I’m tired of reading sad fiction books. It seems like a lot of “good” books are also sad and it’s just not what I find interesting right now. Please suggest me a book that is interesting, written well, and doesn’t necessarily need to be comical but NOTHING SAD!!
by vec5d
14 Comments
What genres do you like?
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Right Ho, Jeeves! by P. G. Wodehouse or Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott
I loved Squirrel Girl Universe by Tristan Palmgren. It’s a weird fiction sci-fi about a super hero named Squirrel Girl (powers of both girl and squirrel, also a STEM major) as her and her friends get swept across the universe. It’s a bit like Marvel meets Dr Who.
It’s very upbeat and positive. She views making friends with her enemies as a primary conflict resolution, but beating them up is always on the table.
Squirrel Girl is nothing if not fun. I don’t think any prior knowledge of the comic is required, but I would also recommend the comic.
I gotta tell you, reading this book made me so happy.
I would also add that this novel doesn’t really have any objectionable content. No rape, no objectification, no deranged torture, women are respected, men are respected, the author seems like a cool person. I know that some of that content does make for spicier reading for some but a book without ANY of the bad stuff is such a rare treat.
read any contemporary rom com. they won’t be sad
kiki’s delivery service, howl’s moving castle
I’ve been reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Series for the same purpose. It’s fantasy, satire, a bit humorous. It’s a fictional world and the most serious stuff seems a bit ridiculous to keep your mood up.
The series doesn’t necessarily need to be read in order, so I’d potentially start with Equal Rites (a girl wants to be a wizard in a world where only boys can be wizards) or Guards! Guards! are fun (not necessarily the best, though they’re my favorite 2 so far). A lot of people will read Small Gods in the series, but I’ve bit yet.
I’ve been enjoying anything by Emily Henry. They are funny and light but well written. They are rom-coms, which I don’t usually read, but they’re pretty well written and very enjoyable!
I have two young kids so I feel you! Our son has some medical issues, and then we went through extended IVF with lots of failures to get our new baby, and so I just can’t deal with any more heaviness in my life. Not to mention, the world is a sad and upsetting place lately with the conflicts around the globe. Hang in there!
[Nothing to See Here!](https://www.npr.org/2019/11/02/775190787/kevin-wilson-is-on-fire-in-nothing-to-see-here) I’ll never stop recommending this book. It made me so happy. It’s a fun book about 2 young children who spontaneously combust(fire doesn’t hurt them) when they get upset.
These requests are so idiotic. How many millions of books aren’t ‘sad’. Seriously, pick a random book off any shelf and it very likely won’t be ‘sad’.
Myth Adventures by Robert Asprin or any of the rest of the series continued by himself and/or Jody Lynn Nye. The first book is about a thief apprenticed to a wizard and hi-jinks ensue. The rest of the series is his adventures as a magician. They are fairly short, about 200ish pages, and full of puns and references. Good for a quick mental break from heavier material.
Still Life by Sarah Winman was a joy to read.
Jennifer Crusie’s novels tend to be light and fun. Light romance, funny heroines, witty banter…just easy, feel-good reads.
Yahtzee Croshaw, funny author with great characters.
Differently Morphus and Existentially Challenged – Governmental agency involved in the regulation of magic and extra dimensional beings.
Mogworld – Main character is undead. Hijinks insue.
Will save the galaxy for food and Will destroy the galaxy for cash – An unemployed star pilot tries to get by in a universe where transporters are a thing.
If you can tolerate sad scenes in a book that is ultimately uplifting, I recommend both “All the Light We Cannot See” and also “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”.