You know those days when you just can’t seem to do anything right? Or perhaps you’re having a poor self-esteem day? Or maybe you just burst into tears for no reason. Sound familiar? Over the years I’ve developed a sure-fire remedy for all sorts of emotional problems. Here are a few of my favorite “prescriptions”:

1. So you had a bad day….
For the most basic of bad days, most any chick-lit will do. I’m partial to Sophie Kinsella’s books because they’re heartfelt without being too romantically involved.

2. You’re bad day involved a lot of tears, of the completely not pretty kind.
We’ve all been there. You’re talking to someone about an innocuous subject and suddenly you’re a blubbering idiot. Days like this call for an escape. Try a fantasy novel like The River of No Return. The key is to choose something you’ll fall into right away. Tonight is not the night to struggle through Moby Dick.

3. You’ve got relationship woes.
For tears of the “broken heart” variety, I tend to turn to books about friendship. If you’re a YA fan try Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, if you like more adult novels try the Mitford series.

4. You feel like you got run over by a bus.
Whether you’re aching because of the flu or a really terrible case of the mean reds, you need something to take your mind off of your troubles, stat! I find mystery novels the easy to get lost in quickly. A few of my favorites: Dust and Shadow by Lindsay Fay and anything by Kathy Reichs or Dan Brown.

5. You’re homesick and just over this whole “being an adult” thing.
Boy oh boy is being an adult hard work! Avoid reading anything about child prodigies or people who’s whole lives are worked out by age 15. Try picking up stories about late bloomers: The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones’s Diary or Someday, Someday Maybe.

6. For anything else, there are always your old favorites. A few weeks ago I talked about how re-reading a book can be like going home, and this is the perfect occasion to revisit the classics. I always love a good marathon reading of Harry Potter, but maybe Sherlock Holmes is a little more your speed.

What books do you turn to when you’re having a bad day?