Laughter is the best medicine, they say, but I have found that books also tend to work their magic in the laughter department. Whenever I am in need of a pick-me-up, books are the chosen medium over any other to destress. As I have found out, a good, fun, light-hearted book has all you need to turn your frown into a smile and laugh to your heart’s content, making you feel lighter.

Best Light-Hearted Books To Read!

Here are some of the books I love to read when I am in the mood for something fun and breezy. Some of them feature heavily in my re-read list as well! Scroll down this list to find the book you want to read whenever you need a mood lightener. 

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1. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This book is a perennial favorite. Ever since I read this book for the first time, I found it to be a kindred spirit (just like Anne would). Whenever I am feeling down or in a book slump, this is my go-to book to read, and it never fails to lighten my mood. The red-haired protagonist Anne, an orphan, wormed her way into her adoptive parents’ hearts with her precious ways and won the love of millions of readers worldwide over the past century.

Anne and her adventures in Avonlea are everything that you need to make you feel that the world is a beautiful place and there’s nothing that a good imagination can’t solve. So give this book a read, and you will find yourself reading it again and again and again. I am not writing that in jest! You can get the book here! 📖

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2. The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty

There’s a certain je ne sais quoi surrounding Liane Moriarty’s books. This author does the suspense, drama, and light-hearted so well, effortlessly combining different genres to give the readers what they want. The Last Anniversary is a book with a family mystery at the center of its plot. The book deals with many serious topics, but this does not take away from the fun, and the camaraderie between the protagonist and the family members creates a lot of amusing moments, making this a must-read.

In fact, this is where the author’s genius lies; trying to weave a family drama and suspense story grounded in comedy. The comic timing in this book is on point, and at the end of it, you will find yourself wishing to be a part of this weirdly enigmatic yet captivating family. You can get the book here! 📖

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3. 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humorous Memoir by Poppy Mortimer

Have you ever had a less-than-stellar date? The author has had 28 disastrous ones in her life, and she recalls them in this hilariously written, mostly true, humorous memoir. The dating experiences she writes about are enough to put anyone off from finding love, let alone dating. Anyone else would have sworn off love forever, but not this author; instead, she found a way to turn her misery into money in the guise of this book. Reading this book made me laugh out loud and, at the same time, sympathize with the author’s less-than-lackluster dating experiences.

Even though laughing at someone’s misfortune may scream schadenfreude, that’s what the author intended to do, and she has succeeded in her goal. The author is truly gifted in letting the famed dry British humor shine through in her words, and you will end up feeling like she is one of your friends. This book will undoubtedly make you laugh with the added side effect of making you rethink your dating life. So tread carefully! You can get the book here! 📖

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4. The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin

This book is the first book in the Romantic Escapes series by the author, where the author takes the protagonists and the readers all over the world in search of love. This series is not just light-hearted and full of romance but also takes us on a trip to different parts of the world and gives us an insight into their cultures and traditions. Travel the globe and fall in love with some of the most dreamy fictional men. In this book, the readers are taken on a trip to Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark.

The country that is touted to be the land of Hygge and which constantly leads the list of the Top Ten Happiest Countries in The World. Where better to learn about the true spirit of Hygge, happiness, and hopefully love…..for the protagonist? Sounds cozy, right? This is the perfect book to read on a lazy day surrounded by comfy stuff in true Hygge fashion, inspired by this book. You can get the book here! 📖

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5. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

As an only child, an introvert, and a self-proclaimed bibliophile, this is the book I most relate to on this list. Nina is all of the above…..but she will discover that there may be more to her strictly organized life after all. She finds out that the dad she never knew left behind an inheritance for her as well as a huge, chaotic family, who all live way too close to her for comfort. She has to come out of her shell to deal with all of this, but all she wants to do is go back to her shell (read home, books, and coffee) and never come out, and hopefully, all the newly added drama in her life will magically vanish.

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But life rarely works how we want it to, and Nina will find out that in this charmingly hilarious novel, filled with hilarious quips and remarks. Oh, and what’s more, there’s also a romantic angle at play here with a distractingly handsome trivia rival. Need I say more? Read this book to connect with your inner Nina as you live vicariously through her and watch her navigate potentially awkward yet amusing situations. You can get the book here! 📖

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6. The House in The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

This book literally embodies sunshine, warm hugs, and chocolate….or that’s how it felt to me. Linus Baker is not your usual run-of-the-mill protagonist. In fact, he is unassuming and, in his words, very ordinary, nothing special at all… just plain him. He is a caseworker, not your regular one. He has to oversee the well-being of children who are anything but ordinary; they are classified as magical youth.

One day he is tasked by his superiors to go to Marsyas Island Orphanage, which houses six mysterious and “dangerous” children; a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-pomeranian, and the antichrist himself. The caretaker Arthur Parnassus is almost as enigmatic as his wards, if not more so. This is so far out of Linus Baker’s comfort zone, but he puts aside his fears and takes up this case, thinking it will be open and shut.

Once there, he discovers it is anything but open and shut. Not only that, he discovers that the truth may not be so simple and that family can be made of our own choosing, not just blood. This book will make you laugh, cry and go through a whole gamut of emotions, but in the end, it will end up making your heart feel lighter. I listened to the audiobook version and would recommend that in lieu of reading, as the voice actor, Daniel Henning, did a commendable job bringing all the characters to life, especially those of the magical children. You can get the book here! 📖

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7. Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs

This a graphic novel depicting the life of the author’s parents, the titular Ethel and Ernest. The author’s parents met each other during the Depression. They immediately fell in love, married each other, and lived together happily until they died in the 1970s. They are ordinary middle-class people who lived through extraordinary times. Through the Great Depression, World War Two, the Cold War, the Moon Landings, and the ever-shifting era of the twentieth century. Through it all, they learned to overcome the trials and tribulations of everyday life together.

This book creates an outlook of the most significant events of the twentieth century through the eyes of an unassuming, ordinary couple. This book is poignant and has its funny moments. This book will make us reflect on all those who came before us and the history they witnessed in the making, taking place right before them. This is a very small book and will make you tear up and also smile at the unconditional love displayed by every member of this small family. You can get the book here! 📖

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8. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

One would not think a story about a bank robbery gone wrong and a hostage situation can be classified under light-hearted books. That is usually true unless Fredrik Backman writes said story. The author can spin a light-hearted comedy out of most dark stuff. This book is funny but not without its moments of seriousness. But therein lies the author’s talents as he wonderfully balances drama and comedy. This book will make you laugh out loud, sob your heart out, and laugh and cry simultaneously. What it does not do is to bore you.

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There’s always something going on that will hold your attention captive. Backman’s characters are some of my favorite literary characters ever. Most of the time, they are bumbling, well-meaning messes, and they’re each adorable in their own right. This book is another testament to the skillful character descriptions that the author is known for. Once you start reading this book, you will be hard-pressed to keep it down without finishing it in one sitting. You can get the book here! 📖

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9. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

This novel, written by Jesse Q. Sutanto, is in a similar vein to the novel Anxious People. This book follows the story of sixty-year-old Vera Wong (not to be confused with the world-famous designer Vera Wang), owner of Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea Shop (apparently not as famous as Mrs. Wong believes it to be). She is your typical overbearing Chinese mom who thinks everything can be solved with a good cup of tea, specially brewed in her tea shop.

One day the tea shop she so cherishes becomes the crime scene when a man is found dead right in the middle of it. This thrusts Vera headfirst into a murder mystery, a fact that she uses to her advantage to showcase her best detective skills and, at the same time to teach the real police how the work is indeed done. Her attempts at detecting make her come in contact with people from the victim’s life, and she finds out that there might be many people who wanted the victim dead rather than alive.

As she grows closer to her list of potential “suspects,” her task of catching the killer becomes much more difficult. Will she help justice be served or stick to just serving tea? It would be best if you read this book to find out. The hilarious gimmicks of this sixty-something woman as she finds new people to fill her life and to whose life she adds more meaning are beautiful to read, and Vera Wong will swiftly turn into your favorite fictional character. You can get the book here! 📖

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10. Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter

One would not think that a book about a forty-something woman who laments life passing her by would be a fun read, but this book will attempt to prove you wrong. For Nell, life seems to be stuck in a rut. Living with a roommate at the age of forty and trying to get by living paycheck to paycheck from her freelance job would not have been the life she envisioned for herself in her twenties.

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Seeing her peers get by in life with families of their own does not make it easier for her, that is, until she meets Cricket, an 80-year-old widow who is the embodiment of the adage, living life large. Gaining her friendship helps Nell see life differently and find her place in it. This humorous book about a middle-aged woman trying to start life from scratch is not just a fun read but also shows us that even though life may not go according to our plans, we can find our own happiness. You can get the book here! 📖

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If you have scrolled down till here, you are now stocked with a list of books you can read to get that quick endorphin boost. Even though reading tastes are very subjective, I am pretty sure there will be at least one book in this list that will help lighten your mood. Why don’t you give the books listed in this article and tell us which worked for you?

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