Necee here!
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and topic submitted by Julia at pagesforthoughts, brings a smile to my lips thinking of all the lovely “Books That Make Me Smile” theme for this week. Honestly, I love this theme. Books that have all the feels, seriously need to incorporate bring a smile, chuckle, or romance to my heart. There are so many ways that books bring out the romantic side of me, but ohhh when their is humor or a smirk from our heroes…well, that is just good stuff! Witty banter is often a great way to bring a smile to a reader. However, I love when characters are a bit klutzy or sassy, too. So, I’m listing books for a few different ways they brought a smile to my face.
Necee’s Top 5
- A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong has a klutzy barista that always lands in trouble. A cozy mystery, friendship born out of competition, and romance that involves caffeine! Sign me up!
- Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham. Spidey Pajamas, closet kissing scenes and so many laugh out loud moments in this one. I won’t even bring up how swoony this story is…okay I just did, but read it and you’ll understand why I love this book!
- Her One and Only by Becky Wade is romantic suspense perfection. With superhero references and a female bodyguard, this one just captured all the feels. Can I be Drew when I grow up?
- Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner had so many laugh out loud moments even if there was a serious element, I loved it.
- The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck has so many feels that I don’t know where to start, but I loved the characters and laughter it brought out!
Rel’s Top 5
(in no particular order!)
- I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones. True confession – any book by Jenny makes me smile. Her wit, fun dialogue, and characters with big personalities make every one of her stories a delight.
- Ronie Kendig’s Discarded Heroes. It might come as a surprise that I’ve included paramilitary thrillers in my list of books that make me smile. If you’ve read Nightshade, Digitalis, Wolfsbane, Firethorn, and Lygos, you’ll understand. The camaraderie just makes me smile big time, then the ribbing and banter between the guys is perfection. Ronie’s clever wit is a hidden gem in this series.
- Then There Was You by Kara Isaac. Kara’s a Kiwi and our neighbours across the ditch have very similar humour to us, so it’s warm and familiar and clever. Kara is as funny in person as she is in her stories. Just a joy to read.
- Bookends by Liz Curtis Higgs. I miss Liz’s novels for their warmth and humour. I loved everything about this story – the characters, the premise, the shenanigans.
- Tamara Leigh’s Head Over Heels collection. Every book in this collection – Stealing Adda, Perfecting Kate, Splitting Harriet, Faking Grace – makes me smile. Yes, there’s laugh out loud moments, but the connections between the protagonists, the incredible dialogue, and the heartfelt and moving revelations they discover about themselves is nothing short of delightful.
What books bring a smile to your face?
July 14, 2020 at 3:33 pm
Loved the book featured by Jenny here. Such a good read. Also, reminds me I never read Kristin’s book. Should remedy this soon!
July 15, 2020 at 10:18 am
Love it when you visit, dear Rissi! So hard to find the time to visit blogs these days, so I appreciate it.
July 14, 2020 at 10:54 pm
A Caffeine Conundrum sounds like a lot of fun! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
July 15, 2020 at 10:12 am
Thanks for stopping by, Poinsettia! Off to look at your list 🙂
July 15, 2020 at 10:17 am
Hmmm…I posted a comment on your blog but it didn’t show up, so sharing it here instead. Might have gone to your spam filter 🙁
“Kids books are the best! My kids are grown now, but they adored Mem Fox stories. She’s an Australian author – like me! Australian, that is, not the author part 🙂 I recommend them if you are still looking for great kids stories to make you smile.”
July 14, 2020 at 11:14 pm
It’s an honor to be listed here with some of my faves. <3
July 15, 2020 at 10:11 am
🙂
July 14, 2020 at 11:49 pm
My most recent reads that made me smile are:
* Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano – Beatrix and Norman are perfectly paired and their interactions – argumentative and romantic – had a smile plastered to my face throughout.
* Silent Shadows by Natalie Walters – the main character’s sister (Claudia) had me giggling numerous times. This was unexpected since the book was a romantic suspense.
* On Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher – The sister’s interactions and concern over their dad’s decision were very funny, but a side character (Peg Legg) was my favorite and lit up the page (and my face) every time she was mentioned.
* Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh – Had NO idea Tamara had such a comedic flare, but this book was hilarious yet convicting and I laughed out loud on almost every page.
July 15, 2020 at 10:11 am
Thanks SO much for sharing your smiley reads, Amy. And yes, Tam is super witty which is why I love her contemporaries too.
July 15, 2020 at 1:16 am
Bookends! I love that one. I too miss Liz’s novels.
July 15, 2020 at 10:09 am
YES!!!
July 15, 2020 at 2:28 am
Wow, Bookends has a pretty cover!
My TTT .
July 15, 2020 at 10:09 am
That’s the latest rendition, Lydia. I have the original book with a different cover. I prefer the newer one!
July 15, 2020 at 4:55 am
I love the cover for The Theory of Happily Ever After and Then There Was You!
Here’s mine: https://laurenbodiford123.wordpress.com/2020/07/13/books-that-make-me-smile-ttt/
July 15, 2020 at 10:08 am
They are both great reads! I enjoyed reading your quote selections in your list, Lauren. Thanks for stopping by.
July 15, 2020 at 11:17 pm
The covers of romance books always make me smile. The people look so happy!
July 25, 2020 at 6:07 pm
Great post. I don’t actually know most of these but they sound excellent and I’ve added some to my tbr list. Thanks for sharing