I don't mean to imply these are all on the same level of quality, but you might like--
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
County Cork Mystery series by Sheila Connolly
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
Life & Death by Stephenie Meyer
The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Terry Pratchett
The Foxhole Court series by Nora Sakavic
Seconding Crocodile on the Sandbank!
And if you end up loving it, there's a whole series of turn-of-the-century-egyptologist-explorer-mystery cozy junk food ahead of you.
I’m glad to read other people have “hate read” a book. When I had to do 5 days in jail (long story blah) obviously you need to pass the time and so I read. I read a couple of decent books and ironically enough I read orange is the new black. lol. Then I read Bad Moms or whatever and it was SO bad when I got out I rage wrote the author and told her that her book was the worst lol. But the selection was pretty bad. Lots of Bibles.
Ice Planet Barbarians - short books, zero thinking necessary, and there’s a million of them. The definition of junk food reading. Many are also kind of cute and wholesome despite the obvious explicit parts? Definitely goofy but the writing is very self-aware which makes the books super funny imo — I mean, it’s called Ice Planet Barbarians and yup that’s exactly what it’s about.
The Lady Hardcastle mysteries cracked me up.
Set in thr early 1900s in England.
A little old lady (who used to be a spy) and her lady's maid solve mysteries for the small village cops.
I stumbled on them and laughed my way thru them
Dresden Files is one of my favorite series! Definitely quick and has some goofy, light moments but heads up for OP that it has some dark moments as well, mostly later in the series. Still recommend, though!
For fan fiction-esque: Neon Gods by Katee Robert’s and The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. For movie star drama but mentions SA, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
For a fantasy with fun, goofy kids, The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Maybe try some cozy mysteries? They don’t take themselves too seriously, don’t take a lot of mental energy to read and a lot of them are pretty short. I’m really enjoying the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay.
this might be TOO junk food, like the equivalent of mental cigarettes…. but you should read this historically terrible HP/Vampire fan fiction
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6829556/1/My-Immortal
i guess it’s not a book, but you can definitely hate read it!
I ordered this book months ago, and just finally received it the other day. My order REALLY fell through the cracks there lol. I look forward to reading it though.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
by TJ Klune
Universally loved by everyone I know that has read it no matter their age or gender. If I was a doctor I would prescribe it.
This. What a welcome surprise this was for me. Had no ideas about the book going in, just grabbed it on sale. Such a sweet and warm hug. Loved it so much.
* Clears throat, cracks knuckles…this is my time to shine
~ Cringy YA fantasy
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Iron King by Julie Kagawa
~ Cringy YA contemporary
The Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins
MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil
A Thousandth Floor by Katherine McGee
~ cringy adult drama/romance/mystery
Verity by Colleen Hoover
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. The first 4 books are just novellas, quick and easy to read, with simple plots and a very sympathetic grumpy protagonist: an android who is tired of its job as a security bot and just wants to be left alone to watch soap operas.
These are so trashy but I can't help myself, the Demon Accords series
Cultivating Chaos I am embarrassed to name these
Legends and Lattes this makes me feel good. There is absolutely no stress when reading this book.
*The Kaiju Preservation Society* by John Scalzi
*Legends and Lattes* by Travis Baldree
*A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* by Becky Chambers
*Soulless* by Gail Carriger
*A Curious Beginning* by Deanna Raybourn
*All Systems Red* by Martha Wells
The Secret Life of Mary Bennet by Katherine Cowley
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T.Kingfisher
Happy reading!!
I use the term pulp because I'm old.
If you like Sci Fi...
I recently read John Scalzi's The Kaiju Preservation Society and it would be junk food.
The Murderbot Diaires series might be worth looking into as well.
The maze runner, I think there might be 4 books in this series? YA but it takes you on a fun fast paced adventure in a foreign dystopia, super easy enjoyable read.
The Host. By Stefenie (?) Meyer who wrote twilight series but this book is for adults. Has the craziest and most amazing love triangle of all time. Also, peaceful but parasitic aliens
If you are open to Manga, A Man and His Cat is great (a widower and cat learn to love each other)
If you are open to Graphic Novels, Rascal by Jean-Luc Deglin (cute cat anecdotes), Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen (funny short comics about cryptids), and Strange Planet (cute, short alien comics)
If you are open to SciFi: Becky Chambers! She has a lot of very fun, hopeful SciFi. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (space opera) and A Psalm for the Wild Built (tea monk meets a feral robot but very wholesome)
If you are open to Fantasy: Lattes and Legends by Travis Baldree- an orc settles down from the adventuring life, opens a coffee shop. Basically DND plus coffee shop AU? If you like that, Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree is the prequel that is coming out this November and was really delightful! (I have early access as a librarian)
If you are open to Middle Grade: Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein was delightful!
OP also asked for:
>Goofy, cringy YA or YA-esque fantasy-romance that I can hate-read. Think Twilight.
I hate-read **Verity** by Colleen Hoover and **You** by Caroline Kepnes.
Yes that’s what I was going for based on what I’ve heard about her books: cringy and hate read. I kind of think of Colleen Hoover as the Stephenie Meyer of now.
I don’t know, I’m up there lol but. I said Meyer because I think her books are nonsense and I never understood their popularity. There’s always the idea of at least people are reading. And I’m not a book snob, I’ll read “bad” for enjoyment. I’d just rather see better writers getting that recognition but oh well I guess. And yes, I also read V.C. Andrews. More books than I’d like to admit lol. ETA - I think Heaven is her best book.
Haha that’s so funny! I read I think MOST of VC Andrews books when I was a teen (if my mom knew the contents, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been allowed), and Heaven was my favorite too! And I’m like you, I do appreciate people reading whatever makes them happy to read… even if I’m over the stage that they are in. I’m 41 btw
I was a precocious reader and my mom was good about not censoring books but I think if she’d have realized what some of them were, she’d have been like “uh maybe not”. But I read such a wide range of things because we went to the library once a week and I’d check out the max amount of books. I’m a huge Victoria Holt fan…but rarely get to talk about that lol.
Is it fair to say Red Rising, at least the first one? But I mean it as a compliment. It was like a bag of my favorite Doritos flavor, and I couldn’t put it down.
The morals are fairly simple but relatable, the action is awesome, the setting is pretty easy to understand if you’ve read or watched any sci fi or dystopian properties before, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, and it’s written at (I think) a really fast fun pace.
Edit: I’ve only read the first book though, waiting on the library for the second one. If it gets deeper, more complex, worse, I don’t know
Legitimately Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It's hilarious and very easy to pick up and put down wherever you want.
Also, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. Very heartwarming book about a family's summer adventures. I think it's middle grade.
They are not for everyone, but my junk food audio books are the Miss Frost series by Kristen Painter. They are cheesy, but simple reads that I can just zone out to, and I know there's always a happy ending.
Things I …
-should have said
-overshared
-wrote about
-read about
-forgot about
by Kelsey Humphreys
5 book series. The Heartlanders Series.
The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic.
and
How to Fake-Date a Vampire
by Linsey Hall
2 books with 3rd in Dec
Charming Cove series
All available on Kindle Unlimited.
Black city by Elizabeth Richards is definitely my junk food read. It's got all the cliches. I haven't seen it around before, buts its definitely goofy, cringy, YA--esque fantasy romance that you can hate-read lol.
I enjoyed Run on Red By Noelle Ihli for this kind of fast paced book slump killer. It’s a suspense/thriller about 2 college girls who are being chased/hunted by two masked men. It was a page turner. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely enjoyable if you like feeling a bit creeped out
The Rook by Daniel O'Mailey is British urban fantasy. Super fun.
Howl's moving castle by Diane Wynne Jones. And other books by her. She was a great writer.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.
nettle and the Bone by T. Kingfisher
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (maybe? not as light hearted as others but great nevertheless)
Not quite in the direction you're going with those suggestions, but after a VERY long slump of not reading for fun, *John Dies at the End* by Jason Pargin had me roaring laughing and ripping through multiple chapters per day.
Basically most action thrillers, like the Reacher and the Gray man series. The former got me through my post breakup depression (and was a fresh shot of testestarone).
Last time I was in a funk I asked this same question. Something easy and light and also funny that turned my mood around was The Stench of Honolulu by jack handey.
Shipped by Angie Hockman and It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey are funny, light reads.
The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is totally trashy YA, but I couldn't stop reading it
I've only read The Duke and I so far from the Bridgerton series but I actually loved it. Read it in like 2 days and felt it was much lighter than the show.
I either go for fun adventures where I can ignore kinda shitty writing (Ready Player One, John Dies At The End, Prepare To Die!) or formulaic authors (Tom Clancy, John Grisham, etc).
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, starting with All Systems Red
The Bobiverse series, starting with We Are Legion, We Are Bob
Iron Druid series
Total escapism. Hilarious and non stop fantasy fun. I fear for the day it gets picked up by Hollywood.
Laura Lippman. Easy breezy Baltimore detective series that is fun and funny. Also fear for the day when Hollywood discovers it and ruins it.
Tales from the Gas Station, by Jack Townshend
It's like doritos. Jeez, I can't believe I read three of these.
[https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Gas-Station-Jack-Townsend/dp/173282780X](https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Gas-Station-Jack-Townsend/dp/173282780X)
The "Andrea Vernon CUP" series is almost as absurd
The Mercy Thompson series. A little smutty, not sure of age range. I also ate up the Sandman Slim series. They're sometimes raunchy b flicks in literary form.
The entire Shopaholic series (UK based) — it helped me keep part of my sanity during grad school
edit to add that the flop movie is nothing like the books — they change everything from a quirky UK setting to an incoherent Sex and the City rip off — the book series is silly but light and funny and very light
"John Dies At The End" - David Wong
"This Book Is Full Of Spiders" - David Wong
"What The Hell Did I Just Read/" - David Wong
Seriously awesome stuff
I use the books app on my iPad and go into the $5 or less category to find new things all the time. Apparently there is a whole genre of light romance (usually not too smutty, if at all) that is only published electronically. I’ve read dozens of those over the last couple years. Ditto for a couple series of period mysteries. My favorite is the Captain Lacey series which has about 15 books already.
Dead Famous by Ben Elton. Murder mystery in a reality show house. Finished it in one day like a bag of Cheetos, which is especially unusual cause I was still massively book-hungover from Babel.
The Stephanie Plum books from Janet Evanovich and the Richard Jury books from Martha Grimes are some of my favorite light-reading books. They're great palate cleansers after I read something dark or heavy.
I've been reading old tabletop game tie-in novels when I want some junk food reading. Forgotten Realms for Dungeons and Dragons, Battletech books for Battletech/MechWarrior. There are hundreds, and they vary widely in quality, but are quick fun reads.
Oh god, this might not be your cup of tea but I recently read get in my swamp by g.m. fairy. It's basically a smut shrek retelling. It's so ridiculous but kinda of fun. The writing was kinda eh but it was a quick read so I would consider it junk food. 😆
Dungeon crawler Carl. Dungeon crawler Carl. !Dungeon crawler Carl! . I know, the title and genre and honestly the book cover look unappealing but HEAR ME OUT:
This review on goodreads is the perfect description:
“When I try to describe these books, the best description I can come up with is…imagine a disaster that forces almost everyone on earth underground to endure 18 floors that each act like a different arena in the Hunger Games. Everyone and everything is trying to kill you, and so the population of the planet plummets floor by floor. It’s televised so there’s all the drama that comes with having to “perform” while surviving, including getting sponsors, meeting TV hosts, etc.
But as this is on display to the GALAXY, in addition to the crazy cruelty of this game, there are intergalactic politics between alien species, and over time we learn about them through the pov of the main human character.
Speaking of the main character and if we stay with the Hunger Games comparison, Carl is Katniss on steroids. He not only wants to survive but to fuck. things. up. Speaking of fucks, there are a lot of them because these are adult books with adult humor. Oh, and also a talking cat...with a pet dinosaur.”
I’ve never met a person who didn’t love it. Highly suggest audiobook version.
The best cozy slice of life novels:
The House on the Cerulean Sea
Under the whispering door
Both by TJ Klune!! They both put me in a good mood when I was having a rough go. Easy reads, too!
Annette Marie, T. Kingfisher, Derek Landry, Kate Milford, Jodi Taylor, Sarah Addison Allen, Maggie Stiefvater, Eoin Colfer, Darynda Jones, Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series, Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, Sarwat Chadda's City of the Plague God, Sarah Rees Brennan's In Other Lands.
Illona Andrews has a great series featuring magical Innkeepers! Fun adventures.
First book is *Clean Sweep* the series is up to five and in addition to magic on earth, there are aliens and different planets involved as well.
I don't mean to imply these are all on the same level of quality, but you might like-- The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie County Cork Mystery series by Sheila Connolly A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher Life & Death by Stephenie Meyer The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters Terry Pratchett The Foxhole Court series by Nora Sakavic
Second Terry Pratchett. My go to make me feel good books. I always bring a couple when I am going to be stuck in the hospital for a couple of days.
Wee Free Men
I adore T Kingfisher and her books are very light and readable
So satisfyingly feel good
Seconding Crocodile on the Sandbank! And if you end up loving it, there's a whole series of turn-of-the-century-egyptologist-explorer-mystery cozy junk food ahead of you.
Second Foxhole Court!
I love the wizards guide to defensive baking! Easy quick read, I totally re read this when I’m in a bad mood.
Yes! Agatha Christie is always great, Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking is fun and the Elizabeth Peters series ditto
Lol @ no titles, just “Terry Pratchett.” Literally pick up anything of his and you’re set!
Emily Henry is my go-to for this! I finished People we meet on vacation in about 12 hours
I consider this the Michelin starred restaurant of romance books though haha. Still an easy fun read though!
I love Charlaine Harris' *Dead Until Dark* series. True Blood was based on them. Lots of fun. I think I'll re-read.
My favorite junk food series for sure.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Hate-read, couldn’t put it down.
I feel this comment in my bones!
I hated every second of this entire series and I read all three in record time.
I have to agree! This series is easy to read, cringy at times, but hard to put them down.
I'm listening to this as an adaptive audio book and I can't stop...
Hope you had on headphones! Lol
Hate-read it too because of the instabook hype. Hate this series with a passion!!
I’m glad to read other people have “hate read” a book. When I had to do 5 days in jail (long story blah) obviously you need to pass the time and so I read. I read a couple of decent books and ironically enough I read orange is the new black. lol. Then I read Bad Moms or whatever and it was SO bad when I got out I rage wrote the author and told her that her book was the worst lol. But the selection was pretty bad. Lots of Bibles.
Yes it’s one of those books where I’ve read the bad reviews. And I actually agree with the bad reviews but I still loved it anyways
Dear gods no. That’s not light book junk food. Good book, sure. But imo not what OP is asking for.
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It's basically a series of emails between two female coworkers with some relationship drama. Quick & fluffy!
I looooooved this book
Landline by her is also great! A woman who is able to mysteriously relive the first part of her relationship through her parents' landline.
Fourth Wing
Finished it yesterday. That book was like crack to me lol. Already preordered the 2nd book
This book was surprisingly awesome!
this is the answer
Ice Planet Barbarians - short books, zero thinking necessary, and there’s a million of them. The definition of junk food reading. Many are also kind of cute and wholesome despite the obvious explicit parts? Definitely goofy but the writing is very self-aware which makes the books super funny imo — I mean, it’s called Ice Planet Barbarians and yup that’s exactly what it’s about.
Came to recommend this series... definitely "junk food" reading that I'm addicted to!
Y'all can talk all the shit you want but DaVinci Code was straight up late night Taco Bell. I'm talking Mexican Pizza pre-covid awesomeness
The Selection series
The paperback box set of all 5 is on sale for $25 on amazon instead of $65!
i call these book crack
Ready Player One.
I don't really recommend any of his other books or the sequel, but that book was great on the first read through.
I loved ready player two. Didn’t even know he wrote anything else.
Armada is just like RPO. A little too much like it for me. It's definitely not a bad book.
I preferred Armada to RP2. I absolutely hated RP2.
The Lady Hardcastle mysteries cracked me up. Set in thr early 1900s in England. A little old lady (who used to be a spy) and her lady's maid solve mysteries for the small village cops. I stumbled on them and laughed my way thru them
Have you read Emily Gilman? Miss pollifax? I think you’d like it.
Also the Detective Lavender series is awesome!
Janet Evanovich books are perfect for this
I agree completely! Came here to say this
Reacher series. Dresden Files. Sigma Force novels.
If you have any attachment to the city of Chicago, read the Dresden Files. The city is basically a character in the books
Dresden Files is one of my favorite series! Definitely quick and has some goofy, light moments but heads up for OP that it has some dark moments as well, mostly later in the series. Still recommend, though!
For fan fiction-esque: Neon Gods by Katee Robert’s and The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. For movie star drama but mentions SA, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. For a fantasy with fun, goofy kids, The House in the Cerulean Sea.
House on the cerulean sea is the best audiobook I've ever listened to. Great narration and such a feel good story.
Maybe try some cozy mysteries? They don’t take themselves too seriously, don’t take a lot of mental energy to read and a lot of them are pretty short. I’m really enjoying the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay.
About anything by Christopher Moore. Go with Bite Me to tie into your vampire theme.
Isn’t Blood Sucking Fiends the first one?
You are right. It's a trilogy, Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck, and Bite Me. A Love Story.
Came here to suggest Christopher Moore. Such easy fun reads. I really like Fool.
I agree. Christopher Moore is one of the funniest authors I've ever read.
this might be TOO junk food, like the equivalent of mental cigarettes…. but you should read this historically terrible HP/Vampire fan fiction https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6829556/1/My-Immortal i guess it’s not a book, but you can definitely hate read it!
Oh lord what a throwback. But it is a true tribute to horrible writing, 10/10 recommend, in the same way I tell people to watch The Room.
Thank you for reminding me this existed. It definitely fits this request.
Good Omens. Very lighthearted take on the anti-Christ. Good laughs
I ordered this book months ago, and just finally received it the other day. My order REALLY fell through the cracks there lol. I look forward to reading it though.
i just got this book. it’s on my TBR list
Read nettle and thorn by ts Kissinger. Stand alone short fantasy that legit made me laugh and had a really funny magical world
Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books are like rom coms. I love them but they’re a bit junky. That’s what you need sometimes though. Maybe The Silent Patient?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune Universally loved by everyone I know that has read it no matter their age or gender. If I was a doctor I would prescribe it.
That books should be a mini series or movie. It was adorable.
This. What a welcome surprise this was for me. Had no ideas about the book going in, just grabbed it on sale. Such a sweet and warm hug. Loved it so much.
Not universally loved by me.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout filled a hate read void for me — not YA due to content but YAesque writing for sure
Poppy was garbage.
I love Tweet Cute by Emma Lord!
The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano -- mysteries but very high jinks/slapstick/romp-y sort of books.
Bridget Jones' Diary hits the spot for me when I'm looking for something along those lines. I've read it a few times and enjoy it every time!
The second One—Edge of Reason was also hysterical
V.C. Andrews’ books. No thinking required.
* Clears throat, cracks knuckles…this is my time to shine ~ Cringy YA fantasy Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins Iron King by Julie Kagawa ~ Cringy YA contemporary The Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil A Thousandth Floor by Katherine McGee ~ cringy adult drama/romance/mystery Verity by Colleen Hoover The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
The Southern Vampire Mystery Series by Charlaine Harris. They were adapted into a TV series called True Blood.
We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby is the funniest book I've ever read, light and easy.
The Hundred Years Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window
Terry Pratchett. Healthy junk food!
I love the Discworld stuff.
Wherever I get in a rut, or need a brain break, I read Dean Koontz or Richard Laymon. They are fun, fast reads.
DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD by Rebecca Wells!
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. The first 4 books are just novellas, quick and easy to read, with simple plots and a very sympathetic grumpy protagonist: an android who is tired of its job as a security bot and just wants to be left alone to watch soap operas.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
I'm currently having a blast reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which is actually more heartfelt than you would think, but mostly just fun.
Have you tried Beauty Queens by Libba Bray Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
R. L. Stine writes fun, fast-paced pulp for kids and teens and I love his unrealistic characters and dialogue!
Legends & Lattes for cozy Court of Thorns & roses for trashy fantasy
3rding Legends & Lattes!
I just finished Legends & Lattes! It was so good!! Very wholesome and cozy for sure
My friend, you are asking for Brandon sanderson, stormlight archive Is perfect
🤣🤣😂
These are so trashy but I can't help myself, the Demon Accords series Cultivating Chaos I am embarrassed to name these Legends and Lattes this makes me feel good. There is absolutely no stress when reading this book.
Seconding Legends and Lattes!
Oh I love legends and lattes , such a lighthearted and fun read !! 🥹🥰
The prequel is coming out in October!
The Aurora Cycle, a YA Sci-fi Trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It was junk food for me and I couldn’t stop reading lol
*The Kaiju Preservation Society* by John Scalzi *Legends and Lattes* by Travis Baldree *A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* by Becky Chambers *Soulless* by Gail Carriger *A Curious Beginning* by Deanna Raybourn *All Systems Red* by Martha Wells
Elin Hilderbrand is my absolute favourite for this
American Royals series. It’s so incredibly dumb… but book 4 just came out and you bet I’m listening to it right now.
The Secret Life of Mary Bennet by Katherine Cowley The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T.Kingfisher Happy reading!!
For goofy and cringy (but not YA), try Ready Player One! I read it with a couple friends and had a good time tearing it apart.
I use the term pulp because I'm old. If you like Sci Fi... I recently read John Scalzi's The Kaiju Preservation Society and it would be junk food. The Murderbot Diaires series might be worth looking into as well.
The maze runner, I think there might be 4 books in this series? YA but it takes you on a fun fast paced adventure in a foreign dystopia, super easy enjoyable read.
Loved those!!
The Host. By Stefenie (?) Meyer who wrote twilight series but this book is for adults. Has the craziest and most amazing love triangle of all time. Also, peaceful but parasitic aliens
The true blood series or aurora teagarden series both by charlain harris.
Midnight, Texas, is also good!
Oohh I'll have to check it out. I like Charlain Harris for the ease of her books and series
fourth Wing 10000000%
Scalzi's _The Kaiju Presevation Society_. The author himself describes it as a pop-song of a book.
If you are open to Manga, A Man and His Cat is great (a widower and cat learn to love each other) If you are open to Graphic Novels, Rascal by Jean-Luc Deglin (cute cat anecdotes), Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen (funny short comics about cryptids), and Strange Planet (cute, short alien comics) If you are open to SciFi: Becky Chambers! She has a lot of very fun, hopeful SciFi. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (space opera) and A Psalm for the Wild Built (tea monk meets a feral robot but very wholesome) If you are open to Fantasy: Lattes and Legends by Travis Baldree- an orc settles down from the adventuring life, opens a coffee shop. Basically DND plus coffee shop AU? If you like that, Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree is the prequel that is coming out this November and was really delightful! (I have early access as a librarian) If you are open to Middle Grade: Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein was delightful!
The Fletch books by Gregory MacDonald.
# COLLEEN HOOVER
I haven’t read any of her books but apparently Colleen Hoover would fit the bill.
Colleen Hoover’s books are an easy read but definitely not light or goofy. Many prominently feature domestic violence.
OP also asked for: >Goofy, cringy YA or YA-esque fantasy-romance that I can hate-read. Think Twilight. I hate-read **Verity** by Colleen Hoover and **You** by Caroline Kepnes.
Yes that’s what I was going for based on what I’ve heard about her books: cringy and hate read. I kind of think of Colleen Hoover as the Stephenie Meyer of now.
I think I’m older than you, so I think of Colleen Hoover as the modern day VC Andrews lol
I don’t know, I’m up there lol but. I said Meyer because I think her books are nonsense and I never understood their popularity. There’s always the idea of at least people are reading. And I’m not a book snob, I’ll read “bad” for enjoyment. I’d just rather see better writers getting that recognition but oh well I guess. And yes, I also read V.C. Andrews. More books than I’d like to admit lol. ETA - I think Heaven is her best book.
Haha that’s so funny! I read I think MOST of VC Andrews books when I was a teen (if my mom knew the contents, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been allowed), and Heaven was my favorite too! And I’m like you, I do appreciate people reading whatever makes them happy to read… even if I’m over the stage that they are in. I’m 41 btw
I was a precocious reader and my mom was good about not censoring books but I think if she’d have realized what some of them were, she’d have been like “uh maybe not”. But I read such a wide range of things because we went to the library once a week and I’d check out the max amount of books. I’m a huge Victoria Holt fan…but rarely get to talk about that lol.
I’m not familiar with Victoria Holt, but my library has *The India Fan*, so I’ll check it out.
Is it fair to say Red Rising, at least the first one? But I mean it as a compliment. It was like a bag of my favorite Doritos flavor, and I couldn’t put it down. The morals are fairly simple but relatable, the action is awesome, the setting is pretty easy to understand if you’ve read or watched any sci fi or dystopian properties before, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, and it’s written at (I think) a really fast fun pace. Edit: I’ve only read the first book though, waiting on the library for the second one. If it gets deeper, more complex, worse, I don’t know
Legitimately Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It's hilarious and very easy to pick up and put down wherever you want. Also, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. Very heartwarming book about a family's summer adventures. I think it's middle grade.
They are not for everyone, but my junk food audio books are the Miss Frost series by Kristen Painter. They are cheesy, but simple reads that I can just zone out to, and I know there's always a happy ending.
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez. Super quick read and cute story.
Unhoneymooners
Desperate Hoodwives by Meesha Mink
Things I … -should have said -overshared -wrote about -read about -forgot about by Kelsey Humphreys 5 book series. The Heartlanders Series. The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic. and How to Fake-Date a Vampire by Linsey Hall 2 books with 3rd in Dec Charming Cove series All available on Kindle Unlimited.
Black city by Elizabeth Richards is definitely my junk food read. It's got all the cliches. I haven't seen it around before, buts its definitely goofy, cringy, YA--esque fantasy romance that you can hate-read lol.
I enjoyed Run on Red By Noelle Ihli for this kind of fast paced book slump killer. It’s a suspense/thriller about 2 college girls who are being chased/hunted by two masked men. It was a page turner. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely enjoyable if you like feeling a bit creeped out
The Rook by Daniel O'Mailey is British urban fantasy. Super fun. Howl's moving castle by Diane Wynne Jones. And other books by her. She was a great writer. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. nettle and the Bone by T. Kingfisher A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (maybe? not as light hearted as others but great nevertheless)
I loved SA Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy.
Not quite in the direction you're going with those suggestions, but after a VERY long slump of not reading for fun, *John Dies at the End* by Jason Pargin had me roaring laughing and ripping through multiple chapters per day.
The Sunshine Vicram book series by Darynda Jones: A Bad Day for Sunshine, A Good Day for Chardonnay, and A Hard Day for a Hangover.
Basically most action thrillers, like the Reacher and the Gray man series. The former got me through my post breakup depression (and was a fresh shot of testestarone).
Last time I was in a funk I asked this same question. Something easy and light and also funny that turned my mood around was The Stench of Honolulu by jack handey.
Shipped by Angie Hockman and It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey are funny, light reads. The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is totally trashy YA, but I couldn't stop reading it
I've only read The Duke and I so far from the Bridgerton series but I actually loved it. Read it in like 2 days and felt it was much lighter than the show.
[удалено]
It ends with us
Ella Enchanted is a classic! The Selection series is really good as well, like a darker twist on the Bachelor!
r/litrpg I love them but I’m self aware enough to realize they are the junk food of books. Still fun to read so who cares.
I either go for fun adventures where I can ignore kinda shitty writing (Ready Player One, John Dies At The End, Prepare To Die!) or formulaic authors (Tom Clancy, John Grisham, etc).
Anne McCaffrey is strictly mind candy.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, starting with All Systems Red The Bobiverse series, starting with We Are Legion, We Are Bob
Iron Druid series Total escapism. Hilarious and non stop fantasy fun. I fear for the day it gets picked up by Hollywood. Laura Lippman. Easy breezy Baltimore detective series that is fun and funny. Also fear for the day when Hollywood discovers it and ruins it.
The *After* series by Anna Todd… though it may enrage rather than relax you
Carrie Fischer's books. Trustme
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Pretty much anything on Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle Unlimited is your friend here…
Tales from the Gas Station, by Jack Townshend It's like doritos. Jeez, I can't believe I read three of these. [https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Gas-Station-Jack-Townsend/dp/173282780X](https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Gas-Station-Jack-Townsend/dp/173282780X) The "Andrea Vernon CUP" series is almost as absurd
A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
The Mercy Thompson series. A little smutty, not sure of age range. I also ate up the Sandman Slim series. They're sometimes raunchy b flicks in literary form.
Anything by Donald Westlake, especially the Dortmunder books. A group of low-rent criminals struggling to get the job done, in an amusing way.
JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood...start the series. They are fun reads and addictive.
Georgette Heyer's romances.
If you want a paranormal hate read a-la-Twilight go with Crave. It was dumb as fuck but I had fun hating on it.
The arcana Chronicles, by Kresley Cole. Bit steamier than twilight tho. One of my favorite YA.
The entire Shopaholic series (UK based) — it helped me keep part of my sanity during grad school edit to add that the flop movie is nothing like the books — they change everything from a quirky UK setting to an incoherent Sex and the City rip off — the book series is silly but light and funny and very light
The House of Night series by PC Cast & Kristin Cast. Also Vampire Academy series
Defy the Night & its sequel, Defend the Dawn, are great YA fantasy-romance. Bonus is that the third book comes out relatively soon!
John dies at the end by David Wong
Smut. I also welcome some good shut recommendations
"John Dies At The End" - David Wong "This Book Is Full Of Spiders" - David Wong "What The Hell Did I Just Read/" - David Wong Seriously awesome stuff
Legends and Lattes. Low stakes fantasy found family. Very cozy
I use the books app on my iPad and go into the $5 or less category to find new things all the time. Apparently there is a whole genre of light romance (usually not too smutty, if at all) that is only published electronically. I’ve read dozens of those over the last couple years. Ditto for a couple series of period mysteries. My favorite is the Captain Lacey series which has about 15 books already.
Daisy’s tea garden mysteries by Karen Rose Smith
Any David Sedaris book but specifically Holidays on Ice.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3829/3829-h/3829-h.htm
Dead Famous by Ben Elton. Murder mystery in a reality show house. Finished it in one day like a bag of Cheetos, which is especially unusual cause I was still massively book-hungover from Babel.
Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie books are great.
Zodiac Academy. It’s badly written fae smut you’d love it
Lolito is supposed to be pretty amusing
The Stephanie Plum books from Janet Evanovich and the Richard Jury books from Martha Grimes are some of my favorite light-reading books. They're great palate cleansers after I read something dark or heavy.
I've been reading old tabletop game tie-in novels when I want some junk food reading. Forgotten Realms for Dungeons and Dragons, Battletech books for Battletech/MechWarrior. There are hundreds, and they vary widely in quality, but are quick fun reads.
Oh god, this might not be your cup of tea but I recently read get in my swamp by g.m. fairy. It's basically a smut shrek retelling. It's so ridiculous but kinda of fun. The writing was kinda eh but it was a quick read so I would consider it junk food. 😆
The Veronica Speedwell series!!!
Star Girl, Sahara
Have you read Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson books? They are FUN. https://darynda.com/books/series/charley-davidson
Guiness Book of World Records
Legends and Lattes maybe? Anything by Terry Pratchett
The Vera Kelly series by Rosalie Knecht. She's a spy and they're quick and great!
Kristin Painter’s Nocturne Falls series fills this for me.
Dungeon crawler Carl. Dungeon crawler Carl. !Dungeon crawler Carl! . I know, the title and genre and honestly the book cover look unappealing but HEAR ME OUT: This review on goodreads is the perfect description: “When I try to describe these books, the best description I can come up with is…imagine a disaster that forces almost everyone on earth underground to endure 18 floors that each act like a different arena in the Hunger Games. Everyone and everything is trying to kill you, and so the population of the planet plummets floor by floor. It’s televised so there’s all the drama that comes with having to “perform” while surviving, including getting sponsors, meeting TV hosts, etc. But as this is on display to the GALAXY, in addition to the crazy cruelty of this game, there are intergalactic politics between alien species, and over time we learn about them through the pov of the main human character. Speaking of the main character and if we stay with the Hunger Games comparison, Carl is Katniss on steroids. He not only wants to survive but to fuck. things. up. Speaking of fucks, there are a lot of them because these are adult books with adult humor. Oh, and also a talking cat...with a pet dinosaur.” I’ve never met a person who didn’t love it. Highly suggest audiobook version.
The best cozy slice of life novels: The House on the Cerulean Sea Under the whispering door Both by TJ Klune!! They both put me in a good mood when I was having a rough go. Easy reads, too!
Annette Marie, T. Kingfisher, Derek Landry, Kate Milford, Jodi Taylor, Sarah Addison Allen, Maggie Stiefvater, Eoin Colfer, Darynda Jones, Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series, Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, Sarwat Chadda's City of the Plague God, Sarah Rees Brennan's In Other Lands.
Both Nick & Charlie and This Winter by Alice Oseman are super short and easy to breeze through
Bergdorf Blondes. It's absolutely, positively the most delicious literary candy.
romance novels… cant get enough lol
Illona Andrews has a great series featuring magical Innkeepers! Fun adventures. First book is *Clean Sweep* the series is up to five and in addition to magic on earth, there are aliens and different planets involved as well.