Don’t Worry, Read Happy: Books To Boost Your Happiness

When Cat — the aptly named neighborhood stray — suddenly falls ill, five strangers find themselves bonding together in their desire to care for him, and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they’ve all been searching for.

Gratitude is a powerful emotion that conveys appreciation for a moment that has touched you in some way and moves you to express thankfulness. When you experience gratitude, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in a host of tangible benefits associated with positive thinking and emotions. With The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal, you’ll engage your brain’s neuroplasticity to reshape your worldview — and retrain your brain for greater joy, resiliency, and personal empowerment.

From bestselling author Martha Beck comes a new path to overcoming anxiety by awakening the creativity within. The opposite of anxiety, it turns out, is a wonderful new way of life — one that can calm and inspire us as individuals and help us become a source of healing for everything around us.

A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in this ensemble comedy that People calls “an uproarious romp,” from New York Times bestselling author Clare Pooley.

A self-love deck with powerful affirmations to transform the way you see yourself and the world around you. With the Self-Love Affirmations & Reflections deck, you’ll find cards for daily motivation, inspiration, and reflective healing. This is the perfect way to way to celebrate yourself in a new light and pursue the life you want (and deserve).

Have you ever met a relaxed woman? Would you like to become one? Psychologist Nicola Jane Hobbs draws on the latest science and extensive therapeutic experience to dispel the myth that relaxing is lazy and show women how to reclaim rest as a path to healing, freedom, and joy. Because we deserve more than being constantly exhausted. We deserve to be relaxed women, women who know our worth and our power­ — women who, together, can change the world.

From the author of Start Where You Are, a beautiful and empowering journal for embracing what makes you special — and charting your own path.

We’ve all been there: We take a pause, look at our lives, and desire more — more from our relationships, more from our wellness journeys, maybe simply more from ourselves. For some, it might be more fun, more peace, more exploration — but what does it take to get to the other side of living in survival mode? In On Thriving, Brandi Sellerz-Jackson shares powerful lessons on healing and thriving through the murky seasons of life in this moving, intimate guide to deeper self-awareness and radical joy. With insightful and vulnerable storytelling, she invites a deep, soul-stirring investigation of our past and present to gather all that we need to thrive right where we are, right now.

Rediscover the joy of creating with a kid-inspired mindset. Feeling burnt out, distracted, and out of fresh ideas? In every creative person’s life, there are times when you lose the energy, joy, and freedom you had when you were first starting out. We all need help returning to the excitement, the sense of discovery, and the raw creativity of a child at play. Don’t Call It Art is a creative liberation handbook for looking at the world with fresh eyes.

From the beloved Today show host Sheinelle Jones comes an inspiring collection of heartfelt life-lessons from hard working moms who raised some of our favorite celebrities. Combining insights from celebrity mothers with her own journey through modern parenting, Sheinelle reveals how to make it through the hard parts of motherhood and still tap into the joys of it with empathy, generosity, and solidarity. Through Mom’s Eyes is a beautiful celebration of those who are the guiding light for their loved ones — mothers.

From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult. In a smart and incisive book packed with laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, aging, and marriage, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured story that shows us real passion is never truly lost, that what we love makes us who we are, and that deep meaning can sometimes be found in a sea of screaming fans.

Humorist Jenny Lawson shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn’t working properly. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

From the Academy Award–winning actor and author of Greenlights comes an inspiring, faith-filled, and often hilarious collection of personal poetry and prayers about navigating the rodeo of life and chasing down the original dream, belief.

The uplifting book from Matt Haig, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement. Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.

Stop the Spiral Devotional is your invitation to begin noticing negative spirals — every day. In this book, you’ll find one hundred days of Christian devotions to inspire you to stop toxic thinking patterns and set you free.

An uplifting and calming collection of journal prompts and coloring pages to ease an anxious mind, from the popular Instagram artist behind @positivelypresent. Journalers, doodlers, and coloring book fans are sure to find solace within these pages, one distraction at a time.

From New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Elle comes a vulnerable exploration of the friendships that shape us, stretch us, and sometimes wound us. “In a time of increasing loneliness, this book provides a steady guide, teaching us how to foster closeness, show up intentionally, and genuinely care for the people in our lives” (Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace). But The Company We Keep is not just about cultivating our most meaningful friendships — it’s about becoming a better friend to ourselves first.

Anna Quindlen, the bestselling novelist and columnist, reflects on what it takes to “get a life” — to live deeply every day and from your own unique self, rather than merely to exist through your days.

An inspiring approach to a happier, more fulfilling life through Sikh teachings on love and service. Part memoir, part spiritual journey, The Light We Give is a transformative book of hope that shows how each of us can turn away from fear and uncertainty and move toward renewal and positive change.

Step away from life’s demands and free yourself up for what matters with this succinct and sensible guide by the Zen Buddhist author of the international bestsellers The Art of Simple Living and Don’t Worry.

Encourage strength and perseverance with this set of 30 pop-open cards filled with motivating, empowering quotes. With bold designs and motivating sentiments, each card reminds you that you are capable, strong, and ready for what’s ahead.

How do we make and keep friends in an era of distraction, burnout, and chaos, especially in a society that often prizes romantic love at the expense of other relationships? Good news: There are specific, research-based ways to improve the number and quality of your connections. Platonic provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others — and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process.

If you’re not having fun, you’re not fully living. The bestselling author of The Amazing Generation and How to Break Up with Your Phone makes the case that, far from being frivolous, fun is actually critical to our well-being — and shows us how to have more of it.

For fans of The Correspondent and 84, Charing Cross Road, a bright and comforting novel following the surprising friendship between two young women in 1990s Seattle and Paris, celebrating the last days before the internet changed everything. This bright and comforting novel is a love letter to bookshops, to the way stories shape how we perceive ourselves, and to the passion we bring to life in our twenties.

From the beloved, New York Times bestselling author of Heart Talk, a collection of prose and poetry that explores how we can find light in periods of lostness, love for ourselves after heartbreak, okay-ness in the midst of change, and strength in letting go.

Recognize your needs and state your boundaries with this collection of short yet empowering fill-in statements, ready for your personalized truths. When you declare, “I’m not doing that anymore,” you are doing more than saying no — you’re saying yes to the truest parts of yourself. You’re choosing to set meaningful boundaries and protect your peace.

In A Little Daylight Left, poet Sarah Kay explores life’s most vulnerable moments of transition with courage, curiosity, joy, and humor. The result is a blueprint for discovering beauty in all that makes us human. With her signature wit and wisdom, Kay shows us how to navigate life bravely, with every single part of ourselves. “This is a book that will make you feel simultaneously alive and less alone” (Hanif Abdurraqib, bestselling author of There’s Always This Year).

A vibrant collection of 100 postcards featuring affirmations on self-love, inner peace, and healing, from WE THE URBAN founder Willie Greene.

What if we accepted our struggles and stopped trying to be someone we’re not? In this poignant, hilarious book, author Jess Johnston shares her experiments in finding our way back to each other.

Empowering, insightful, and psychology-driven, Beyond Beautiful is filled with proven, no-BS strategies for proactive self-care. This stylish and practical handbook takes a deep-dive into all of the factors that make it hard to feel good about yourself, and offers sage answers to tricky questions.

Get ready to step into the delightful world of Fuzzy Friends — an irresistible all-ages coloring book that will make your heart melt into a puddle of gooey cuteness!