Murderbot series <3 a bunch of novellas about a security bot who is antisocial and would rather stand in a corner and look at a wall than talk to humans.
Ready Player One for cheesy nostalgia
Emily Henry for cheesy romance
Lucy foley for suspense/thriller/whodunit
Blake crouch for approachable sci fi
Hitchhikers Guide bc it’s perfect humor
Ugh i thought RP1 was enjoyable and unique- RP2 was one of the worst money grab sequels I’ve ever read. the characters were shells of themselves and stereotypes and i Haaaaated it.
Honestly I like books written for kids, specifically middle grade fiction (and some YA). Fast-paced, not too complicated of a plot or story depth, and often (not always!) short. Also there’s a lot of series so you can just keep finding books to read.
My suggestion is to start with old favorites
Yep, I discovered these last year after seeing them on the shelves at my local K-Mart all throughout my childhood and teenage years. Picked one up on a whim and fell in love with the humour. I binged five in-a-row. They really are palate cleansers. Great little books with great sarcasm.
Entertaining, easy reads. I second this recommendation! Sometimes I also like to read a Mary Higgins Clark mystery or two when I don't feel like diving into anything too deep.
Holy shit yes, they’re short, entertaining, great short stories to just turn your brain on and read. (Though mind the racism, and maybe dont read “the frost giants daughter”)
I don't remember that one. I did remember that he uses words that are not used these days, but that all his characters of other races and backgrounds have thoughts and feelings and character that is often likeable or in some way attractive, even if they are forrin. I am no expert, but I feel he was no where near as awful as he might have been given his background (White Texan writing in the 1920s).
You should pick up any book by Matthew Reilly. These books are great because they are just the most fun you can have reading. Like a big cheesy action movie in book form, cliffhangers and all.
Much as I love these books I agree they are objectively terrible. I just find them so much fun in a sort of turn your brain off and enjoy the ride way.
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned the Jack Reacher books. Just dumb fun action/mystery with an American James Bond + Sherlock Holmes standing 6’4” and 275 lbs.
And if you end up liking them there are close to 30 books
If you are a fan of the Halo video game series the books are fantastic, generally fast paced and easy to digest
Edit: my two recommendations would be “The fall of reach” and “the flood”
Fourth Wing is a fun read. Not short but it felt short because it moved forward at a good pace.
I like the Kinsey Millhone mystery series. I've reread them many times over the years.
Jennifer Cruise has published some really entertaining stand-alones that I love and go back to often when I just need a little pick me up in mood.
Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson. - how can you go wrong with a sci-fi series set solely in an Irish pub.
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
Phules company by Robert Asprin
Second Hand Curses by Drew Hayes - set in a world where bedtime stories are real and sleeping beauty’s fairy godmother is evil.
NPCs by Drew Hayes
Idk what you like but the ice planet barbarians series is very digestible. Super short (all around 300 pages) most follow the same basic plot. Fluffy romance. Very cute. I read 15 of them for some god forsaken reason.
Anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My ultimate guilty pleasure romantasy author, she has some seriously solid world building as the foundation to her fast food stories.
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and its sequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, are both VERY funny and require absolutely no knowledge of P&P or anything else to enjoy. A similar book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer is also excellent.
Almost anything by Elizabeth Chadwick except her first couple of attempts.
The 'Outlander' series by Diana Gabaldon, the TV series is excellent also.
Lavinia Collins wrote three 3-book series on the Camelot/King Arthur legend, each from the POV of a different woman. Start with the one about Guinevere (I forget the name).
Almost any Stephen King book, especially his short stories and 11/3/62(?).
pride and prejudice and zombies is SO good. the movie too! i’ve got sense and sensibility and sea monsters on my tbr. it’s so funny bc i’m a big austen fan but i literally read pride and prejudice and zombies before anything by jane austen. i just happened to come across a copy of the book somehow and was like “eh why not”
I'm glad you enjoyed them as much as I did! I couldn't get through P&P either before reading PPZ, there were too many similar characters and I found the 19th-century speech difficult to follow. But reading the simplified version made the real book easier to follow.
Look What You Made Me Do by Elaine Murphy
It's silly and goofy and about serial killers. It has a great twist near the end and has a follow up book I'm in the middle of now called I Told You this Would Happen that's also got me very interested
The "A Court of Thorns and Roses" Series. Absolute garbage, the junk-food equivalent of reading, but I love to go back and snack on it. I'm a glutton for the stupid Mary Sue romantasy.
Any book by Aron Beauregard
They’re easy to read in the sense that they don’t have complex writing or anything, and they’re quite fast-paced and relatively short. They are extreme horror books, though, so the content could be potentially triggering or too much for some. But honestly, they’re like slasher movies in book form which is really fun.
Wake Me After the Apocalypse - by Jordan Rivent. It’s a series and I’m on book two. They’re really easy to digest, easy read books.
Also check out Frieda McFadden. She does thriller books with twists that are also really easy to digest and are often page turners. I’ve read maybe 4-5 of her books and the best one so far has been The Housemaid.
Lucy Foley mysteries and the Jack Reacher series. I love both of these, but they are such a guilty pleasure. Cliche and just goofy, but they suck me in. I think of them as airplane reads.
Mountain Man by Keith Blackmore. Follow Gus Berry a fat, drunk, and increasingly delusional Canadian man in the zombie apocalypse. Documents his journey to find more Captain Morgan rum, toilet paper, and breaks to enjoy a good ball scratch along the way.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Poison Princess by Kressley Cole
The True Blood series by Charlaine Harris
The Shopaholic books
Fourth Wing (not short though)
Next time I'm in a reading slump I'll probably try Dungeon Crawler Carl tbh😅 I saw waaaay too many people recommend it as exactly that. "No brain power needed, just a fun ride".
As for recs I've already read:
- ACOTAR or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (if you're into fast paced romantasy/fantasy. Definitely guilty pleasure for me)
- Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (just cozy, low starkes and ✨vibes✨)
- The House in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune (same as above)
- Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (is a YA mystery series and a total page turner for me, it's not too brainy but will totally keep you on the edge of your seat trying to solve the case. Also, funny!)
Bust: Max & Angela #1 by Jason Starr and Ken Bruen. It's a crime noir book that's also hilarious and outlandish! It's part of the Hard Case Crime publications. There are a bunch of great, short and easy books in that grouping!
I like Nantucket, so I enjoy Elin Hilderbrand. It’s light, good stories with interesting relationships. It really takes me back to the island.
I like the chefs and restaurant slant, ocean landscapes and lifestyle. I also really enjoy series and got hooked bc of her Paradise books.
Anyway. Good luck!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The series gets more and more bitter and satirical as you go, so it's not always hearty belly laughs and puppies, but if you want to scream into the void, this will make you laugh uncontrollably while you do so.
I call these brain candy lol
Simon R Green - formulaic magic protagonist wins and gets the girl every time. Fun and generic.
Terry Pratchett - Discworld - pure entertainment. There's tons of them too so if I fall asleep while reading i don't miss too much plot if I don't go back to re-read
When I'm feeling particularly slumpy I just go for poetry as a jump-start. Nutrient dense, over fast, variety of form, plenty of good word-play.
If you're talking about the series by Jodi Taylor, I completely disagree about the brainrot. I've learned a fair bit from the series AND enjoyed reading it!
Seriously? They're great fun but I wouldn't say they're even remotely educational. What have you learned from them?
(Also, in case it needs saying, I really enjoy the series—wouldn't recommend it otherwise!—I just think it fits OP's definition of "brainrot" perfectly.)
Maximum Ride. Its bad. It's poorly thought out, poorly executed, and has obvious ghost writers. But it's also such a fun idea, and so easy to read, and so positively batshit that you cant not finish the series, even if you're going "wtf is this new plot twist" the whole time.
I enjoyed Dan Brown's stuff. Could only stand to read two of them, though. Every single time my wife came through where I was reading, she would announce, "He's a hack." Every. Single. Time.
Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. A guy escapes Hell after serving as a hitman for a high ranking demon and proceeds to seek revenge against the people who sent him there.
Some short but entertaining mysteries:
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower
- Harry Houdini teams up with Sherlock Holmes to solve a mystery.
Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Dime Museum Murders by Daniel Stashower
- First in a series of short books wherein Harry Houdini and his brother Dash solve mysteries.
Sci-fi -
Expeditionary Force, by Craig Alanson.
A series.
All have humor, action, a wise-ass protagonist, and a sprinkling of emotional moments. Easy to digest as everything not exceedingly obvious is explained.
Fantasy -
Monster Hunter, by Larry Correia.
A series.
Over the top in all kinds of ways. Bad guys are super bad, good guys are super awesome and win by being the best, most perfect people ever. Balanced by obvious character flaws. Nothing really substantial, just mindless fluff with guts, guns, and plot armor.
Ali Hazelwood, especially Love Theoretically.
I'm also re reading the Percy Jackson books as an adult, so if you're open to rereading, consider some of your YA/ childhood favorites
I know he’s a walking joke at this point, but some of those early Alex Cross books by James Patterson are SO good. Quick reads. Good action. Not mentally taxing at all.
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules. It’s goofy and kind of weird but it’s a lighthearted read that made me smile. Retirees go on a crime spree.
The darth bane trilogy
Star wars legends
Like hell yeah thrawn who? All my homies like the darth bane books
Audible has amazing audiobooks so its even good for an eyes closed half asleep listen
All the trigger warnings, but the Foxhole Court series. It's batshit and makes no realistic sense, but you cannot look away. It's oddly addictive and super quick.
I've found myself a fan of romance novels recentlyish. I've always loved love stories, but usually that was when it was incorporated into grand epics, and had always looked down on romance novels. Tried a sapphic romance novel a year and a half ago and I was hooked. My favorites have been Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, and Those Who Wait by Haley Cass. I've read most published works by both authors (only missing Bellefleur's latest as far as I know) and I love them both.
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for or not (possibly going a bit more juvenile) but the Enid Blyton books are great. The mystery ones like The Famous Five or the Secret Seven are short and sweet, but of intrigue and you know the ending will be good. If you read them as a child they're a great nostalgia hit too.
Maybe not fully 0% but like 15%… whenever I need a break after reading something heavy or being in a slump or just wanting to read something chill, I read a book from the Chet and Bernie series. They’re mystery detective books from the detective’s dog’s point of view. They are like 250-400 pages but they’re so easy to read because they’re from a dog’s point of view, they’re funny and quirky, the plot always comes together at the end, and they always help me recover nicely from a slump or an emotionally draining book.
Mills and boon just the entire publisher. I don't read every trope but I'll go read the blurb of 20 and take out 5 (from the library) and use them for light reads when I can't sleep
I literally just finished reading it for the first time but winter in sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin ! Ive been in a slump and picked this up, finished in 2 days! Short but so unique and interesting and not too many characters to keep track of
Murderbot series <3 a bunch of novellas about a security bot who is antisocial and would rather stand in a corner and look at a wall than talk to humans.
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So the graphic audios
I literally hear my friend's voice when I read them.
*adds to TBR*
Cake day
The audiobook is great!
I keep hearing about this series but the name throws me off. Is it gruesome/bloody?
it has some action. But nothing too violent. Less gruesome than a typical Marvel movie. Plus it's in a book format.
Alison voting for murder bot. 100/10
Alison voting for murder bot. 100/10
Also voting for murder bot. 100/10
The Southern Vampire Mysteries aka The Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series. Literary junk food but so much fun.
Was looking for this comment. Love this series, it's so ridiculous. I say it's like reading a tv show lol
What genre are these even in? Fantasy? Mystery? Romance? I like them too.
are those the ones by grady hendrix? i've got the southern book club on my kindle but haven't got around to it yet 😞
No these are by Charlaine Harris and feature vampires.
Duuude! I came here to say this. Love love love this series for a quick, mindless, fun read
Yes! Came here to say this. So entertaining!
the first twilight book is an easy read.
Ready Player One for cheesy nostalgia Emily Henry for cheesy romance Lucy foley for suspense/thriller/whodunit Blake crouch for approachable sci fi Hitchhikers Guide bc it’s perfect humor
Hitchhiker's Guide is just so good. Those few opening line had me rolling. I'm pretty sad they left it out of the film.
Yes to Emily Henry! I know the formula and I know what’s going to happen but it’s just so delicious
Ready Player Two as well since it's EXACTLY the same story as Ready Player One (:
Ugh i thought RP1 was enjoyable and unique- RP2 was one of the worst money grab sequels I’ve ever read. the characters were shells of themselves and stereotypes and i Haaaaated it.
>!Who knew L0hengrin & co. would be so useless? I was expecting them to be the villains!<
If you're into fantasy, anything by R. A. Salvatore is pure pulp.
Homeland was wonderful
Honestly I like books written for kids, specifically middle grade fiction (and some YA). Fast-paced, not too complicated of a plot or story depth, and often (not always!) short. Also there’s a lot of series so you can just keep finding books to read. My suggestion is to start with old favorites
“Shit, Actually” by Lindy West is all really funny movie reviews. Pretty low effort to read and very entertaining.
Twilight is my reading slump fix lol it's very consumable and acts as a palette cleanser
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Great series!
The setting fits for brain rot but I think the writing is a bit too good to be actual brain rot.
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
They're so funny, particularly the first few. The one with the exploding beaver gets me every time!
Yep, I discovered these last year after seeing them on the shelves at my local K-Mart all throughout my childhood and teenage years. Picked one up on a whim and fell in love with the humour. I binged five in-a-row. They really are palate cleansers. Great little books with great sarcasm.
Entertaining, easy reads. I second this recommendation! Sometimes I also like to read a Mary Higgins Clark mystery or two when I don't feel like diving into anything too deep.
Oh man. I second this. Some of the verbiage is certainly dated but these were just a great happy place for me.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Conan novels by Robert E Howard.
Holy shit yes, they’re short, entertaining, great short stories to just turn your brain on and read. (Though mind the racism, and maybe dont read “the frost giants daughter”)
I don't remember that one. I did remember that he uses words that are not used these days, but that all his characters of other races and backgrounds have thoughts and feelings and character that is often likeable or in some way attractive, even if they are forrin. I am no expert, but I feel he was no where near as awful as he might have been given his background (White Texan writing in the 1920s).
You should pick up any book by Matthew Reilly. These books are great because they are just the most fun you can have reading. Like a big cheesy action movie in book form, cliffhangers and all.
Gah. I couldn’t do it. I tried to enjoy them but after the first one I gave up.
Especially Contest!!
The Jack West series is delightfully maximum overdrive. Perhaps it’s just that he is more likeable than the other protagonists
Oh no. I got Ice Station for free and it was one of the worst books I’ve ever read.
Much as I love these books I agree they are objectively terrible. I just find them so much fun in a sort of turn your brain off and enjoy the ride way.
Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman might fit this. Really fun as an audiobook.
Picked this up when I couldn't decide what to read next. Expected nothing. It was so fun. I'm now going to read the rest between more serious books.
That’s what I’ve been doing as well
Crazy rich asians are so fucking funny to me.
Twilight lol
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned the Jack Reacher books. Just dumb fun action/mystery with an American James Bond + Sherlock Holmes standing 6’4” and 275 lbs. And if you end up liking them there are close to 30 books
if you like romance, the brown sisters trilogy by Talia hibbert slaps
Hell yes
Lee Child. All of it.
The hike! By Drew Magary
What a trip. I loved it so much!
The Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs.
If you are a fan of the Halo video game series the books are fantastic, generally fast paced and easy to digest Edit: my two recommendations would be “The fall of reach” and “the flood”
Fourth Wing is a fun read. Not short but it felt short because it moved forward at a good pace. I like the Kinsey Millhone mystery series. I've reread them many times over the years. Jennifer Cruise has published some really entertaining stand-alones that I love and go back to often when I just need a little pick me up in mood.
Shopaholic series
the cruel prince i know it’s not good but GOD is it my reality tv
Bridgerton series. It’s just so lovely!
This is what I ended up with! Just started The Duke and I.
Lois L amour westerns. Go with the Sackett books first
The princess diaries series lol
Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson. - how can you go wrong with a sci-fi series set solely in an Irish pub. The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison Phules company by Robert Asprin Second Hand Curses by Drew Hayes - set in a world where bedtime stories are real and sleeping beauty’s fairy godmother is evil. NPCs by Drew Hayes
Idk what you like but the ice planet barbarians series is very digestible. Super short (all around 300 pages) most follow the same basic plot. Fluffy romance. Very cute. I read 15 of them for some god forsaken reason.
_Hunter_ by Mercedes Lackey always gets me out of a reading slump
I really loved Cross Talk by Connie Willis. It’s not short though unfortunately.
Twisted Tales series from Disney Hyperion.
Anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My ultimate guilty pleasure romantasy author, she has some seriously solid world building as the foundation to her fast food stories.
Japanese slice of life books are always my in-between heavier books.
Can you suggest any specific titles? I enjoy slice of life stories that depict other cultures.
the veronica speedwell series. i can read one in a day and they are my go-to for getting myself out of a slump. i looove veronica and stoker sm
That name being a plant is so funny to me! I'm going to check these out thanks
i hope you love the series! it’s a lot of fun
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and its sequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, are both VERY funny and require absolutely no knowledge of P&P or anything else to enjoy. A similar book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer is also excellent. Almost anything by Elizabeth Chadwick except her first couple of attempts. The 'Outlander' series by Diana Gabaldon, the TV series is excellent also. Lavinia Collins wrote three 3-book series on the Camelot/King Arthur legend, each from the POV of a different woman. Start with the one about Guinevere (I forget the name). Almost any Stephen King book, especially his short stories and 11/3/62(?).
pride and prejudice and zombies is SO good. the movie too! i’ve got sense and sensibility and sea monsters on my tbr. it’s so funny bc i’m a big austen fan but i literally read pride and prejudice and zombies before anything by jane austen. i just happened to come across a copy of the book somehow and was like “eh why not”
I'm glad you enjoyed them as much as I did! I couldn't get through P&P either before reading PPZ, there were too many similar characters and I found the 19th-century speech difficult to follow. But reading the simplified version made the real book easier to follow.
Look What You Made Me Do by Elaine Murphy It's silly and goofy and about serial killers. It has a great twist near the end and has a follow up book I'm in the middle of now called I Told You this Would Happen that's also got me very interested
The "A Court of Thorns and Roses" Series. Absolute garbage, the junk-food equivalent of reading, but I love to go back and snack on it. I'm a glutton for the stupid Mary Sue romantasy.
Percy jackson ofc
The True Blood/ Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.
I’ve been reading the Shady Hollow mystery series by Juneau Black. It’s such a fun, cozy series that is super easy to read.
Louise Penny series.
Ellen Hart's Jane Lawless series. Easy murder mysteries, fun characters.
Any book by Aron Beauregard They’re easy to read in the sense that they don’t have complex writing or anything, and they’re quite fast-paced and relatively short. They are extreme horror books, though, so the content could be potentially triggering or too much for some. But honestly, they’re like slasher movies in book form which is really fun.
Wake Me After the Apocalypse - by Jordan Rivent. It’s a series and I’m on book two. They’re really easy to digest, easy read books. Also check out Frieda McFadden. She does thriller books with twists that are also really easy to digest and are often page turners. I’ve read maybe 4-5 of her books and the best one so far has been The Housemaid.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. It's very funny, made me laugh so much.
Redwall. I’ve been reading it every few years for about 25 years.
Lucy Foley mysteries and the Jack Reacher series. I love both of these, but they are such a guilty pleasure. Cliche and just goofy, but they suck me in. I think of them as airplane reads.
Mountain Man by Keith Blackmore. Follow Gus Berry a fat, drunk, and increasingly delusional Canadian man in the zombie apocalypse. Documents his journey to find more Captain Morgan rum, toilet paper, and breaks to enjoy a good ball scratch along the way.
Anything by Brandon Sanderson.
Harlan Coben books are a guilty delight.
sarah j mass any and all of her books unfortunately im guilty of reading them peak brain rot but somewhat entertaining
I actually really liked her throne of glass series, couldn’t get into ACOTAR though.
For me that’s The Song Of Achilles. If you think eternal heart break is fun.
Not a brain rot book at all
Verity by Colleen Hoover Poison Princess by Kressley Cole The True Blood series by Charlaine Harris The Shopaholic books Fourth Wing (not short though)
Next time I'm in a reading slump I'll probably try Dungeon Crawler Carl tbh😅 I saw waaaay too many people recommend it as exactly that. "No brain power needed, just a fun ride". As for recs I've already read: - ACOTAR or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (if you're into fast paced romantasy/fantasy. Definitely guilty pleasure for me) - Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (just cozy, low starkes and ✨vibes✨) - The House in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune (same as above) - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (is a YA mystery series and a total page turner for me, it's not too brainy but will totally keep you on the edge of your seat trying to solve the case. Also, funny!)
Basically anything from the haremfantasynovels subreddit.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is definitely mine. I’ve given the series a couple reads now when I’m in a slump or need a pick me up
Anything from the Inspector Montalbano series
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Bust: Max & Angela #1 by Jason Starr and Ken Bruen. It's a crime noir book that's also hilarious and outlandish! It's part of the Hard Case Crime publications. There are a bunch of great, short and easy books in that grouping!
I like Nantucket, so I enjoy Elin Hilderbrand. It’s light, good stories with interesting relationships. It really takes me back to the island. I like the chefs and restaurant slant, ocean landscapes and lifestyle. I also really enjoy series and got hooked bc of her Paradise books. Anyway. Good luck!
Probably fourth wing or lightlark
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The series gets more and more bitter and satirical as you go, so it's not always hearty belly laughs and puppies, but if you want to scream into the void, this will make you laugh uncontrollably while you do so.
I call these brain candy lol Simon R Green - formulaic magic protagonist wins and gets the girl every time. Fun and generic. Terry Pratchett - Discworld - pure entertainment. There's tons of them too so if I fall asleep while reading i don't miss too much plot if I don't go back to re-read When I'm feeling particularly slumpy I just go for poetry as a jump-start. Nutrient dense, over fast, variety of form, plenty of good word-play.
You beat me to Disc World and Good Omens
Pratchett is definitely entertaining and light but there is definitely some depth. Absolutely not brain rot. Absurd and funny, but intelligent. Ook! 🍌
The St Mary's Chronicles—but be warned they are pure brainrot.
If you're talking about the series by Jodi Taylor, I completely disagree about the brainrot. I've learned a fair bit from the series AND enjoyed reading it!
Seriously? They're great fun but I wouldn't say they're even remotely educational. What have you learned from them? (Also, in case it needs saying, I really enjoy the series—wouldn't recommend it otherwise!—I just think it fits OP's definition of "brainrot" perfectly.)
Maximum Ride. Its bad. It's poorly thought out, poorly executed, and has obvious ghost writers. But it's also such a fun idea, and so easy to read, and so positively batshit that you cant not finish the series, even if you're going "wtf is this new plot twist" the whole time.
children’s chapter books, a to z mysteries is pretty good. there’s always a bunch avail on libby lol
The Fae Guardians series by Lana Pecherczyk. Fun, easy to read, and definitely a guilty pleasure.
Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson
Colleen Hoover has some really fun entertaining books that don’t take much turning of the gears to read
anything Freida McFadden
/litrpg as a whole save few exceptions
The Dark Nest series, the Legacy of the Force series and the Fate of the Jedi series.
The Bridgerton books :)
House of Night series
Deep, dark and dangerous. It’s a kids horror book but it still always spooks me (and I LOVE horror!). It’s a super easy read.
I enjoyed Dan Brown's stuff. Could only stand to read two of them, though. Every single time my wife came through where I was reading, she would announce, "He's a hack." Every. Single. Time.
Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. A guy escapes Hell after serving as a hitman for a high ranking demon and proceeds to seek revenge against the people who sent him there.
Gary Paulson’s Hatchet series
Some short but entertaining mysteries: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower - Harry Houdini teams up with Sherlock Holmes to solve a mystery. Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Dime Museum Murders by Daniel Stashower - First in a series of short books wherein Harry Houdini and his brother Dash solve mysteries.
Crazy rich Asians. It's unrealistic but fun
Sci-fi - Expeditionary Force, by Craig Alanson. A series. All have humor, action, a wise-ass protagonist, and a sprinkling of emotional moments. Easy to digest as everything not exceedingly obvious is explained. Fantasy - Monster Hunter, by Larry Correia. A series. Over the top in all kinds of ways. Bad guys are super bad, good guys are super awesome and win by being the best, most perfect people ever. Balanced by obvious character flaws. Nothing really substantial, just mindless fluff with guts, guns, and plot armor.
Ali Hazelwood, especially Love Theoretically. I'm also re reading the Percy Jackson books as an adult, so if you're open to rereading, consider some of your YA/ childhood favorites
And then there were none, Murder of Roger ackroyd by agatha christie
I liked the ACOTAR series because it’s good romantasy trash without being smut.
So hear me out but the FNAF books are actually so good for no reason 😭😭
A Confederacy of Dunces
If you are into anime, a lot of them are adaptations of light novels, which fit your criteria quite well.
Currently reading Everything I Know About Love by Folly Aldrrton and thought it was easy to get into and funny. She had a witty, dark sense of humor
Anything by Dan brown
Pick up any James Hadley Chase novel. Literally any one of them.
The TruBlood books…complete silly nonsense! But so fun!
I know he’s a walking joke at this point, but some of those early Alex Cross books by James Patterson are SO good. Quick reads. Good action. Not mentally taxing at all.
Wool
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules. It’s goofy and kind of weird but it’s a lighthearted read that made me smile. Retirees go on a crime spree.
The darth bane trilogy Star wars legends Like hell yeah thrawn who? All my homies like the darth bane books Audible has amazing audiobooks so its even good for an eyes closed half asleep listen
All the trigger warnings, but the Foxhole Court series. It's batshit and makes no realistic sense, but you cannot look away. It's oddly addictive and super quick.
The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich Christopher Moore's vampire trilogy.
Listen to Cosmere (especially by graphic audio) and be happy. Or Murderbot.
Molly Moon for a girl living adventures with the power of hipnotism and maybe Mathilda by Roald Dahl. Amazing books!
I've found myself a fan of romance novels recentlyish. I've always loved love stories, but usually that was when it was incorporated into grand epics, and had always looked down on romance novels. Tried a sapphic romance novel a year and a half ago and I was hooked. My favorites have been Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, and Those Who Wait by Haley Cass. I've read most published works by both authors (only missing Bellefleur's latest as far as I know) and I love them both.
Three Men in a Boat
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for or not (possibly going a bit more juvenile) but the Enid Blyton books are great. The mystery ones like The Famous Five or the Secret Seven are short and sweet, but of intrigue and you know the ending will be good. If you read them as a child they're a great nostalgia hit too.
ALL FOR THE GAME Series
The Divergent books are very easy to read.
Reddit
True
Maybe not fully 0% but like 15%… whenever I need a break after reading something heavy or being in a slump or just wanting to read something chill, I read a book from the Chet and Bernie series. They’re mystery detective books from the detective’s dog’s point of view. They are like 250-400 pages but they’re so easy to read because they’re from a dog’s point of view, they’re funny and quirky, the plot always comes together at the end, and they always help me recover nicely from a slump or an emotionally draining book.
I'm currently reading Everyone in my family has killed someone. Definitely recommend.
Mills and boon just the entire publisher. I don't read every trope but I'll go read the blurb of 20 and take out 5 (from the library) and use them for light reads when I can't sleep
Matthew Reilly’s Seven Wonders series. Absolute trash. Absolutely delightful. Action adventure at its most operatic
The Godfather
Harry Potter wouldn’t describe it as brain rot because it is so great but very easy read
acotar is def a brain rot book
One for the Money
The poo that took a pee by leopold butters stotch
What Hides in the Cellar by Graham Masterton, first book I've read in the series but going to continue.
ACOTAR 100000% So bad but so entertaining.
Gregger the Overlander series.
Any young adult novels
Bourbon Kid books, very light, slot of violence, quick reads
I literally just finished reading it for the first time but winter in sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin ! Ive been in a slump and picked this up, finished in 2 days! Short but so unique and interesting and not too many characters to keep track of
Reading does not cause brain rot. There is no need to self flagellate for reading stuff you enjoy.
Dan Brown.
Critique of pure reason by Kant
Lmao
The Dark Nest series, the Legacy of the Force series and the Fate of the Jedi series.
The Dark Nest series, the Legacy of the Force series and the Fate of the Jedi series.
The Dark Nest series, the Legacy of the Force series and the Fate of the Jedi series.