The world is chaotic and noisy these days. Twenty-four hour news cycles, social media with all it’s drama, anger everywhere you look. It is exhausting. Sometimes it’s just nice to be able to reach for a quiet book and escape for a little while so here is a list of eight quiet books to block out the noise of our world.
(I want to clarify that these books aren’t necessarily void of topics that are uncomfortable, or a little sad, but those topics are mentioned fairly briefly or aren’t presented in a super heavy way.)
1.
Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson
I read this one this summer and really enjoyed it. It really was delightful and fun.
Description: Barbara Buncle is in a bind. Times are harsh, and Barbara’s bank account has seen better days. Stumped for ideas, Barbara draws inspiration from fellow residents of her quaint English village, writing a revealing novel that features the townsfolk as characters. The smashing bestseller is published under the pseudonym John Smith, which is a good thing because villagers recognize the truth. But what really turns her world around is when events in real life start mimicking events in the book. Funny, charming, and insightful, this novel reveals what happens when people see themselves through someone else’s eyes.
2.
Village School by Miss Read
I read this one at the beginning of the year and it was relaxing, with a few sad things in the middle of cheerful and hopeful messages.
Description:
The first novel in the beloved Fairacre series, Village School introduces the remarkable schoolmistress Miss Read and her lovable group of children, who, with a mixture of skinned knees and smiles, are just as likely to lose themselves as their mittens. This is the English village of Fairacre: a handful of thatch-roofed cottages, a church, the school, the promise of fair weather, friendly faces, and good cheer — at least most of the time.
Here everyone knows everyone else’s business, and the villagers like each other anyway (even Miss Pringle, the irascible, gloomy cleaner of Fairacre School). With a wise heart and a discerning eye, Miss Read guides us through one crisp, glistening autumn in her village and introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters and a world of drama, romance, and humor, all within a stone’s throw of the school. By the time winter comes, you’ll be nestled snugly into the warmth and wit of Fairacre and won’t want to leave.
3.
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lillian Jackson Braun
This is a mystery book and I could have named any of the books from this series for this particular post. Almost all of them are relaxing and fairly quiet. Sometimes they even seem pointless and the mystery is secondary to the main character wondering around town and his Siamese cats getting into mischief, but, honestly, there are times I need a book that is a bit pointless to reset my nervous system.
Description:
Jim Qwilleran and his cats Koko and Yum Yum try to solve a haunting mystery in a historic farmhouse in this New York Times bestseller in the Cat Who series.
When Mrs. Cobb heard unearthly noises in the antique-filled farmhouse, she called Jim Qwilleran for help. But he was too late. It looked as if his kindly ex-housekeeper had been frightened to death—but by whom? Or what? Now Qwilleran’s moved into the historic farmhouse with his two cat companions—and Koko the Siamese is spooked. Is it a figment of feline imagination—or the clue to a murder in Moose County? And does Qwilleran have a ghost of a chance of solving this haunting mystery?
4.
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
I’ve gone and on and about this book and you can read more about what I think of it here and here.
Description:
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery is a heartwarming and empowering story about self-discovery, courage, and finding true happiness. Set in the early 20th century, the novel follows Valancy Stirling, a shy and unfulfilled woman who has spent her life conforming to the expectations of her overbearing family. When faced with unexpected news about her health, Valancy decides to break free from societal norms and live life on her own terms. Moving to a remote cabin in the Muskoka woods, she discovers love, freedom, and the joy of living authentically. With its witty humor, vivid descriptions, and unforgettable characters, The Blue Castle is a timeless tale of transformation and resilience.
5.
The Imitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
I haven’t read everything by Wodehouse yet but so far the books I have read have been a riot and a total stress reliever. You have to like dry sense of humors (think Monty Python but less crazy and eccentric). There are several of the Jeeves books, which are mainly reprinted short stories from newspapers and feature Bertie Wooster, a rich playboy with no job, and his valet Jeeves.
Description (my own):
This book was originally presented as a collection of short stories which appeared in The Strand magazine in the U.K. The stories were later compiled into a novel. The first collection of short stories was Carry On, Jeeves, which I am reading now.
A little background on this series of short stories/books first.
Bertie Wooster is a “English gentleman” who is considered one of the “idle rich.” He doesn’t have a job. He mainly lives off his rich aunt Agatha and, probably, a trust fund.
Jeeves is Bertie’s valet or male attendant, if you don’t know what valet means. I wasn’t totally sure of the meaning of the word “valet” myself when I first heard the term years ago.
Jeeves gets Bertie out of the many predicaments Bertie gets himself into by being too nice or too arrogant by thinking he can fix a situation. In this book Bertie gets himself in trouble in a variety of ways, including helping his old school chum Bingo who is in love with a new woman every other month.
6.
Stillmeadow Daybrook by Gladys Taber
I have not actually finished this book yet. It is a book written with each chapter representing a month of the year. This is a non-fiction book about a woman and her friend who live on a farm in Connecticut. The chapters are full of tidbits about every day life, thoughts about the seasons, well-written and poetic prose about country and farm life.
If you haven’t heard of Gladys, she was a columnist who wrote for Ladies Home Journal and Family Circle and was also an author of 59 of her own books, detailing her and her family’s quiet life on a farm in Connecticut.
Gladys’ books are very hard to find since they are, as far as I know, out of print. I was so excited to find this one on a bookshop on Instagram. I’ve since found three more of her books.
7.
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim
This one has a few bumpy moments — or so you think — but is mainly a sweet and quiet journey.
Description:
Four disillusioned women seek respite together; polite strangers, sharing an idyllic retreat in Italy. Each carries a burden that must be lifted; each must find a way…
At San Salvatore, ghosts are exorcised and bounds broken: each woman finds her own way back to happiness, on her own terms – aided by the simple magic of an Italian Spring garden.
Any story of a struggle to break free is compelling to the human heart. One way or another, we must each break free of our own prison. This then is the story of Rose, Lotty, Scrap Dester & Mrs Fisher – and their quiet story is epic, like the poems of antiquity.
8.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
This might be a little too quiet and sweet/sappy for some, but it’s still a nice reset and, hey, remember, it was originally written for children so it is supposed to feature a good helping of innocence.
Description:
Little orphan Heidi goes to live high in the Alps with her gruff grandfather and brings happiness to all who know her on the mountain. When Heidi goes to Frankfurt to work in a wealthy household, she dreams of returning to the mountains and meadows, her friend Peter, and her beloved grandfather.
What are some more quiet books that you enjoy and I can feature in a future post?
If you are looking for more relaxing books to read, I wrote a post in April along the same lines: https://lisahoweler.com/2026/04/28/ten-of-the-most-relaxing-books-i-have-ever-read-in-no-particular-order/
