Feel-Good Reading List
My Feel-Good Books
Some days, we just need to feel good.
This is a list of a few of my favorite reads for those days. I hope you can find a new read, or be inspired to revisit an old literary friend.
Authentically,
CateHow to be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits
By Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline De Maigret, Sophie Mas
This cheeky guide will leave you grinning from ear-to-ear while you reach for your boldest red lipstick, even if you are home alone. These powerhouse women not only hold a mirror up to the Parisienne and her enigmatic lifestyle, but encourage readers to embrace their natural beauty, bad habits, and individual complexity. This is an honest, witty, and emboldening love letter to Paris, fashion, food, and life.
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles)
By Patrick Rothfuss
Few novels have transported me to a fully-fledged fictional world that feels foreign yet real. With “The Name of the Wind,” Rothfuss gives Rowling a run for her money. The thick first installment in the Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy paints a vivid picture of a young man with a legendary future and painful past in a mystical, enthralling, and exciting world. Rothfuss delivers the excitement and immersion of Harry Potter with mystery, complex characters, and an elevated take on alchemy and magic that feels like it has grown up right alongside you.
The Dud Avocado
By Elaine Dundy
Your wanderlust will be tempted by this whimsical story of a recent American college graduate who goes on a two-year journey of self-discovery funded by her generous and eccentric uncle. Dundy’s writing style is engrossing, leaving the reader with the sense that they are the 22-year-old woman navigating 1950’s Paris. Layers of complexity unravel quickly in this fast-paced fictional memoir and will leave you reaching for your passport with a nearly undeniable urge to hop on the next flight to Europe.
Finding Freedom
By Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
Royal reports Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand provide an inside look at the courtship, marriage, and royal exit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. While the book’s objectivity may be questionable, it felt like reading real-life fairy tale and lit a raging fire to relentlessly pursue your deepest passions. This book may best be suited for those who have a soft spot for Price Harry and Meghan Markle, though the theme of finding happiness and pursuing it relentlessly can resonate with all readers.
