I feel like what I'm looking for doesn't exist! I'm in a terrible reading slump and I need help getting out of it but my tastes are annoyingly particular.
My ideal book right now would be:
- Less than 300 pages (I am flexible, but can't fathom like a 500 pager right now)
- Light-hearted, or funny, or adventurous, or just overall positive in tone
- Not romance-driven (though I am okay with some romance being part of the story, just not the main focus)
- Not sci-fi or traditional fantasy (I am pooooossibly open to these if you really think they fit the bill, but historically I do not care for most of the books I've read in this genre)
- Medium- to fast-paced
- A little "weird" is welcome (I tend to like slightly bizarre/oddball stuff)
- Not dark/gritty/horror-driven (I don't mind these overall, but just not what my brain can handle right now)
I feel like I'm looking for a beach read that isn't a beach read.
If it's helpful, I've really liked these books (though they don't fit my "requirements" right now, this is just to give you an idea): House of Leaves, Circe, Piranesi, Half His Age, The Grip of Film, Dark Matter
Ones I have not liked: I Who Have Never Known Men, The Centre, The Great Gatsby, The Elephant Vanishes, Life of Pi
Thanks in advance!
by tealighttrees
6 Comments
If you’re into lighter fare, the Monster Hunter International series is pretty easy to chew through.
Beefy accountant turned monster hunter who immediately gets the girl….this is definitely someone’s fantasy wish fulfillment, but it’s *fun* fantasy wish fulfillment.
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series
Sphere by Michael Crichton
I like Liane Moriarty for this feeling. I always say her stuff reads like “rom com” without being “rom com.” I liked Here One Moment a lot but her whole catalog is a similar “fluff minus fluff” vibe.
A sort of similar book to Here One Moment is “The Measure.” It’s super “book club feeling” but I really liked its lightness of vibe without having a lightness of topic.
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella! Funny, witty, little romance sub-plot, but it’s mainly about a girl in London who loves shopping, fashion, her best friend, and hates her job.
Something more current: She’s A Lamb by Meredith Hambrock. This leans more Weird Girl lit, and while she has 2 boyfriends, I wouldn’t say anything about it is romantic.
Loved GRQ by Steven Berstein also. The best way I can describe it: Better Call Saul, but it’s a crypto bro.
What about An Absolutely Remarkably Thing? No romance, vaguely sci-fi but more of a buddy adventure, fast paced, weird, and absolutely compelling.
Or Remarkably Bright Creatures – great characters and definitely positive in tone.