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42 Charming, Heart-Warming, and Quirky Books
Ever get just plain worn out? Yeah, us too. Quite frankly, the 21st century has been a lot more stressful than we were hoping. Sometimes you just want a book that’s light and/or quirky and/or funny–a heart warmer.
Below we’ve compiled a very informal collection of feel-good reading options–comfort books, you might say. This is a largely subjective process, of course, and not every page of every chapter is fuzzy. But we did a bit of crowdsourcing here at Goodreads World Headquarters–we bugged everyone for employee picks–and we’re pretty confident that there’s something here for everyone.
Click around below for 100-year-old men and irregular witches. Heroic cats and moving castles. Beautiful things and precious days. Feel free to add the stuff you like to your Want to Read shelf.
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Your turn! What heart-warming book would you recommend to your fellow readers? Share it in the comments below!
And be sure to check out more recent articles.
And be sure to check out more recent articles.
Comments Showing 1-37 of 37 (37 new)
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Margot
(new)
Sep 07, 2022 08:09AM
This list is the best -- definitely my favorite genre! So many I've read or want to read.
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"Himself" by Jess Kidd is quirky and heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny. I also loved "An Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett.
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce, and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce.
Fun list, but as much as I love Steven Rowley, Lily and the Octopus, will make you cry your eyes out. The Guncle is a much better choice for this list.
The funny thing about Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson anything by David M Barnett and Queenie Malone’s paradise hotel by Ruth Hoogan are my recommendations.
OMG who listed Bridge to Terabithia as heartwarming that book full traumatized me as a kid.
Erm - doesn't a man called Ove and Bridge to Terebithia belong on a heart-breaking list instead.
C’mon, if you have Mr. Penumbra listed you have to have Sourdough as well!
Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* wrote: "Isn't Bridge to Terabithia heartwarming in the same way that Old Yeller is heartwarming?"I agree. It's not comforting.
Samantha wrote: "OMG who listed Bridge to Terabithia as heartwarming that book full traumatized me as a kid."I agree, that really does not belong on this list.
I did not find *Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine* comforting. There's some really traumatic stuff in that. Every time I see it on a list of comforting books I realise I am different to everyone else. I found the (view spoiler) quite devastating.
Kathy wrote: "Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce, and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce."I loved both of those, excellent choices!
Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* wrote: "Isn't Bridge to Terabithia heartwarming in the same way that Old Yeller is heartwarming?"Yes
Claire wrote: "Erm - doesn't a man called Ove and Bridge to Terebithia belong on a heart-breaking list instead."A Man Called Ove is heartwarming.
'A Man Called Ove' is satisfying as a read, but boy did I cry at the end (which is not comforting for me)... My suggestion truly warmed my heart: 'Two Steps Forward' by Graeme Simsion and Anne BuistI suggest that if you decide to read it (or even if you don't), Google the title to find some great marketing ads for the book. There was two I found and I loved them both!
Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* wrote: "Isn't Bridge to Terabithia heartwarming in the same way that Old Yeller is heartwarming?"Exactly! It's been decades and I still haven't got over it.
Talk about quirky!!! I loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J.Ryan Stradal. I also just finished Search by Michelle Hueneven, which was also fun and quirky.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree! The feel-good fantasy book of my dreams.
Wendy wrote: "Talk about quirky!!! I loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J.Ryan Stradal. I also just finished Search by Michelle Hueneven, which was also fun and quirky."I loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota! I need to read Kitchens of the Great Midwest.
Quirky, heartwarming books are some of my absolute favorites! The House in the Cerulean Sea will always have a place among my all-time most cherished reads. So many wonderful books on this list!
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and Britt-Marie Was Here are two that I found charming, quirky, and heart-warming. 💗
Lily and the Octopus was beautiful but it made me ugly cry so much. Maybe not so much "comforting" but there are heart-warming moments!And agree with everyone else: Bridge to Terabithia was incredibly traumatizing as a kid, and I still cry thinking about it (it's been probably 20 years since I've read it!)
Alternate title for this list: "Heartbreak and Dying Dads"
I love all the books! definitely adding some to my tbr.
The Intergalactic Interloper by Delas Heras is definitely a quirky, heartwarming book -- and it's short. Truly delightful!
I think Major Pettigrew's Last Stand might belong on this list.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by M. Barberry should totally be on this list! It creates the same feeling in the reader as 'A man called Ove' and many of the others mentioned here! Definitely worth the read :)
May I suggest The Vanderbeekers books by Karina Yan Glaser!! They have cute and quirky all over them. 😊💗
half the books are not "heart warming " just trainwrecks about whiney drama obsessed humams with no direction and then get that cliched "redemption arc" the last 2 -3chapters .ICK. Another quarter are boring or non fiction babble by humans who pretended to be other humans and DONT belong on this list (that duchess thibg is idiotic )SO maybe 5 percent are "feel good " books
