Yahoo Lifestyle 
14 books for everyone who needs a distraction right now
If you’re still off work, on holiday or need a distraction from the bushfires, a good book may be just what you need right now.
A good book is just what we all need all the time, really.
We’ve put together a list of popular reads across many categories and genres, from romance to cooking, fiction to history. Best read by a pool.
Comedy
Kitty Flanagan's 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan
We could all use a laugh at the moment, so here are 488 of them. A hilarious offering from veteran Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan, it provides the antidote to life’s pesky little problems.
Fiction
The first novel by The New York Times Magazine staff writer, Fleishman is in Trouble is a satirical look at modern love and dating, through the lens of the recently divorced Toby Fleishman.
Young Children
Bluey: Fruit Bat by Bluey
A glow-in-the-dark picture book from the beloved Australian TV character. Join Bluey as she flies through the night in a magical dream adventure.
History and Politics
A fascinating read, Dark Emu challenges the reductive framing of pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians as hunter-gatherers when the evidence shows that Aboriginal society and agricultural practices were far advanced.
Young Adult Fiction
Fish Out Of Water: The Lost Girls: Book 1 by Jane Tara
The first release in a new series about friendship, travel and love. Two weeks in Tokyo turns elite swimmer, Dina McNamara's life upside-down.
Fantasy
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Now a TV series starring Michael Sheen and Tennant, Good Omens is an oldie but a great-y, suited to adults and teens alike. The world will end next Saturday. Just before dinner. The battle of good versus evil is on.
Cooking
Ottolenghi SIMPLE by Yotam Ottolenghi
Award-winning chef, restaurateur and The Guardian columnist, Yotam Ottolenghi has brought Middle Eastern food into the mainstream. Here he presents 130 easy recipes that are still packed with flavour.
Crime and Mystery
The Nowhere Child by Christian White
A book about trauma, cults, conspiracy and memory, The Nowhere Child is the gripping story of an unsolved, decades-old disappearance of a little girl.
Sport
Perspective by Elysse Perry
With a phenomenal career that started at 16, Ellyse Perry is the only person to ever represent Australia in both cricket and soccer World Cups. Perspective features stories and reflections from her childhood and career.
Australian Fiction
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Winner of a record four Australian Book Industry Awards, Boy Swallows Universe is the remarkable debut from The Weekend Australian Magazine writer Dalton. This is a heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating tale that has taken Australia by storm.
Business
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
American research professor Dr Brené Brown believes that leadership isn’t about status or power. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognising the potential in people and developing that potential.
Romance
After by Anna Todd
‘There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything after...’
Now a major motion picture, read the steamy love story from Anna Todd, who Cosmopolitan called “the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation.”
Biography and True Stories
Me by Elton John
“I thought I knew everything about Elton, but after reading his book, I learned so much more.”
Read the fascinating story of how shy English London boy Reginald Dwight became fabulous pop icon Elton John. Told in his own words.
Junior Fiction
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 14: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
The Heffley family is back. An unexpected inheritance provides a chance to make major improvements to their home. But they soon find that construction isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and may be forced to move?
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