With the financial markets going crazy and everyone having their personal "crap", etc., I thought it would be nice to have a list of feel good reads.

Books that make you laugh out loud (any genre), make you feel warm and cozy, or just leave you with a smile whenever you think of them...I'll take 'em all!

I'll start with my personal favorite. I've read this series twice - the Father Tim series by Jan Karon. It follows the life of a 60-something Episcopal priest who is a bachelor and lives in a small mountain town in NC. You get to know everyone, quirks and all, and his family as it grows and changes. At Home in Mitford is the first one. I found the audio version of these, read by John McDonough, is even better than the books.

Oh, and I'll take feel good movies too! My favorite is Return to Me with David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. Carroll O'Connor also plays a great role. Highly recommended!

The Janet Evanovich series of Stephanie Plum books always make me laugh out loud when I read them.
A long way down by Nick Hornby was about trying to committ suicide but I don't know when Ive ever laughed so hard with a book.

Feel good movies... Princess Bride hands down.

Laura...would the Mitford series be OK for my 90 year old Christian grandma? I'm looking for new books for her.......

My feel good movie would be Dreamer. I love that movie! And book would be The Gift by Danielle Steel.

Looks good so far, thanks you guys!

Holli - the Mitford series would be good for middle school kids on up. And even though it's technically Christian lit, I think almost anyone would enjoy them really. But your grandma would LOVE them, I'm sure. (I even got my husband hooked on these books.)

I will order her one then. Thanks Laura! She really likes Beverly Lewis now and Lori Wick I think it is.

Laura, what a great post! Holli and I discussed this recently. I'm so sick of murder mysteries -- books and television (Now even our economy could be classified as a murder mystery!) How much death do we need to surround ourselves with before enough becomes enough?

Anyway, I've become a fan of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilters series. (Holli, great series for Grandma!) They are definitely my cozy-up-with-a-mug-of-hot-chocolate books (or tea, Amanda!). I'm also working my way through some of Lucy Maud Montgomery books. I never read her as a child, so why not now?

As for movies, "The Holiday" I've watched at least a thousand times and never tire of it. "You've Got Mail" is always a stand-by favorite, as is "Muppets from Space" when I need a good giggle.

Thanks for the post Laura.

TIPPING THE VELVET by Sarah Waters is my idea of a feel-good read.

Also, pretty much any book by Elizabeth Berg because, although she can delve in some difficult issues, the worlds she paints are sepia-toned, somehow, and her endings are always uplifting.

Thanks, Melissa, gotta try the Elm Creek series - I love quilting anyway. And I love You've Got Mail AND When Harry Met Sally AND that kind of recent one w/the guy from the office?? It's a Disney film - um....Dan in Real Life. That was a really good movie too.

Kate - I'm w/you on Elizabeth Berg. I haven't read all of hers, but she is terrific. I've loved everything I have read.

Yes Elizabeth Berg certainly qualifies and I'm going to check out the Elm Creek books for my Grandma too. Thank you Melissa!

The Holiday is hilarious and Love Actually is another feel good movie I love.......

What about Sleepless in Seattle?

The Sweet Potato Queen books (on CD) are funny!!! Good for plenty of laughs.

I love The Holiday, You've Got Mail, and Return to Me. I also think Must Love Dogs is a great feel-good movie.

I don't know about books. I've only re-read one book...hmmm...

my favorite feel good movie is Sweet Home Alabama. i love Reese and McDreamy. really good chick movie!

favorite feel goods are anything by Nicholas Sparks. they are romantic and heart warming. i love them!

Love Actually ... soo good. Makes me smile and cry..in a good way.

I love reading books like THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES...any Anita Shreve. They make me forget whatever is depressing me.

Faery Special Romances by Jacquie Rogers ... a linked collection of short stories by the same author, in which a virtually immortal match-making faery brings humans together through the ages.

Faery Special Romances

Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin ... in which a lady elf with seeking powers finds a lost (stolen) object that good guys and bad guys and guys an interesting shade of grey would all like to relieve her of.

Magic Lost, Trouble Found

The Invasion of Falgannon Isle by Deborah Macgillivray... a very large number of lonely Scotmen, ruled by a cursed Lady, whose fortunes in love depend upon hers, and one wrathful Irishman who means to wreak havoc and have his vengeance.

The Invasion of Falgannon Isle

My favorite feel good or light-hearted movies:
- Enchanted April
- Cold Comfort Farm
- Sense & Sensibility (w/Emma Thompson)
- Emma (w/Gwenyth Paltrow)
- Persuasion (w/Amanda Root)


And the books of all the above.

Thanks so much everyone! Is it just me or can't we all use books / movies like this? Is everyone sick of all the murder & drama?

These are great! Rowena, I had never heard of any of your suggestions, but they sound so interesting, thanks so much!

Andrea - have you seen the new Persuasion? I LOVE it!

I enjoy Lisa Wingate's Tending Roses series. It is light Christian Lit. I always feel good when I read her books. I like her so much I have purchased every book she has written- knowing I will reread them! :-)

That's a new one for me, thanks Brigitte!

I lean towards funny. My current read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal has me laughing out loud - but not everyone would appreciate the humor (Holli's granny). It's my first by Christopher Moore, but I hear that all of his are funny.

I also like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman for some giggles.

I'm reading A Dirty Job by C. Moore, and it is a hoot as well. And weirdly suspenseful in parts, not what I expected from a "funny" book. A fair amt. of language tho, so Idk abt. him for Holli's granny.

Emily, I haven't not seen the new Persuasion... or rather I saw about 5 or 10 minutes of it, but haven't gotten around to seeing the whole thing. What I did see didn't convince me that I'd like it better than the Amanda Root/ Ciaran Hinds version, but it does look like it's worth watching.

I'll second the Terry Pratchett nomination for some good giggles. When I lived in the DC area, I used to read on the Metro to work or downtown. I was always self-conscious when reading Pratchett on the subway, because there is no way to complete supress the audible giggles his books cause.

Oh Amanda, that's because you hadn't seen Rupert Penry Jones as the new Captain Wentworth... :)

Love Actually is one of my favorite movies. I even have the soundtrack, which is also great. And, The Secret Life of Bees is one of my favorite books. I haven't seen the movie yet, although I just re-read the book in preparation for the movie.

A Love Actually soundtrack.....now why didn't I think to buy that??!! Thanks Kathy! A new Ipod download hee hee

OK, just added Love Actually to my Netflix queue. It looks good, I can't believe I haven't seen it! I love romantic comedies!

Any other romantic comedies, ladies? Something my husband would like & not have to barf his way thru??

LOL

Thanks for all the recs., BTW

As far as feel good movies..I loved Martian Child & it's not necessarily a feel good movie..but it made me laugh alot..but Mad Money..especially in light of the financial crisis when im sure we all just would like to do what they did in the movie :)

ooh..also.. the movie Music & Lyrics.
how can you not love Hugh Grant?? :)

Speaking of Hugh Grant........About A Boy anyone?? Love that one too!

ahh that one is soo freakin cute!!

Definitely. I am Hugh Grant fan as well. I love that scene in Love Actually where he dances to the Pointer Sisters. :)

That is hilarious!!! Love that scene....that whole movie cracks me up.

I LOVE Hugh Grant. Love What About a Boy. The book is good too. They did a good job with the movie of staying close on. Hugh Grant movie to avoid is the one with him and Mandy Moore American Dreamz. HORRIBLE!

Mama Mia is a great feel good movie. I cant wait for it to be out on DVD

Mamma Mia is a GREAT chickflick feel good movie! i totally agree with tera on this one
and Hairspray too with John Travolta. i couldnt stop laughing

as for books.. anything by Sandra Dallas gets my vote, the Persian Pickle Club, New Mercies, Alices Tulips, the Chili Pepper Queen, The Diary of Mattie Spenser,Tallgrass Really good stories, mostly written in the old west, and in some way she brings in characters from her other books. you dont have to read them in the order she wrote them, but as you read more of hers you will recognize characters as they are mentioned.

I love Love Actually too. It's definitely a feel-good movie. When Harry Met Sally is great too when you're feeling down.

Not much of a movie/tv watcher but I like You've Got Mail....always a feel good movie for me. I know, I know it's an old one, but I can still watch it over and over! Also, Under the Tuscan Sun, have also watched that over and over to 'feel good'.

LOVE You've Got Mail AND When Harry Met Sally, and Love Actually should be coming from Netflix tonight. Thanks!

I feel like I've seen so many romantic comedies, but some of these are new to me. I don't think I've ever seen Under the Tuscan Sun, Cindy, I'll check that one out!

Yes, you definitely need to see Under the Tuscan Sun, Laura! :) I forgot about that one...thanks, Cindy!

Under The Tuscan Sun was excellent....who didn't want to move there after watching that one?? ;)

I love "Love Actually."

Also a huge fan of "Under the Tuscan Sun." Just recently got the book, so will be reading it as well.

Recently watched "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe. Got the book and added that to the to read list, too.

i agree with everyone about Under the Tuscan Sun! One of my favorite movies!

Sydney, Let me know how the book is..Under the Tuscan Sun. I have it on my bookshelf but haven't read it.

I liked 'Under the Tuscan Sun" as a book so much better than the movie! The movie wrecked my imagination's view of her world! LOL

I thought of another one...besdies all the MEg Ryan ones, for me..

I LOVED "One True Thing"!

Oh, I really didn't like under the tuscan sun. Did not like the book and the movie was just ok.

I like Hope Floats as a feel good movie. Can't think of a book at the moment.

How did I miss this thread?

Laura, my daughter and I have watched Returned to Me Over and Over. We love it! "I told him you had some.......work done......one your chest." haha

Tera, Princess Bride is the "test" movie my husband shared with me after we met. He wanted to see if I laughed in the "right places." Apparently I did.

Melissa - You've Got Mail is my hands-down alltime favorite. I love the way Nora Ephron writes.

I'm making a list of all the rest (many of which I do love and want to watch again). But I have to say there's one I didn't notice on the list that is a bit slow at first but is at the top of my list. You have to watch it once or twice and give it a chance -- but it's Notting Hill. So many of you like Hugh Grant, and really -- this one is a classic for him and Julia Roberts. My daughter and i have nearly worn this movie out from watching it so many times. The dinner scene is classic and the one going into the garden at night is hilarious.

Notting Hill is a fabulous movie......good one to be on this list. :) I also love My Best Friend's Wedding, Practical Magic, and Steel Magnolias. As sad as that one is it makes me laugh and feel good too!

I actually watched My Best Friend's Wedding about a month ago while packing for a trip! It's definitely a feel-good movie. :) Notting Hill too, I forgot about that one.

I forgot about Notting Hill also. Definately a movie I can watch again and again!

Another one I just thought of, Goodwill Hunting. I just watched it for the first time. I know, I know it is an old one too but I loved it! Not sure if anyone would agree that it should be on the feel good list.