Okay, I may have overstated my case in the headline, but I got your attention. At a minimum, sitting down with a good book can relieve some stress. Or, at a minimum, minimum, it can give you a momentary escape from the kids, the job, money worries, relationship woes, and unexplained weight gain.

But any reader worth his salt will fess up that part of the pleasure of reading is being able to do it alone. It doesn't much matter whether I'm reading a thriller by James Patterson or a Pulitzer winner by Cormac McCarthy—reading is a way for me to get away from everyone and everything.

So, when you do get a few moments of solitude, what exactly should you read? Let me give you a couple of suggestions for books you might otherwise overlook.

First, The Wishbones by Tom Perrotta. This is basically a chummy romantic comedy. It’s about Dave, 31, who still lives at home and it’s hilarious. Really. After witnessing an unexpected death, Dave goes a little wacky and it’s this wackiness that makes the book so endearing. The first chapter is an absolute joy to read and ends with a subtle punchline that still has me giggling. I read the first chapter aloud to my girlfriend and wouldn’t let her off the couch until she agreed with me this is funny stuff and Perrotta is a genius.  

And second, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Murakami is one of Japan’s most celebrated writers. Kafka is a coming of age story about three characters—15-year-old Kafka Tamura, a savant-like man who can talk to cats, and a youngish guy with a dead end job who helps Kafka find an ordinary stone that has the power to change the world. It’s a about the quest for love and autonomy. It’s weird. It’s quirky. It’s a must read. Pick up both books. Read them. You won’t be disappointed.

Latham Shinder is the author of The Graffiti Sculptor and founder of Shinder Consulting, a network of professionals who provide writing, editing, and proposal management services for organizations and individuals. Visit Latham at
www.thegraffitisculptor.com.