20 Amazing Books That Bring You Instant Happiness
Originally published at lmt-lss.com on October 14, 2015.
Channel your inner bookworm and put a smile on your face.
The emotion of happiness is subjective and not everyone finds happiness the same way, but there are a few books changing that notion. From brilliantly written memoirs to works of fiction, these books recount stories and inspire you to let happiness be the dominant emotion in your life. Books have always had an inspirational element and change lives every day.
Here are 20 books that bring feelings of warmth, happiness, and encouragement:
The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin
A heartfelt memoir about the choice between the trappings of modern American success and true happiness.
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir), by Jenny Lawson
The book recounts some of Lawson’s most embarrassing and human moments for a giggle and cringe fest.
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, by Dalai Lama
Teachings about confronting negative emotions, stresses, and obstacles of everyday life to find inner peace.
Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter
A novel about a love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962 and is rekindled in Hollywood fifty years later.
The Story of Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff
The story and adventures of Babar, the elephant, and his journey after he avoids capture by escaping to the city.
The Madwoman in the Volvo, by Sandra Tsing Loh
A moving and laugh-out-loud tale of the author’s roller coaster ride through “the change.”
Bossypants, by Tina Fey
An honest memoir about a very awkward, very offbeat young girl making a name for herself.
A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole
A hilarious account of a man who writes books in his bedroom but never publishes them, but it’s more than that.
Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding
On her quest to self-improvement, Bridget Jones gets hung up on chain-smoking and too-short skirts.
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This timeless classic is a poignant tale of Mary, who discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
The How of Happiness, by Sonja Lyubomirsky
A comprehensive guide to understanding the elements of happiness based on years of groundbreaking scientific research.
Dog Songs, by Mary Oliver
Celebrating dogs, these poems are of love and laughter, heartbreak and grief.
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
A story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
An unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
A novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather’s care, in the Swiss Alps.
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed
The story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe and built her back up again.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
A story on the author’s observations of her family and neighbours after the occurrence of an event in her hometown.
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
The story of Elizabeth as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England.
Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier, by Robert Emmons
The author examines what it means to think and feel grateful, eventually leading to happiness.
