what is HEA?

Happily Ever After

I just finished listening (thank you Hoopla) to The Scent of Scandal by Carole Matthews. I'd term it delightful and an easy read. When added it to my book list I found that sometime in the past I'd enjoyed 3 others by the same author that would be similarly described: The Cake Shop in the Garden, The Chocolate Lovers' Club (funny!), and A Minor Indiscretion (also funny).

bumping because it's time.

Well, I haven't read a Happy Read in a while. Most recently I read 2 books that were decidedly NOT happy and I decided that I definitely needed a break. I looked through my goodreads want to read list, and then searched on the e-books from my library. I selected Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym. I remember several recommendations for her books. I just started it this morning and I think it will be a nice read.

Hoping for more suggestions.

Salonva, thanks I am looking for something light and I am going to look at some of these choices.

I just came across Nicholas Rhea, his "Constable on the Hill" series. Much like James Harriott but about small town/country police work, not animal care. There's over 20 books in this series plus I gather he's written others, besides!

One of my favorite authors for light and amusing reading is M. C. Beaton / Marion Chesney. I got hooked on her cosy series featuring Agatha Raisin. Then I moved on to the Hamish MacBeth series. After reading all that was available in those two series, I found her Regency Romance series which falls squarely into the inane category @eld6161 is looking for. Nevertheless, they are engaging. I believe Chesney has accurately captured Regency London and the customs of the times, which I find more interesting than the actual stories.

Although she died a couple of years ago, her Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth series are being continued by another writer, R.W. Green.

I think it's time for this thread again.

The only thing I can suggest is one I read at Dedtired's recommendation-

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Short , simple, and sweet.

Really looking for more recommendations.

If you like dogs, you might enjoy Gary Paulsen's Winterdance about his experience training his dogs and running the Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska.

bbstx...I've read quite a few of the Hamish Macbeth series. They are a nice break from other reading. Light and easy, even tho' it's always about a murder.

AnnieDeighnaugh, I was going to suggest Life Among the Savages and her other family based book, Raising Demons. I read them in the 1960s as a teenager, re-read them recently - and still enjoyed them. Far different from her horror stories!

Letters from a Nut by Ted L. Nancy and Jerry Seinfeld.

Eudora Welty’s The Robber Bridegroom was a happy surprise as i was expecting more Delta Wedding. its a fun, sly take on fairy tales.

I haven't gotten to it yet, but waiting on my bedside table is The Guncle, which seems like it's going to be an addition to this thread. (I'll report back). From Amazon: a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.

Please please please there must be some more suggestions to share?

It seems they are few and far between.

I recently read The Orphan Master's Son which was most decidedly NO a happy read. I have been really trying to find some balance to that one. I did just read the first of the Corfu Trilogy (suggested above) and liked it.

Please please please

Based on salonva's suggestion above months ago, I read Miss Buncle. At first I didn't think I was going to like it too much. It's true, it's a book about a bit of not much, but in some round about way, it was just what I needed to read at the time. I enjoyed it and got the next in the series books added to my kindle. I wanted to add this to this thread, but I couldn't find it again. Thanks salonva for bringing it back up. It's a challenge to find a happy read.

I wrote about The Guncle above before I'd read it; I really enjoyed it but some people on the "What are we Reading" thread didn't care for it as much. A few others really liked it, too!

Many years ago, I read 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal. It is sweet and pulls on heart strings at times. I'm sorry I gave it away. I'd like to read it again. It's his memories of growing up. A fascinating life shared with Crystal's style of humor. I saw it's $2.99 on the big A for kindle. Might have to get it so I can re-read it.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. I really enjoyed this book as did my entire bookclub. There is sadness but also compassion, understanding and a building of a community at the local library.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55276648-the-reading-list

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson. Absolutely delightful!

Meant to Be -Emily Giffen

Out of the Clear Blue Sky -Kristan Higgins

The Paris Library -Janet Skeslien Charles

The Boardwalk Bookshop -Susan Mallery

The Personal Librarian -Marie Benedict

The Last House on the Street -Diane Chamberlain

The Love of My Life -Rosie Walsh

The People We Keep -Allie Larkin

The PrayerBox -Lisa Wingate

Any of the Betty MacDonald books . . . The Egg and I etc.

I'd second Miss Pettigrew . .. gentle humour plus the early Gerald Durrell work, before he started churning them out.

I remember reading Straight Man by Richard Russo and laughing out loud about some story he had about a dog. I've enjoyed his other books, but this was my favourite. I should pick it up again as I can't really remember it any more, just that I liked it.

I'm glad this thread was revived. My mood is so affected by what I read.

Love Billy Crystal....I listened to his book Still Foolin' 'Em on audio and it was great that way as it cut in some of his stand up routines too and he was the reader. I laughed, I cried, I had fond memories of various movies he'd made that he discussed. It was excellent.

I also had some LOL moments in Trevor Noah's Born a Crime. Also good as an audio book as he's the reader.

The Rosie Project, for sure!

I really like The Paris Library which is based on a true WW II story.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I love the characters and reading these books makes me feel like I'm taking a vacation in Botswana.

I second A. M. Smith's work, only I prefer the ones set in Edinburgh Scotland. (The protagonist is a female philosopher).

The "Miss Read" series is a peaceable set of books set in an English village, although rather dated.

I really liked Rumer Godden's "A Greengage Summer" (English family set adrift in a French setting).

Another fan here of the "Anne of Green Gables" (and to think I had never read those until well into adulthood!)

Also: the "Narrow Dog" series: (Narrow Dog to Wigan Pier, Narrow Dog to Indian River, Narrow Dog to Carcasonne). A couple with a whippet on a houseboat explore river cruises in various counties. Delightful and funny.

Well I thought about starting another thread, but I will share this here. On another forum I frequent, someone posted an interesting article about the benefits of reading, especially for the older folks. It also had a feature of here we go to a list of books that improve one's mood or outlook. I saw quite a few books that I loved and have suggested over time but I also picked up a few more to look for. Hope you find it interesting as well. ( It mentioned Eleanor Oliphant, Harold Fry among many others)

I looked through my books for 2023 and the only one that might qualify here, is Remarkably Bright Creatures. I thought it was great and sweet, but not sure if it's pure and simple happy.

I know I sorely miss the recommendations.

Salonva, thanks for bumping this back up. With the state of the world and life’s comp,ications Ive been thinking I need happier reads. I actually put a book aside recently as soon as it got to describing suffering. In this case it was slavery. The book was good but I just couldnt take it now.

I havent posted in What Are You Reading lately but will catch up. Ill go through my list of books I read in the past year and see if there is anything happy to post.

thank you so much for re posting this. I must have missed it the first times. I have read Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day and then watched the movie. Great! No other recommendations at this time, but I will bookmark my mind to keep ones I read that are happy.

Still like Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Fun book remembered from younger, better days ....

It's been mentioned before, but I just got into The Thursday Murder Club, and it is delightful.

For a gentle read any of Rosamunde Pilcher's books. Perhaps rather too dated for younger readers . . . the girls are always well-behaved and there are only a few cads among the men, but she writes well about the settings, especially the scenery around the Cornish coast and the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.

I'm commenting just to keep track of the thread!

Oh, there was a children's author from early in the 20th century that my daughter discovered, and I quite enjoyed the books too - the author was E. Nesbit

So glad salonva brought this thread back up. Just a few days ago I was wishing I could skim through it again.

I posted above about re-purchasing 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal for my kindle again and I did. A few days ago I started reading it again...within several minutes, I was smiling and then chuckles.

Sorely needed during these times we have. I've gotten to the point that even doing the 30 minute check-in with network evening news is too much. I'll ask spouse if there is anything I truly need to be briefed on lately instead.

Really glad we have this list and people's comments.

Michael J Fox’s books are enjoyable and positive, even keeping in mind his Parkinson’s.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet. Short and sweet.

Jan Karon’s books.

Antoine Lorain’s books. They have a touch of magic in the story. And I enjoyed The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett. I didn’t care as much for his First Impressions, but it wasn’t bad.

Stanley Tucci’s Taste. Tucci, italian food, what’s not to like? It’s good audio, too (except he sometimes does sotto voce a little too sotto.

Here’s one that is both funny and touching. The Guncle by Steven Rowley.

I second bpath's choice of The Uncommon Reader.

Oh, I loved The Gunkle! I didn’t think to add it to this thread, so, thanks for listing it Ded!

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent...Very weird but I loved it. Like no other I have read.

Re Some Tame Gazelle. I lol’d numerous times throughout. I am a Pym fan. Here is a review of her writings.

“The plots are not particularly where the pleasure resides in reading Pym’s work: it’s in the scrupulous examination of relationships, not just of burgeoning romances but also of the setbacks and personal mortifications we all experience in the real world, but which tend to be overlooked in fiction. It’s easy therefore to dismiss Pym’s novels as lightweight or prissy; this is a mistake. She has the psychological insight and ironic technique that’s reminiscent not just of Jane Austen, with whom she’s often compared, but also of that great anatomist of the female psyche, Flaubert.

Her style and tone are quite different, of course, and her novels can be categorised as light comedies of manners. But this is to overlook the subtlety of her characterization and the richness of her portrayal of the unsung heroines of suburbia.”

I will add the odd and also lol, wonderful Pulitzer Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy O’toole.

I loved Confederacy of Dunces !

Also I really enjoyed. Some Tame Gazelle.

Reading through, I think I read the majority of books suggested and many due to them being suggested here. I have to say I am sort of disappointed that there are so few new to me listed, so few newer ones.

I think I'm going to re-read The Miss Read books ( Village Diary and a whole bunch more). They were not haha funny, but like a sweet hug.

I'm hoping some more get mentioned.

Bookclub tonight. No one enjoyed or got the humor of Bsrbsrs Pym’s Some Tame Gazelle. . I totally indetstsnd she’s not for everyone.FYI, the audio version is said yo be just awful. Please excuse all the the the typos . Ipad acting up again ( only here on hz! !??) Too tired to edit. :(

The Christmas quilt was a happy read. It's by Melody Carlson, all of hers are light, fun & happy.

I've added The Railway Children by E Nesbitt thank you raee.

(It is available on Kindle at the library).

I am bumping this again because I know I could use some suggestions a don't have much to offer sadly. I've been reading alot of good books, but not too many are uplifting.