Anonymous wrote:Another vote for The Wedding People. It's better (funnier, deeper and more life-affirming) than you think it will be. The audiobook is very good, and I'm not usually an audiobook fan.

This has been my favorite book I’ve read in the last year. I’m currently reading The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux, which is also good and reminds me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, another fun, escapist read.

Another vote for The Wedding People. It's better (funnier, deeper and more life-affirming) than you think it will be. The audiobook is very good, and I'm not usually an audiobook fan.

Rebecca, if you’ve never read it.

Dune, the sci-fi novel.

Where'd you go Bernadette?
Remarkably bright creatures
Books by Emily Henry

I also like middle grade and young adult stuff when I need a lightweight distraction. Some series that are engrossing (some get a fair bit darker than my fluffy adult recommendations):
Harry Potter
Scythe
Anne of Green Gables
Calpurnia Tate
The apothecary
The mysterious Benedict society
The wizard of Oz

The Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea

The Terror by Dan Simmons

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell - entertaining, interesting and engrossing

North Woods

Bring on the Blessings is book one of the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins. I binged the whole series in 2020. It sounds religious, but it’s really an amazing soap opera like romp with likable heroes and cartoonish villains. It’s a lot of fun and everyone gets their just desserts eventually.

Books by Ilona Andrews always draw me in. Burn for Me is book one of the Hidden Legacy series. It’s set in a modern day Texas with magic, and is book one of a trilogy. Clean Sweep is book one of a different series set in modern Texas with more of a sci-fi bent.

If you like historical mysteries, I love Jennifer Ashley’s series about a Victorian cook that solves mysteries. Death Below Stairs is the first one.

Best of luck everything!

I’ll be thinking of you! For anything lighter/hard to put down I like Curtis site felt or Emily Henry novels.

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown

Homegoing

I just finished Isola by Allegra Goodman and it was totally engrossing.

Anonymous wrote:Colour: Travels Through the Artist’s Paintbox -Victoria Finlay

Not a novel. Super lovely. Exploring cultural roots of pigment, arranged by color. It’s older, worthwhile

Sorry. I had the title slightly wrong. Lazy Amazon link for more info. Think the library might have this one too

https://www.amazon.com/Color-Natural-History-Victoria-Finlay/dp/0812971426/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?adgrpid=158329519606&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0FBqRT6T1UFEY0aIMcLkBiieJ1WtSi1c4pKWya5lJEjGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.mlBHzJvhpon1ytvjRHzGR96oHSsaK-yJl-Jn5Eg_BuQ&dib_tag=se&hvadid=693029544362&hvdev=m&hvexpln=68&hvlocphy=9008167&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=1449038717838148665--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1449038717838148665&hvtargid=kwd-327137599919&hydadcr=13672_13551734&keywords=color+travels+through+the+paintbox&mcid=2f92421d3a02317dbaee828dba6a33eb&qid=1745129813&sr=8-2

Colour: Travels Through the Artist’s Paintbox -Victoria Finlay

Not a novel. Super lovely. Exploring cultural roots of pigment, arranged by color. It’s older, worthwhile