recommend positive books
March 30, 2010 8:00 AM Subscribe
Too broad, but oh well-- Please recommend clean, uplifting, life-affirming, feel-good books, nearly any genre.
Can be fantasy, western, autobiography, young adult, drama, action etc. About the only thing I don't like are plays and short stories
Would like to avoid books with lots of swearing and/or sex.
Some books I've read that fit my criteria:
Endurance--Shackelton's incredible Voyage by Lansing
Les Miserables by Hugo
To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee
The Power of One by Courtnay
The Bronze Bow by Speare
Magnificent Obsession by Douglas
All Creatures Great and Small (and its sequels) by Herriot
The Outsiders by Hinton
Dances with Wolves by Blake
If you've read any of those, you'll note that while not many of them are all happy and sunshine, they are ultimately life-affirming and positive, IMO.
Thank you!
Can be fantasy, western, autobiography, young adult, drama, action etc. About the only thing I don't like are plays and short stories
Would like to avoid books with lots of swearing and/or sex.
Some books I've read that fit my criteria:
Endurance--Shackelton's incredible Voyage by Lansing
Les Miserables by Hugo
To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee
The Power of One by Courtnay
The Bronze Bow by Speare
Magnificent Obsession by Douglas
All Creatures Great and Small (and its sequels) by Herriot
The Outsiders by Hinton
Dances with Wolves by Blake
If you've read any of those, you'll note that while not many of them are all happy and sunshine, they are ultimately life-affirming and positive, IMO.
Thank you!
All of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books and most anything else by Alexander McCall Smith.
posted by jquinby at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
"The Last Coin", or "The Elfin Ship" and its sequels by James Blaylock
"Three Men in a Boat" and "Three Men on the Bummel" by Jerome K. Jerome.
"Rabbit-Proof Fence" by Doris Pilkington
"Blessings in Disguise", Alec Guinness' autobiography
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:17 AM on March 30, 2010
"Three Men in a Boat" and "Three Men on the Bummel" by Jerome K. Jerome.
"Rabbit-Proof Fence" by Doris Pilkington
"Blessings in Disguise", Alec Guinness' autobiography
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:17 AM on March 30, 2010
Bill Bryson is probably a good bet. Try A Walk in the Woods; while it might be a bit more funny than uplifting, I'd say it's both. It certainly is funny.
posted by tss at 8:17 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by tss at 8:17 AM on March 30, 2010
nb: might be some swearing, but I didn't think there was an excess...
posted by tss at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by tss at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2010
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
posted by hattifattener at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by hattifattener at 8:19 AM on March 30, 2010
I found A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel to be utterly charming. Quite light.
I remember that when I read it I thought that Three Cups of Tea was also good.
posted by mireille at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
I remember that when I read it I thought that Three Cups of Tea was also good.
posted by mireille at 8:21 AM on March 30, 2010
Anything by David James Duncan, but particularly The River Why.
posted by vytae at 8:37 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by vytae at 8:37 AM on March 30, 2010
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery.
Tisha -- an autobiography in the style of Christy.
Seconding Greg Nog's suggestion for Wodehouse -- I personally prefer Summer Moonshine.
For something by a modern writer, So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger.
posted by paisley sheep at 9:16 AM on March 30, 2010
Tisha -- an autobiography in the style of Christy.
Seconding Greg Nog's suggestion for Wodehouse -- I personally prefer Summer Moonshine.
For something by a modern writer, So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger.
posted by paisley sheep at 9:16 AM on March 30, 2010
Travels With Charley In Search of America by John Steinbeck.
posted by Sam Ryan at 9:29 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by Sam Ryan at 9:29 AM on March 30, 2010
Anything by LM Montgomery
Anything by Booth Tarkington (I particularly like Seventeen)
Thirding PG Wodehouse (especially the Jeeves stories and novels)
Seconding Alexander McCall Smith, especially Ladies No 1 Detective Agency books
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay
Greenwillow
posted by Go Banana at 9:51 AM on March 30, 2010
Anything by Booth Tarkington (I particularly like Seventeen)
Thirding PG Wodehouse (especially the Jeeves stories and novels)
Seconding Alexander McCall Smith, especially Ladies No 1 Detective Agency books
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay
Greenwillow
posted by Go Banana at 9:51 AM on March 30, 2010
The Immense Journey, by Loren Eiseley;
Somerset Maugham's books I love because they are well-written and eventually uplifting,especially, "The Merry Go-Round." It does have some sex, but not graphic;
yes, PG Wodehouse;
posted by chocolatetiara at 10:02 AM on March 30, 2010
Somerset Maugham's books I love because they are well-written and eventually uplifting,especially, "The Merry Go-Round." It does have some sex, but not graphic;
yes, PG Wodehouse;
posted by chocolatetiara at 10:02 AM on March 30, 2010
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
Passage by Connie Willis (Warning for extreme tear-jerkiness ... but I think it is life-affirming.)
The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams (Ditto.)
posted by bettafish at 10:03 AM on March 30, 2010
Passage by Connie Willis (Warning for extreme tear-jerkiness ... but I think it is life-affirming.)
The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams (Ditto.)
posted by bettafish at 10:03 AM on March 30, 2010
Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership, by Joseph Jaworski.
posted by laurajo at 10:47 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by laurajo at 10:47 AM on March 30, 2010
eureka street by robert wilson; bit of swearing; funny and uplifting in spite of realism
posted by bloodandglitter at 10:48 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by bloodandglitter at 10:48 AM on March 30, 2010
If you like "Endurance", then "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson ought to do the trick, though you'll sweat a bit.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 10:58 AM on March 30, 2010
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 10:58 AM on March 30, 2010
It's a YA novel, but I see you have The Outsiders on there, so... Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and its sequel are both lovely.
And Illusions by Richard Bach has been an influential book in my life.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:43 AM on March 30, 2010
And Illusions by Richard Bach has been an influential book in my life.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:43 AM on March 30, 2010
The Starbridge series by Susan Howatch tends to be my literary comfort food, though the ecclesiastical setting may not be your cup of tea. The first six books are the best, there are sequels but the quality seems to decline with each new volume.
posted by rjs at 12:17 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by rjs at 12:17 PM on March 30, 2010
And when I'm up for something lighter there's always The hitchiker's guide to the galaxy.
posted by rjs at 12:20 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by rjs at 12:20 PM on March 30, 2010
I would say just about anything by Terry Pratchett, but especially the Discworld novels. Depending on the target audience, there may be some slightly less appealing characters(Death, with hood and scythe is a recurring character, although not a creepy one). In my experience, it's almost impossible to read his stuff and not have a smile on your face at the end.
posted by specialnobodie at 12:30 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by specialnobodie at 12:30 PM on March 30, 2010
Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow.
J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country.
posted by stuck on an island at 1:50 PM on March 30, 2010
J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country.
posted by stuck on an island at 1:50 PM on March 30, 2010
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (it's been a few years since I read it, so I can't remember how much sex is in it).
posted by kattyann at 7:51 PM on March 30, 2010
posted by kattyann at 7:51 PM on March 30, 2010
Surviving terrible conditions is always good for a lucky-to-be-alive uplift. Two good ones I can recommend:
We die alone
Into thin air
look at all the' customers also bought' in these pages too.
posted by lalochezia at 8:15 PM on March 30, 2010
We die alone
Into thin air
look at all the' customers also bought' in these pages too.
posted by lalochezia at 8:15 PM on March 30, 2010
Both are somewhat obscure titles and fairly light reading:
"Trustee From the Toolroom" by Nevil Shute
"A Guide to the Birds of East Africa" by Nicholas Drayson
posted by of strange foe at 9:20 AM on March 31, 2010
"Trustee From the Toolroom" by Nevil Shute
"A Guide to the Birds of East Africa" by Nicholas Drayson
posted by of strange foe at 9:20 AM on March 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amethysts at 8:12 AM on March 30, 2010