I have anxiety and depression. While obviously not a replacement for therapy and/or medication, reading books that somehow make me feel good is an important part of my self-care. They can be silly or witty or charming or whatever, but a book that makes me smile or giggle or just swoon is one I’ll reach for when I’m feeling down.
Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a "lady" while the guys move on without her. Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service. The business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends – the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date.
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This book is a classic. I fell in love with it when it first came out and recently bought the special edition because it’s so beautiful. This is one of those rare books I’ll reread. This book transports me and brings a smile to my face. It’s full of so much warmth and swoon and wonderful characters and a gorgeous setting. The food descriptions alone (drool) induce happiness.
Becky Chambers is an auto-buy author for me. I loved her Wayfarers series and this novella didn’t disappoint. A lot of science fiction can be dark, but this little book was full of so much loveliness and hope and beauty. It’s about a tea monk searching for their place and when they encounter a robot in the wilderness, there are plenty of funny and sweet moments to get your serotonin levels up.
This book has one of my favorite romances in recent memory. Liz and Mack have amazing chemistry and I looked forward to their interactions. Oh, man, and the ending of this book? My serotonin levels skyrocketed. I hope Hollywood makes this into a film because it has so many fantastic cinematic moments. Liz Lighty is a character you really root for. This book is a delight!
I devoured this book. It’s charming and funny, but this is one of those books where I loved it because of the main character. I’ve struggled with indecisiveness in my life and found that part very relatable. We really get inside her head. The voice is unique and the sentence structure is short and choppy. A quick wonderful read.
The first time I read this book, I thought: I need to give this to my daughter. My daughter, at the time, wasn’t born. And she’s still not quite old enough for it, but I can’t wait for her to read it. Frankie is a smart and fun character and someone I love to hang out with. This book is full of wit. My copy is worn from the rereads.
5,309 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about bildungsroman, school, and friendships.
We think you will like Letters to My Lover from Behind Asylum Walls, Redwood and Ponytail, and The Stars and the Blackness Between Them if you like this list.
From Maria's list on the best poetry books where you can find pieces of you throughout the verses.
Every letter of "Sweet Jane'' to her lover "Eleanor" could be a letter written to the person you love the most but you cannot be with, a letter to the person you think of to escape from your hard reality when isolated.
In each of those letters, I found the memories of the loved one blended with the day-to-day survival, written impeccably by Robin Sinclair, because I could sense the agony and the despair when all one has left is a pen, paper, and feelings.
From Jennifer's list on the best middle grade novels about first love.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this heartfelt novel in verse about Tam (Redwood) and Kate (Ponytail) who fall in like while finding their authentic selves. Kate (like Peyton in my book) is a perfectionist—she’s got her list of boxes to check. But then Tam comes along, and Kate is set on an invigorating path of discovery. K.A. Holt’s brilliant poetry dazzles as she shares two journeys that are often joyful, satisfying introspective, and completely engrossing.
From Shannon's list on the best YA and MG books about the Black experience.
This beautifully-written queer love story is set in Minneapolis, and centers on Mabel and Audre – two girls from very different backgrounds who find themselves falling in love. Audre has just moved from Trinidad, sent by her conservative mother to live with a father she barely knows, in an effort to "correct" her sexuality. Mabel is just beginning to understand the deep feelings she has for girls when she is struck with a mysterious illness. Published in 2019, The Stars and the Blackness Between Them won a Coretta Scott King Honor award, and once you sample its gorgeous language and utterly engrossing characters, you will see why.