Bright books to lift your spirits

I think we could all use some hope and happiness right now, and my go-to fix for that is a book. Right now is a good time to discover the solace that a really good book can give you, especially if you’re cooped up at home.

Here are some books that I’ve gathered together that will hopefully lift your spirits. Read on!

FICTION

Saving Missy

by Beth Morrey

Prickly 79-year-old Missy Carmichael is a loner who is perfectly content with her little world, until a chance encounter with two women leads her to an opportunity that might just change her life for the better. This sparkling debut novel is perfect for fans of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Buy it here

Seasonal Quartet – Autumn, Winter, Spring & Summer

by Ali Smith

I’ve so enjoyed reading Ali Smith’s sparkling Seasonal Quartet–Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer (out 2 July). While they’re mostly a reaction to the post-Brexit turmoil in the UK, I think that the way in which they deal with human discord, uncertainty and isolation, and how hope can be found in any situation, is the perfect thing for right now. Plus, they’re just beautifully written.

One can only imagine the kind of novel that Smith is probably furiously working on right now …

Buy them here

Howards End

by E. M. Forster

The epigraph of this book is an impassioned plea to “Only connect!”, to reconcile the divisions within yourself but also to reach out to other people and recognise the humanity in them.

This is perhaps the ultimate book about human connections and one which I think is quite relevant right now. Plus, you can use it as an excuse to get stuck into E. M. Forster’s backlist (I’ll take any excuse to read A Room With a View again).

Buy it here

NON-FICTION

Phosphorescence

by Julia Baird

This is a much-loved book here at Booktopia, with our reviewer Joel Naoum calling it “a beautiful, moving memoir about what makes us happy and how to survive the dark times.” With this book, Julia Baird reminds us that happiness comes from finding the beauty in the little things, and we cannot recommend it highly enough.

Buy it here

Reasons to Stay Alive

by Matt Haig

Reasons to Stay Alive is a memoir but it’s also a book about making the most of your time on earth. (It was a huge bestseller, too.) If you’re feeling dejected about the world or about staying cooped up inside, this book is just the thing to give your spirits a boost.

Buy it here

Little Weirds

by Jenny Slate

I am grateful for the fact that Jenny Slate exists every single day. She’s an actress and a comedian who takes supreme delight in the joy of the little things in life and it’s always a pleasure to see the world through her eyes, whether it’s through her Netflix comedy special, Stage Fright (if you haven’t yet, you must!), or through this essay collection, Little Weirds.

Buy it here

COOKING

Nothing Fancy

by Alison Roman

It isn’t a good idea to have people over for dinner right now, but you can still use this cookbook from the New York Times’ resident foodie Alison Roman to make a feast for you and your fellow socially-isolated housemates.

I love Alison Roman and her recipes, and while Nothing Fancy doesn’t have the recipe for The Caramelised Shallot Pasta (if you know, you know), you will find a bunch of other equally incredible ones to get you cooking and feeling all the better for it.

Buy it here

Community

by Hetty McKinnon

You might be staying in, but you can still celebrate community spirit with Hetty McKinnon. This cookbook made up of delicious salad and vegetarian recipes has achieved cult status and is filled with healthy dishes that will make you feel happier in no time.

Buy it here

Baking with Kim-Joy

by Kim-Joy

Anyone else using repeated viewings of The Great British Bake Off as a coping mechanism? This is the book for you.

Bake Off finalist and fan-favourite Kim-Joy’s baking book has recipes for basic cake mixes, biscuit doughs, fillings/frostings and decorating techniques, all peppered with little messages of positivity and the cutest illustrations ever.

Buy it here

YOUNG ADULT

Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston

Can love save the world? It sure can, according to the hugely popular YA novel Red, White & Royal Blue in which when the charming First Son of the United States of America falls for the Prince of Wales across the pond.

Funny, romantic and full of heart, this is blissful reading.

Buy it here

Emergency Contact

by Mary H.K. Choi

If your main form of communication with your friends and would-be lovers right now is via text message, this is a book you should read. In Emergency Contact, not-quite adults Sam and Penny Lee are living lives that are anything but glorious when they meet accidentally and strike up an online friendship. It’s a perfect friendship, and one that might just be something more–that is, if they ever get over the excruciating awkwardness of hanging out in person.

I absolutely adore this book and I think you might too.

Buy it here

Aurora Rising

by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

If you’d rather be light years away from planet Earth right now, join the merry band of misfits that is Squad 312 of the peacekeeping Aurora Legion as they set off on an adventure in which they might just have to save the entire universe.

This is another Booktopia favourite, and with the sequel, Aurora Burning, heading your way in May (full disclosure, I’m ¾ of the way through it and LOVING IT), there’s no better time to get stuck into this series.

Buy it here

KIDS

Here We Are

by Oliver Jeffers

It’s impossible to read an Oliver Jeffers book without coming away feeling absolutely delighted and enraptured. Think of Here We Are as a little kid’s guidebook to planet Earth, but with a joyous thread of hope running through it. Totally gorgeous and uplifting.

Buy it here

Florette

by Anna Walker

CBCA-winning author Anna Walker’s lovely picture book about finding pockets of joy in unexpected places is one that a lot of little kids (and, I suspect, adults) will really appreciate right about now.

The illustrations in this book are so beautiful, you might just get lost in them …

Buy it here

Kindness Makes Us Strong

by Sophie Beer

If there’s one thing we need to hold onto right now, it’s kindness and this book shows little readers that all acts of kindness–no matter how big or small–make the world a better place.

Buy it here

What are you reading right now? Tell us in the comments below!

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About the Contributor

Olivia Fricot

Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.

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