Thank you to my friend, Elly, for asking me to suggest books that “aren’t too sad or anxiety provoking” while so many of us are home avoiding getting and spreading COVID-19. I figure I’d do four at a time, though truly everything in that photo above from my actual office is a good choice! I only keep books I’d want to read again or lend to a friend.
The following books came to mind for this first post, and not because there will be zero mention of life’s problems. But the books I picked might make you nod, laugh, appreciate some bit of humanity, or simply take your mind off of the uncertainty around us.
Also, please, support your local bookstores! I say that all the time, but now more than ever, our community treasures are in trouble. Many independent book stores are doing curbside pick up or are shipping directly. My links go to indiebound.org, which will lead you to buy from bookstores in your area.
CALYPSO by David Sedaris: Truly, I love all of his books, but Calypso is more recent and one of my favorites. If you can do Sedaris on audio, you should. I use Libro.fm for my audio books, which also helps indie bookstores! You get to choose any store you want. But reading his work is great, too. If you’re brand new to Sedaris, perhaps start with Me Talk Pretty One Day, or When You Are Engulfed in Flames, or Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.
TWENTY-ONE TRUTHS ABOUT LOVE by Matthew Dicks: I got a kick out of this clever novel told in the form of lists. I got a good sense of the story and the voice of the main character even though there was little to no prose. There were times when I craved seeing more of the side characters and their points of view, but that was impossible since the entire story comes through the list-maker. But I still found this a really fun and original read.
SAVE ME THE PLUMS by Ruth Reichl: I really enjoyed this one and I enjoy Reichl in general. After reading Save Me the Plums, I was curious enough about everything in her life leading up this particular memoir that I bought several, but I haven’t read them yet so I can’t recommend them per se.
WHY NOT ME? by Mindy Kaling: I read this one in 2016 and Kaling’s previous memoir in 2012. (Both are great.) Some of the elements may seem dated now, but Kaling is so smart and funny. She’s the perfect writer to read for entertainment of the not-sad, not-anxiety-provoking type.
STAY HEALTHY, FRIENDS!
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