I haven’t posted a lot here because COVID-19 has meant a lot of stress, thanks to a full-time job at an events company. With so many unknowns, it’s hard to be positive and even harder to post about books when libraries are closed and it’s hard to get anything from Amazon before the end of April.
If you need a distraction through reading, this list of books is for you. They’re lighthearted, available digitally (though I sadly can’t tell you what the wait list is like), and won’t take months to plow through. I have laughed (and cried) through all of these. I’m not linking to Amazon since there’s such a delay, but you can get these there, at your library, your local bookstore, or even from smaller sellers on eBay (which I prefer).
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes. First, two caveats about this book: You have to listen to the audiobook, and you have to have seen (and mildly enjoyed) The Princess Bride. Technically, the first one isn’t a must, but Cary Elwes narrates it and it has clips from many of the actors, so you’re missing out if you read it. This was such a fun memoir about a favorite movie, but I also learned a lot about the way they produced it and heard many insights from the actors themselves. It’s incredibly entertaining.
Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan. I’ve listened to this one and read the ebook, and they will both make you laugh out loud. However, Jim Gaffigan narrates the audiobook, so listening is almost like sitting in one of his shows. As bizarre as this sounds, this book is literally about Jim Gaffigan’s adventures with food and where he has eaten it. Just trust me on this one.
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. This retold story of Lady Jane Grey had me laughing out loud and waiting for the next ridiculous thing to happen. This is historical fiction with a fantasy twist, and while I do not normally like fantasy, I devoured this one. I’m pretty sure I listened to the 12-hour audiobook in two days. This is another one that’s better on audio, thanks to Katherine Kellgren’s phenomenal narration.
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas. I absolutely adored this memoir about an Iranian family who moves to California for several years when their father gets an engineering job. Dumas is such a talented writer and humorist, and this is one of those books that will make you embrace your quirky family. It also gave me a profound respect for Iran and a better understanding of the Middle East.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I debated over sharing this, because it has a lot of language and is definitely darker than the other books on this list, but even seeing the cover brings me joy. Ove (pronounced “Ooh-veh”) is horribly depressed after his wife dies and is thinking about ending his own life. Fortunately, his quirky neighbors end up interfering without even knowing what they’re doing and showing him how much he matters.
Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham. Admittedly, if you are not a Gilmore Girls fan, you may not enjoy this book as much, because Lauren Graham does talk a lot about her experiences on that show. However, she also talks about Parenthood (another show I really enjoyed) and touches on her career and her life outside of Hollywood. She narrates this book, but she doesn’t talk quite as fast as she does in the show that made her famous.
I hope these bring you some joy right now. Share your favorite lighthearted books in the comments!
