Literature

I'm all in on Terry Pratchett or Hitchhiker's Guide when I need a break. Pratchett especially is just good high fantasy and some humor mixed in.

Something like Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy

Fun, feel-good fantasy stories, like Legends and Lattes. Bonus points if there's a heist, a fun group of quirky characters, or well-built romance story.

Anything by Stephen King, for me. I also like quick-paced techy/sci-fi novels for when I’m in the mood for something easier. I’m a re-reader, so I will sometimes pick up something I’ve already read and enjoyed before.

Agatha Christie is queen of fun, quick reads. Terry Pratchett is also perfect.

I usually go to short stories, or old sword and sorcery novellas. For the former my go to stories are Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, Robert E Howard's Conan, and Isaac Asimov's Robots. For the latter I prefer Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance's Dying Earth. If I'm feeling uninspired or experiencing a block, knocking out a few of these stories always sets me straight. They take next to no time to read and are great fun. I don't get tired of rereading them.

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.

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.

I go to YA when I don't want to be challenged. I love The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix in particular.

Not mine but this YouTube video has a good list of books for getting out of a slump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWAmcg_V6JA&pp=ygUTTWVycGh5IE5hcGllciBzbHVtcA%3D%3D

Sci-fi short stories

• The Fifth Gift
• Report on the Barnhouse Effect

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is a favorite shorter read of mine.

The Last Unicorn by Beagle is word candy. Absolutely beautiful prose and imagery. But it is also a quick read, perfect for two days. Can't go wrong.

Kurt Vonnegut was one of the easiest writers to read for me. I'd recommend starting with Slaughterhouse-5.

My actual comfort reading, though, is William Gibson, but he is not easy to read.

Comfort maybe, def not junk:

• Harper's Magazine
• The Economist
• Granta

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.

Oz or Moomins. Two great series.

(Especially after any language studies reading, which is stressful.)

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.

Ooo.. love this question! My go-to is P.G. Wodehouse— there are a multitude of short stories and novels to choose from, each incredibly lighthearted, fast-paced, and super funny (and the character names! How can you not chuckle at the name Gussie Fink-Nottle?!) I find these stories easy to pick up and read in short sessions, and perfect for getting back into the reading habit. My personal favorites are the Jeeves stories and The Drones Club.

Plus, if you’re one who uses an e-reader, Wodehouse’s works were recently added to the public domain, so free downloads are available loads of places. Easy to give it a try!

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.

Progression fantasy such as Will Wright's Cradle series.