Whenever I can’t decide what to read next, or whenever I just need a break from reading new things, I always go back to one of my favorite series: the Georgia Nicolson books by Louise Rennison.

Georgia is a British teen who hates her wide nose, her pimples (lurking lurkers), her embarrassing father (an utter madman), Stalag 14 (her school), and Slim (the Oberfuhrer who runs the school).

But Georgia loves her cat Angus (part mad housecat, part Scottish wildcat who spends his time mocking the neighbors’ prat poodle), her toddler sister Libby (who is sweet but smells a little hamsterish), the Love God (an older boy in a band), and the Italian Stallion (an even sexier boy in a band who speaks limited English and has a scooter). Oh, and snogging. Georgia loves to snog, but only if she has just the amount of makeup on so that she appears to not be wearing makeup.

She tolerates her friend Jas (obsessed with her fringe, nature walks, and her boyfriend Tom, a legume heir), Dave the Laugh (who may or may not be in love with Georgia and vice versa), and her basoomas (inherited from her free-spirited mother whose unapologetic middle- agedness is truly a cross for Georgia to bear).

I’ve read all of the books in the series at least twice. No matter what kind of slump I’m in (reading or otherwise), a few hours with Georgia cheers me right up. I’m sad Rennison died in 2016. I’d love to spend time with Georgia in her adult years. I’d like to think she’s still a loon on loon tablets.