Whether you’re having a good or bad day, there’s no better way to lift your spirits than by immersing yourself in a feel-good book. Discover these moving, heartwarming, and sometimes laugh-out-loud books to keep you smiling long after the final page.
Looking for a light-hearted read that will bring a smile to your face? Grab a cozy blanket and a hot cup of tea, and embark on a literary journey with the best feel-good books, including the hilariously relatable misadventures in Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Upand the laughs of Bridget Jones. Read on for our selection of uplifting books that are guaranteed to cheer, exhilarate and hearten.
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle follows London fashion designer Cressida Westcott who loses her home and business in the Blitz. With nothing left, she returns to the family manor house, much to the delight of her niece, Violet. Meanwhile, the vicar’s daughter Grace is trying to repair her mother’s wedding dress for her own wedding. Cressida joins the sewing circle and soon the group is mending wedding dresses for women around the country. Described as a ‘hug of a novel’, this is a warm story, inspired by true events.
Accompany Bridget Jones as she pours her thoughts and feelings about dating, friendship, work and family into her much-loved diary – and chortle throughout. Whether it’s Bridget crashing home after one too many glasses of Chardonnay at her favourite haunt Cafe Rouge, or attempting to keep things cool with the enigmatic Daniel Cleaver by leaving a would-be seductive message on his answering machine which she then frantically attempts to delete, this uplifting book is guaranteed to leave readers in stitches.
With her marriage falling apart and her longed-for holiday cancelled, Georgina Greenhills gets an unexpected offer: a holiday in the small seaside town nestling in the beautiful South Downs where she grew up. There is only one catch: she must try and solve the mystery of the valuable antiques disappearing from the remote manor house belonging to an old lady called Maudie. Filled with wit, warmth and sunshine, In the Summertime by Maeve Haran has all the things we love about a seaside England in the sun making us realize you don’t have to go abroad to find romance and adventure.
From the bestselling author of The Clockmaker’s Daughter comes a breathtaking mystery of love and lies told with Kate Morton’s trademark intricacy and beauty. The story begins in the Adelaide Hills in 1959 when a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. Sixty years later, when Jess returns to her family home in Sydney, she discovers a true crime book that reveals a shocking connection between her own family and this once-infamous crime. An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love and the healing nature of truth.
For Belladonna Blackthorn perfecting her magic is the lowest of her priorities. The effort of balancing her work at Lunar Books (which includes dealing with a toxic boss) with trying to conceal her witchcraft from those around her has left her burnt out. But when she is summoned to her coven on her thirtieth birthday for a trial that tests her worthiness to be a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the looming threat of losing part of her identity, can she turn things around by the end of October and reignite her inner spark?
This is a heartfelt ode to the transformative power of kindness. Young Sara Crewe is born in India into wealth and riches, and when she becomes a pupil at Miss Minchin’s girls’ boarding school in London she is treated as a princess. Sara is not spoilt, though. On the contrary, she shows unfailing kindness and generosity towards those less fortunate than herself, be it her fellow pupil – awkward, ungainly Ermengarde – or Becky, a servant at the school. When Sara’s beloved father dies, leaving her penniless and at the mercy of the unforgiving Miss Minchin, the girl’s character is put to the test like never before. This classic uplifting book is a testament to love and goodness.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a renowned classic exploring the witty courtship between Elizabeth Bennet, the independent and free-spirited second Bennet daughter who is not keen to marry, and Mr Darcy, a wealthy and eligible bachelor who has not made the best first impression. Can they navigate their prejudices and discover that once you put your pride aside, love can prevail? Austen beautifully uncovers a powerful and enduring love story that interweaves the conventions of the time with a desire to marry for love.
“Home! That was what they meant, those caressing appeals, those soft touches wafted through the air, those invisible little hands pulling and tugging, all one way!” There never was a more beautiful ode to the simple pleasures of life than this. The book centres on Rat, Mole, Badger and – of course – the iconic Mr Toad as they form unlikely yet unshakeable bonds of friendship and navigate their particular swathe of the river bank, their adventures culminating in a momentous battle with the more sinister inhabitants of the spooky Wild Wood.
Anyone seeking a little inspiration should turn to this thoughtful, rousing anthology of poems collected by Ana Sampson. Divided into sections such as ‘Friendship’, ‘Love’ and ‘Freedom, Mindfulness and Joy’, this is an uplifting collection of poems by inspiring women. Maya Angelou, Carol Ann Duffy, Emily Dickinson and Margaret Atwood are just some of the contributors, with many more female writers offering wisdom and countering the patriarchy – all in the form of lyrical, melodious poetry.
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