Tuesday, May 7, 2013

When You Need Something Light & Fun


Yes, I love to read literary fiction and, 
yes, I love to read massive nonfiction tomes,
but, trust me, I love Light-&-Fun, too.

When the world gets Too Serious, 
when we have heaps of books to shelve in the library,
and children are trying to read-read-read and come to the Chapter Book Picnic,
and inventory's not quite done,
and everyone's cranky,
I turn to Light-&-Fun.


You can't do better than Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
You get Africa, delightful characters, a little mystery, and the soothing idea
that those of us who are bigger girls are nothing more than "traditionally built."


 There's the whole Moving-and-Starting-Over genre that I love to read.
You know this kind of story. 
Person buys a house in a place where he barely speaks the local lingo 
and begins a brand-new life.
Almost always a catastrophe, but that just adds to the fun.




 How about the kind of books I call Challenge Books?
A person takes on a big challenge and tries to do something difficult
for a set period of time, usually a year. These are always interesting and snappy.
And the people usually end up failing to meet their challenge or just becoming slightly better,
so it makes those of us who don't attempt to become happier or healthy a little smug.

And there are always the traditional Light-&-Fun books, like little mysteries,
or gentle romances, or escapist action and scifi tales, or wonderful travel narratives.

Any recommendations for me? What do you turn to when the world is Gray and Cold?


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.


15 comments:

  1. I love all these lists. I am introduced to so many books I have never seen today! Specially love your moving and starting over options ;)

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  2. I haven't read any of those, but they all look like fun reads! Great list :)

    Here's my Top Ten!

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  4. What a wonderful way to organize this post!

    When the world turns grey and cold, I turn to the stuff of my childhood - chiefly, THE SATURDAYS series by Elizabeth Enright.

    That, and Stephen Leacock. :-)

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  5. Thank you, Ciska. Top Ten is one of my favorite memes.

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  6. Now I need to check out Stephen Leacock!

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  7. Oooh, good list. Have you even read The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax? If you like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency you might enjoy it.

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  8. That's supposed to be *ever* read; an unfortunate typo

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  9. No, I haven't read it. Thanks for the suggestions. Off to add it to my wishlist!

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  10. Under the Tuscan Sun was on my list, too! I want to read The Happiness Project.

    Here's my Top Ten: http://imlostinbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/top-ten-tuesday-top-10-books-when-you.html

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  11. I loved The Happiness Project! I was surprised by how many small things she talked about that I could apply to my own life.

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  12. These are some of my favourite genres too for light and fun. The No 1 Ladies books are fantastic. Sarah Turnbull is just releasing a new book in Australia- Good Things Come. Though I think you missed the these are the books I read genre....

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  13. Looks like the Sarah Turnbull book will make it here in September. Thanks for the heads up.

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  14. For the starting over genre, I recommend Around the House and in the Garden by Dominque Browning. It's been years since I've read it, but I really enjoyed it.

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