and access to Kindle Unlimited, there is a fun, cute cozy mystery series called the [Cozy Corgi Mysteries](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NBDKCG) by Mildred Abbott. They are shorter reads (can be read in a few hours or over the course of a day), and there are currently 37 books available in the series.
Consider trying TJ Klune. I enjoyed both Under the Whispering Door and The House on the Cerulean Sea. He has some others I haven’t read yet.
For fantasy, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
For sci-fi, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
I also love the Night Circus and enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and The Six of Crows. Also Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw but I can’t remember what would make me think it’s similar to the Night Circus.
Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine. This is the book that got me hooked into nonstop reading this year.
I’m loving Murderbot.
I use reading to decompress, so I read a lot of romance because I don’t want to deal with unhappy endings, so take my recs as you will.
Something by T.Kingfisher would be great escapism, I like her romantic fantasy and her horror, she writes great characters and settings. Not all of her books are romance at all, but she does have satisfying endings to all of them.
I also really enjoy Ashley Poston’s books. She writes a lot of magical realism into her stories and her characters have really lovely arcs.There’s no silly, trumped up drama, the drama comes from the reality of life and the growth comes from seeing the magic in every day.