Since the pandemic started and with the continuing state of the world, I’ve really struggled reading books that use grief and trauma as plot points; some things are just too heavy for me to digest right now even when it’s fictionalized. I am looking for something with more depth and character development than a stereotypical romcom. I am flexible on genre, although I tend to avoid pure fantasy. Some things I’ve read recently and enjoyed:
\- Remarkably Bright Creatures (I know Tova’s back story is sad, but because it’s presented in a way that doesn’t feel hopeless and is a facet of her character vs. being a plot driver it’s easier for me to tolerate if that makes sense!)
\- Project Hail Mary
\- Howl’s Moving Castle
\- City of Girls
\- Anxious People
Some books I’ve read and loved, but would now be too heavy for me to enjoy currently:
\- Homegoing
\- Horse
\- Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow
\- Severance
Thanks for the help! I accidentally stopped reading all together because the last handful of books I read all seemed to be SO SAD which I don’t have the mental capacity for currently; I miss it and just want to be entertained!
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by Stunning-Escape-1988
5 Comments
I would recommend Less by Andrew Sean Greer, I really enjoyed it. It’s overall pretty low stakes and lighthearted, but with a lot of character development and some adventure.
A failed relationship is part of the setup, but it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t like a full-on heartbreak so I wouldn’t count that against it. Really it’s a mild “what am I doing with my life” crisis where the character makes a really silly choice to avoid an exes wedding, and it goes from there.
kikis delivery service qas a very comforting read. A similar atmosphere to HMC, but its more of a slice of life. its poetic at times.
If i were to compare it to food, id say the book felt like a fluffy, light japanese cheese cake.
also if you enjoyed HMC, try reading house of many wayd too.
Emma by Jane Austen
Little Women by T.S. Eliot
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Lad: A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame