I genuinely am making myself sick and losing sleep over current events, and need to chill the fuck out and put down my phone/the Internet for a while.
I hate most pop fiction/beach-read vibe books.
Some of my favorite books:
Slaughterhouse 5
The God of Small Things
The Poisonwood Bible
Everything is Illuminated
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
100 Years of Solitude
Song of Solomon
I want magical realism and poetic prose and meandering dreamy plotlines. Some of the books above are absolutely tragic though and I need something that doesn’t hurt.
Bonus points if it takes place outside of the modern and/or Western world, has female protagonists, detailed descriptions of gardening, wilderness, or cooking, and/or themes of early parenthood.
Thanks.
by middlegray
4 Comments
I’ve been having a similar issue with current events and have been re-reading one of my favorite ever book series: the Moomintroll books by Tove Jansson. Yes, it’s a kids series, and yes, there are some gently melancholy moments, but the prose is very beautiful, the characters are charming and funny, and the world is a wonderful escape.
The Wind in the Willows would be another good one.
My Family and other Animals ♥️
The Hearing Trumpet by Leonara Carrington!!
When I’m stressed and feel like I need balance, I read the Earthsea books by Ursula K LeGuin. The series is so grounding, in a weird way, like it helps me find center again.