5 characters having a bad day
When your day suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.
Sometimes you pick up a book to escape a bad day. Or, as Moira Rose would say, “I’d kill for a good coma right now.” These books will remind you your day could be a whole lot worse.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
Benjamin Stevenson
…when your family group chat should stay muted.
Why You’ll Like It: A locked-room mystery where everyone has a body count.
Your family reunion is at a ski resort. Everyone has killed someone. Then someone starts murdering people. Suddenly your own family drama doesn’t seem so bad.
Read this if you like:
- Locked-room mysteries
- Unreliable narrators
- Dark humor
Hestia Strikes a Match
Christine Grillo
…when your family group chat should stay muted.
Why You’ll Like It: A literary dystopian novel about surviving when life insists on moving forward.
America has fractured into separate nations, but Hestia still has bills to pay. While the world is changing around her, she has to figure out how to keep living in it.
Read this if you like:
- Literary dystopian fiction
- Character-driven stories
- Dark humor
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman
…when aliens make you reality TV.
Why You’ll Like It: An action-packed sci-fi adventure where surviving the apocalypse is entertainment.
Aliens invade Earth, destroy civilization, and force the survivors into a televised death game. Carl and his cat Princess Donut have one job: stay alive.
Read this if you like:
- Fast-paced adventures
- Sci-fi with humor
- Audiobooks with incredible narration
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
M. J. Wassmer
…when your vacation involves a comet.
Why You’ll Like It: An end-of-the-world story that asks what happens when you’re stranded far from home.
You’re on vacation when you learn a comet is heading for Earth. Now the only thing harder than surviving the apocalypse is trying to get back to the people you love.
Read this if you like:
- End-of-the-world fiction
- Character-driven stories
- Humor mixed with heart
I Hope This Finds You Well
Natalie Sue
…when professionalism leaves the chat.
Why You’ll Like It: A workplace comedy where one accidental mistake changes everything.
Imagine everyone at work finding out what you really think about them. Now imagine you still have to show up on Monday.
Read this if you like:
- Workplace satire
- Awkward humor
- Character-driven contemporary fiction
