A recovery book is what you pick up right after you’ve finished a book you’ve either absolutely loved or that has punched you in the gut (in that emotionally depleting kind of way).
I’ve already needed a recovery book twice this year! I should have (but didn’t) picked up a recovery book after I loved My Sunshine Away so much because whatever I read next was going to have a hard time measuring up. And, A Little Life emotionally consumed me to the point that I had nothing left to give the next book I read.
So, this got me thinking. What types of books make good recovery books? This is probably different for everyone, but I look for something light, something different (than the book you’re recovering from), and something relatively short.
Chick Lit
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
My all-time favorite beach read…
The Tradd Street Series by Karen White
Charleston chick lit with some ghosts…
Gossip
Philistines at the Hedgerow by Steven Gaines
A “history” of the Hamptons with tons of gossip about the eccentric people that hang out there plus a little real history…
In the President’s Secret Service by Ronald Kessler
Lots of gossip about Presidential families mixed in with some real background about the Secret Service…
Humor
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
Just what the title says…from the funniest curmudgeon dad ever…
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Hilarious family dysfunction…
Page Turners
Indiscretion by Charles Dubow
A guilty pleasure ode to The Great Gatsby…
The Fever by Megan Abbott
High school drama, a mysterious epidemic…
Quirky Memoirs
Dirty Chick: Adventures of an Unlikely Farmer by Antonia Murphy
San Francisco yuppies try “lifestyle” farming in New Zealand….
Fiction Ruined My Family by Jeanne Darst
Similar to The Glass Castle…but with gross-out humor…
I like this. And I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes a book just leaves me wandering around picking up one book and putting it down over and over. Your suggestions are good and I’ll keep them in mind. I think I have at least 3 of these on my shelf. I’ve also turned to my “comfort” shelf and picked up a book to reread. Sometimes I don’t even have to read the whole book – just the highlights. It’s like hitting the reset button. 🙂
Oooh – I like the idea of re-reading an old favorite – or just snippets!
Great list, Sarah. Maybe great recovery books are great beach reads as well. BTW, I watched last month the movie adaptation of This is Where I Leave You; I thought it was hysterical, so much so that it made me want to read the book and I remembered you have enthusiastically recommended that one.
I agree – recovery books and beach reads are pretty similar. I like to have my beach reads have a little more substance, so I’d avoid some of them for the Recovery Book, but many of them would totally work!
These are great recommendations! If I read a ton of non-fiction or heavy lit fic right in a row, I start to crave something lighter. Sometimes YA works well, and JK Rowling’s Cormoran Strike books also make for a nice change of pace.
YA is a great suggestion and I did like The Cuckoo’s Calling…haven’t read The Silkworm yet.
This is SO true, Sarah! I always lean toward chick lit or something light & funny; I love your humor selections. I’ve used old David Sedaris selections and even Bossypants by Tina Fey as “recovery;” I enjoy both of them. I’m thinking of finding an audiobook version of an old favorite for my run this weekend; I’ll let you know how it goes! Hope you’re having a great day!
Oh – Sedaris is a great suggestion! And – I’m thinking of trying Yes, Please – maybe on audio once I start training for my first race of this season (10K trail run in early June).
Sarah, I just added my name to the hold list at my library for the audio version of that one! I can’t wait!
great idea!! For me it’s all about a change in genre, a lighter topic usually.
I think I know what you mean, and this is a great post, thanks for sharing these suggestions. I loved Indiscretion and I remember being hooked by it the weekend I read it, and it was a great escapist read.
I have A Little Life on my Kindle to read, one of my most anticipated for the year. I guess I’d better stock up on my recovery books. Karen White’s Tradd Street series is one of my absolute favorites. I have loved Jack and Melanie so long, they’re like old friends.
Oh yes – get the recovery books ready! You’ll see what I mean 🙂 Enjoy A Little Life…it’s SO good!
I needed a recovery book after The Nightingale. Have you read that one yet? When shopping for a recovery book, I look for something completely different from the heart stopper I need to recover from.
I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my list of “books to make time for before the end of 2015″…yes, I have that sub-set of my TBR list…ha!
Indiscretion sure took my mind off a lot of things! Spicy!
Definitely spicy! And love the name of your blog!
I should have picked a lighter themed book after, A Little Life, but am a glutton for punishment– reading Where Women are Kings. Very good
I haven’t read Where Women Are Kings, but I’m glad you liked it! I learned my lesson with My Sunshine Away, so was very aware of the need for a recovery book after A Little Life (I chose Panic by Lauren Oliver, which wasn’t great but was an easy read).
I never knew there were names for books like these. I finished reading The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I was depressed for days! Glad to know there is a name for this 🙂
Well, I’m not sure that it’s an official name, but it’s what I call them 🙂
Recovery books are musts! I think the Tropper book is an excellent example. I always need a recovery book if I read something that’s dense then I need something else to lighten life up.
I’m late to this post but I saw the link from a newer post and wanted to read it. This is an extremely helpful post! I have need many times for “recovery books” and I like some of your recommendations, which I want to check out further. I read some dark and gritty police procedurals and afterwards I need the literary
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…equivalent of a “palate cleanser”, so thanks for this idea!