What books cheer you up?

Any Alexander McCall Smiths - especially No 1 ladies detective agency.

Anything by Anne Tyler, but especially The Accidental Tourist.

I adored Bella Figura by Kamin Mohammadi and read it again at any excuse. Worn down by modern life she escapes to Italy and falls in love with the place, the food, the people and starts a new happier, healthier life.

I love the Miss Read books depicting a simple and caring community.

Most of Mary Wesley's novels. I re-read them during Covid and they just took me away to another place.

Terry Pratchett witches books, no matter how many times I read them I cry with laughter...must be magic

Just about anything by Christopher Brookmyre. "Quite Ugly One Morning " is the only book I've read more than once.

Love, LOVE, L U R V E Bill Bryson. For “laugh out loud even when you’re alone” joy😂

The camomile lawn is one of my favourites by Mary Wesley. Beautiful. 🤩

Mary Wesley
Terry Pratchett
“miss Benson’s Beetle”
“Good omens” by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
McCall Smith….

Food critic Jay Rayner’s books - ‘Chewing the Fat’ and ‘My Last Supper’ are very witty.
Grace Dent’s “Hungry”.
Any of Bill Bryson’s travel books.
No.1 Ladies Detective Agency are gently funny.
Terry Pratchett.

I love Bill Bryson too, but my go-to choice if I need cheering up would be PG Wodehouse. I laugh out loud at the humour in his brilliant writing no matter how many times I re-read the books.😂

Diary of a Nobody, it always makes me laugh out loud.

Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym is one of my comfort reads. Very funny, in a gently wicked way!

Three Men In A Boat is another - guaranteed to raise laughs.

Granmarderby10

Love, LOVE, L U R V E Bill Bryson. For “laugh out loud even when you’re alone” joy😂

Many years ago, but I still remember my long-gone mother starting to read Small Island - she was very soon laughing until she cried!

I always used to enjoy a Maeve Binchy when I was feeling down.
It was like a comforting mug of hot chocolate and a lovely warm throw.

I’ve never re read a book for pleasure, just study, but I love reading a new Janet Evanovich book, makes me laugh.
I have Hungry unread as yet from Christmas Greyduster

The Deborah Rodriguez books. They have just enough substance but are an easy read.

RosieandherMaw

I always used to enjoy a Maeve Binchy when I was feeling down.
It was like a comforting mug of hot chocolate and a lovely warm throw.

I so agree!

I picked up a box set of Richmal Crompton’s Just William books at a charity shop recently, with the Wimpy-Kid-loving grandsons in mind. I flicked through them and laughed out loud at some of the passages, usually the very un-pc ones. Ditto the Adrian Mole books and anything else by Sue Townsend. And I’m another member of the Bill Bryson fan club.

Three Men in a Boat, PGWodehouse and Jennings as mentioned above.

Also The Wind in the Willows which I read every couple of years, especially the ‘ bother Spring cleaning’ passage!

Oh I am with the Just William lovers here.

Cold Comfort Farm for me ("something nasty in the woodshed"

Came on to put Bill Bryson ! Ive listened to all of them on Borrowbox. If anyone can suggest someone anywhere near his humour I would be eternally grateful!