Cincinnati Vine Book Club discussion

Here's a list I put together of 20 Happy, Easy-to-read, Take-your-mind-off-the-world Books in case you need something light to read:

1. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Or anything by Christina Lauren for that matter. It’s a mindless, cute, well-written rom-com that flows easily and has a happy ending.

2. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Written in interview format, it’s about the rise and fall of a fictional band in the 1960s. The format makes it read quickly, the story is incredibly engaging, and alls well that ends well.

3. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal Short but has everything: mystery, romance, cultural criticism and education, family drama, family harmony, and a strong female lead. Don’t be put off by the title, there’s nothing truly raunchy in this book.

4. Love Her Wild by Atticus Poetry Beautiful and simple poems, some long-form some short but the message is always clear.

5. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed 
Maybe won’t take your mind entirely off the world, but will definitely help you exist in it more harmoniously. Her advice is great and applicable to everyone in some way or another.

6. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 
Fantasy/Historical fiction, the story is original and engaging and high action. A wild ride unlike anything else!

7. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 
An amazingly relatable love story no matter what your sexual orientation. These feelings are real and relatable to anyone who’s ever been in love for the first time or wants to be.

8. Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails by Michelle Markowitz 
If you’ve been a bridesmaid or been to a wedding you may have politely thought to yourself was over the top, this is definitely relatable and no matter who you are, this satire is hilarious. All the characters are trash, but that’s what makes it so funny!

9.Circe by Madeline Miller 
The story of the Odyssey (and everything leading up to it) told from an unexpected and underrepresented voice: the misunderstood witch Circe (you know, the one who turned all of Odysseus’s men to pigs). Her beginnings are a bit sad but she rises above everything and the prose is truly beautiful.

10. Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy by Kevin Kwan If you watch the Kardashians and ask yourself, “what even is their life?” This book has the answer and so much more. A fantastic inside look into a world that you can’t relate to but can’t look away from either. Mystery (especially in the 3rd), love, betrayal, designer brands you’ve never heard of, and so much description of delicious food.

11. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus A YA thriller that’s definitely crazy but a quick read and interesting whodunnit. Twist ending will surprise!

12. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The story of an unusual girl with a mysterious past who meets some unlikely friends and learns more about the world around her. A happy ending with a major twist!

13.Stardust by Neil Gaiman Short, sweet fantasy about true love with so many fun characters and tons of adventure! Definitely a happy ending.

14. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen It’s a classic, feminist, and so much fun, no matter how many times you read it. Plus, so many happy endings for all the characters!

15. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Fast-paced, endearing, beautiful. Literally the story of the life of a curmudgeon who owns a bookstore. Everything that happens is a beautiful tapestry that is artfully woven and neatly tied off in the end (but not too neatly). It’s perfect.

16. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson 
Sci-Fi, dystopian future adventure story. So much engaging action and well written attention to detail and world-building that really brings the setting to life. Sort of a David-and-Goliath Story but with so many unpredictable twists at the end!

17.Yes Please by Amy Poehler Amy has such a great outlook on life. This was funny and extra great if listened to on audiobook since she reads it.

18. Carousel Tides Series by Sharon Lee A great intro to high fantasy for those unfamiliar and even wary of the genre. The setting and descriptions are so well crafted. Mystery, adventure, love, fairies, other worlds, and the most amazing descriptions of a blueberry muffin EVER. It is based in our world with a parallel premise to other worlds to keep a reality touchpoint which makes it such a good intro.

19. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Kind of like Harry Potter, but better and shorter. Similar premise to HP but with more magic variety. Expect wizards and vampires and twists and crazy origin stories and romance and so much more. A great companion read is Fangirl by the same author.

20. Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern 
A love story over decades of missed opportunities written in letter format. A breeze to get through and poignant and sweet with a happy ending.

Thank you for posting! I had some friends that wanted some recommendations recently and I just sent them your whole list.

You're so welcome! Thanks for sharing :)

Karen wrote: "Thank you for posting! I had some friends that wanted some recommendations recently and I just sent them your whole list."