A readers' advisory consultant at work told us that when the world is a garbage fire, two genres of books increase in readership: romance and dystopian fiction.

One, because people want to lose themselves in happy endings, the other, because they want to know it could be worse.

I just got my second $20 amazon gift card for listening to my 3rd romance novel on audible this month.

I'm finding I gravitate toward murder mysteries lately, some good old-fashioned order-being-established-after-chaos

Yes I'm all about escapist romance and mysteries where the bad guy is caught and all is well in the end!

I haven't been a big mystery reader, but I found a series about a cop in Honolulu who is trying to solve a murder and comes out as gay. The whole series is kind of fun. It's only a little sexy and the mysteries aren't too difficult to figure out but I'm on the fourth book in the series so I like it.

I'm nearly finished the first of the Dresden Files series. I don't know what I was expecting, but I am finding it amusing. A plus for me is it having a bunch in the series.

I had been reading mysteries for the last couple of years to cope with the general mess the world is in. Now I'm reading Defoe's "Journal of the Plague Year" and a history of the Spanish Influenza. I find it comforting to know that everything could be way worse.

What's the series, Cash? Sounds good

I'm nearly finished the first of the Dresden Files series. I don't know what I was expecting, but I am finding it amusing. A plus for me is it having a bunch in the series.

Jim Butcher has some writing tics that he never loses throughout the series, but I think the Harry Dresden books start to get really good about book 4 or 5.

I think the Harry Dresden books start to get really good about book 4 or 5.

I'm looking forward to going through the whole series. It is solid distraction.

I'm reading Connie Willie's Doomsday Book.