Today’s featured post is a list: it is ten books that make you smile (and why)! (For that is the theme over at ThatArtsyReaderGirl for Top Ten Tuesday)
This turned out to be a tough topic for me as I know there are many many more books I have read that have made me smile, made my heart go mush (happily, of course), and left me feeling positive for a while after I finished reading them. But, ask me the question and I am simply unable to remember the titles, though I seem to remember those smiles and mushy-heart moments…And then again, reading makes me happy too!!
Ten Books That Make You Smile
So I asked the kids to chime in, and each of us came up with enough to round it to ten (and it is a pretty random list, we literally just picked things that popped in our head). And other than the inclusion of Little Women (not my addition though today), I did not add any other books I read as a child today (as those books have made their way into tons of top tens!)
Life of Pi
Life of Pi: This was a book both my son and I thought of, so it needed to be here. While lots of discussions around this book harbor on the philosophical or even gruesome, there are simply so many magical moments here that are sure to induce smiles
Fortunately the Milk
Fortunately the Milk: This is a book that both my kids totally loved and loled or smiled or grinned throughout. While there is no review on the blog for this book, it just means I need to get them write one 🙂
Little Women
Little Women: While this book ends up in many top ten lists for me, the reason this book made me smile today is that this was my daughter’s choice for books that make her smile. She is finally reading it (granted, it was the recent movie; well – Timothee Chalamet that got her to watch the movie, and then the movie to read the book!) and it has made her smile many times so far!!
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Shel Silverstein makes me smile often; and well, there is nothing else I can add here
Horton Hatches the Egg
Horton Hatches the Egg: Dr.Seuss also never fails to make me smile; and while the first book that did come to mind was Oh! The Places You’ll Go, Horton has a special place in my heart! And it is a close tie between him hearing a Who and hatching an egg 🙂
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Me Talk Pretty One Day: Sedaris is for those lol moments; for both me and my son. And I have laughed myself silly while waiting to pick up the kids from classes, or in line somewhere while reading this one!
A Walk in the Woods
A Walk in the Woods: While I am yet to read Bryson (I have only read part of his books so far), I have many of his books in my home library; and they are not going to waste considering my son is reading them.
Matilda
- Matilda: The book, the movie, the books within the book, Matilda herself – everything about this makes me happy.
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables: Spunky Anne was someone I read about only as an adult. And I can easily imagine being BFFs with her!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: I don’t know what it is about Hugo and this book that make me smile; maybe the uniqueness, maybe the story, or maybe Hugo; the reasons might be umpteen, but the result is the same: a smile on my face!
Interestingly, my son also mentioned Room (he said there was one specific point in the story that left him smiling wide) and I know I can add so many more books to this list of books (The Night Circus, Anna and the French Kiss, The Little Prince, ……), but I will stop here. (Not really as you can see)
Ten More Books That Make You Smile
And then I decided to look at the most recent reads (or over the past few months) and pick the top 10 books I could think from there that made me happy. So here they are (and I know we can all use as many pick-me-ups that we can get now). You can check out my reviews of the books by clicking on the titles to find out more about the why I liked each one.
- The Little Bookshop of Love Stories : A book about books and bookshops
- The Library of Lost Things: yet to review, but books about books again!
- The Yawns are Coming (sorry!): Smilyaaawn…..
- Joy: Pure joy to read this picture book
- Eats More, Shoots and Leaves: The picture book version of the same book, made me smile at every turn of the page
- Don’t Check Out This Book: Do check it out! Totally punny!
- I’m Stretched: Sweetness…..
- Tweet Cute: As the title says, it is tweet cute 🙂
- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: while this is not all happy and light reading, this book in the end did make me feel warm and fuzzy, and has plenty of moments to make one smile; plus it is again about books)
- Prairie Lotus, and also A Wish in the Dark: To round it out, two middle grade reads, each one inspiring and magical in its own fashion.
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Would You Rather
Today’s WYR
Would you rather read only books that make you laugh out loud or only books that make tug at your heartstrings and make you cry?
If I had a choice, I am more of the tug at your heartstrings person.. though I know we need our laughs too!
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear readers, what are the books that have made you smile or laugh out loud? Do let me know.
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This is such a great list! I love it. You have a bunch of my favorite books on here, so that made me smile 🙂 WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS is one I remember reading as a kid. It’s hilarious.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
What a great list. I love Shel Silverstein. Those poems always make me smile. My favorite is Messy Room and Ations.
What a great topic for a Top 10 list. Ironically, I laugh at Brene Brown books. She has a great sense of humor even when talking about tragic topics.
I also like Dr Seuss books.. and love Little
Women. I’ve been to the Alcott house.
Where the Sidewalk Ends is such a good choice! I used to love that as a kid, and my daughter loves it just as much now. Always puts a smile on our face, for sure. I haven’t read Prairie Lotus or A Wish in the Dark yet, but I want to, and I’m glad to hear they were inspiring reads!
Here’s my TTT post.
Little Women and Anne of Green Gables are both excellent choices.
My TTT .
Gosh I’ve never read any of them, not even Matilda though I have read nearly all Roald Dahl’s other books including his novels.
You had such a variety of different books.
I would have to give it some thought. I prefer heart tugging than laughter. I’m a serious gal. My top of the list are crime and scarey books.
I didn’t like Me Talk Pretty One Day and Life of Pi, but love Little Women and Anne. Lot of new books to me too. I am adding some of them to my TBR.
This is Such a good list. I’m always up for some good reading. Thank you for sharing!
Gonna have to save this list and come back to use my audible credits. I just read Little Women for the first time ever last year. I know … how? But I definitely wanted to read the book before I watched any version of the movies.
This is a great list of books! In such hard times, it is nice to have a list of books that uplifts.
Wow, what a great book collection. We also love Ronald Dahl and Dr.Seuss. I would really like to read Fortunately The Milk.
This is timely as I am about to update my reading list. I love the story of Life of Pi. I have seen the movie and I would love to read the book as well. Thank you for sharing this.
These all look like great pics!
Little Women is my favorite book ever. Anne of Green Gables was wonderful.