If you’re a mood reader, then finding your next read can be a challenge. You need a book that will fit your emotional state perfectly; one that helps you feel all the feelings, whether it is light-hearted, heartwarming, or heartwrenching. Here we have a list of mood-specific recommendations for mood readers looking for a book that will both transport them and make the most of what they are feeling.
When you’re feeling the need for a total escape from reality…
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is the ultimate immersive reading experience; it tells the mystifying story of a black and white circus that arrives by night and disappears without warning. The story goes back and forth in time, following Celia and Marco, the two magicians behind the circus’s existence and the twisted competition they are caught up in. Under their magic, the night circus becomes more than just a mystery; it becomes both a love letter and a game where only one can survive.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is an encapsulating tale of the strange reality of Addie LaRue, a young woman who made a deal with the devil hundreds of years ago, which left her cursed to live forever while being instantly forgotten by everyone she meets. She walks through her strange life utterly alone, until 300 years after the deal was made, a man finally remembers her. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue spans many lifetimes of being forgotten until one day she is finally remembered, which changes everything.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah portrays a different kind of escape from reality. This moving story follows Leni, a thirteen-year-old girl, and her mother as they follow her father’s impulsive lifestyle after he came home from being a POW in Vietnam. Their final destination is Alaska, where Leni’s father, Ernt, is sure they will be able to settle and find happiness again. The family quickly realizes the strength and independence needed to live in Alaska as they meet their neighbors, few and far between. When winter comes, they must face the brutality that Alaska has to offer, as well as the brutality that Ernt turns to as the Alaskan winter darkness swallows him whole. Leni and her mother must find ways to survive the winter against all odds.
When you’re feeling strange and utterly misunderstood…
Bunny by Mona Awad
Bunny by Mona Awad is a gripping and off-putting story; it follows a woman named Samantha, the outsider in her small MFA program, until one day she receives an invitation from the girl group who call themselves the Bunnies. She becomes sucked into the sinister world of these girls, where they express themselves creatively at their “Smut Salon” workshops and conjure creepy creatures to do their bidding. This book tackles the feeling of being misunderstood in the strangest ways, which doesn’t end well for all.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata tells the story of thirty-six-year-old Keiko, who has never once fit in or been understood all her life. She started working at a convenience store when she was eighteen, and finally, she felt understood. She finds she has purpose there, and she comes to understand the small social interactions she has with customers and co-workers by copying their behavior and making them feel comfortable and relatable. The store makes her happy, but after 18 years of working there, her family and co-workers start to wonder when she will move on with her life. Her facade of pretending to be normal feels threatened, and Keiko must make a change.
When you’re feeling mysterious on a rainy day in a coffee shop…
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney is a story of grief, reflection, and emotional complexity; it follows Ivan and Peter, brothers who have never been close and have always been very different people. They see eye to eye about almost nothing, except that they both don’t know what to do with their grief in the wake of their father’s death. Peter is a lawyer who has always been successful and intelligent, but now he finds himself struggling to maintain any of the relationships in his life, as messy as they are, and self-medicating as he contemplates his life. Ivan is a competitive chess player who has always struggled socially and has never had much success in relationships, until he meets Margaret. This is a complex story about maintaining all types of relationships as you struggle to understand your own emotions.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong is a stunningly unique story about friendship and connection. Hai is nineteen years old, and he doesn’t want to live to see another year. He meets Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, after she convinces him not to jump off the bridge where she finds him. This intervention starts them both on an unlikely path of friendship as Hai becomes Grazina’s caretaker. Hai and Grazina both learn how to look at life differently as they form a bond that will change both of their lives forever.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by nostalgia…
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My Friends by Fredrik Backman is the ultimate nostalgic read; it tells the story of a group of friends when they were fourteen years old, spending all of their free time by the sea. It is the origin story of a world-famous painting of the sea, which happens to be Lousia’s favorite painting ever. Louisa is an orphaned girl who is about to turn eighteen. She sneaks into the art gallery where this world-famous painting is about the be auctioned off for more money than she can imagine, just so that she can get the chance to see it in person. But with Lousia, things never go to plan. She embarks on a life-changing journey and discovers the power of art and friends as the origin story of the painting is unveiled to her.
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley follows Will and Rosie, who met as teenagers and fell deeply in love against all odds. No matter how much their lives take them apart again and again, they seem to always find a way back to each other. It is a story of nostalgia for someone and something that you think you can never have. A love story about those first loves that seem to stay with you forever, like a bittersweet memory you can never let go of.
When you’re feeling like maybe the world really is a magical place…
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt reminds us of the beauty and magic of the natural world through a heartwarming story. It follows Tova Sullivan, who began working as a cleaner at the local aquarium in order to keep herself busy after her husband’s recent death and the mysterious death of her eighteen-year-old son more than thirty years ago, which she has never gotten over. At the aquarium, she becomes friends with Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus who has a talent for escaping. Miraculously, Marcellus helps Tova to uncover the mystery of her son’s death as they come to understand each other in a remarkable way.
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia is a truly magical story of a small town in Mexico and a family that was forever changed when old Nana Reja found a baby boy abandoned among a blanket of bees. The boy was disfigured; some thought he was sent by the devil, but the Morales family took in Simonopio as if he were their own. Simonopio grows into a fascinating child, always followed around by his swarm of bees, as if he is one of them. He can sense things that will come and continually saves his adoptive family from danger, both human and natural. It is a beautifully crafted story of destiny, faith, and love.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a transformative novel about a café in Tokyo that is rumored to have the power to offer customers a chance to travel back in time, but only until their coffee grows cold. The story follows four customers who learn the rules of time travel in order to go back in time and do life differently. This is the first book in a series that unravels into more beautiful, mysterious, and magical stories.
Whether you’re in the mood for a nostalgic tale of friendship, a story that will transport you to another world, or want to feel inspired by the magical beauty of fiction, we hope these recommendations helped you to find your next mood read.
To learn more about how to find a book to match your mood, click here.
Find these books and more on our Bookstr Team Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
