5 Books to Bring You Joy

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while a reader will come into the bookstore and ask for an unusual recommendation: I need a happy book. 

And then we scramble. Think about it: Sadness, misery, conflict. These are the hallmarks of good fiction. Conventional wisdom is that happy books are boring. 

But of course, that's not always true. 

So because for the next several weeks, months, (at least four) years, we'll all need books to make us feel good, here are five I recommend.

The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin -- This is a lovely rendering of how important it is to find the people we know we can rely on, trust, and love when times are toughest. Finding those people brings you joy. Reading about a wonderful character finding those people also brings you joy. 

I'll Give You The Sun, by Jandy Nelson -- A sad story, but told with prose as ebullient and joyful as the cover. I don't read a ton of YA, but this is still one of my go-to recommendations when anyone comes into the store just looking for a good read. 

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, by Jonathan Evison -- A very underrated but extremely important skill: Being able to roll with the punches when life presents the unexpected. That's what this funny, sweet novel is about. Here's what I wrote about this book after I read it more than a decade ago: "You should read this book because it'll make you happy. I promise." So yeah, this book fits the bill.

Priestdaddy, by Patricia Lockwood -- Pee-your-pants funny, this memoir is. If Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors wasn't quite quirky enough for you, try this one instead.

The Financial Lives of the Poets, by Jess Walter -- Here's the first paragraph of my review for this novel waaaay back in 2010. "This is going to take some linguistic acrobatics. I'm going to spend the next 500 or so words trying to convince you that a story about bad choices, despair, near-financial ruin, and a failing marriage is one of the funniest, most charming, and downright best books you'll read in a long, long time." Holds up.

I desperately need to add to this list. Tell me your favorite joy-bringing books in the comments!