Thursday, February 22, 2018

Discussion: My Love for Feel-Good Books


This Week’s Topic: My Love for Feel-Good Books

Everyone has a favorite kind of story. Some people love epic fantasies, historical romances, dark dystopians, or tear-jerkers. I like to read books like these every once in a while, but my favorite books are the makes-me-happy kind, better known as feel-good books. 

That's right. I relish being left with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. I want to shed those happy tears. Why? Well, it's simple for me. Life can get hard. It could be something happening to me or something happening around me, but either way, there are a lot of things that happen, which make me a sad. So I will turn to a book to give me that little boost, to restore my faith in humanity, or just help me make it through a tough week.

Some of my recent favorite feel-good reads are listed below. They may have had some tough, emotional parts, but I was left so happy at the end.


Prince in Disguise
by Stephanie Kate Strohm


Flipped
by Wendell Van Draanen


Far From the Tree
by Robin Benway

When My Heart Joins the Thousand
by A.J. Steiger

Wonder
by R.J. Palacio

A Messy, Beautiful Life
by Sara Jade Alan

Geekerella
by Ashley Poston


Love and Other Alien Experiences
by Kerry Winfrey


Dairy Queen
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock


When Dimple Met Rishi
by Sandhya Menon

Alex, Approximately
by Jenn Bennett

Coming Up for Air
by Miranda Kenneally


We Are Still Tornadoes
by Michael Kun, Susan Mullen

Zenn Diagram
by Wendy Brant

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
by Becky Abertalli

Now it's your turn!


What favorite feel-good book should I add to my list? 
Let us know in the comments!

28 comments:

  1. I too love feel good books. I just recently read kat and meg conquer the world and juniper lemons happiness index. Both wonderful and made me feel so good at the end. We all need those feel good monenents.

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    1. I loved Kat and Meg. It was such a lovely story of female friendship. I was really saddened by the lackluster reviews. Glad I know someone else enjoyed it. Juniper is on my TBR. I saw the cover and knew I had to read it. Feeling good is the best!

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  2. I love these kinds of books. I've read, and enjoyed, darker themed books but for the most part I read to escape and like to be left all happy with a giant smile on my face after I close the last page of a book.

    You can't go wrong with Jen Bennett & Geekerella, When Dimple Met Rishi, Simon were adorable. I also loved Coming Up for Air.

    I've been meaning to read Far from the Tree but I didn't realize it was a feel good book. Something about the cover and title make it seem like a sad story.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. I have to mentally prep for darker reads, and make sure I am in a headspace that can deal with it. The review I am posting tomorrow is for a dark read, but it was excellent. Do you know, I didn't request an eARC for Far From the Tree, because it sounded like it would be all sad. Then I kept seeing all the fabulous reviews. I read it in January, and it was so beautiful. Just a wonderful story of family and so many good things happen. My heart was just bursting.

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  3. Oh I love feel good books too!!! I loved some you mentioned and have some I need to get to. It is great when books put a smile on my face.

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    1. My favorite thing is finishing a book with a smile on my face.

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  4. Don't laugh-but I haven't read any of the "feel good" kind!! I enjoy what I read, but nope haven't read one yet!!
    https://justmeandmyblogreviews.blogspot.com/2018/02/giant-reverse-harem-giveaway.html

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    1. Feel-good books are my goal. I just like that feeling, that euphoria you get from that kind of story. I don't like sports, but I keep watching sports movies, because they deliver that same kind of feeling.

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  5. AS a reviewer I can't afford to be a complete mood reader, but there are times when I really need a feel good book. Thanks for the list!
    Jen Ryland Reviews

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    1. I guess I am lucky that this is a hobby and not my job, so I have option to mood read.

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  6. I love feel-good books too. They just provide that ultimate escape from reality. When life has me down, this is definitely the kind of book I reach for. Several of these are still on my TBR too so it's nice to know I have some feel good books coming up soon.

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    1. My number 1 reason for reading is to escape, why not make it a happy escape? I hope you get to read a few of these one day, because there are so many of my faves up there.

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  7. I love feel-good books too, especially after reading a particularly heavy book. They're usually just so happy that you can't help but smile and laugh, and honestly, it's nice when 99.99% of them have a happy ending. And I'm so happy to see you featured the Dairy Queen series. It's one of my favorites, and I wish it would get more love.

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    1. Right? And HEAs are like oxygen for me (my Hallmark movie addiction is well known). I discovered Dairy Queen through TTT posts. I saw it on so many lists, I had to read it. I was so glad I did.

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  8. Dairy Queen was excellent - doesn't get enough love.

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  9. OH I LOVE FEEL-GOOD BOOKS TOO! And dramas! And movies! And...everything, basically. I turn to all these mostly as an escape, so I'd rather read something that ultimately makes me happy, you know? This is not to say I don't enjoy other, more serious stuff, but if something make me happy, I'm ALL for it. You've given some great recs- I was contemplating picking up Wonder and now I'm all the more excited for it! I think I'd add the To All the boys I've Loved Before series here too- it was the best! <3

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    1. To All the Boys is a wonderful series. I am so in love with that family and cannot wait for the film. I cannot praise Wonder enough. I mean, with a tagline like "choose kindness" it is bound to warm your heart.

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  10. Feel good books are few and far between for me because their not something a crave. Books are also an escape for me, but I want to escape into a place far from earth (preferably a made up city or something in another dimension). Though I will sometimes read a cute and fluffy romance, for example, it's not a regular thing for me :)

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    1. I think everyone has their personal kind of escape, and I just mostly want to feel good. I think I like contemporaries, because I can trick myself into believing that wonderful things can happen here in the real world.

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  11. I definitely agree with some of these! I don't always like feel-good books (idk why, must be my pessimistic nature hah) but these are definitely great choices. And I love that mushy feeling sometimes! I definitely agree with Far From the Tree (though also, feels!) and Coming Up for Air! OH and We Are Still Tornadoes, loved that one, why hasn't it had more love!?

    So I just finished Starry Eyes, definitely a feel-good sort. I am looking through my Read Shelf on Goodreads, and I don't have many! This one is middle grade, but Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus was AWESOME. The Unlikelies was like, the most feel-good book in the history of warm fuzzies. Lara Jean, of course. She in herself is feel-good hahh. Does The Upside of Unrequited count? I think it does, and I'd say that is my fave.

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    1. Yes! Another Tornadoes fan. I want to start a club for these super charming books that get no love (Phantom Limbs, right?)

      I definitely think Bennett does feel good right, and Upside was cute and adorable and ultimately feel good, but since I didn't want to flood my list with the same authors, I selected Simon, because it still gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

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  12. First of that, that first gif is amazing lol.

    I'm kind of your opposite in that I prefer more intense, darker stories, but I do sometimes get in the mood for a feel good book! In Dec I went through a phase for a while where that was kind of all I wanted to read, feel-good Xmas themed books lol. Like you said though, sometimes when life is tough, it's just what you need! The only one I've read on your list is Flipped, but it's such a great book!

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    1. That gif cracked me up. I had to use it. I struggle with depression, so I have to watch my moods when I read dark books. They tend to put me in a worst funk if I am already in one, but feel-good books are always a good choice for me. Flipped was the best! I keep telling everyone and their children to read this book.

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  13. I sometimes NEED a good feel-good book in my life, and a lot of these hit the spot for me. I just recently finished I Believe in a Thing Called Love and it just had me smiling the whole time. Love it!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I often need a feel-good book, so I am thankful that they exist. Yes! Desi was so fun and her relationship with her dad was so sweet. IBiaTCL was definitely a smile inducing feel-good book.

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  14. I adored Wonder, and Simon Vs.! When I need a break, or a palate cleanser, I usually pick up a Middle Grade book. :)

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    1. I never thought MG was for me, but I find those stories approach the topic in such a lovely way, and I don't know if I have been lucky or what, but my recent MG reads have been wonderful.

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