“I must have cracked thousands of seeds over the years, and yet the next day’s green never fails to amaze me.”
Are you looking to put a bit more spring into your step? In a world that can often be both confusing and overwhelming, taking a moment to delve into the pages of a good book can be the perfect remedy for finding happiness and cherishing the little things in life. Join us at What We Reading as we present the most uplifting feel-good books. Whether you’re craving heartwarming real-world tales, laughter-filled escapes, or transformative journeys of self-discovery, these reads are your ticket to a brighter, more uplifting perspective!
How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir In Thirteen Animals – Sy Montgomery
Sy Montgomery’s wholesome memoir delves into the personalities and quirks of the thirteen animals – and friends – who have profoundly shaped her experiences in How To Be A Good Creature.
From tarantulas to tigers, featuring illustrations from Rebecca Green, it is a stunning and poetic, life-affirming chronicle that demonstrates the transformative power of viewing life from another creature’s perspective. Montgomery’s reflections make How To Be A Good Creature one of the most uplifting feel-good books for understanding how we love, create passions, form bonds, grieve and mourn and, most crucially, how to be a good creature in this world.
H Is For Hawk – Helen Macdonald
Following up with another feel-good book captured through the lens of the animal kingdom comes from Helen Macdonald in H is for Hawk. In it, she documents how the loss of her father and the grief it triggered led to her purchasing a goshawk named Mabel.
What follows is the remarkable spiritual journey Macdonald embarks on attempting to train and nurture one of the wildest of animals. This profoundly honest memoir is an exploration of grief but also details the process of healing and how it is possible to reconcile with death, love and life itself.
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The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch
Lots of professors give talks labelled ‘The Last Lecture’. They are asked to consider their demises and consider what matters the most to them. What would they want their legacy to be?
For Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, it wasn’t hard to imagine it as his last. Having recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he conjured up ‘Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’. But this lecture wasn’t about confronting death. Rather, it was a celebration of overcoming obstacles, seizing every opportunity that comes our way, enabling the dreams of others and living life to the fullest. Combining humour and intelligence, Pausch offers one of the best feel-good books for gaining a new perspective on how time is all we have in our lives.
Lab Girl – Hope Jahren
Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she has devoted her life’s work to the study of soil, seeds, flowers and trees. Her debut book, Lab Girl, is a love letter to her assessments of the natural world, but so much more at the same time.
An inspiring feel-good book about work, love and the amazing things that can happen when the two combine, Jahren documents her upbringing in rural Minnesota, finding sanctuary in science, the inevitable setbacks and disappointments as well as the incredible moments of achievement. Most of all, it is a touching exploration of the transformative powers personal connections and the natural world intertwining can have in finding meaning and purpose.
Things To Look Forward To: 52 Large And Small Joys For Today And Every Day – Sophie Blackall
Having something positive to look forward to is one of the best ways of feeling good. In Things to Look Forward To, illustrator Sophie Blackall presents fifty-two whimsical and compassionate ideas designed to present moments every day that uplift yourself and the loved ones around you.
Ranging from painting a face on an egg to baking muffins, these moments are designed to offer comfort and solace in hard times and joyful anticipation of new experiences on the horizon. Things to Look Forward To is a feel-good book full of reminders of the objects, occasions and gestures that always make us feel warm. For realising brighter horizons are always closer than we think, Blackall’s uplifting book teaches us how to take joy into our own hands.
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Uplifting Stories: True Tales To Inspire You To Take Action – Ione Butler
Curated by the founder of Uplifting Content, Ione Butler’s Uplifting Stories is a collection of thirty-three real-life stories designed to inspire, flip your perspective and restore your faith in humanity.
Understanding the power inspirational true stories – the kind we aren’t exposed to enough these days – can have, Uplifting Stories is the ultimate collection of tales cultivated by Butler’s personal experiences, and from her wholesome online community. From Daniel Kish, a blind man who learned how to see through echolocation to Destiny Watford, a high school student whose activism helped turn around the fortunes of America’s ‘most polluted zipcode’, these stories celebrate overcoming adversity, acts of service and human connection.
When Harry Met Minnie: A True Story Of Love And Friendship – Martha Teichner
An instant New York Times bestseller, Martha Teichner’s When Harry Met Minnie is a beautifully told memoir about love, loss, chance encounters and the profound powers a pet can have in bringing people together.
With the vibrant backdrop of New York City and the premise akin to Harry Met Sally, the story follows Teichner and how a chance encounter during her morning walk with her dog Harry led to the establishment of a deep connection between her and fellow Bull-Terrier owner, Carol. What starts as a humble love story between the two canines soon blossoms into a moving and meaningful friendship between the two women. In this moving tale, Teichner examines how our stories are shaped by the people we meet, the connections we make and the lasting bonds we form.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
