If you’re feeling down, these feel-good novels will instantly uplift your mood. Feel-good fiction is something I hear readers so often craving because it’s optimistic and features charming characters and heartwarming themes like kindness, personal growth, hope, and joy despite life’s greatest difficulties. Reading inspiring stories like these are “palate cleansers” that make you feel better. So, let’s make you smile, too, as you turn the pages of one of my top picks in this genre book list!

Best Feel Good Novels of All-Time
3 MOST POPULAR PICKS
You can’t go wrong with these three celebrity book club books that have been some of the bestselling and best loved novel of the past several years worldwide: The Maid by Nita Prose, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
- American Royals by Katharine McGee
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
- The Guncle by Steven Rowley
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
- Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Wedding People by Allison Espach
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Marie Semple
My Reviews of Feel Good Fiction For Adults
American Royals by Katharine McGee
Plot: The American Royals book series is about what could have happened if George Washington had become King instead of President and his descendants were ruling over modern-day America.
It’s drama-filled as Princess Beatrice inches closer to becoming America’s first queen. Meanwhile, Princess Samantha is dealing with boy problems. Then there’s Samantha’s twin, Prince Jefferson, adored by two very different girls vying for his heart.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: These made-up royals and their relationship drama make American Royals about as light as it gets! It’s a juicy series of escape books for those who get a kick out of rich people problems and tabloid gossip.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Plot: The Anne of Green Gables books follow the 11-year-old red-headed orphaned spitfire named Anne Shirley. She mistakenly arrives at the Green Gables house of aging adult siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, as they had asked for a boy to help on their farm in the town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
However, with a fierce temper and colorful imagination, Anne makes an impression on the Cuthberts and the townspeople of Avonlea as she comes of age.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: Anne is charming to kids and adults alike to read, especially or a spring reading challenge. This light academia novel makes you yearn for simpler times and places, from its education themes to its beautiful, historic settings.
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
Plot: Anxious People is a quirky book about an open house that goes awry when a failed bank robber runs in and takes everyone hostage.
Theyโre โa bunch of idiotsโ โ a retired couple who fix up houses but canโt fix their marriage, a wealthy bank director, a conflicted young couple about to have their first child, an elderly woman unafraid of a gun but still afraid of the real estate deal, and a mysterious man who has locked himself in the bathroom.
These hostages set an unexpected chain of events in motion and reveal truths about themselves.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: This book is a uniquely nuanced glimpse into human nature, making you laugh through your tears. That’s human psychology in a nutshell, isn’t it?!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Plot: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine follows a socially awkward, isolated woman whose rigid routine is upended when she forms an unexpected friendship with a quirky coworker. Together, they help an elderly man in need, and through this bond, Eleanor slowly opens up to the possibility of healing from her past and embracing human connection.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: It’s a heartwarming story that explores the power of friendship in overcoming loneliness and emotional wounds. Readers worldwide also fell in love with Eleanor herself!
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Plot: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It begins the Finlay Donovan book series in a Panera Bread. A tired and frantic, recently divorced single mother of two and down-on-her-luck writer, Finlay, is discussing the plot of her next murder mystery with her agent.
A woman who overhears the conversation mistakes her for a contract killer and offers her payment in exchange for murdering her evil husband.
Finlay becomes intrigued by the offer. But, when she meets the woman’s husband in real life, she becomes entangled in a murder mystery bigger than she ever expected.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: Murder mystery, but make it funny! Elle Cosimano makes Finlay likable in a situation that could have made her an unlikeable protagonist. It’s hard not to root for Finlay, her assistant Vero, and the men who vie for her heart.
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Plot: The Guncle is about a former Hollywood star, โGay Uncle Patrickโ (aka โGUPโ), and how he becomes the caretaker for his young niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant, during one Palm Springs summer.
This occurs after the death of their ill mother while their father, Greg (Patrick’s brother), battles addiction. Patrick is also coping with his own grief โ the tragic loss of his beloved boyfriend.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: Hold your tears for your laughter because The Guncle book series finds humor and humanity in grief. This cast is playful and lovable as they work through real-life sadness.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Plot: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store begins in 1926 in a town where immigrant Jews and African Americans peacefully co-exist. A young, deaf, and orphaned Black boy named Dodo is institutionalized at a local asylum, Pennhurst. So, his Jewish neighbors and extended family members plan to rescue him.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: While this book deals with very difficult topics that broke my heart, it also actually made my heart swell. The powerful ending leaves you with the kind of book hangover only the most meaningful books can. It’s one of the most well-written books I’ve read — ever.
Related Posts: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Characters | The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Book Club Questions
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Plot: The House in the Cerulean Sea follows Linus Baker, a rule-abiding case worker assigned to assess the potential danger posed by six magical children living in an orphanage. As he becomes more involved with the children and their protective guardian, Arthur Parnassus, Linus uncovers secrets that challenge his beliefs about family, love, and the world.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: This book is often referred to as feeling like a warm hug. It explores the transformative power of discovering where you truly belong– and it does so through magical creatures. If you love Shrek, you’ll probably love this too.
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
Plot: Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is the story of two families who come together to decide whether to sell their once-famed Catskills Summer resort. The generations collide as they attempt to modernize the facilities. There’s lots of funny and light drama as they debate things like goat yoga and CBD products.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: It’s a summer themed book about sunny days that mixes Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, evoking your nostalgia at the same time.
The Maid by Nita Prose
Plot: In The Maid book series, Molly Gray is a young hotel maid at the five-star Grand Regency Hotel. Despite her love for her job, she struggles with social skills like communication and interpretation, especially since her beloved Gran died.
Her life and career are upended when she enters the suite of a wealthy guest only to find him dead. In an attempt to be helpful to her co-worker crush and the guest’s wife, she, thanks to her unique mannerisms, becomes the lead suspect for murder.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: Molly is smarter than her social skills imply, and the people in her life rally around and support her in a way that makes you feel the power of community. This Clue-like mystery was oddly light and charming and a reader favorite!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Plot: In The Midnight Library, thirty-five-year-old Nora Seed experiences a pileup of sad life events that leave her feeling unneeded. She attempts to overdose but wakes up at midnight in a massive magical library. Nora may choose from books to see the alternative lives she may have lived. Living various alternative lives forces Nora to grapple with the state of her real life.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: While this book begins on a sad note, it becomes life-affirming as Nora learns the value in her real-life experiences, including highs and lows. It urges readers to be content in the present and understand that life’s imperfections contribute to its beauty in a way that makes you feel a renewed zest for life.
Related Post: The Midnight Library Book Club Ideas
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
Plot: In The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, Tanner is a 21-year-old video gamer who takes a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman named Louise, who doesn’t want one.
They try to ignore each other, but Tanner can’t help but notice on the news that the suspect in one of the biggest jewelry heists in American history looks a lot like Louise. When Louise then insists they leave town in the middle of the night, they must face their past mistakes to have future adventures.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: The unlikely friendship is endearing, and their story is engaging and well-written. This book makes for an easy-breezy read with a surprise at the end!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Plot: Remarkably Bright Creatures follows Tova Sullivan, a widow coping with the loss of her son by working the night shift at an aquarium, where she forms an unexpected friendship with Marcellus, a sharp-witted giant Pacific octopus. As their bond deepens, Marcellus uncovers secrets about Tovaโs sonโs disappearance, prompting both of them to confront the past.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: This heartwarming story explores the healing power of human and animal friendships and the hope that can grow from them. Readers worldwide absolutely love Marcellus.
The Wedding People by Allison Espach
Plot: The Wedding People brings together two unlikely women at fancy Rhode Island nuptials. Phoebe, the only hotel guest not attending the wedding, is actually there to end her life after a terrible divorce. The problem is that this imposes on spoiled Lila’s perfectly planned day.
Lila and the other guests begin to confide in Phoebe, which thwarts her plans.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: While this book set at a wedding may sound sad and depressing, it’s not! It actually makes a good beach read. This book is so sharply written, and the cast of wedding guests is a joy to get to know. It has so much humor and heart alongside its contemporary takes on life and love.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Marie Semple
Plot: Bernadette has lost it. Or, so her family and neighbors think after a series of events go hilariously wrong in Where’d You Go, Bernadette?. In one final theatrical event, she disappears on a quest to regain the creativity and purpose she once had but lost over the years as a mother and wife.
Why It Will Make You Feel Good: Bernadette is one of the most quirky and funny characters I’ve read. It’s a slapstick novel about an exhausted mother finding her creativity again.
Recap: Where to Start
THE MOST POPULAR FEEL GOOD NOVELS
Unsure where to start? These books have been some of the bestselling and best loved novel of the past several years worldwide:
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules