We might be biased, but there are few things in this world that can cheer us up quite like a feel-good book. If you’re suffering from a case of the blues, the down-in-the-dumps, or just plain gloominess, brighten up your life with these Perdita and Honor approved reads:
There are so many great happy/feel good books out there right now. Just look at funny, contemporary teen in the UK: Holly Smale’s ‘Geek Girl’ series, Jenny McLachlan’s ‘Flirty Dancing’ series, Katy Birchall’s ‘It Girl’ series, Lucy Ivison and Tom Ellen’s ‘Never Evers’, Candy Harper’s ‘Faith’ series, Sophia Bennett’s books (the ‘Threads’ series were amongst Hon’s faves). And the shelves are still quite properly packed with the Lousie Rennsion favourites. I’m pretty sure every one of these authors would claim ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ with its warm brand of cringey humuor as an influence – we would. There are too many to mention.
But if we draw our list from outside that brilliant crop this is what we come up with:
- P & H: ‘Ballet Shoes’
It stands the test of time. It’s been an influence on us writing ‘Waiting for Callback’ too – it’s very real about acting.
- P: (sue me for lack of originality) ‘Pride & Prejudice’
It’s perfect and it makes me happy. I do reread it but I wish I’d never read it so I could open it for the first time. I suspect it prejudiced me in favour of regency romances, you know things are really bad when I reach for the comfort of a Georgette Heyer romance.
- H: Any P.G. Wodehouse but I’ll plump for ‘Code of the Woosters’.
I’m dyslexic so I ‘read’ most books on audio, lying in bed listening and imagining it all playing out in pictures in my head. Part of the feel good factor for me is probably the comfort of being read to – Martin Jarvis is a brilliant reader.
- H&P: the Sophie Kinsella ‘Shopaholic’ books
They were probably the first adult books that we swapped between us on holiday and laughed at together. (Also because if we’re perfectly honest we do struggle not to shop too much…).
- H&P: The Eva Ibbotson books especially her historical romances. If we had to choose one probably ‘The Secret Countess’.
Pure escapism.
Do you have any more happy books to add to Perdita & Honor’s list? Let us know @maximumpopbooks.
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