Ten Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile On Your Face

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is books that put a smile on our faces. We've talked before about books that make us laugh, but this is a little different; I included books that were sweet, heartwarming, charming, or just satisfying. I hope they make you smile as well!

1. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
I should have hated this love story, which traffics in tropes and clichés with abandon, but the writing was so beautiful (and beautifully narrated by Cassandra Clare) that it managed to sneak into my heart anyway.

2. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
The first part of this book was hard to get through because the main character is treated so poorly by her family, but it's so satisfying when she secures her independence from them and then goes about doing what she wants and daring to be happy.

3. Dear Mister Rogers, Does It Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood? by Fred Rogers
This is a collection of letters that children sent to Mister Rogers over the years and his responses, which are just as gentle and honest as you would expect.

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows
Although dealing with some heavy topics, this epistolary novel maintains a delightfully uplifting tone throughout and is in turns funny, sweet, and satisfying.

5. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
This book, too, deals with hard topics but in a perpetually hopeful way. Not only do things wrap up in a satisfying way, but there are moments throughout that are just so moving you can't help but smile.

6. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The supernatural children who populate the titular house are some of the most charming characters you'll meet in fiction. I dare your heart not to melt every time Chauncy makes an appearance.

7. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Silverstein's poems are silly and creative, guaranteed to bring smiles to the faces of adults and kids alike.

8. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
This one might veer into laugh-out-loud funny, but oh, these characters are just delightful! Just thinking about the book makes me smile.

9. The Switch by Beth O'Leary
I like to call this book "a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form." Predictable, yes, but funny, sweet, heart-wrenching, silly, and just plain fun, whether you're following 79-year-old Eileen making her way in the city or her granddaughter Leena finding love in the country.

10. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
This is an adorable romance that's sweet and charming and also includes a satisfying punch to the patriarchy in one of the side plots.

What books have made you smile?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Thank You for Voting and Darius the Great Deserves Better
Five years ago I was reading: The Martian and All American Boys
Ten years ago I was reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix