What do you read when you’re struggling to read what you usually read?
Or to put it another way, what’s your junk food/comfort read?
I’m all in on Terry Pratchett or Hitchhiker’s Guide when I need a break. Pratchett especially is just good high fantasy and some humor mixed in.
Seconding the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. It is one of the best series I’ve ever read.
Something like Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy
The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is pretty similar to the Hitchhiker’s Guide in a fantasy setting. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I would recommend it.
Fun, feel-good fantasy stories, like Legends and Lattes. Bonus points if there’s a heist, a fun group of quirky characters, or well-built romance story.
Anything by Stephen King, for me. I also like quick-paced techy/sci-fi for when I’m in the mood for something easier. I’m a re-reader, so I will sometimes pick up something I’ve already read and enjoyed before.
I usually go to short stories, or old sword and sorcery novellas. For the former my go to stories are Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, Robert E Howard’s Conan, and Isaac Asimov’s Robots. For the latter I prefer Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance’s Dying Earth. If I’m feeling uninspired or experiencing a block, knocking out a few of these stories always sets me straight. They take next to no time to read and are great fun. I don’t get tired of rereading them.
I go to YA when I don’t want to be challenged. I love The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix in particular.
Trashy romance novels, particularly fantasy or occult (I normally read sci Fi and fantasy so this is the “I want to read but I can’t focus” side of that). Are they well written? Uh, no. Are they entertaining and easy? Yep.
Not mine but this YouTube video has a good list of books for getting out of a slump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWAmcg_V6JA&pp=ygUTTWVycGh5IE5hcGllciBzbHVtcA%3D%3D
Sci-fi short stories
The Last Unicorn by Beagle is word candy. Absolutely beautiful prose and imagery. But it is also a quick read, perfect for two days. Can’t go wrong.
This makes me sound like a total wanker but I reread my favorite Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. I find them both very comforting because generally nice people end up happy in the end.
Love Jane Austen! I feel a pleasant coziness when I re-read her works as well. I recently found annotated editions of Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey at a second hand bookshop that were really interesting. It offered a bit of historical context, explanation of games or dances the characters would do, insight into the daily life of people of that time, etc. I highly recommend grabbing a copy if you find one.
Comfort maybe, def not junk:
Your local library probably has a subscription to the first, maybe even to the $econd. Granta’s a quarterly and I can’t say I’ve ever seen it in a library but its been around a long time and back issues are readily available @used bookstores.
Ooo… love this question! My go-to is P.G. Wodehouse— there are a multitude of short stories and novels to choose from, each incredibly lighthearted, fast-paced, and super funny (and the character names! How can you not chuckle at the name Gussie Fink-Nottle?!) I find these stories easy to pick up and read in short sessions, and perfect for getting back into the reading habit. My personal favorites are the Jeeves stories and The Drones Club.
Plus, if you’re one who uses an e-reader, Wodehouse’s works were recently added to the public domain, so free downloads are available loads of places. Easy to give it a try!
I’m reading “Fred The Vampire Accountant” series right now, and it’s fabulous. You’re not going to expand your horizons and intellect with these, but they’re very fun to read. Almost always a happy ending, and the group of characters is always growing. It’s like a Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew for adults, but the main character is a vampire.
