The Feel-Good Reading List

[Skittles87]

I have a terrible cold and am feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to read something really lovely and comforting to try cheering myself up. Halfway through "Chocolat", I decided it might be a good idea to have a thread for sharing the things we like to read when we're ill, unhappy, stressed or just in need of a boost.

 

So here we are - please share the books and stories that you find uplifting. Mine are all novels, but feel free to recommend short stories, poetry, fanfics, comics, etc.

 

• The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates. Seriously, this novel is like literary prozac. It's about a tax inspector who goes to investigate the Larkins - a large family in rural Kent (England). He ends up falling in love with the eldest daughter and sort of being adopted by the family.
• Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. This is a very funny, feel-good book about the apocalypse. The plot is pretty complex and has several different strands, but it goes on the list because it's an open-hearted celebration of friendship, childhood and being human.
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. A classic coming-of-age novel about an orphan girl who gets adopted by a middle aged brother and sister and has a lot of adventures and misadventures. I loved this book as a kid, so the nostalgia makes it even more heart-warming.
• The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I don't read much "chick lit" because I always assume it's going to be full of women on diets, pining for a boyfriend. This book was a pleasant surprise though. It's about a very stressed-out woman who works as a lawyer, and through a series of unlikely events, ends up working as a housekeeper for a rich couple. It's daft, warm, and all about learning to slow down and enjoy life.
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend. The very funny diary of an ordinary teenage boy in the early 80s. Adrian Mole sees himself as an intellectual, but readily admits that he is not very clever. 

[Luftschlosseule]

• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. About a small person going on a great adventure, told by a master storyteller. Need I say more?
• Good Omens by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Second your recommendation.
• Discworld by Sir Terry Pratchett. It's a big series, but don't let it intimidate you. Every book plays on the Discworld, carried through space by Great-A'Tuin, but you've got smaller series within with different people on various places. The world may be barking mad and people are strange, but these books showed me to see the fun in it.
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman. Magical realism novella, you can go through in one sitting, if you like. It's about a friendship between children, and strange things that happen.
• The Slow Regard of Silent Things, Pat Rothfuss. Another one you can read in one sitting. You don't need to have read the Kingkiller Chronicles. It's a day in the life of Auri, who lives by herself, and her unique approach to the world around her.
• Books by Agatha Christie. Bad things happen, yes, but in the end, problems get solved. In the meantime, drink a cup of tea.
• The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling. May be tied to nostalgia since the newer books don't work as well.
• The Wildwood Chronicles, by Carson Ellis and Collin Meloy. A sister follows a murder of crows that stole her brother. Beautifully illustrated.
• The Fairyland series, by Catherynne Valente. Think of a mix between Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

[purpleandgreylife]

It depends on how I'm feeling. I know when I get frustrated about being asexual or not having people understand or even about the prospect of future relationships, I read a fanfic series about a person who identifies as asexual having a meaningful, romantic relationship with another person who respects the fact that they are asexual, thinks about them, and makes sure they don't do anything that could even be construed as pressuring them. There is also a really nice interlude with a character who is also asexual, but doesn't identify as asexual in the same way as the primary character. I like how well constructed and beautifully written this series is. I also like how there is conflict around asexuality that results in better understanding. Sometimes when I read asexual stories the asexuality is so easily accepted, without any questions or even a conversation about how to make the relationship work that it makes the asexuality seem glossed over. This series does not gloss over the asexuality nor is it filled with angst. It always makes me feel better to read it and gives me hope for my future relationships.

 

http://archiveofourown.org/series/500761