Westerly Sun Column | Books to Keep Your Minds Off Politics

With tomorrow being Election Day, I imagine many of us — no matter your position on the political spectrum — are feeling a bit on edge. While I certainly think voting is important, I also believe in protecting your mental health and well-being, which is why I’m looking for something light and bright to take my mind off of politics for the moment! If this sounds appealing to you, give some of these books and movies a try.

Many well-loved, award-winning books and films are chock full of drama, tragedy, struggles, and strife (I’m looking at you, “Manchester by the Sea”), but there are plenty of others that are fantastic and don’t make you feel empty inside. My fellow cat-ladies should check out “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” (2024), written by Syou Ishida and translated by E. Madison Shimoda. It’s an utterly charming novel about a mysterious clinic that prescribes cats to patients struggling with various issues, and follows as the pets transform their lives. Another quirky and lovable read is “The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers” (2024) by Samuel Burr, about a baby who is abandoned in front of a house inhabited by a commune of puzzlers, and who later embarks on a journey to solve the puzzle of his true family. Those who love puzzles (of any kind!) will find particular joy in this one, but it’s sure to be adored by all.

If you tend to lean toward nonfiction books, it can sometimes seem as though there are no uplifting options to be found, but I promise there are! For now, skip past the political science, true crime, and health sections, and try something eccentric and enriching like “Who Ate the First Oyster: The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History” by Cody Cassidy. In it, Cassidy identifies 17 historic discoveries, and delves further into who made them, and how they impacted our evolution and progress. Another lovely book is “Something in the Woods Loves You” by Jarod K. Anderson, in which nature writing meets memoir. Anderson writes candidly about turning to nature in his darkest times, and focuses each chapter on a plant or animal that has captured his attention. If ever there was a book to enjoy on a bench in Wilcox Park, this is it!

If all else fails, there’s nothing wrong falling back on an old favorite. One of my top comfort films is “Young Frankenstein”, which I recently re-watched in celebration of the late and great Teri Garr. Silly and unserious films like “Miss Congeniality” and “The Princess Bride” never fail to put a smile on my face, as does revisiting old episodes of “Schitt’s Creek.” All of these books, films, and television shows are available through the library consortium, or on apps like Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy. Don’t be afraid to turn off the news, just for a little while, and sink your nose into a calming book, instead. And please, let us know which ones you choose, because I could use more ideas!

by Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian