I had written a reply but the site went down and ate it!
I read almost exclusive sci fi but when I feel like something else I really enjoy something like Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone books or Dan Brown’s Langdon books.
I love getting sweeped away in modern day indiana jones like stories about secret societies, myths and historical facts intertwined with fiction.
Extra credit to Berry for always ending his books by telling you what was real and what he embellished.
I’m reading “Fred The Vampire Accountant” series right now, and it’s fabulous. You’re not going to expand your horizons and intellect with these, but they’re very fun to read. Almost always a happy ending, and the group of characters is always growing. It’s like a Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew for adults, but the main character is a vampire.
This makes me sound like a total wanker but I reread my favorite Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. I find them both very comforting because generally nice people end up happy in the end.
Definitely with you there on Jane Austen. I like that ultimately everyone gets married and is happy (even if that’s not my idea of a happy ending necessarily)
Trashy romance novels, particularly fantasy or occult (I normally read sci Fi and fantasy so this is the “I want to read but I can’t focus” side of that). Are they well written? Uh, no. Are they entertaining and easy? Yep.
Your local library probably has a subscription to the first, maybe even to the $econd. Granta’s a quarterly and I can’t say I’ve ever seen it in a library but its been around a long time and back issues are readily available @used bookstores.