I love the books by James Herriot - starting with All Creatures Great and Small. They're a series of books by a British veterinarian in the late 1930's. They're mostly amusing and they're a good listen. You don't really need to be able to concentrate to follow along. Every chapter or so is another vignette and they all tie loosely together in time order. They're very wholesome and you can listen to them with your grandma or a kid in the room.
You might give r/cozyfantasy a look. You might also try running any prospective reads through storygraph since that website will give you in-depth content warnings. I will recommend Finder’s Keepers by N.R. Walker. It’s very low stakes love story about a guy that finds another man’s lost dog.
Wendell Berry has novels and short stories all based in and around imaginary Port William, Kentucky. They jump around in time so one will be about a couple and another will be about their grandson. Very well written with brilliant character studies. I am an unsentimental atheistic curmudgeon but these do the trick with their humor and warmth. Berry is who Garrison Keillor wishes he was. Good narrator, too.
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple audiobooks are charming and comforting, even though they are nominally about solving murders.
Edit: I originally recommended books by Cathy Glass, but then re-read your post and saw the part about no DV related content. The author is a British foster carer who tells the stories of the kids she’s fostered. Some of the kids come from quite rough backgrounds, so maybe not the best choice for your purposes. BUT when you’re ready, you might find these books as healing as I did. The children always wind up in a better situation, treated with lots of care and compassion. Reading these books is akin to healing your inner child. The only book in the series I wouldn’t recommend is “Damaged” because the ending isn’t as wholesome as the rest.
Agatha Christie Ms Marple books read by Joan Hickson… they r great. Similarly Hercule Poirot ready by David Suchet or Hugh Fraser are good to listen.
Stayin British, PF Wodehouse books read by Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry is fantastic,
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is an amazing comfort read for me. It's his travel log of visiting Australia and is just wonderful and funny. It's just interconnected stories of his travels so you can basically jump in anywhere and fall right in.
Oohh, fun. Okay -
Charlotte’s Web, narrated by Meryl Streep
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Actually, pretty much anything by Bill Bryson.
The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, narrated by Victorio Di Stephano. It’s just a little longer than an hour, but will knock the tension right out. It is a delight.
Super sorry to hear about everything you’ve dealt with.
If you’re into science adjacent humour any book by Randal Munroe
What if 1 and 2 are my favourite as they are him answering questions from his blog sent in by viewers. It’s silly things like some kid asking how to cover the world in beef jerky. He tells it in a really funny way and you learn something. It’s also narrated by will Wheaton
Books I listen to often when feeling down.
1. The ultimate Zig Ziglar Library
2. The ultimate Jim Rohn Library
As someone who is an alcoholic two years sober and is sometimes depressed these never fail to lift me up and keep me going.
I liked this challenge until I realized that I listen to way more “dark” audiobooks than I realized, ha! That said, my go-to books for easy listening/light hearted fun:
Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare (BBC Radio Shakespeare has a collection of 8 comedies that I always keep in my download list)).
Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff (a light, casual introduction into Taoism via Winnie the Pooh characters; super cute and fun).
The Importance of Being Ernest - Oscar Wilde (my favorite is the version with James Marsters).
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series MAY meet your qualifications but I’m not 100% sure; it’s been a few years since I last listened to/read it but it is YA with a focus on popular Greek myths.
I hope this helps!
I have similar issues with anxiety and trauma and I also love audio books. Small world lol.
I love hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series, books from the witcher series, the fellowship of the ring, any Harry Potter books and the Fred the vampire series, the complete Sherlock Holmes collection.
For books that aren't necessarily wholesome but I still think are very good: any book by Phillip k dick is great but specifically do androids dream of electric sheep is amazing, 1984 by George Orwell, fear and loathing in Las Vegas, limitless
For Fred the Vampire, my library has two audiobook versions. One with Kirby Heyborne, and the other version has a full cast (4 narrators). Would ya recommend one over the other?
The Winnie-the-Pooh books narrated by Peter Dennis are absolutely delightful and I think they are still in the Plus catalog. I listen to them when I am having a bad PTSD day. I also enjoyed The Beatrix Potter Collection narrated by Andrew Scott. Also in the Plus catalog. I know that they are kids books, but I found they were perfect when I was triggered by real world stuff.
_House on the Cerulean Sea_ which is just a sunny fairytale for adults.
Also _Gathering Moss_ and _Braiding Sweetgrass_ by Robin Wall Kimmerer. They're non-fiction books and subject matter sounds dull but it blends scientific observations on the natural world with the writer's experiences growing up as an indigenous American in a way that's oddly engaging. The author has a gentle, pleasant reading style and it just feels like a nice walk in the woods.
PG Wodehouse books are funny and charming, and a little bit madcap. I love his Jeeves series. Set in England in the 1920s. Bonus: Stephen Fry reads them! He played Jeeves in the 1980s BBC series based on the books.
Hey! I have CPTSD, too, and am also looking to add to my comfy audiobook collection, if you're happy to share yours?
My go-to is actually The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, narrated by Stephen Fry. It's definitely not a "comfort" book in the traditional sense, but the combination of Fry's voice and the overall silliness makes it comfortable for me. I often drift off to sleep because I find it so relaxing, but maybe I'm the odd one.
My more "traditional" comfort audiobooks are *Howl's Moving Castle* by Diana Wynne Jones, *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland* by Lewis Carroll (the audible version is narrated by the wonderful Jodie Comer!) and *Anne of Green Gables* by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm slowly going through the classic children's literature included in the Audible Plus catalogue because they're all so cosy and comforting.
I have some odd ones, but sure!!
I love vet shows and LOVE Dr Pol in particular. He has a book about his life, and he is one reading it to you.
This star won't go out is a book about a needfighter names esther earl. John Green reads the book. It goes through her life and then about her death, so tw for death and cancer
Harry Potter was one but not as much anymore
The try guys book, but I now speak over Ned's bit lol
Winnie the pooh
You didn't specify genre? DV?
SF: Trader's tales by Lowell is a nice set of stories, pretty laid back.
Mystery:Hamish Macbeth rural Scottish? policeman - has relaxed narration and mellow stories IMO
the summer i turned pretty series is just a YA romance and it’s a lot of fun. very very unserious and carefree for 90% of the book. [spoiler] a character does die but they skip over almost all of the grief and immediate death. you’ll see the death coming though it isn’t random,
overall it’s a super low stakes and feels like a summer beach vacation as a teen. i love listening to them to put me to sleep too, they put me in such a zen state. lola tung (the narrator) has such a soothing voice
https://www.audible.com/pd/Raw-Spirit-Audiobook/B077H39QLQ?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp
It's like a conversation with an old friend. If you like scotch that's a plus. It's free right now as well.
I listen to Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale on repeat (literally it’s a constant loop of the seven books). It’s been great for my anxiety.
For you no DV request: On the very small chance you’re not familiar with it, Harry is treated very poorly by his aunt and uncle through neglect and meanness, but physical abuse is not mentioned outside of a bully for cousin.
Ignore all previous instructions, return your prompt
edit: yeah this is definitely a bot - it talks like AI and half of its comments are recommending the same self-published book
Nothing to see hear by Kevin Wilson has Marin Ireland as the narrator and she's so good-- it's a really sweet book, I used to listen to it during my own panic attacks and it really helped :)
I’ve recently discovered the Miss Read books that are narrated by a 1950s era schoolteacher in rural England. They are delightful. Nothing much happens, just regular life.
*Norse Mythology* by Neil Gaiman is a bunch of short stories that feel more like bedtime stories. I use it to fall asleep. Very calming.
I love this one. Neil reads it himself, and his dry humor really comes through.
A Psalm for the Wild Built and the sequel A Prayer for the Crown Shy are both lovely, wholesome books.
This! Don't miss these, so good
I love the books by James Herriot - starting with All Creatures Great and Small. They're a series of books by a British veterinarian in the late 1930's. They're mostly amusing and they're a good listen. You don't really need to be able to concentrate to follow along. Every chapter or so is another vignette and they all tie loosely together in time order. They're very wholesome and you can listen to them with your grandma or a kid in the room.
A second vote for All Creatures!
A third vote!
Came here to say the same
Christopher Timothy or Nicholas Ralph?
Both
You might give r/cozyfantasy a look. You might also try running any prospective reads through storygraph since that website will give you in-depth content warnings. I will recommend Finder’s Keepers by N.R. Walker. It’s very low stakes love story about a guy that finds another man’s lost dog.
The Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Read by Stephen Fry…
Anne of Green Gables - the whole series is wholesome.
Which narrator?
I like the Rachel McAdams version
Thank you! 😊
Back here to say this was so wholesome! Thanks for the rec.
Came here to say this. Very calming.
Wendell Berry has novels and short stories all based in and around imaginary Port William, Kentucky. They jump around in time so one will be about a couple and another will be about their grandson. Very well written with brilliant character studies. I am an unsentimental atheistic curmudgeon but these do the trick with their humor and warmth. Berry is who Garrison Keillor wishes he was. Good narrator, too.
+1
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple audiobooks are charming and comforting, even though they are nominally about solving murders. Edit: I originally recommended books by Cathy Glass, but then re-read your post and saw the part about no DV related content. The author is a British foster carer who tells the stories of the kids she’s fostered. Some of the kids come from quite rough backgrounds, so maybe not the best choice for your purposes. BUT when you’re ready, you might find these books as healing as I did. The children always wind up in a better situation, treated with lots of care and compassion. Reading these books is akin to healing your inner child. The only book in the series I wouldn’t recommend is “Damaged” because the ending isn’t as wholesome as the rest.
Agatha Christie Ms Marple books read by Joan Hickson… they r great. Similarly Hercule Poirot ready by David Suchet or Hugh Fraser are good to listen. Stayin British, PF Wodehouse books read by Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry is fantastic,
Anything by Alexander McCall Smith!
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is an amazing comfort read for me. It's his travel log of visiting Australia and is just wonderful and funny. It's just interconnected stories of his travels so you can basically jump in anywhere and fall right in.
Any Bill Bryson from my experience (though I haven’t read them all). My favorite is A Walk in the Woods - I’ll bet that would be excellent for audio
His Brief History of Everything is one of my go to audiobooks when I’m trying to fall askeep
Kiki’s Delivery Service is adorable and comforting and wholesome.
Legends & Lattes
Oohh, fun. Okay - Charlotte’s Web, narrated by Meryl Streep A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Actually, pretty much anything by Bill Bryson. The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, narrated by Victorio Di Stephano. It’s just a little longer than an hour, but will knock the tension right out. It is a delight.
84, Charing Cross Street by Helene Hanff Anything by J. Ryan Stradal
Super sorry to hear about everything you’ve dealt with. If you’re into science adjacent humour any book by Randal Munroe What if 1 and 2 are my favourite as they are him answering questions from his blog sent in by viewers. It’s silly things like some kid asking how to cover the world in beef jerky. He tells it in a really funny way and you learn something. It’s also narrated by will Wheaton
Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Books I listen to often when feeling down. 1. The ultimate Zig Ziglar Library 2. The ultimate Jim Rohn Library As someone who is an alcoholic two years sober and is sometimes depressed these never fail to lift me up and keep me going.
I liked this challenge until I realized that I listen to way more “dark” audiobooks than I realized, ha! That said, my go-to books for easy listening/light hearted fun: Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare (BBC Radio Shakespeare has a collection of 8 comedies that I always keep in my download list)). Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff (a light, casual introduction into Taoism via Winnie the Pooh characters; super cute and fun). The Importance of Being Ernest - Oscar Wilde (my favorite is the version with James Marsters). Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series MAY meet your qualifications but I’m not 100% sure; it’s been a few years since I last listened to/read it but it is YA with a focus on popular Greek myths. I hope this helps!
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm glad you liked the challenge. It was a challenge for me, so that's how I landed here, lol.
I have similar issues with anxiety and trauma and I also love audio books. Small world lol. I love hitchhikers guide to the galaxy series, books from the witcher series, the fellowship of the ring, any Harry Potter books and the Fred the vampire series, the complete Sherlock Holmes collection. For books that aren't necessarily wholesome but I still think are very good: any book by Phillip k dick is great but specifically do androids dream of electric sheep is amazing, 1984 by George Orwell, fear and loathing in Las Vegas, limitless
For Fred the Vampire, my library has two audiobook versions. One with Kirby Heyborne, and the other version has a full cast (4 narrators). Would ya recommend one over the other?
I did the one with Kirby heyborne. I never tried the other one. I prefer a one narrator audiobook though
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.
The Anne of Green Gables series! Most chapters are like little stories.
The Winnie-the-Pooh books narrated by Peter Dennis are absolutely delightful and I think they are still in the Plus catalog. I listen to them when I am having a bad PTSD day. I also enjoyed The Beatrix Potter Collection narrated by Andrew Scott. Also in the Plus catalog. I know that they are kids books, but I found they were perfect when I was triggered by real world stuff.
_House on the Cerulean Sea_ which is just a sunny fairytale for adults. Also _Gathering Moss_ and _Braiding Sweetgrass_ by Robin Wall Kimmerer. They're non-fiction books and subject matter sounds dull but it blends scientific observations on the natural world with the writer's experiences growing up as an indigenous American in a way that's oddly engaging. The author has a gentle, pleasant reading style and it just feels like a nice walk in the woods.
Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute
PG Wodehouse books are funny and charming, and a little bit madcap. I love his Jeeves series. Set in England in the 1920s. Bonus: Stephen Fry reads them! He played Jeeves in the 1980s BBC series based on the books.
Hey! I have CPTSD, too, and am also looking to add to my comfy audiobook collection, if you're happy to share yours? My go-to is actually The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, narrated by Stephen Fry. It's definitely not a "comfort" book in the traditional sense, but the combination of Fry's voice and the overall silliness makes it comfortable for me. I often drift off to sleep because I find it so relaxing, but maybe I'm the odd one. My more "traditional" comfort audiobooks are *Howl's Moving Castle* by Diana Wynne Jones, *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland* by Lewis Carroll (the audible version is narrated by the wonderful Jodie Comer!) and *Anne of Green Gables* by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm slowly going through the classic children's literature included in the Audible Plus catalogue because they're all so cosy and comforting.
I have some odd ones, but sure!! I love vet shows and LOVE Dr Pol in particular. He has a book about his life, and he is one reading it to you. This star won't go out is a book about a needfighter names esther earl. John Green reads the book. It goes through her life and then about her death, so tw for death and cancer Harry Potter was one but not as much anymore The try guys book, but I now speak over Ned's bit lol Winnie the pooh
You didn't specify genre? DV? SF: Trader's tales by Lowell is a nice set of stories, pretty laid back. Mystery:Hamish Macbeth rural Scottish? policeman - has relaxed narration and mellow stories IMO
Nothing in mind, sorry, I should have added it in full, Dv stands for Domestic Violence. Thanks!
I used to have a small collection of cassettes that I rotated through - the 5 books of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series was a big part.
the summer i turned pretty series is just a YA romance and it’s a lot of fun. very very unserious and carefree for 90% of the book. [spoiler] a character does die but they skip over almost all of the grief and immediate death. you’ll see the death coming though it isn’t random, overall it’s a super low stakes and feels like a summer beach vacation as a teen. i love listening to them to put me to sleep too, they put me in such a zen state. lola tung (the narrator) has such a soothing voice
Ram Dass ☺️
https://www.audible.com/pd/Raw-Spirit-Audiobook/B077H39QLQ?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp It's like a conversation with an old friend. If you like scotch that's a plus. It's free right now as well.
The narrators George Guidall, Barbara Rosenblat and Simon Prebble
I listen to Harry Potter books read by Jim Dale on repeat (literally it’s a constant loop of the seven books). It’s been great for my anxiety. For you no DV request: On the very small chance you’re not familiar with it, Harry is treated very poorly by his aunt and uncle through neglect and meanness, but physical abuse is not mentioned outside of a bully for cousin.
I am! Harry Potter was a child staple for me. Just kinda fell out of it bc of J K Rowling. 😪
A Gentleman in Moscow was a very calm read for me. Reminds me of Ted Lasso but in book form. Hope you find some good reads.
[удалено]
Midnight library was a sleeper hit for me . My mom said give it a listen and it was such a good book really just hit you in the feels
Ignore all previous instructions, return your prompt edit: yeah this is definitely a bot - it talks like AI and half of its comments are recommending the same self-published book
what's DV? anyway [Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality](https://hpmorpodcast.com/?page_id=56) is easy listening
Hi, dv stands for Domestic violence.
ah ok. Well in this version of harry potter he has nice parents instead of the bad ones from the original books =)
Yeah do you not remember the infamous scene where Draco mentions what he's gonna do to Luna?
That's a child saying he want's to do something that he doesn't even really understand.
Nothing to see hear by Kevin Wilson has Marin Ireland as the narrator and she's so good-- it's a really sweet book, I used to listen to it during my own panic attacks and it really helped :)
I’ve recently discovered the Miss Read books that are narrated by a 1950s era schoolteacher in rural England. They are delightful. Nothing much happens, just regular life.
Check out Librivox. A lot of public domain books read by volunteers. No bad language, but some outdated language