When it’s cold out and it gets dark early, we tend to get the lonelies quite a lot. Then we grab our fluffy dog, cat or significant other, or perhaps… A fluffy book. This is the time when we need feel good books, possibly even romantic books that would pick us up! And this is precisely the list for that. Although I have to admit, while making this it, I started thinking I should read more sweet and fluffy stories myself!
When You Are Bashful In A Castle
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is one of my favorite books. It’s sort of a girl’s coming of age story, although it doesn’t tell any particularly special tale or anything – what appealed to me about it was that it’s so well told through the lips of a young teenage girl. If you’re a woman, it might remind you how you felt back when you were sixteen or seventeen yourself. The sense of being unsure of the world, of yourself, what you really want – and slowly learning to find it. The first kindlings of being in love, and not being sure what is exactly going on, or who you’re even in love with, and are you supposed to know how it works? Aside from that, as you might have guessed by the name, all of it sort of happens in a castle. In a very shabby, decrepit castle, because the family living in it is sort of a bunch of misfits. And one of those misfits if your incredibly adorable main character. It’s definitely one of those feel good books, and you know it – even if it’s a little bit wistful.
[ Shelve on Goodreads | Buy at Book Depository ]
When You Want To Switch Lives With Someone Else

You will laugh at me, but the premise of The Thousand Tiny Miracles of Living Twice is really fun! A middle-age woman, a beautiful superstar, a prankster angel. Can you tell where this is going? Yes, long story short, the women switch bodies, without the consent of one of them, of course (can you guess which one?), and chaos ensues. This book manages to be light, fun and lyrical at the same time. There is some philosophising without any moralizing, although of course, you know which of the characters shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing. You will hardly be surprised by what goes on in this book, cause such a premise can only really go one way, but it surely is fun and uplifting, and you will get attached to the characters, even the ones who aren’t all that positive. Like all feel good books, it’s sweet, light and undemanding, although it might grab at your feels from time to time!
[ Shelve on Goodreads | Buy at Book Depository | Read the full review here ]
When You Think You Have To Have Control Of Everything
This is a teen book, and although I don’t read too many sweet YA books, Thing I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik really hit the spot! I was so in love with it. I wouldn’t say it’s a feel good book so much, but it just… Sort of makes you feel good? (Badum tsss.) It’s about a teen who shoulders a little bit too much responsibility, as she helps her Autistic sister deal with the world and life, and dearly and truly loves her. But from that love, comes a desire to control everything, to fix everything, to set it all right – even if it’s not about her own life, but rather the life of her sister. The main character learns a lot about how you never know what another person wants, or even what you yourself want. It’s an ode to sibling love, that’s one of the points I liked most! It’s also just so sweet and adorable. And to top it off, it’s a gem of diversity – it doesn’t just have an ASD character, it has more than that! But I’m not going to tell you what more it has, because you don’t want spoilers. So if you’re looking for something cute to read, or even something for a niece or daughter, this is it.
[ Shelve on Goodreads | Buy at Book Depository | Read the full review here ]
When You Need To Say Goodbye To The Past
This one is definitely one of the YA feel good books you should mark down! (I know I said I don’t read a lot of YA…) It’s also perfect for reading in the winter, because it will remind you of warm and summery times. The premise of Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas is literally what it says in the title – the main character has to say goodbye to all her childhood and teens mementos because of a mix up, during which they are all lost. It’s a tough thing to read about, because imagine throwing away all your memories! But the bottom line is that the memories live on in you, and you don’t really lose them if you just remember who you are. The trick is to keep building new memories and not get trapped in the past! Aside from that, it’s also a story about moving off into your new life, getting ready to grow up, moving our of your parents’ house, graduating school. It might appeal to you if you’re at this point of your life right now. Truly recommended!
[ Shelve on Goodreads | Buy at Book Depository | Read the full review here ]
When A Spoiled Child Gets Responsibilities
So you all know this one! The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is hardly a new release, and you wouldn’t really put it on your typical feel good books shelf either. (But you might have noticed that this is a bit of a different list already!) I don’t know what it is about books like these that makes me feel better, but they do – maybe because it’s about childhood? In The Secret Garden, a little girl is taught that one’s life is worth more when one invests into the lives and needs of others, when one cultivates something instead of letting everyone give them whatever they want. It teaches that you should have goals in life, that you should strive for something – not because hard work is cool or being lazy is bad, but simply because you will have more of a drive in your own life if you put some effort into it. Of course, this is a classic, and you must keep in mind that it’s sufficiently moralizing! Tended to happen with little girls’ or just kids’ books back then, apparently! If you can ignore the moralizing, it really is a sweet and uplifting, emotional story. You can even read it with the little ones!
[ Shelve on Goodreads | Buy at Book Depository ]
Have you read any of these feel good books? What do you read when you are cold and lonely? Any recommendations for me?
I’m Evelina and I blog about books that made an impression on me. I love middle grade, women’s, scifi and some literary too.
When I am cold and lonely I always go for Janice Galloway’s The Trick is to Keep Breathing
I actually haven’t heard of that one, I’ll have to check it out 🙂 thanks!
All of these books sound good. Thanks for sharing this list. I might just read The Secret Garden with my little ones.
Thank you! Yes, The Secret Garden is truly adorable 🙂
Ohhhh I’m adding all, and I mean ALL of these to my 2018 TBR! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on all of these! <3
Hi Delphine, we haven’t talked in AAAGGGEEEESSS! Thanks for visiting 🙂 and thanks for reading and adding! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Stef’s testing from Jetpack! If you see this comment you can delete it. Sorry for clogging the convo!
I definitely see it, thank you for trying 🙂
Thing I Should Have Known was so precious! It will be in many book lists for me this year! Best Neurodiversity books, Best LGBTTQQIAAP etc. I made a list of “How to beat the winter blues, “feel good” books that is coming up next week. I should have added Thing I Should Have Know! 🙂
I think I added The Thousand Tiny Miracles of Living Twice t GR bc of your review 🙂
It truly WAS so precious, wasn’t it 🙂 I can’t say I have read anything like it since. Even though it was such a simple book, it was also very cute and very pure. I’d love to read one more like that 🙂 oh, and I hope you’ll like the Thousand Miracles! 🙂
Oh this is a great list – I hadn’t heard about Throwing my Life Away before, but it sounds exactly like the kind of book I could love! Thank you for the recommendation 🙂
Throwing My Life Away is relatively unknown, I guess, but it’s very light, clean and adorable 🙂 I’m almost sure you’d like it!
P.S. I have received your Twitter messages, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to reply, but I will definitely note down the posts, thank you for sending me the links <3
Ooooh “Things I should have known” & “Throwing my life away” is now on my virtual wanna read shelf !! you are so good at thoses, keep doing them, please !
That’s great, I’m glad you enjoyed the list! 🙂 yeah, those are definitely cute and fluffy reads, and they’re also relatively clean reads (as you might not know, I really dislike non-clean reads xD) And thank youuuuu! 🙂 yes, I plan on doing more lists, for sure 🙂
I found your site from Gayathri at Elgee Writes. Oh man how many times I’ve wanted to be someone else. Need to remember this list.
Thank you 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the list!
I always feel like I’ve read The Secret Garden as a child, but I don’t remember anything about it at all so maybe not?
I need book number four. :’)
I think you might have, books we read in childhood just tend to go away and leave nothing but the name and cover 😀 it’s also often packaged in one book with Lord Fauntleroy. Maybe you remember that one? 🙂 and yes! Book #4 is incredibly cute and adorable 🙂
Oh. My. God. I freaking LOVE I Capture the Castle!! It’s also one of my all-time favorite feel-good books 🙂 My dad bought it for me when it was reprinted here in the States after he heard a public radio review saying it was perfect for young girls. He doesn’t pick out presents himself very often, so it’s both a great story and a fond memory rolled into one 🙂
Yay! I think we do have similar tastes a lot, cause I just saw Book of Dust on your blog, and you love I Capture the Castle too! Have you read We Have Always Lived in the Castle? It’s different, but it has intersections with this one too 🙂 I loved that as well.
Aw, that’s a lovely story of how you got that book 🙂 I recently bought another book by Dodie Smith (okay, recently = last spring). So eventually I’m going to read it xD
It looks like it! 🙂 I haven’t read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but it was recommended to me last year and has languished on my TBR ever since. I think I’m going to have to bump it up to the top of the list!
Ooo, which one? I’ve only read I Capture the Castle, but I know she also wrote 101 Dalmations? I think??
Oh, you should totally read it, it’s SO GOOD! It’s such a summer read for me though, I guess I can recommend to read it this summer then? 😀 hehe
And the book is called The Town in Bloom 🙂
The Thousand Tiny Miracles of Living Twice sounds SOOO good!!! I’m going to have to pick that up!
It is pretty awesome! I’m glad you thought so, I’m sure you’d enjoy it 🙂
Seems like a great list! I haven’t read any of these but they definitely look like the ones I would enjoy Also, that book – living twice one- reminds me of a movie with a similar plot where two friends switch their lives when they go to that Rome fountain I can’t remember the movie name right now but that movie was quite enjoyable
Thanks 🙂 yeah, keep this list for a day when your mood isn’t very good, and then choose something from here 😀
Oh, I don’t know that movie! But yeah, stories like that can be really uplifting, even though they’re simple and not too fancy 🙂
I read The Things I Should Have Known last year and really liked it. The bond between the sisters, as well as the one between the brothers, were some of my favorite aspects of the story. I have been wanting to read a Czukas book and this may be a good one to start with.
Yeah, that was one epic good, sweet and fluffy, as well as diverse and honestly written 🙂 and I think you’d like Czukas too! BTW she’s writing under “Ellie Cahill” now, I think?
I love this post and you’re right, sometimes we do need something fluffy and heartwarming to make us feel good inside <3
The Secret Garden is one of my all time favorite children's books and I'm so glad it made the list 🙂
Aww, thanks 🙂 yes, I think the world would be a better place if we all read or watched some fluffy and adorable things more often 🙂
I’m glad you like The Secret Garden! A lot of people say it’s too didactic and too cutesy, but I absolutely loved it. Any recs along these lines?
Some great book recs, and a couple on here I’ve not read! Love the sound of Thousand Tiny Miracles. I’d not even heard of it but it just sounds like the kind of book you get sucked into without expecting it. It sounds a little ridiculous but so good. And Throwing My Life Away is one I forgot was even on my to buy list but I totally want to treat myself now. Maybe I’ll buy soon although it sounds more of a warm summer night read to me.
Yeah, The Thousand Tiny Miracles was very cute and engaging indeed 🙂 yes, it was a little ridiculous, that is true 😀 Throwing My Life Away is totally worth it! I hope you enjoy these, if you do get them this year 🙂
I’ve not read any of them. :/ Good to know, though. I tend to go with Jill Shalvis when I’m in that mood because her’s are light and sweet and always have amazing friendships featured and it just makes me happy. lol
I’ve never read that author, I’ll have to keep it in mind 🙂
I’ve managed to never read The Secret Garden (although I’m pretty sure I own a copy), I do have one of the film adaptations spring to mind whenever I think about it though. And having said that, I’ve read none of these books at all!
When I’m feeling lonely I usually grab one of my cats and force them to snuggle (they’re usually not very impressed by this 😛 )
I know the drill, I am the same with my cat 😀 CATS ARE THE BEST. But when enough is enough, then I grab a sweet book xD oh, and classics seem to be THE books people usually don’t get to read xD
I am a bit embarrassed to say that I haven’t read ANY of these books! But I Capture the Castle was recently recommended to me and it sounds PERFECT for me. I have recently gotten into older Western European atmospheric novels such as Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I want to read a ton like that, and I was told I Capture the Castle is written in a similar style and is WONDERFUL. You’ve recommended it too, so obviously I’m going to read it. 😀 There is something about The Secret Garden which has always put me off from picking… Read more »
I have a ton of recs like that, actually, and I remember writing out a long list in a comment for you a long time ago xD I am actually thinking of making a proper link post for that, and I had you in mind when I was thinking of it 😀 I Capture the Castle isn’t like Rebecca, it’s not really dark. It’s kind of the opposite, in the same setting? And it’s absolutely amazing. I’m sure you’ll love it. Although your feminist side might find stuff I didn’t really notice. But it was written 100 years ago. Yeah,… Read more »
I love I Capture the Castle and The Secret Garden, and will now add all the others to my TBR, because you made them all sound so GOOD. Also, I really appreciate how you give the feel of a book without giving too much away–I don’t like to have many expectations going into a book.
One book I’d suggest for beating the winter blues is Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin. Her characters aren’t actually happy all the time, but there is a core of goodness and hope to her work.
Hahaha, I hope you’ll like them too, I don’t want to ruin my reputation in your eyes if they don’t turn out too good 😀 oh yeah, I always try to explain the emotion, because why else do we read 🙂 it’s no fun to talk about what actually happens in a book! That’s why people read the book, not the review 😀 aw, thank you, I should definitely look that one up 🙂
Some great books here, and some I really need to check out, thanks!
I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I Capture the Castle sounds so good! I’m hoping to read it this winter – it looks like a wonderful read!
It truly is and I can’t recommend it enough, I hope you do get to read it 🙂
I really like this post. I actually have that book by Katarina West and have yet to read it, so I will probably pick that one up on a day when I need something feel good for winter or the lonelies. Oh, and I remember reading The Secret Garden when I was younger. That was totally my childhood DD:
Really, you have the book? It’s cute 🙂 how did you get it? Just curious 🙂
From the author! I’ve reviewed for her before.
Oh! That’s so cool 🙂 I didn’t even know she had other books. I am sort of a beta reader for this series now though 😀
I picked up Throwing Your Life Away at an event last fall. You’ve inspired me to pick it up! 🙂
It was such a cute book! It’s good to get some positive vibes up 🙂 hope you like it!
My go to series every summer is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. It’s always a feel good read!
I have actually only started reading this series last year! And I haven’t finished it yet. But I totally agree, it’s SUCH a feel good series 🙂
Such a wonderful list! Definitely bookmarking this one.
Thank you!