Shop Feel-Good Reads
Who doesn’t want to feel good? If you’re tired of depressing news, wintry weather, or are experiencing a letdown after the holidays, how about trying a Feel-Good Read? Virginia Evans, author of the astoundingly successful feelgood book The Correspondent, puts it this way: “What I really want is a book that gives you a sense of hope — that I’ll be okay, that we’ll be okay, that it’s going to be okay.” Though she was an unknown author when her book came out in April of 2025, she sold out 15 reprintings and 35 times more copies than the winner of the National Book Award. See here for an interview. Evans is clearly onto something. Let’s be upbeat in the New Year.
Books You Should Know About
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Buy The Correspondent ebook here
Buy The Correspondent audiobook here
From the publisher:
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often, yet never sends the letter.
Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin
Buy the Happy All the Time ebook here
Buy the Happy All the Time audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
This book has become a classic for those in the know since it was published in 1978. It’s a novel that’s seemingly only about the ordinary lives of two couples and their friends and families, but it’s so much more and will leave you feeling great. “A funny, loving, celebratory book in which everything is perfect.” —The Boston Globe
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Buy The Uncommon Reader ebook here
Buy The Uncommon Reader audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
A deliciously funny novella about Queen Elizabeth II who, in pursuit of her runaway Corgis, ends up on a mobile library van along with Norman, a boy from the royal kitchens who loves to read. Politeness requires her to borrow a book, and Norman is glad to help. This is a hilarious fairy tale about how books change the Queen’s life.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Buy the News of the World ebook here
Buy the News of the World audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
This book is by Paulette Jiles, one of the most underappreciated American writers. It is a historical novel set in Texas in the aftermath of the Civil War where an elderly widower agrees to transport a recently rescued 10-year-old girl who spent four years as a captive of the Kiowa back to her relatives. Their 400-mile journey from Wichita Falls to San Antonio together is dangerous and difficult…especially since Johanna doesn’t want to be returned to an aunt and uncle she doesn’t remember and continuously tries to escape. The heartwarming bond that develops between the old man and the child leads to a solid and satisfying conclusion.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Buy The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency ebook here
Buy The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
First published over 20 years ago, this is a feel-good book you may not have gotten around to reading. Precious Ramotswe is Botswana’s premier lady detective, and with the aid of her prickly associate Grace Makutsi, she tries to “help people with problems in their lives.” Her first cases are intriguing—especially the one involving looking for a missing eleven-year-old boy who has been kidnapped by witchdoctors. Precious believes in several kindhearted philosophical ideas and the absolute need for happiness. If you enjoy this book, McCall Smith added about 25 more titles to the series over the years.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Buy the Remarkably Bright Creatures ebook here
Buy the Remarkably Bright Creatures audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
After her husband dies, Tova Sullivan takes a job at an aquarium, where she works the night shift and befriends a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus. While Marcellus has little use for humans, he likes Tova because she looks out for him when he escapes from his tank and wanders around at night. Since he used to live in the ocean, he thinks he can help figure out what happened to Tova’s son, who disappeared at sea 30 years ago. This is a warm story about people (and an octopus) overcoming scars left in their lives. A charming and joyful tale.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Buy the Legends & Lattes ebook here
Buy the Legends & Lattes audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL:
“Sweet,” “beautiful,” “kind,” are probably not the first words you think of when contemplating fantasy stories, but welcome to a new subgenre: Cozy Fantasy. Published in 2022, this book may have been the first example outside children’s literature, but it’s certainly not the last, as there are not only follow-up titles by the same author, but many imitators. In this one, Viv the Orc, after a lifetime spent as an archetypal fantasy hero, is ready to retire and settle down. After the gnomes create a new drink, she opens the very first coffee shop in the city of Thune. New businesses are tough, though, and she faces problems like the fact that no one knows what coffee is, that people take up all the seats without buying anything, and a shakedown by a mafia-like group looking for monthly “donations,” plus figures from her past life who keep cropping up. Viv finds new supportive friends, though, as she tries various strategies to introduce the populace to a drink they’ve never heard of. This peaceful story is the perfect one to enjoy in front of a warm fire.
For more Feel Good Reads, see our full list here. If you’re interested in exploring even more titles that center around feeling upbeat, you can explore this Readers’ Advisory List: Sweet Reads: baking mysteries and favorite cookbooks for cakes, cookies, and more, or try Curl Up with a Cozy Read.
For more great lists, check out the Recommended Lists section of the Resource Center, home of all the great lists maintained by OverDrive’s staff librarians. Lists include bestsellers, favorite genres, kids and teens, LOTE content, seasonal favorites, and more!
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