Only happy endings and no complicated plot twists, these books are made to help you relax and shake off the anxieties of the real world. Enjoy the light read and, if they don’t help, here are 4 more tips to ease anxiety during the lockdown.
The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion
Don is a talented professor of genetics, yet he always has difficulties socialising, analysing emotions and recognising sarcasm in people’s words. Why can’t everyone be as straight-forward and simple as he is – the same meal every night at exactly the same time, minute-by-minute schedule, familiar routes he takes every day?
Don is around 40 and he’s now in search of the perfect wife. Faithful to his principles, he wants to avoid wasting time on dates with inappropriate partners, so he creates a 16-page, double-sided questionnaire that all his ‘candidates’ have to fill in. No smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, great at maths… Rosie is non of these things, she didn’t even fill in the form but somehow Don still gets involved in a quest of her own – to find her biological father. He tries to convince himself that this is no more than the natural curiosity of a genetics scientist.
Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston
This debut novel of a young queer author is as romantic as a romantic Young Adult novel can ever get.
Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female president of the United States, is a charming playboy and a regular on GQ and Teen Vogue covers. He’s smart, charismatic and the world loves him. And Alex loves the world back. Except for one person – Henry, Prince of England. Henry is basically a real-life version of Prince Charming, yet his charm doesn’t work on Alex.
As the first family of the US travels to the UK for a royal wedding, Alex and Henry get in a fight. To avoid an international crisis, Alex and Henry are forced to pretend they’re now best friends. Surprisingly, they do indeed become friends and, even more surprisingly, they soon realise they’re attracted to each other not just as friends.
Pretty in Ink, Lindsey J. Palmer
Dive straight into a whirlwind of a woman’s magazine publishing with this hilarious, bright and super-feminine novel about several different employees of Hers, who’s editor-in-chief of many years has just been fired for not delivering expected sales. Her energetic, high-heeled replacement will either save them all or accelerate the sinking of this ship. And it’s now up to the employees to choose – who would they rather be loyal to… the old guard or the new boss.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Maria Semple
If you’ve seen Cate Blanchett playing Bernadette in a recent movie based on this book, you already know the plot is heartwarming and inspiring. So, why not give the book a chance too?
Bernadette Fox is an extremely gifted architect who suddenly disappeared from the scene after a series of very successful projects, devoting herself entirely to her family. But being just a mum is not enough for Bernadette, so after an escape, that is equally hilarious and disturbing, she ends up in Antarctica, where she might finally retrieve her mojo.
Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan
Yet another uplifting novel with the movie, Crazy Rich Asians is the first part of a whole trilogy.
Rachel Chu, an American-born Chinese, travels to Singapore with her boyfriend to meet his family. There she finds out that Nicolas Young is, in fact, super-rich, richer than any of us can possibly imagine. Of course, his family decides Rachel is not good enough for him and tries to prove that to Nicolas.
The Enchanted April, Elizabeth von Arnim
Ever dreamed of an escape with your besties? These four British women do exactly that by combining their finances and moving to a villa in Italy for a month. They all have their own problems and life difficulties that they don’t mind leaving behind and this vacation truly transforms them. If you loved the atmosphere of the remote destinations in Eat, Pray, Love, you’ll love this book as well!
Featured image: Freepik
