The Top Ten Tuesday prompt for this week was Top Ten Books That Make You Smile. This was a really hard post to write for me! There are so many books that make me smile, so it was difficult to narrow it down. This is a really eclectic collection of books that are super nostalgic and comfort-reads for me, books that are just really funny, and fluffy contemporaries.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter has been my comfort series since I was in 2nd grade, and reading it just transports me to Hogwarts and makes me instantly feel happy. The Prisoner of Azkaban has always been my favorite book in the series; it has a more intricate plot and mystery than the first two books, but is still lighthearted enough to make me smile throughout it. If home was a book, this would be it for me.
Percy Jackson multiverse
I could not possibly choose a single Rick Riordan book that makes me smile significantly more than the others. If I had to narrow it down a little, I’d have to say The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Serpent’s Shadow, and the Magnus Chase trilogy. Again, all are very much comfort reads, but they’re also more overtly funny than Harry Potter. Rick Riordan has a knack for narrators that make me happy, be that Percy Jackson, Sadie Kane, or Magnus Chase.
Anne of Green Gables
Wow, is that another comfort read? Who could have seen that coming? Anne Shirley is one of my favorite protagonists ever, and getting to follow her misadventures makes me happy every time i read the book, no matter how many times I have done so.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
This is a very different reading experience from the first three, but it has the nostalgia factor, and also the fact that Lemony Snicket is a hilarious narrator. It’s also comforting in a different sort of way from the first few, in that it is about three children who, despite the whole world working against them, are always able to overcome their situations, and there is a sort of reassurance in that. My favorite book in the series is The Austere Academy, and that is also the one that makes me smile the most. The Baudelaire’s going to school is a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the series, and I think it’s one of the funnier books in the series as well. It also introduces Duncan and Isadora, who I love.
The Bane Chronicles
This is, if not my favorite Shadowhunter book of all time, definitely on up there, both because Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters of all time, and because most of it is hilarious. I love this book so much.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
This is just really cute and fluffy, but unlike a lot of contemporary romances, this is grounded enough in super likeable characters that I actually really liked it, and it didn’t grate on me like a lot of similar books do. Lara Jean is so wholesome and reading about her makes me happy.
The Lunar Chronicles
Fairy tales of all kinds make me happy, but I adore the Lunar Chronicles. I love every character in it, though Cress has a special place in my heart, and though it’s more action-packed than most of the other books on this list, it still never fails to bring a smile to my face. It has so much good group banter and friendship, and I love the camaraderie among the Rampion crew.
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
This is another nostalgic comfort read. This is the second book in the series, but it’s my favorite one, and I’ve reread it so many times. If anybody is thinking about checking out the series, I recommend it for all ages (personally I would just read the first three books). If you haven’t heard of it, in terms of tone and overall structure think modern-day Little Women with less morality.
Pumpkinheads
I love this graphic novel for so many reasons! I love autumn, and the art style is so pretty (I do a lot of illustration, so I like this even just as an art book). The story is so sweet and wholesome and reading it makes me smile so much.
Carry On
This is the combination of fantasy book and fluffy contemporary that everybody never knew they needed. I love all of the characters, the magic system is wonderful, and it’s just really funny.
What do you think? Do you have any books that never fails to put a smile on your face?
Nostalgia has been a big theme today! I agree – books that remind me of my childhood or just happy times spent reading definitely make me smile. I’ve read several of these books and they’re definitely smile-inducing 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Anne of Green Gables is a fabulous choice. I liked the first three books in that series the most.
My TTT .
I still need to read the Percy Jackson books (or any Rick Riordan books, really), but I can see why they’d make you smile. Carry On is also on my TBR, and I think I might have to pick that up soon, since it sounds like an absolutely perfect read right about now. 🙂
Here’s my TTT post.
I´ve heard Stephen Fry read the first of the books about Harry Potter and it was fabulous! I like Anne of Green Gables, too.
my https://mrscalloway.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-ten-tuesday.html
I love your list! I have been rereading the Anne of Green Gables series this year via audiobook, and it just makes my heart smile to immerse myself in that world. I started watching Anne with an E on Netflix, but I’m not loving that particular adaptation. I am not even sure if I am going to keep watching it….
Thanks! I’m planning on doing my own reread of the series later this summer. I’m sorry to here you aren’t loving Anne With an E; I personally love it, but it isn’t for everybody. For what it’s worth, I think the latter two seasons, particularly the third one, are much better than the first, and Amybeth McNulty really comes into her role as the series progresses.