When the weight of the world becomes too heavy, there’s nothing quite like a feel-good book to lift our spirits and transport us to a world where hope, love, and happiness prevail. Within the pages of such books, we find solace, inspiration, and a delightful escape from reality. They have the remarkable ability to touch our hearts, leaving us with a renewed sense of optimism and a warm, fuzzy feeling that lingers long after we’ve turned the final page. We have compiled a list of five feel-good books that you should read.
Whether manmade or natural, A Paradise Built in Hell investigates the
reasons why people become altruistic, resourceful, and brave in the midst of disaster.
A PARADISE BUILT IN HELL: THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITIES THAT ARISE IN DISASTER
by Rebecca Solnit, 2009
The most startling thing about crises and catastrophes, according to award-winning author Rebecca Solnit, is not merely that so many people rise to the occasion, but that they do so with joy. That joy reveals an ordinarily unmet yearning for community, purposefulness, and meaningful work that disaster often provides. Whether manmade or natural, A Paradise Built in Hell investigates the reasons why people become altruistic, resourceful, and brave in the midst of disaster. It points to a new vision of what society could become – one that is less authoritarian and fearful, more collaborative and local.
The Humans
by Matt Haig, 2013
The Humans is a story about an extraterrestrial visitor that arrives on Earth, whose first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor slowly realises there may be more to this strange species than he initially thought. As the visitor begins forging bonds, he begins to see hope and beauty in the imperfect species he finds himself surrounded by – and begins to question the very mission that brought him there.
THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE
by James McBride, 2023
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community that sustain us.
WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR
by Paul Kalanithi, 2016
We often wait until we are happier, more accomplished, more secure, and more ready to pursue our true desires because we believe we have a lifetime ahead of us. However, this was not the case for neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. At the age of 36, he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. When Breath Becomes Air tells the story of his remarkable transformation from a curious medical student pondering the nature of a virtuous and meaningful life, to a skilled neurosurgeon working on the core of human identity – the brain – and finally, to a patient and a new father. Although he passed away while working on this emotionally powerful book, Kalanithi left behind profound insights on embracing our mortality. He contemplates the fundamental questions, what gives life its worth in the face of death? How do we navigate a future that no longer leads us towards our life goals, but rather exists as an unchanging present? As he explores these inquiries, we, as readers, are profoundly moved to embark on this journey with him.
THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT
by Clare Pooley, 2020
Julian Jessop is tired of hiding the deep loneliness he feels. So he begins The Authenticity Project, a small green notebook containing the truth about his life. Leaving the notebook on a table in his friendly neighbourhood café, Julian never expects Monica, the owner, to track him down after finding it. Or that she’ll be inspired to write down her own story. Little do they realise that such small acts of honesty hold the power to impact all those who discover the notebook and change their lives completely. This book serves as a reminder of the importance of friendship and the act of reaching out to others.