The joy of catching a train on the station of pure imagination and getting aboard on the wagon of wonder with interesting characters and fascinating tales, is magnificent beyond comparison. But there are times when reading gets a little intense and heavy. After you have read a massively heavy book, you need to take some time off and tune into a story that delights you, amazes you, and makes you smile. We all need short crisp and happy books to calm us and warm our heart. I’m sharing with you a list of such books, personally curated by me.
Here are the best five happy books you should totally add to your reading list!
A book that should absolutely be included in your list of happy books is T.J. Klune’s ‘House in the Cerulean Sea’. The story revolves around Linus Baker who is forty years old and lives in a small house with a pet cat. When Linus was young, he worked as the in charge at the Department of Magical Youth. Leading a quiet life, one day Linus is assigned a highly classified project by the Upper Management. For this project, Linus has to travel to an orphanage and determine if one of the six children living there could bring on the end of the world. Meanwhile Arthur Parnassus, the guardian of the children, stands between Linus and the six orphans.
One of the popular works by Jane Austen that should surely make to the list of books that make you happy is Northanger Abbey. A coming of age story about a young woman named Catherine Morland, this book is split into two sections. Gothic and parody elements make Northanger Abbey a lively and happy book, to read. Catherine Morland is seventeen and travels to Bath, to spend a few days at the residence of a family friend. There she falls in love with a man named Henry Tilney. But Catherine’s love for gothic thrillers takes precedence and fills her imagination with crazy suspicions about Henry and his family.
A popular children’s literature, ‘Charlotte’s Web’ is one of the books that is sure to make you smile. It is the story of a girl called Fern, who is very fond of Wilbur, a little livestock pig. Wilbur has a friend called Charlotte, a large barn spider who lives with Wilbur. Wilbur and Charlotte’s friendship is sweet and heart-touching. ‘Charlotte’s Web’ leaves you with the message that true friendship is valuable beyond any measure. With several beautiful black and white illustrations by Garth Williams, this is one of the most popular happy books, for children and a delightful read for grown-ups as well.
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Set in a fictional town called Deerwood, ‘The Blue Castle’ takes place in the 1920s. It is about a girl called Valancy Stirling. Valancy is twenty-nine years old and lives with her mother and the rest of her family which is full of not really likeable people. Her family refuses to treat her like a grown-up. Valancy finds solace in her imaginary tales of the ‘Blue Castle’ and the books of John Foster. This way she chances upon a little happiness in her otherwise bleak world. ‘The Blue Castle’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery is a tale of courage and finding strength to live a life of one’s own choice.
An all-time favourite and one of the most brilliantly written happy books, ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman, revolves around Ove, a grumpy fifty nine year old man. Ove is a widower and does not really like his neighbours or anyone in general. When things do not go his way, he gets extremely cranky and irritable. Summed up in a few words, Ove makes for the person who loves making the entire neighbourhood not like him on purpose. While Ove plans to end his life, his plans are constantly thwarted by the interrupting nature and unknowing efforts of the people in his neighbourhood. An Iranian family living next door, strikes up an unexpected and heart-warming bond with this old irritable man and change his life and his perspective of looking at things in life, for better
