I’m not much of a romance person, so this is one of the harder posts of the year for me (followed closely by Halloween, as I don’t do scary either!). So rather than looking at romantic themes, I’m going to find some books that made me feel love. Books that showed how beautiful relationships can be – whether between partners, lovers, friends, family, found family, parents and kids… however it shows up in life, I enjoy finding a book that leaves me with that feeling that love really is out there and is a wonderful thing. So here are some of my favourites.
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry has all different kinds of love in it – the kind that ends in grief, the kind that destroys, and the kind that restores and sustains. It’s a beautiful story, and one I imagine I’ll return to again and again. The House in the Cerulean Sea is the story of a found family, of sorts, as well as having a bit of LGBTQIA2S+ romance in the mix! Heartstopper is such a wonderful series. It depicts the teenage years in all their angst and confusion, but it also shows that in that melée, real love is possible. I also love how diverse and loyal the group of friends are, it warms my soul. The Fault In Our Stars was a huge hit, and for good reason. The relationships in it are so full of love.
A Man Called Ove isn’t a love story per se, and yet it is a story of some of the truest kinds of love. Ove’s devotion to his late wife (and the story of their life together that is slowly shared) is one, but also the unlikely relationships that develop between characters as the story progresses are just beautiful and left me feeling better about the world. Razorblade Tears is a questionable one to include on this list, because it’s not a pure kind of love like most of the others on the list. Instead it shows how two fathers who both let down their sons discover how much they loved them and seek to avenge them in an unlikely partnership. Not exactly warm and fuzzy, but there is love in these pages, in all its complexity and pain. The Rural Diaries is a celebrity memoir, but it’s also just a great book. Burton Morgan shares her love for her husband and their children, the ups and downs of life and the impact that had on both of them, but how love carried them through. It’s well written and wonderfully narrated by Burton Morgan. The Littlest Library is the only real romance book on this list, and I included it because it just felt so warm and fuzzy and reassuring to read. I really enjoyed this story of a librarian’s move to a small town and the relationships she develops there.
Happily Ever After & Everything in Between is an amusing look at the reality of sharing a life with someone, with its moments of sweetness and support, but also great frustration. It made me laugh and smile in equal measure. Crying in H Mart is one I’m sure you’re all familiar with, but I felt needed to be included. It’s the story of a woman losing her mother, but in broader strokes it’s the story of their relationship, of how they were different but also how they were deeply connected. Matilda is just one of my favourites of all time – the relationships between Matilda and Miss Honey is just perfect.
That’s it for me this week! Have you guys read any of these? Do you want to if you haven’t? Can you think of any books you’ve read that would belong on this list?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.
I’ve only read four on your list, but I would like to read all of them, based on your descriptions! For February, I have a challenge to read a book with a color in the title, so maybe it’s finally time to get to The House in the Cerulean Sea. It might also be time for a reread of The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, which I also loved.
Oooh The House on the Cerulean Sea is just lovely. I re-read AJ Fikry recently, I think last year, and it was just as good the second time around, so I hope you get a chance!
What a great list! I have yet to read A Man Called Ove and Crying in H Mart, but I’ve heard good things about them and your writeup only makes me want to read them more.
I was so pleasantly surprised by A Man Called Ove – I didn’t really know anything going in, but it was just so lovely. Crying in H Mart didn’t have the same impact on me as it did on many other readers, BUT it was still one I’d recommend and had a unique structure and approach. Plus the emotion that went into it bleeds off the page, and you can’t help but feel for her. Definitely two I’d say are worth trying at least! I hope you have a great reading week!
I love reading books that make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, too. The Fault in Our Stars was one of those for me.
A lot of my favourite books fall into this category! It doesn’t have to be a happy book, but it does need to make me feel this way! The Fault in Our Stars was absolutely one of these, and I love it to this day.
Klune’s book made me feel warm and fuzzy too.
Oh, what a lovely reading experience that book was!
I really like your approach. I read A Man Called Ove and The Storied Like of AJ Fikry only recently. Although I’m not a romance person, I’m going to check out The Littleist Library…I’m a sucker for small-town books and have been in a mood for bookshops/library stories recently. My list is “elements in books I Love”.
Oooh two of my favourites! I adored both of those books, and, unexpectedly, the films based on them! The Littlest Library definitely was a romance book, with some of the annoyingly saccharine elements, but the setting and premise are delightful so I thought it was worth a (sped up significantly) listen!