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Trend Alert: Popular 'Up-Lit' Books to Improve Your Mood
Tired of fictional murderers lurking around every page? Fed up with unwelcome apocalypses, unending wars, and miseries that somehow get worse as the chapters fly by? You're not alone. We love stories, but they can sometimes be dreary things.
Enter "up-lit," a book trend with modest intentions: It wants to make you feel better.
Of course, books have always improved readers' lives, but "up-lit" [uplifting literature] seeks to do this by focusing on empathy and optimism. The characters in this wave of literature are everyday heroes dealing with everyday problems, championing human connection over romance, fulfillment over traditional success.
"These feel-good books tap into mental health and loneliness and anxiety and trauma," editor Sam Eades told The Guardian about the growing trend. "By the end of the book the characters will have formed friendships, and been swept into a community."
Want to check it out for yourself? We rounded up some of the most popular "up-lit" titles Goodreads members have been shelving below. Add the ones that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf.
Enter "up-lit," a book trend with modest intentions: It wants to make you feel better.
Of course, books have always improved readers' lives, but "up-lit" [uplifting literature] seeks to do this by focusing on empathy and optimism. The characters in this wave of literature are everyday heroes dealing with everyday problems, championing human connection over romance, fulfillment over traditional success.
"These feel-good books tap into mental health and loneliness and anxiety and trauma," editor Sam Eades told The Guardian about the growing trend. "By the end of the book the characters will have formed friendships, and been swept into a community."
Want to check it out for yourself? We rounded up some of the most popular "up-lit" titles Goodreads members have been shelving below. Add the ones that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf.
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Micklemas
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Nov 08, 2018 07:54AM
"The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out the window and disappeared." Very good book, especially for this list.
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Eleanor Oliphant was one of the best books I read this year!!
Just started reading "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion today and already I think it fits this category. Also, I've only read 3 of these books (Eleanor Oliphant, A.J. Fikri and A Man called Ove) and I loved them all so I'm adding the rest to my Want to Read list ASAP
Eleanor Oliphant is completely is one of the best novels that changed my life.
It's interesting to me that 75% of these have a character's name in the title.I've read Eleanor Oliphant (it was expertly narrated on the audiobook) and just added most of the rest to my list!
Thanks! I just added all of them to my list. I read Eleanor Oliphant this year and it made me cry. Books rarely make me cry.
Recently I've been looking for books just like this. Check out Jonas Jonasson, Catharina Ingelman Sundberg, Kenzi Frost and J.B. Morrison!
This is right up my alley! Anyone have any other up-lit recs? Possibly with a diverse cast?
To this list, I would add 'Britt-Marie was Here' and 'My Grandmother Asked me to tell you She is Sorry'. Both by Fredrik Backman and both excellent books. 'Ove' is one of my favorite books ever.
Eleanor Oliphant is really unique, I loved it, but haven't found anything quite like it. I've read 6 of the novels on this list and enjoyed them all except for Ove. Backman loses something in translation for me at least. I love books like this; I hope more books in this sub-genre continue to be published. I greatly value comfort reads. I'd add Anne Youngson's debut novel Meet Me At The Museum to this list.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, so sweet and interesting. Up-lit for sure!
Loved the keeper of lost things and Eleanor Oliphant so have added all the rest to my read list 😍
I’m so excited to see this list! I added all I haven’t read. This is probably my favorite genre and I’ve never had a name for it!
This trend is disgusting. Half the time, the authors in question don't know what they're writing about and end up doing more harm than good.I read the Eleanor Oliphant book. It is dangerous in its ignorance of what having mental health issues (any at all, but especially those that Eleanor is supposed to have) is like.
Frankly, I wouldn't call books about mental health issues uplifting, except perhaps to those people who don't have any and are looking for inspiration porn.
If you want to recommend uplifting books, make a list of good books for children that adults can also still enjoy. At least it wouldn't give attention to unoriginal hacks who exploit real people's problems out of greed.
You have uplifted my mood already. Great article!
I can't wait to read the books you suggested and more articles from you. Thanks.
You have uplifted my mood already. Great article!
I can't wait to read the books you suggested and more articles from you. Thanks.
Oh, there's a name for these... huh...Not my genre, personally. Tried a few, was bored. Enjoyed The Trouble With Goats and Sheep, though.
Jenn wrote: "The Adjective Noun of Quirky McName"
😂
Lina wrote: "This trend is disgusting. Half the time, the authors in question don't know what they're writing about and end up doing more harm than good.
I read the Eleanor Oliphant book. It is dangerous in it..."
👍
Lina wrote: "If you want to recommend uplifting books, make a list of good books for children that adults can also still enjoy."Matilda by Roald Dahl! :)
Jenn wrote: "The Adjective Noun of Quirky McName"I was like, "That sounds like an interesting title", so I went to look it up, and was puzzled as to why I couldn't find it on Goodreads or Google. It was only after several minutes that I realized why.
*embarassed*
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine and A man called ove are the two books I’v read and they were certainly up lifting 😊😊 can’t wait to read the rest of the books!!
Whispers Through a Megaphone by Rachel Elliottand
Useful by Debra Oswald
How to fall in love with a man who lives in a bush by Emmy Abrahamson perfectly fits the Up-lit criteria. It was wonderful.
I don't really read up-lit books, but this list made me want to give it a go - I think I could use som picking up in this drab november weather
I love "Up-Lift" novels. It's a guaranteed #Goodread that gives your heart something joyful to look forward to 😊 Great article and thanks for the suggestions. Btw, "I've Got Your Number" by Sophie Kinsella is great Up-Lit read.
I also read 'The Cactus' which is a bit similar and I also highly recommend 'The temptation to be happy' by Lorenzo Marone!! this really made me laugh
Uplifting? Eleanor Oliphant? Deleted what I wrote initially. Agree with Lina, not only because we're friends because that book is very harmful, and even more so with the hype surrounding it. But yeah, mental illnesses are cool and edgy, let's give every character abusive parents so they're tragic on top of it.
The trouble with goats and sheep was fun. I always look to the Hobbit and the Fairyland Series by Catherynne M. Valente for an uplift. Or Discworld. All of them.
Bianca wrote: "This is right up my alley! Anyone have any other up-lit recs? Possibly with a diverse cast?"Does a character with Asperger's count? If so, I highly recommend The Rosie Project. That book was so funny and touching! :)
Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love, Jill Connor Browne
Micklemas wrote: ""The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out the window and disappeared." Very good book, especially for this list."My thought, exactly.
Loved the category. Thanks. Hope you keep it up. Enjoyed the other's comments also. My favourite here is The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry.
Elaine wrote: "Bianca wrote: "This is right up my alley! Anyone have any other up-lit recs? Possibly with a diverse cast?"Does a character with Asperger's count? If so, I highly recommend The Rosie Project. Tha..."
Of course! Thank you for the rec :)
Thee Love Song of Queenie Hennessey is wonderful. It's the sequel to HaroLd and it enriches the first book to a new height!
As one who chooses books for a book club, I am interested in the list of up-lit books. I have read many of the ones listed here. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is one of my favorites along with A Man Called Ove. I truly enjoyed The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and have read it twice. I followed the second reading with Three Things About Elsie. I was glad to see The Storied Life of AJ Fikry and The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr.
Kitty wrote: "Micklemas wrote: ""The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out the window and disappeared." Very good book, especially for this list."My thought, exactly."
I really liked The 100-Year-Old Man! I laughed out loud as I read. The situations may be improbable, but they are certainly fun and enjoyable!
I loved A Man Called Ove so much I immediately stared reading his other books. So wonderful.
Heartburn by Nora Ephron was the perfect book to read during my divorce. It tackled a serious topic in a funny way and gave me hope that everything would be ok!
I also think that many of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books could fit this category.For instance:
Allie and Bea
Heaven Adjacent
Donna wrote: "Eleanor Oliphant is really unique, I loved it, but haven't found anything quite like it. I've read 6 of the novels on this list and enjoyed them all except for Ove. Backman loses something in trans..."Try Lost for Words by Stephanie Butland. It's very similar to Eleanor Oliphant but with it's own take on damaged heroines
Iain wrote: "The Ups and Downs of Norman Drudge by Iain Dalgleish."Thanks. Hadn’t heard about that one.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson.Mrs Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifed Watson
Not related at all, just odly the same surname!
