The Republic of Heaven

I'm looking to lighten up my rather heavy, depressing reading list, but I'd still like to read books that are well-written, or at least written well enough. Anyone have any suggestions?

Just engaging or "feel good" fiction that doesn't ask too much of you emotionally or intellectually, such as:

About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Harry Potter and the ---- by J.K. Rowling
Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Lighter fiction that's wonderfully written in the Jane Austen/Oscar Wilde style would be great but I can live with above mediocre. Writers in that no man's land between pop fiction and literary fiction like John Irving and Amy Tan will be fine too.

P.S. I'm allergic to Stephanie Meyer, Sophie Kinsella, Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, etc. Thanks muchly!

I'm bad at thinking up books, but from looking at the bookshelf in my room I can tentatively suggest these ones I have here:

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams - not everyone's cup of tea and don't think you do science fiction, though I'm not sure it can really be called that.
Notes From A Small Island, Bill Bryson - Dunno if you've read any Bryson? Anyway, non-fiction travel-writing stuff basically filled with him remarking on various Britishisms while he traipses around Great Britain.
You Don't Know Me, David Klass - Uh, this is a sort of teenage novel except just sort of odd but I really really like it. It's about a boy called John. Really light reading.
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster - Another of my favourites. A kiddy book but no matter how old you are I still think it's pretty awesome.
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde - I haven't read this but it's on my bookshelf. I hear it's good but my mother said she got bored with it. You may have read it though.
The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time, Mark Haddon - This is really quick to read and several other sraffies have read it I know, could ask their opinion. It's about a boy called Christopher who has autism (which sounds like it could be depressing but it's not).

Uh, think that's enough recommendations, most of the other books in sight aren't particularly light-reading or...apt, anyway. I shall return with more! Maybe.

Discworld, hands down Fantastic series.

Definitely go for Bill Bryson, the man is hilarious... Mother Tongue is also good, as well as what Jaya mentioned (talking of, my brother has stolen my copy of Notes From A Small Island. Must get that back.)

Discworld, hands down Fantastic series.

So I hear! Unfortunately, my library doesn't carry them.

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams - not everyone's cup of tea and don't think you do science fiction, though I'm not sure it can really be called that.

I've read it and thought it was as fantastic as everyone else. I think you can call it comedy that happens to be science fiction, which I certainly don't mind. It's the same way Pullman found fantasty to be a convenient genre for his purpose...if that makes sense.

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

If it's nice easy Reading you're after, I recommend Jodi Picoult. Ok, so it's Asda (sorry, Wal Mart) literature but they are dammably readable. Start off with the Pact, it's her best and should give you a good idea of her.

OT for a second, have you read any of Lionel Shriver's books? If not, I suggest you try them once you've finished your light Reading phase, they seem right up your street.

If it's nice easy Reading you're after, I recommend Jodi Picoult. Ok, so it's Asda (sorry, Wal Mart) literature but they are dammably readable. Start off with the Pact, it's her best and should give you a good idea of her.

I'm also a fan of Jodi Picoult, but The Pact was one of her only books that I couldn't actually get through. For some reason I couldn't get into it. My Sister's Keeper was one of my favourites, and so is Tenth Circle. She does use the same general scheme for every book, but I think she does pick engaging topics to apply her scheme to.

P.G Wodehouse's 'Jeeves' novels/short stories are good for a quick easy fun read.

Also, because it's on my floor at the moment and I like it a lot - James M. Cain's 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' - again relatively quick to read and good pulpy fun

Discworld, hands down Fantastic series.

So I hear! Unfortunately, my library doesn't carry them.

that library is a failure (unless it's a research library. then it's just not my problem).

hippolyte's island by barbara hodgson, the princess bride... i don't generally read small books, they're over too quickly. perhaps with that in mind i should watch this space.

P.G Wodehouse's 'Jeeves' novels/short stories are good for a quick easy fun read.

Ooooer, I forgot the Edwardian writers existed! And they are supposed to be light and funny in general, right? Any particular novel I should start with?

Slightly OT: Has anyone read Evelyn Waugh? Is his satire on the darker side?

that library is a failure

Too right you are!

I'll definitely check some of these out. Thanks, sraffles!

P.G Wodehouse's 'Jeeves' novels/short stories are good for a quick easy fun read.

Ooooer, I forgot the Edwardian writers existed! And they are supposed to be light and funny in general, right? Any particular novel I should start with?

Maybe try one of the collections of short stories rather than one of the novels? I've only read a few, but I don't think it really matters where you start to be honest...

Slightly OT: Has anyone read Evelyn Waugh? Is his satire on the darker side?

I've read Scoop. It's a lovely satire on journalism (as a sort-of journalist, I appreciated it) although it's a little dated. It's pretty light, although I don't know how representative of his work it is.

I'd also recommend anything by Rumer Godden or Adele Geras (they're mainly YA and children's authors, though), in particular Godden's The Greengage Summer and Geras' Tower Room trilogy and The Girls in the Velvet Frame (which was my favourite book between the ages of seven and 12 - until I read Northern Lights). I think Geras and Godden a writing style that can best be described as 'luminous'. They write lyrically, gently and beautifully, in my opinion, although I'm not sure if you wanted to read YA books.

Ooooer, I forgot the Edwardian writers existed! And they are supposed to be light and funny in general, right?

For a dark and funny Edwardian writer, try the short stories of "Saki" (H.H. Munro).

Let's see...

Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield and its sequels are nothing short of wonderful. Just don't read them on the bus, they're hilarious. I jotted down so many funny moments it took most of my notebook. Just one example to whet your appetite :

Ask Robert whether he thinks I had better wear my Blue or my Black-and-gold at Lady B.'s. He says that either will do. Ask if he can remember which one I wore last time. He cannot. Mademoiselle says it was the Blue, and offers to make slight alterations to Black-and-gold which will, she says, render it unrecognisable. I accept, and she cuts large pieces out of the back of it. I say Pas trop décolletée, and she replies intelligently Je comprends, Madame ne désire pas se voir nue au salon.
(Query : Have not the French sometimes a very strange way of expressing themselves ?)

I don't know if you read French, this passage is only funny if you understand what they're saying, obviously. I can be translated by "I say Not too much cleavage, and she replies intelligently I understand, Madam does not want to see herself naked in the living-room" which is a bit silly translated in English as it's such a French way of speaking but here you go. Not every single instance of humour is in French, though, in fact it's one of the very few times it is.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons remains the only book by her still in print, and it's a shame. The publishing company Penguin redesigned its cover earlier this year and I just love it, it looks like a comic. Stella mocks the novels written in the 19th century, especially those by Thomas Hardy and the Brontës : she mocks the cows, the countryside and farmers' habits in these books. It's an excellent parody, the characters are so extravagant they're unforgettable. The movie adaptation is quite good too ! (starring Kate Beckinsale before she became famous)

The Pursuit of Love and its sequel Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford won't require much of your attention : it's light, funny and cruel and really clever. It's a disguised autobiography. I don't know if you know much about the Mitford sisters, but reading a little something of their lives might add to your enjoyment of these novels (and while I'm at it, I strongly recommend Jessica's autobiography Hons and Rebels along with her letters edited by Peter Sussman, perhaps for later, they're not light but super interesting).

That's it for me ! I would really like to try Neil Gaiman, I thought I might start with Neverwhere as it seems to be a favourite among fans but I'll add Coraline to my list as well (am I losing my mind or is there an adaptation coming ?). And I'm the biggest Potter fan there is, but I can see the books are already on your list

The Miseducation Years: Ross O'Carroll-Kelly

Light hearted tale of posh kids in Dublin. Very funny though I don't think it's reached far beyond these shores in terms of popularity.