I'm a disabled person who has a fair amount of time to read, but a very sensitive nervous system that struggles with books that are too intense or dark. I'm hitting a point where I've tried most of the gentle novels that get commonly recommended on here. Some I have loved (for example: all of Becky Chambers books, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt) and some just weren't for me (examples include: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells). My favorite novels are gentle or hopeful, but still explore weighty topics or have decent stakes (I'm not a big fan of novels that feel fluffy). What are your favorite less-well-known books that fit this description?
Edited to add obscure gentle novels I have read and loved: The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker, The Dreamhealers Series by MCA Hogarth, Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon, and The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz
by Find_My_Footing