21 Best Feel-Good Books of All Time
Here are 21 best feel-good books for your next pamper session before bed.
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Are you going through a tough time? Or want to lift your mood?
Turning to books for a short escape from reality can be incredibly comforting and even sanity-saving! Especially reading books that make you feel good with uplifting themes and happy endings.
These feel-good novels help you relieve stress by transporting you to a new world. They make you feel all warm and fuzzy within.
The best thing about feel-good reads is that the stories may not always be smooth sailing, but no matter how much things go wrong - you know, in the end, everything will fall into place. And this eventually uplifts your spirits and restores your faith in life.
With so many feel-good books to read, finding the best one that guarantees to make you smile can be a task. So, today I have compiled a list of 21 of the best inspiring and comforting books to help narrow down and find the ONE for you!
Best Feel-Good Books of All Time
In this list, you will find feel-good fiction books, uplifting books for women, romance books, classic feel-good books, light and funny books, and some of the best modern books of all time.
1. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (2012)
GENRE: Humor, Domestic Fiction, Contemporary Adult Fiction
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a satirical and compelling read by an American novelist, Maria Semple.
The story revolves around an unlikeable woman, Bernadette Fox, who is a mildly agoraphobic architect and a loving mother. She lives in Seattle with her teenage daughter, Bee, and husband, Elgin, an engineer at Microsoft.
Due to her personality, she does not get along with the other mothers at Bee's school. However, when she mysteriously disappears just before a planned family trip to Antarctica - Bee sets out to find her!
2. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2013)
GENRE: Contemporary Adult Fiction
SERIES: The Rosie Effect (#2), The Rosie Result (#3)
The Rosie Project is a comedy about Don Tillman, a brilliant but socially challenged genetics professor who suffers from OCD. At thirty-nine, he is determined to find a suitable wife for himself, with the help of a carefully designed questionnaire called, The Wife Project. It is a survey to filter out the drinkers, smokers, late arrivers - all that Rosie Jarman is!
As a result, Don quickly eliminates her as someone to consider for The Wife Project. However, an unlikely connection develops when both collaborate on a project to identify her biological father.
3. Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom (1997)
GENRE: Memoir, Philosophical Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir by American author Mitch Albom. It is a story of a student, Mitch Albom, and his beloved Professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is now old.
The book recounts the fourteen visits Albom makes weekly (on Tuesdays) to his former Professor, who is dying from ALS, and the final lessons he learned there on 'The Meaning of Life'.
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (2010)
GENRE: Romance, Young Adult Fiction
SERIES: Lola and the Boy Next Door (#2), Isla and the Happily Ever After (#3)
Stephanie Perkins's debut novel, Anna and the French Kiss, TRULY captures the teenage dream of finding love in the City of Love!
Anna, a homesick American from Atlanta, is forced to leave behind her best friend and the boy she fancies to attend the School of America in Paris for her senior year.
As it focuses on Anna's romance with a handsome French boy, the novel has many adorable moments.
5. Becoming by Michelle Obama (2018)
GENRE: Biography, Memoir, Autobiography
Becoming is the memoir of Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States.
The autobiography walks you through her journey from humble beginnings to becoming America’s first African-American First Lady. Her life story (since she was Michelle Robinson) will inspire you to continue pushing forward in your life; despite the circumstances, challenges, or what others think.
6. Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011)
GENRE: Memoir, Biography, Humor
Bossypants is a humorous memoir by American actor, writer, and comedian Tina Fey.
The book is a collection of essays about her various experiences. It describes everything from growing up in a middle-class American home to being a working mom to her life in show business and how she became the quirky, likable, and accomplished woman she is today!
7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (2013)
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction
Rainbow Rowell’s, Fangirl is a coming-of-age novel about a bookish protagonist, Cath, and her twin sister Wren.
Cath copes with her problems by writing fanfiction based on her favorite young adult book series. However, reality starts to break the mindful balance she established in high school.
Now that they are freshmen in college, her sister distances herself from introverted Cath. Her father suffers from a manic disorder, and her mother wishes to reestablish a relationship with them (after abandoning them).
Cath is feeling isolated, and her mental health is deteriorating; she needs to find out how to deal with the complexities of her life and determine her priorities.
8. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (2015)
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction
I'll Give You the Sun is an award-winning novel by American author Jandy Nelson. The story centers around Noah and Jude Sweetwine, twins who once were close. But now, two years after their mother's death, they barely talk to each other.
Further, the book dives into topics such as personal identity, the bond between siblings, rivalry, talent, and romance.
9. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (2012)
GENRE: Romance Fiction
This list will not be complete without a Jojo Moyes novel!
Me Before You is a story of quirky Louisa Clark, who takes a job as a “care assistant” to Will Traynor, who has been paralyzed from the neck down for two years after being hit by a motorbike. What happens when she falls for Will, who has chosen to end his life soon?
10. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019)
GENRE: LGBT Literature, Humorous Fiction, Romance
Casey McQuiston's debut novel, Red, White, and Royal Blue, is a fun contemporary romance. It follows the story of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States, and his romantic relationship with Prince Henry, a potential heir to the British throne.
The novel deals with themes like friendship, love, and self-discovery through fascinating characters and a heartfelt plot.
11. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2008)
GENRE: Fiction, Adult
The Art of Racing in the Rain, a novel by American author Garth Stein, follows the life of a race car driver, Denny Swift, and is narrated by a dog named Enzo.
Unlike other dogs, Enzo believes that he has a human soul in a dog body and tells us about his life in a house of humans. It is a funny, heartbreaking, uplifting story about family, love, loyalty, and hope.
12. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (2019)
GENRE: Contemporary Romance Novel
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary makes an ideal feel-good read for classic rom-com lovers.
This warm and quirky romantic comedy is a story of Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey. Leon is trying to make extra money by renting out his flat at night. While Tiffy needs a decent place to live ASAP as she is trying to move out of her ex-boyfriend’s house.
As a result, Leon’s flat is the only suitable option that fits her budget. And, so their story begins!
13 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2008)
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Children's Literature, Horror Fiction
The Graveyard Book, written by English author Neil Gaiman is filled with magical, terrifying, and breathtaking adventures.
It is a delightful tale about a boy, Nobody Owens (known as 'Bod' by his friends), who grows up with ghosts in a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered. He is raised by ghosts, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, with the help of his guardian, Silas, who is neither alive nor dead.
Readers of all ages who like fantasy or ghost stories will enjoy this book.
14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer (2007)
GENRE: Epistolary Novel, Historical Fiction
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an epistolary novel in which characters communicate via letters.
The story is set in 1946, as London emerges from the Second World War. The protagonist, Juliet Ashton, a writer, is looking for her next book subject. What happens when she discovers it in a letter from a man she has never met from Guernsey Island?
15. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979)
GENRE: Science Fiction, Humorous Fiction
SERIES: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980), Life, the Universe and Everything (1982), So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984), Mostly Harmless (1992)
Douglas Adams’s satirical science-fiction, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the first book in the renowned Hitchhiker series. It is a story of two humans who survived the destruction of Earth and their adventures in space, as well as their attempts to discover the truth about the meaning of life.
The entire Douglas Adams’s beloved Hitchhiker series is a highly entertaining read.
16. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (2016)
GENRE: Novel, Psychological Fiction
Ruth Hogan's whimsical novel, The Keeper of Lost Things is a heartwarming tale that combines old-fashioned storytelling with paranormal and magical themes.
This uplifting read follows the lives of two British assistants spanning over 40 years. In the 1970s, we follow Eunice, a publisher's secretary and lifelong best friend, who can never return her romantic interest.
In the modern day, the narrative centers around Laura, a middle-aged woman. She works for an unusual elderly gentleman who has spent his life collecting lost things and mourning his long-deceased fiancée. Although these women are strangers to each other, their parallel stories come together in the final chapters.
17. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018)
GENRE: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
SERIES: The Bride Test (#2), The Heart Principle (#3)
The Kiss Quotient is a modern and soulful romance written by Helen Hoang.
It follows Stella, a thirty-year-old autistic woman. Stella is talented and successful in her professional life. But her dating life is noticeably uneventful.
However, her life changes when she hires Michael, an escort, to teach her the ins and outs of dating. The lessons that follow will only bring them closer.
18. The Martian by Andy Weir (2011)
GENRE: Science Fiction
Andy Weir's debut novel, The Martian, is widely regarded as the best science fiction book of recent years.
The story is set in 2035 and follows Mark Watney, an astronaut on the Ares 3 mission to Mars. After being injured in a disastrous storm, the crew abandons Watney on Mars, believing he is dead because of the tragedy.
The book is an inspiring read about how he fights alone for survival on the red planet until being rescued by his old crewmates.
19. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (1998)
GENRE: Detective and Mystery
SERIES: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series
FOLLOWED BY: Tears of the Giraffe (2000)
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is the first book in British author Alexander McCall Smith's series.
Set in the African country of Botswana, the novel introduces the self-sufficient, wise, and compassionate Precious Ramotswe. After her beloved father dies, she begins the first detective agency in Botswana. With the help of a secretary, she navigates her cases and her personal life with intelligence and good humor.
Also, the book explores themes like women's freedom, African pride, and parent-child relationships.
20. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (2012)
GENRE: Novel, Fiction, Humor
SERIES: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (#2), Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North (#3)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce is the first in a trilogy.
The story revolves around retired Harold Fry, who lives with his wife, Maureen, in a tiny English village. One day, Harold receives a letter from a woman (former coworker) he hasn't heard from in twenty years. Queenie is dying of cancer and so wanted to say goodbye.
While mailing his reply, Harold thinks of delivering his message in person and decides to walk. Thus, the unlikely pilgrimage begins!
It is a novel of humor and an insight into the emotions we all keep deep within our hearts.
21. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012)
GENRE: Children's Literature, Young Adult Literature, Middle-Grade Fiction, Coming-of-Age
SPIN-OFF/PREQUELS: The Julian Chapter (2014), 365 Days of Wonder (2014), Shingaling (2015), Auggie & Me (2014), We're All Wonders (2017), White Bird: A Wonder Story (2019)
R.J. Palacio's Wonder is a powerful middle-grade novel about an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face.
The plot centers around August “Auggie” Pullman, a 10-year-old boy born with a facial deformity. He lives in New York City with his family and has been homeschooled since he was small.
The story begins when his parents decide it is time for him to attend a regular school. That is when he joins a traditional school called Beecher Prep for the first time in fifth grade. The book highlights his ups and downs from his first day of school; until his graduation.
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These were the best feel-good books of all time.
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