This year, I’ve been diving into feel good books of all shapes and sizes. I really don’t need to tell a single person on this planet that things have been tough for a couple of years. I’m ready to feel better, especially when it’s my escape time like reading and watching movies. Since I feel like I’m far from alone in this, I figured I’d share the top books on my list for feeling great overall in 2022.
How I Chose My Feel Good Books for 2022
To select my feel good books for 2022, I was extremely unscientific. Sounds like me, right? If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you know that I tend to go with my instincts, and that’s what I’ve done here.
Some of these books are fiction, some are non-fiction. Some are specific to mental health or feeling better, some are flat-out fiction. What they all have in common is that they all made me feel great while I was reading them. They also left me feeling positive when they were done. By this, I mean that I was calm, happy, or even just energized to read more by that author or in the same series.
My List of the Top Feel Good Books I’ve Read in 2022 so Far
By the way, these weren’t necessarily published this year. It’s just when I got to them. If you’ve read something that has left you feeling great, I hope you’ll tell me about it. Contact me on social media (Facebook or Twitter). I read every comment I receive.
1 – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK (Mark Manson)
You’ve likely seen this title sooooo many times already. Yes, I’m late getting here, but I’m so glad I did finally read this book. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK is excellent. It’s funny, smart, and makes sense. At the same time that it helped to build my confidence and resolve, it also gave me a good cuff in the ear to tell me that a lot of my problems aren’t caused by other people, they’re caused by me, and I can absolutely step out of my own way.
2 – The Kaiju Preservation Society (John Scalzi)
I’m not 100% into science fiction, but this one totally had me. It was completely out there but at the same time somehow very relatable. It tackled some massive topics, but at the same time left that “it’s going to be okay” feeling in the air, along with enough regular humor and sarcasm that even when things were at their worst, I was still ready to chuckle out loud. It’s the perfect way to get an intense story that you can absolutely handle even in 2022. An unexpected addition to my feel good books list, but The Kaiju Preservation Society definitely belongs here.
3 – Love at First Plight (Amanda Giasson and Julie B. Campbell)
The first book in the Perspective series, this fantasy fiction novel is written from the perspective of two different characters. It kept things moving, fresh, and fun. One side feels quirky, cute and hilarious, the other side is bookish, endearing and sweetly airheaded. Again, like with the Kaiju Preservation Society, it deals with some heavy topics, but it does so in a lighthearted enough way that it’s lots of fun to be tucked into this world. I’m planning on reading the next one in the series soon.
4 – Still Just a Geek (Wil Wheaton)
I’m as shocked as you are to find Still Just a Geek in this list. If you get the chance to listen to the audiobook, it’s well worth it. If you don’t like audiobooks, the printed version is fine, but it’s the audio version that really makes my feel good books list for 2022. The reason is that it’s read by the author, and he lets loose. It’s not your usual narration. This is his life, and he pours himself into it. He laughs at his mistakes, gives asides that aren’t in the print copy, rages at people who were cruel to him in his past and cries from joy and pain. You feel every single thing and it is amazingly cathartic.
5 – Finding Me: A Memoir (Viola Davis)
I bought this book as a fangirl, not because I thought Finding Me: A Memoir would be one of my feel good books for the year. Oh my gosh, what a beautiful person, Viola Davis is! I follow her on Instagram and had little doubt that she is phenomenal but spending time with her through this book felt authentic and beautiful. Letting go of pretense and performance, it was like sitting in a room with one of the people I’d have on my “if you could have dinner with one person in the world…” list. This is a powerful story you shouldn’t miss
