10 Lighthearted & Fun Books That Will Make You Feel Good
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Sometimes it’s hard to read when your mind is distracted by other things–and there has been plenty to be distracted with these past few years.
These books are perfect for when you just want to read a book that helps you feel happy, amused, and relaxed. Sometimes serious books are just too much–and when you feel overcome by real life, that’s the perfect time for a list of fun books.
The stories in those fluffy books are easy reads, which sometimes is great, but they are forgettable.
And if you’re trying to get back into reading and just want a feel-good novel or a funny book that will make you laugh, a lackluster story isn’t going to help you get back in the habit.
10 Lighthearted & Fun Books That Will Make You Feel Good
1. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
The hilarious new novel from Abbi Waxman - I WAS TOLD IT WOULD GET EASIER - is available now*Abbi Waxman's charming novel follows introvert and bookworm Nina Hill as she discovers if real life can ever live up to fiction. . . Shortlisted for the Comedy Women In Print Prize, this novel is perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond and Maria Sample.
'GORGEOUS' Marian Keyes'Like a big slab of your favorite cake in book form' Libby Page, author of The LidoMeet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own shell. Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, an excellent trivia team and a cat named Phil.
If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book. So when the father she never knew existed dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. And if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny and interested in getting to know her It's time for Nina to turn her own fresh page, and find out if real life can ever live up to fiction.
Praise for The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. . . 'Like a conversation with the funniest person you know - just lovely' KATIE FFORDE'Charmed by its funny loveliness' NINA STIBBE, AUTHOR OF REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL'Book lovers will absolutely relate' O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE'Meet our bookish millennial heroine - a modern-day Elizabeth Bennet' THE WASHINGTON POST'A quirky, eccentric romance that will charm any bookworm' ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 'I hope you're in the mood to be downright delighted, because that's the state you'll find yourself in' POPSUGAR.
2. One True Loves
Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure.
She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go—they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet.
When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen to girls like her.
Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a ten-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.
But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, Alex may be able to help Lenore find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.
3. XOXO
Jenny’s never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk. A modern forbidden romance wrapped in the glamorous and exclusive world of K-pop, XOXO is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo.Jenny didn’t get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo.
Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.With Jaewoo an ocean away, there’s no use in dreaming of what could have been.
But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she’s just been accepted to? Jaewoo.Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn’t just any student.
Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone. When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh.
4. How to Not Die Alone
Have you ever looked around and wondered, "Why has everyone found love except me?" You're not the only one. Great relationships don't just appear in our lives - they're the culmination of a series of decisions, including who to date, how to end it with the wrong person, and when to commit to the right one. But our brains often get in the way. We make poor decisions, which thwart us on our quest to find lasting love.
Drawing from years of research, behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury reveals the hidden forces that cause those mistakes. But awareness on its own doesn't lead to results. You have to actually change your behavior. Ury shows you how.
This book focuses on a different decision in each chapter, incorporating insights from behavioral science, original research, and real-life stories. You'll learn:
- What's holding you back in dating (and how to break the pattern)
- What really matters in a long-term partner (and what really doesn't)
- How to overcome the perils of online dating (and make the apps work for you)
- How to meet more people in real life (while doing activities you love)
- How to make dates fun again (so they stop feeling like job interviews)
- Why "the spark" is a myth (but you'll find love anyway)
This data-driven, step-by-step guide to relationships, complete with hands-on exercises, is designed to transform your life. How to Not Die Alone will help you find, build, and keep the relationship of your dreams.
5. The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
The Shergill sisters never needed each other--until they did. Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina Shergill have never been close but when their mother dies, she has only one request: that they take a pilgrimage across India to carry out her final rites. While an extended family holiday is the last thing they want, each sister has her own reasons to run away from her life.
Rajni is the archetypal know-it-all eldest but her son dropped a bombshell before she left and, for the first time, she doesn't know what the future holds. Middle sister Jezmeen, always a loudmouth, has translated her need for attention into life as a struggling actress. But her career is on the skids after an incident went viral and now she's desperate to find her voice again. Shirina, the golden child, has confounded expectations by having an arranged marriage and moving to the other side of the world. But her perfect life isn't what it seems and time is running out to make the right choice. As the miles rack up on their jaunt across India, the secrets of the past and present are sure to spill out.
6. Harry’s Trees
When Harry’s wife unexpectedly dies, he retreats to the forest to grieve. There he meets a young girl and her mother, who are also grieving.
The girl is convinced she and Harry have a mission that will pull them all from the depths of their grief. Less funny than others on this list, but equal parts heartwarming and a little magical.
7. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
This internationally bestselling sensation is a 'funny, tender, and moving' (Library Journal, starred review) tale about community, books and second chances set in a world you won't want to leaveA.J. Fikry, the grumpy owner of Island Books, is going through a hard time: his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife, and his prized possession-a rare first edition book has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly.
But one day A.J. finds two-year-old Maya sitting on the bookshop floor, with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life - and Maya's - is changed forever.Gabrielle Zevin's enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books--an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.Originally published as The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry.'Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole's Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving' Library Journal, starred review'This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love--love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory' Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child.
8. Leah on the Offbeat
When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat - but real life isn't always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she's the only child of a young, single mum and her life is decidedly less privileged. And even though her mom knows she's bisexual, she hasn't mustered the courage to tell her friends - not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.
With some messy dynamics emerging in this once tight-knit group of friends, senior year suddenly gets even more complicated for Leah, as she realises she's falling not for the guy who's taking her to prom, but for the girl who's dating her best friend.
9. I See London, I See France
This endlessly fun and hugely entertaining romp through Europe had me laughing out loud and reaching for my passport.” —Jennifer E. Smith, author of WindfallA POPSUGAR Best Young Adult Novel of 2017!Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and a half weeks travelling through Europe with her childhood best friend Leela. Their plans include Eiffel Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers.
Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug of war. In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera...wearing only her polka dot underpants.
10. Geekerella
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale. Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter.
The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob.
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