I have been meaning to put together a list of books that are great mental escapes. Should, you know, find yourself in the middle of a pandemic and unable to concentrate while reading as you normally would.
I’m including a brief description! Trying to remember But I went through every book I’ve read since college and only pulled books I really loved that were light and easy on the mind.
ALL WE EVER WANTED
A scandal involving two teens and a Snapchat photo divides a town and their families. I couldn’t put this one down. The plot moves quickly, you’ll be pulled into the drama and won’t be able to put it down.
AMERICAN ROYALS
This is definitely skewed towards young adult, but it’s so good!!!! Imagine if America had been formed as a monarchy and not a democracy. This book follows the next lineup of America’s royal family. Lots of teen drama. It’s Gossip Girl meets all things Royal.
BIG LITTLE LIES
Could not put this down! Even if you watched the series on HBO, I recommend reading the book too! It’s even better. Family secrets, mom drama, romance, murder. This book has a bit of everything.
THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING
A chef from Boston finds herself unemployed and living in Vermont. It’s extra cozy with major Gilmore Girl vibes.
DAISY JONES AND THE SIX
If you pick one from the list, I vote for this one!!! This is about a fictional band from the 70s and it reads so real you might find yourself Googling the band (…. I did hahah). Interviewing all of the band members in present day, the book tries to get to the bottom of why they broke up.
EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER
I was obsessed with this book. It takes place in Maine and a widow ends up letting her male best friend’s friend (a cursed pro baseball player) live in the basement apartment of her house. I thought the characters felt so… normal. They’re not perfect and they’re also not blatantly flawed. Also pretty steamy without being raunchy.
FIREFLY LANE
I’ll read anything by Kristin Hannah. I actually can’t remember the details of this. (Not huge into re-reading but now I want to– it’s been seven years since I read it!) It’s really about female friendship and a rollercoaster of emotions.
GHOSTED
I almost didn’t include this because the first bit was hard for me to get into, but once I did, I could not put this book down. It’s worth getting through the first 30 or so pages. Trust me!!! As the title suggests, the main character of the book hits it off with a guy who ends up completely ghosting her. She can’t give it up though and is desperate to figure out who this mystery man is.
THE IDEA OF YOU
Trust. Me. This. Is. Good. It’s technically like a fan-fiction with the main character a (very) thinly veiled Harry Styles. A mom of a teen daughter ends up in a relationship with him and, well, you’ll have to read it to know what happens. VERY sexy and well-written. I could NOT put it down.
THE PERFECT COUPLE
Anything by Elin Hilderbrand would be a great pick for right now, but The Perfect Couple is one of her best books. I thought the character development was great here. It’s a bit of a murder mystery after a body turns up and many wedding guests could be likely suspects.
THE RAMBLERS
If you’re missing NYC, this could be a great pick for you. It follows various characters and their intertwined lives with Manhattan as a backdrop. I LOVED this book.
THE ROYAL WE
I just mentioned this book in last week’s post about what I read in April. I read the sequel, but if you haven’t had the chance to read the first one DO IT. The book is kind of about Kate Middleton and William (and Harry!), but if Kate Middleton had been an American. (Which is kind of crazy because it was published in 2015… before Harry and Meghan got together.)
TELL ME EVERYTHING
This is a little dark, but I promise you won’t be able to put it down. If you want more of a mystery, this is for you. It takes place on an elite college campus. Friendships, romance, and many secrets. (And a murder, naturally.)
THE VACATIONERS
This is a bit more literary– it’s slow without too much of a plot. But it’s an escape. A family vacations in Mallorca one summer– family drama, secrets, Read it for the descriptions though– it’s like taking a trip without having to get on a plane.
So many of these are already on my list! So excited to get reading following graduation! Love the theme/genre book list too, it would be great to see more!
I read The Ramblers last year after reading your recommendation and I LOVED it!!! Beautiful, heartwarming, with an actual story but not overwhelming.
Could you please include the authors when you do these lists? Not only is it nice to give them credit for their work but also makes it easier for any readers who are keeping lists of books to read!
All the books are linked to here so it’s very easy to find the authors (and purchase them from a website that supports indie bookstores – win win)! If you’re keeping a reading list, you might also like Goodreads, which is a site where it’s very easy to look up books by title or by author and keep track of what you want to read 🙂
I just finished Firefly Lane yesterday! Loved it so much. Also read The Ramblers during quarantine and it was such a good NYC story, exactly what I needed while we can’t be out enjoying it.
Thanks for the suggestions! Now, more than ever, sometimes you just want a light enjoyable read!
I love this, Carly! I can’t wait to read Daisy Jones and the Six, and I also really want to read Big Little Lies. Thanks for all the recommendations!
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I’m working through In Five Years now, so good!
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I had been in a reading rut with Covid and decided to finally start Daisy Jones and it is so good! I’ve been listening to it and it’s a really easy listen.
Thank you for your post, I read a lot since the beginning of the lockdown, so I need more inspo 😉
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I’m patiently awaiting my turn to borrow the audiobook for Daisy Jones and The Six! I also recently finished Evvie Drake Starts Over and thought it was so cute.
Thank you so much for this list! City Baker’s is one of my favorite cozy reads and I actually ordered Evvie Drake last week for this exact reason. Love your thoughtful and honest reviews, I know I can always trust them!
Book posts – the best! I love reading your reviews, Carly – and the recommendations in the comments. Adding the Ramblers to my list, never heard of it. In this same category, I’d also recommend: American Dirt, City of Girls, In Five Years and The Paris Hours.
Thank you for the post! It was exactly what I needed!
Thanks for the great recommendations Carly!
Lovely Picks!
Love this – thanks!!!
I love all of Liane Moriarty. They’re so easy to get immersed in.
Could not agree more about The Vacationers! I could not put it down. I read it then passed it along to my grandma to read.
Whoa, I’m reading American Royals right now. It is a good distraction!
Being from Vermont originally, I LOVED City Bakers Guide to Country Living!
Love so many on this list!
P.S. if you have a loved one with bipolar disorder, The Ramblers vocalizes so much of what could never be said.
Thanks for the suggestions. I downloaded Evvie Drake Starts Over last night and read it straight through (ending at 2am, whoops!). Really enjoyed it. Going to start working through the rest of this list. I agree with you – The Perfect Couple is Elin Hilderbrand’s best novel.
Carly, thank you for sharing these! I’ve always loved your book recommendations!! Can’t wait to dive into a few of these 🙂
Wanted to recommend “Little White Lies” and “Deadly Little Scandals” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Just read both in a week – couldn’t put them down!
I just am catching up a bit with your blog after getting behind, I just wanted to say your blog had remained my favorite. Your content has somehow managed to remain super relevant to me. I really appreciate having something “fun” to read at the end of the day (and by that I mean your blog!) and your recommendations are spot on and very appreciated. Thank you.