I’m not sure why anyone would ever have the opportunity to be stressed, I’m sure everyone’s lives are just all sunshine, lollipops and roses. However, if by some freak chance you do find yourself stressed. If your brain feels like it has been fried, frozen, baked, and then refried on high and it kind of crackles at the edges every time to you try to put together a unique thought, then this list is for you.
This list is slightly different from books that I read when I am blue. They’re not just more light-hearted, they’re also more relaxing. The character’s situations are rather trivial and almost lulling at times. There isn’t necessarily any deep character development. Rather these are books that are light and escapist in every sense of the word without being overly cheesy or poorly written.
#1 Luck of the Bodkins by P.G. Wodehouse
Honestly I would recommend any book by P.G. Wodehouse if you’re stressed! Quick Service is another good one as well as the Blandings Castle series. I especially love this one, it’s really funny. It’s set on a cruise ship so the timeframe is pretty short and there are a lot of different characters who pop in and out. It’s a lot of fun!
#2 Bellwether by Connie Willis
This one is a slightly shorter novel by Connie Willis about a scientist trying to figure out what causes fads. I found the portrayal of management and corporate life funny and relatable.
#3 The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Similar to Emma, yet more boisterous, The Grand Sophy is a perfect escapist read. They have picnics in the countryside, and Sophie matches up people right and left, fixing their problems with a rapidity and capability that is hard to match. It’s soothing to see how quickly she’s able to set everything in everyone else’s lives to rights.
#4 Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
All of Pratchett’s books are hilarious! I don’t think I’ve read one yet that I’ve disliked. This book in particular is relaxing since it’s about a mystical university. There is lots of quibbling about food and departmental drama interspersed with the main action. Because of this it is both entertaining and lulling reading about the wizards who spend most of their days sitting around eating pies and drinking tea while bickering about what to do next.
#5 A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
There is something very relaxing about the sleepy, yet entertaining town the story is set in. Also since it’s almost a collection of short stories it’s easy to drift in and out of this book without getting lost each time you pick it up again.
The Honest Avocado 