Although heavy tomes can be thought provoking and force analytic thinking in our dusty brains, sometimes a book needs to be a mindless diversion.  When we need an escape from reality, award winning books forcing us to acknowledge the dire consequences of the greenhouse effect or the misery of our fellow man can only drop us deeper into the abyss.  Every now and then, a happy, fluffy, even ridiculous, book is the needed antidote.

   In the spirit of the list giving season, here are a few authors I turn to for solace, smiles, and silliness:

• Maria Semple (Today Will Be Different)
• Sophie Kinsella (Remember Me?)
• Alan Bradley (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie)
• Sarah Addison Allen (Garden Spells)
• Jojo Moyes (One Plus One)
• Mitch Albom (The Time Keeper)
• Louise Miller (A City Baker’s Guide to Country Living)

What books can you recommend to brighten a day?