Memorial Hall Library

Mood Lifting Reads

Winter blues got you down? Here are some funny, warm, and uplifting books from a variety of genres, ranging from time-tested classics to newer literary voices, that might just lift your mood.

All creatures great and small  : The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
All creatures great and small  : The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
by James Herriot

This companion to the upcoming PBS Masterpiece series and Christmas special is the first volume in a series that takes readers into the magical world of the beloved veterinarian and his menagerie of animal patients. 
The Anthropocene reviewed : essays on a human-centered planet
The Anthropocene reviewed : essays on a human-centered planet
by John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu - on a five-star scale. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection that includes both beloved essays and all-new pieces exclusive to the book.
The book of delights
The book of delights
by Ross Gay

Author Ross Gay spent a year writing almost-daily essays about the things, large and small, that delight him.
By the book
By the book
by Jasmine Guillory

A young, black woman working in publishing makes a surprise connection with an author who has failed to deliver his highly anticipated manuscript, in the second novel in the Meant to Be collection inspired by the classic fairy tale stories we all know and love, perfect for adult readers who crave contemporary, escapist rom-coms.
The charm offensive 
The charm offensive 
by Alison Cochrun

Successful producer on the long-running reality dating show Ever After, Dev Deshpande, with his own love life in complete disarray, falls for contestant Charlie Winshaw who has better chemistry with him than any of his female co-stars. 
Congratulations, the best is over! : essays
Congratulations, the best is over! : essays
by R. Eric Thomas

The best-selling author of Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America presents a collection of relatable and humorous essays that explore his return to his hometown of Baltimore.
Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries
Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries
by Heather Fawcett

A Cambridge professor, scholar and researcher on the study of faeries visits the hardscrabble village of Hransvik where she gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones and resists her insufferably handsome academic rival.
The Enchanted April
The Enchanted April
by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Beguiling, witty, and gently comedic, The Enchanted April tells the tale of four very different women who escape dreary London for an Italian castle in Portofino, shortly after World War I. Elizabeth von Arnim's ageless novel compellingly responds to the eternal question of how to achieve happiness in life. An immediate best seller upon its first publication, the story of unlikely female friendship, newfound empowerment, rekindled love, and unexpected romance has been adapted for state and screen, including a 1991 Oscar-nominated film, and a Tony-nominated play in 2003. This much-beloved book appeals to anyone who appreciates the sly charm of Downton Abbey and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Flying solo : a novel
Flying solo : a novel
by Linda Holmes

Returning to her Maine hometown to handle her grandmother's estate, Laurie investigates a love letter and a mysterious wooden duck she found at the bottom of a cedar chest and is swept up in a journey of self-discovery and antiques.
The guncle : a novel
The guncle : a novel
by Steven Rowley

From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.
Hola papi! : how to come out in a Walmart parking lot and other life lessons
Hola papi! : how to come out in a Walmart parking lot and other life lessons
by John Paul Brammer

The popular LGBTQ columnist and writer presents a memoir though a series of essays that chronicle his life growing up as queer, mixed race kid and offers advice for young people facing the same journey. 
A lady for a duke
A lady for a duke
by Alexis J. Hall

When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become. As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.
Legends & lattes : a novel of high fantasy and low stakes
Legends & lattes : a novel of high fantasy and low stakes
by Travis Baldree

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior's life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen. However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune's shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve.
The long way to a small, angry planet
The long way to a small, angry planet
by Becky Chambers

Joining the crew of the aging Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that has seen better days, loner Rosemary Harper must unexpectedly risk her life when they are offered the job of a lifetime, which teaches her valuable lessons about love and trust, and that having a family isn't the worst thing in the universe. 
A man called Ove : a novel
A man called Ove : a novel
by Fredrik Backman

A curmudgeon hides beneath a cranky and short-tempered exterior a terrible personal loss while clashing with new neighbors, a boisterous family whose chattiness and habits lead to unexpected friendship. A first novel by the Swedish author of Things My Son Needs to Know About Life.
Margo's got money troubles : a novel
Margo's got money troubles : a novel
by Rufi Thorpe

A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman's attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world-from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.
My Man Jeeves
My Man Jeeves
by P. G. Wodehouse

Who can forget our beloved gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves, who ever comes to the rescue when the hapless Bertie Wooster falls into trouble. My Man Jeeves is sure to please anyone with a taste for pithy buffoonery, moronic misunderstandings, gaffes, and aristocratic slapstick.
Other birds
Other birds
by Sarah Addison Allen

Arriving on Mallow Island, right off the coast of South Carolina, to claim her late mother's apartment, Zoey meets her eccentric and secretive neighbors, including a girl on the run, a lonely chef, a legendary writer and three ghosts, each with their own stories whose endings haven't been written yet. 
Quietly hostile : essays
Quietly hostile : essays
by Samantha Irby

In this much-anticipated new collection of hilarious essays, the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author takes us on another outrageously funny tour of all the gory details that make up the true portrait of a life behind the screenshotted depression memes. 
Role playing
Role playing
by Cathy Yardley

An unapologetically grumpy 48-year-old recluse, Maggie, to appease her college-aged son, joins an online gaming guild where she forms an online connection with Otter, a 50-year-old optimist, but when they take their relationship into real life, things do not go as planned. 
Romantic comedy : a novel
Romantic comedy : a novel
by Curtis Sittenfeld

A sketch writer for a late-night comedy show, Sally Milz pokes fun at the phenomenon of talented but average men who've gotten romantically involved with beautiful women and how the reverse never happens until she meets a pop music sensation who flips the script on all her assumptions.
The storied life of A.J. Fikry : a novel
The storied life of A.J. Fikry : a novel
by Gabrielle Zevin

When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A. J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life. 
Tiny beautiful things : advice from Dear Sugar
Tiny beautiful things : advice from Dear Sugar
by Cheryl Strayed

Collects postings on life and relationships from The Rumpus' popular "Dear Sugar" online advice column, sharing recommendations on everything from infidelity and grief to marital boredom and financial hardships.
Under the whispering door
Under the whispering door
by TJ Klune

A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in Under the Whispering Door, a delightful queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he's definitely dead. But even in death he's not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.
The very secret society of irregular witches
The very secret society of irregular witches
by Sangu Mandanna

Breaking all the rules, Mika Moon travels to the mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic and, as she gets close to the Houses residents, must decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for. 
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