When overwhelmed by the front page I visit Blandings Castle and the Drones Club. Plum Wodehouse Land is populated by loyal, friendly, well-mannered dimwits who may not have any brains but don't have a mean bone in their bespoke tailored body. P.G. Wodehouse has provided me with 50 years' worth of intricately plotted humor where the days are always sunny and the worst outcome is another unsuitable fiancé for Bertie Wooster.

Fortunately, fate — or Reginald Jeeves — will intervene to fish them out of the soup and drive away safely in the two-seater. Wodehouse girls are unstoppable, aunts are fearsome and all criminals are fairly harmless. The power of Wodehouse Land is such that the author himself could write a jewel like "Joy in the Morning" while interned in a German prison camp.

Tinkerty-tonk!

Greg Peterson, St. Paul

Quarantine Reads are recommendations of soothing books in fraught times. Send your suggestion, with your name and city, to books@startribune.com