Five Happy Things

Books to Take You Away from It All

Jun 18, 2025

Do you ever need a book to just take you somewhere else for a little while?

Somewhere happy and fun?

Same.

Here are five books for when you just need to escape for a little while. 🥰

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - One of my very favorite books! Top-notch fantasy with terrific world-building and absolutely delightful characters. My first introduction to this book was Alan reading it aloud to me on a long drive. Alan’s Howl voice is very similar to Hugh Laurie’s Bertie Wooster voice, and now I can’t imagine Howl any other way. 😂 Pure fun. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - I just read this one, and when I closed the cover I stood up and immediately walked to the bookstore to buy book two in the series. Avery is a high school student who suddenly inherits a fortune from a billionaire she’s never met. The catch is that she needs to move into the sprawling family mansion, living side by side with the rest of the family who did NOT inherit. Awkward! The house is full of secret passages, riddles, codes, and puzzles upon puzzles which Avery and her benefactor’s grandsons work to solve. It’s like an absolutely bonkers version of The Westing Game, dialed up to 11. I loved it. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan - Another recent read since this just came out a couple of weeks ago. Ever since I read Nora Goes Off Script I’ve been grabbing Monaghan’s new books as soon as they’re released. They’re all so good! This one is about a former child actress trying to make it as a studio executive in Hollywood, but it’s also about heartache, and wanting things you think you don’t deserve, and true love. Beautiful. I read it in one giant gulp. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis - Okay, I know I posted very recently about this book (in Quick Reads for a Short Month) but at the time I had only read the first in the series. Now I’ve read all three and I’m here to tell you that they’re all so much fun! The banter! The zippy plots! The fun twists! The clever heists! The swoony romance! This is a delight from start to finish, and I’m so happy she’s left the door open for more! (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - If you like mysteries, give this one a try. It abides by all the “rules” of a classic whodunit, but with a clever wink and a nod that feels fresh and new. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)

Time for your suggestions. What are your favorite books for when you just need to escape for a little while?

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Enjoy!

Best,
Wendi
❤️

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