Taking a breather...a nonreview review

Today I finished reading a book which I considered a frilly read, not really worthy, in my eyes, of a review. The book, The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street, is the Pride and Prejudice story from Mr. Darcy's point-of-view.  I knew the plot and conclusion from the outset so there were no surprises. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was like I took a breather. Typically I select books with heft. Books that have a message about political, social, ethical, or moral issues. The books often are nonfiction, yet sometimes they are fiction selections, but they usually have a message. This book had none. I was purely reading for the enjoyment of reading and I confess, I liked it. Why don't I do this more often?

As I was contemplating aspects of writing this blog post, I looked ahead and backward for a minute, just to make a comparison. These are the titles I'm reading now or have recently finished:

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates---a letter from a black father to his teenage son about what it like living in America as a black person. It was so heavy and dispiriting I had to read it in small doses. (Finished 4/23/19)
• A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets by James Bowen---though it is a cute cat-rescue story, James is a recovering drug addict with all kinds of related problems. (Finished 4/19/19)
• Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield---a book about poetry, with few actual examples. (Started 4/10/19)
• Small Wonder: Essays by Barbara Kingsolver---the author of this essay collection began it on September 12, 2001, the day after 9-11. (Started 4/24/19)
• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai---a novel about the AIDS epidemic from its beginnings to present day. (Started 4/24/19)

These five books are my most recent selections. I tend to read heavy stuff. I doubt that will change. But after finishing today's book I've decided to be more purposeful about taking a breather more often. How about you? How do you balance your reading selections?