Harry Potter was so perfect before bed because it was wholesome but without being dull or flat. I'm looking for another engaging book but without heavy topics like a main character going through divorce, poverty, cancer, mental health struggles, etc. (For whatever reason, I'm very OK if there's a dark wizard trying to kill the main character and take over the world!)
I also in general like to admire the main character. I want them to be overall winning at life in all the important ways, even if it's "unrealistic." I strongly dislike books where the main character's life is in shambles (money issues, health issues, romance issues) because I empathize wayyyyy too much with characters and it ends up making me depressed and anxious. My ideal main character is wealthy, healthy, and generally happy.
I'm not necessarily looking for a fantasy book but I did absolutely ADORE the magic of HP. Maybe I don't want to get my hopes up, because how can anything possibly compare???? If not a magical book, I do like an element of wonder. I like learning about worlds I know nothing about. And I like adventure.
I've heard good things about Neil Gaiman books but never gave them a try. Thoughts?
I tried listening to The Hobbit and REALLY wanted to like it but turned it off because I couldn't understand all the voices with their accents and there was a song that went on for what felt like nearly a minute about 30 minutes into the audiobook. (Maybe I'll give it another go on paper, but I prefer audiobooks before bed.) Are all the LOTR books this slow?
I sampled a Percy Jackson book but felt like I was being spoken to by a teenager. I realize that's probably the point, but as a person well into adulthood, I found the narration style to be distracting. I liked HP in that it can truly be enjoyed at any age. (Many of the characters were children, but the narration was not childlike.)
To summarize:
– main character is impressive and/or admirable (good character, happy, wealthy, successful, talented, etc.)
– element of adventure, wonder, beauty
– no heavy topics like divorce, cancer, mental health problems, financial problems
– suitable for adults
– bonus points if it's witty and funny (I love smart authors)
by No-Anything8884