Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week they provide a topic and you are free to use that topic and/or variations of that topic to make your top ten list. You don’t have to do all ten. Instead you can do three, five, fifteen, whatever you want. A full list of the weekly themes can be found here.

This week’s theme is Books That Make Me Smile. I read because it makes me happy, it makes me feel good, so the physical embodiment of that is a smile or the rare happy tear while reading. These are some books that have given me a swift kick in the feel-goods.

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Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – Both books I’ve read by Rogerson I have absolutely loved. In Sorcery of Thorns we have a brilliant and determined lead character in Elisabeth, the support character Silas was well thought out, enigmatic, and a little rough around the edges, and the story as a whole just swept me away. This book sucked me in and gave me joy cover to cover.

The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie – When I picked up this book I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into and I’ll be the first to tell you that I got slightly confused during a few bits. However, the storytelling had its claws in me cover to cover and I was so emotionally invested in this book! There is nothing better than being swept away into a good story. There is joy in that.

Bone Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace #1) by Kathryn Purdie – This book is a YA fantasy romp that is unputdownable. From page one I felt invested in the sister-like relationship between the main girls and watched with eyes glued to the page as they both developed and changed throughout the story. The one thing that didn’t change was their absolute love for one another, no matter what happened, and that hit me straight in the feel goods.

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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson has such a special place in my heart. It is one of those books that is like a comforting hug at the end of a hard day. Percy and his adventures will always be there to welcome you in with open arms whether you’ve read it fifty times or it is your first time.

Enchantée (Enchantée #1) by Gita Trelease – I feel like this book didn’t get the attention I think it so truly deserves. This relatively quiet historical fantasy has the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, magic with a price, and is just a story with a vibrant soul. It makes me happy and, at the end of the day, I wish more people would find it so it could bring them joy as well.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – The Wicked Deep is a modern day fantasy with paranormal and horror elements. I am not usually all in for modern or contemporary settings but this story sucked me in and charmed me from the very first moment. I’ve read this book in audio format probably four times now and it brings me peace and joy every time.

There are many more books than this that bring me happiness but I chose these because I don’t talk about them as much as some others. For many people comfort and happiness can be found within the pages of a book and I am thrilled to be among them.