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Find out moreFeel-good novels are eloquently written tales with real heart, there may be an emotional roller-coaster to travel, but ultimately these books leave you with a feeling of delicious warmth and uplifting joy.
Another lovely, heartfelt, so very readable tale from Cathy Kelly. Sisters Cassie and Coco find plenty of bumps and difficulties in their path, and slowly begin to realise how trauma from their childhood is still affecting them today. Cathy Kelly excels in creating a diverse cast of characters, with females taking centre stage. From little ones, to teenagers, sisters, Mums and Grandmothers, they all add to the inclusive cooking pot of warmth and emotion. I particularly enjoyed how several enticing small individual stories took place alongside and melded into the main one. ‘Between Sisters’ welcomes you into the pages, to become one of the family, to smile, comfort and cheer on these women, and is an engaging, charming read. ~ Liz Robinson
A gloriously evocative and touching read, capable of chattering with energy one minute and settling into an expressive silence the next. It feels as though the author has a cherished connection to the memories of 11 year old Anthony during the Second World War; she skillfully captures his playfulness, excitement, bewilderment and fear. The Welsh mining village and surrounding hills where Anthony lives is brought vibrantly to life, full to the brim with gossip, bustle and affection. The villager’s war is fought on the home front; from the inadequately provisioned home guard, to the men down the mine and most intimately of all, in the mind of one small boy. Through the smiles, laughter, sorrow and tears this novel leaves a satisfying feeling of warmth, and is quite simply a joy to read. One of our Books of the Year 2015. Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
April 2016 Debut of the Month. Gosh, this is an absolute treasure of a debut… and it’s full of delightful, delicious quirkiness. 69 year old widower Arthur sets out to find the truth behind a charm bracelet he discovers when sorting through his wife’s wardrobe. Arthur quickly realises that before she met him, his wife had a whole host of experiences, and Arthur knew nothing about them! Phaedra Patrick writes with a beautifully light touch, yet imbues each page with a meaningful eloquence. Arthur is a joy to get to know, you feel his sadness and bewilderment at his loneliness and loss, then as he steps out on his quest, you witness his cloistered heart and mind unfurling towards the possibilities that life can offer. ‘The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper’ fizzes with gentle humour, it encouraged my thoughts to wander in new directions, and charmed the cockles of my heart. This is a beautiful little gem of a read and I highly recommend it.
‘The Woman Who Upped and Left’ is an entertaining and effortlessly readable novel. The first paragraph had me chortling and I settled in with a smile. 43 year old Audrey Pepper is genuinely engaging, she is divorced, rushes around after her 18 year old son and his girlfriend, makes the occasion mistake, and has forgotten that she is also entitled to a life. Audrey finds herself with a decision to make, a decision that could change the way she feels about herself. Fiona Gibson writes with empathy and an extra sparkle of wit, while this is an amusing (on various levels) and delightful tale, it is also grounded in reality. Audrey could easily be your friend or your colleague and her misunderstandings could be yours. Cheer Audrey on and wish her happiness as the pages to this satisfying and enjoyable novel almost turn themselves, how lovely! ~ Liz Robinson
Lovely, warm and engaging, 'The Perfect Gift’ is just that, a delightful treat of a book. Loveable, spirited Roisin always knew she was adopted, she came back home to start up her food emporium and lick her wounds after a doomed love affair, then a 30th birthday letter from her birth mother speaks to her soul. Roisin may be the main character, however this is a proper family and friends story, with a range of catastrophes, thrills and celebrations all jumping up and down and adding to the drama of the tale. Emma Hannigan doesn't just bring the wonderful characters to life, I felt as though I could step into the story, walk down the streets of Ballyshore, buy yummy foodie items in Roisin’s shop and have a natter with Mo to pick up all the gossip. The pages just flew by, and although on occasion my heart ached, this is basically a book to make you smile. ~ Liz Robinson Please note that this is currently an eBook only edition. You may select the eBook format you are interested in by viewing the 'other formats' field at the top of the page.
One of our Books of the Year 2015. December 2015 Book of the Month. Absolutely delightful! Cecelia Ahern always writes with stirring compassion and a delicious secretive quirk, so I was really looking forward to starting this, her twelfth novel. ‘The Marble Collector’ lived up to my expectations as a really touching, quite, quite beautiful read. Not exactly a slow burner, as the writing is so eloquent, however the more you read, the more you understand, and the more you are enveloped by and become absorbed in the story. The chapters are either from daughter Sabrina’s perspective (over one day), headed ‘Pool Rules’ or from her father Fergus’s entire lifetime of ‘Playing with Marbles’. Focusing on secrets and how well we know and understand ourselves and our loved ones, this engaging novel thoroughly provokes thoughts and feelings. As I closed the last page, and had a little ponder, I found myself giving ‘The Marble Collector’ a warm and loving hug. ~ Liz Robinson
Her sister Coco runs a vintage dress shop and has shied away from commitment over the years. Coco believes men complicate things, and she's got enough to contend with. Until a face from her past returns. Watching over them is grandmother Pearl, tucked away in her little house in Delaney Square. But something is keeping her awake at night. Was she right to do what she did all those years ago? And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's battled demons of her own in the past and come out on top. Now Elsa faces one final fight - but it will require more bravery than anything which has come before.
September 2015 MEGA Book of the Month. A book to completely lose yourself in, this is a wonderful quirky little gem. Set in Australia, Millie, Agatha and Karl begin a journey of discovery and along the way contemplate death, love, forgiveness and understanding. Speech isn’t separated from the story, instead it appears in italics, which actually creates a slight feeling of separation from the characters, while maintaining a dreamlike quality. Brooke Davis captures both older and younger thoughts and feelings quite beautifully, she encourages a different perspective on age and death to flutter free from the pages. Lost & Found has the ability to be sad, touching and amusing all in the same breath, and while creatively imaginative, it is very much grounded in and liberates an essence of life and what it is to be human. ~ Liz Robinson Click here to view a reading guide for this book. A 'Piece of Passion' from the author... It was all play: books and childhoodI grew up on ten acres in a quiet bush town called Bellbrae. It was pretty idyllic: the air smelled of eucalyptus, we were friends with all our neighbours, and we had the space and time to play and imagine. I have lovely flashes of book-related memories that I sometimes catch as they float by: being read to by my parents, reading on long car trips and trying not to give into car sickness, being told off by Mum for reading in the dark. I look at all my childhood books now and I can feel the magic of that time. I can’t remember not feeling like books were important.I don’t think this is something I could have explained as a kid—now I can attach language to the feeling, and suggest that it was something to do with the way reading tapped into my imagination and my love of learning and the need I might have felt to develop an understanding for the way people are. But as a kid, it felt natural and I loved it and I didn’t know why. It was just something I thought everyone did, like the way we all did colouring-in, and played the recorder, and dressed up in Mum’s old bridesmaid dress and glittery shoes. It was all play to me. ~ Brooke Davis
One of our Books of the Year 2015. June 2015 Book of the Month. An expressive, moving novel with the ability to reach out, connect with and yet bruise hearts. Frankie and Scott, both in their forties, both with children, meet and fall in love at first sight (well, perhaps second), their positivity obliterates the distance between Norfolk and the west coast of Canada as their romance blossoms. If you've read and adored the author’s earliest novels you'll expect the lightness of touch, but perhaps not the intensely hard hitting depth of emotion contained within this beautifully readable book. This change in direction opens the door to a whole new audience, yet the unmistakable sweet spicy tone will be recognised by existing fans. Freya North has a wonderfully distinctive writing style, she has a real gift for bringing thoughts and emotions to life, so that they feel real, feel known and understood. Descriptions of the ordinary somehow become special moments, while the complex and complicated are so simply yet vividly expressed. This is a gorgeously eloquent and touching novel, it is also a celebration of the wonderful glory of love and life. ~ Liz Robinson Like-for-Like Reading: Jojo Moyes, Lisa Jewell, Jane Green
June 2015 Book of the Month. Totally and utterly and completely gorgeous in every way, the thought of having to put this book down for even a second is inconceivable. The first few pages make you smile, make you laugh and charm you, there is a hint though, of the difficulties that seven (nearly eight) year old Elsa is experiencing. Elsa’s shrewd, wonderful bonkers of a Granny tells her fairy tales, and like all good fairy tales there's more than a dollop of truth and reality mixed in, so ensure you're sitting comfortably and the tale can begin. There is a beautiful simplicity to the writing, yet this is not a simple book by any means, there is a complexity to the emotions it evokes and explores. Elsa and her Granny are two of the most astonishingly different characters to ever appear in print (and that’s a compliment by the way). Set aside some quality time, so you can laugh and cry undisturbed, as the author is able to enchant, to capture your imagination and hold it spellbound from the first to the last page; this is a must have, must read, must treasure book. ~ Liz Robinson
59-year old Ove is quite possibly one of the grumpiest people you’ll meet but, he has been an upstanding pillar of the community for decades. The last six months have taken their toll and he decides perhaps that life is not worth living. Ove lives in a residential area of which he is fanatical about maintaining and keeping to the rules. A family of a pregnant mother, two daughters and an IT consultant dad move in next door. Ove resents them. He resents everything and everyone and so he plans his death but each attempt is thwarted mostly by people needing help. Ove is a very practical man and so he helps, yet he remains exasperated that other people’s lives are beginning to intrude upon him. Quirky, uplifting, charming, sad, life-affirming and totally irresistible, this is a perfect gem that will leave you with a spring in your step. ~ Sarah Broadhurst One of the Top 10 books in the Lovereading Readers’ Choice Book of the Year 2014. One of our Books of the Year 2014. Explore our '80+ Books That Deliver a Hug' listicle for more feel-good or uplifting books.
One of the Top 10 books in the Lovereading Readers’ Choice Book of the Year 2014. One of our Books of the Year 2014. 59-year old Ove is quite possibly one of the grumpiest people you’ll meet but, he has been an upstanding pillar of the community for decades. The last six months have taken their toll and he decides perhaps that life is not worth living. Ove lives in a residential area of which he is fanatical about maintaining and keeping to the rules. A family of a pregnant mother, two daughters and an IT consultant dad move in next door. Ove resents them. He resents everything and everyone and so he plans his death but each attempt is thwarted mostly by people needing help. Ove is a very practical man and so he helps, yet he remains exasperated that other people’s lives are beginning to intrude upon him. Quirky, uplifting, charming, sad, life-affirming and totally irresistible, this is a perfect gem that will leave you with a spring in your step.
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Feel-good novels are eloquently written tales with real heart, there may be an emotional roller-coaster to travel, but ultimately these books leave you with a feeling of delicious warmth and uplifting joy.