In a gloom? These books are guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Top Ten Tuesday 09/07/2021

Hi friends,

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Today’s theme is books that will put a smile on your face.

I don’t know you but I love books that are uplifting or filled with banter or quiproquo. So if you are in a gloomy mood and need a positive view on life, I have the perfect list for you! And yes it’s more than ten! 

First three favorites to come to mind…

⁠ The Switch by Beth O’Leary⁠

⁠ “Perhaps the lady is losing her marbles a little. It’s started happening to Penelope – terribly sad, though on the plus side she seems to have forgotten that she can’t stand Roland. It’s been something of a second honeymoon for the two of them.”⁠ ― Beth O’Leary, The Switch

Gosh, I love the humor in that book 🤣🤣⁠ ⁠

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune⁠

⁠ “For the most part, he’d accepted that some people were born to be Extraordinaries, and some people were born to be medicated so they didn’t spin out of control. Fair? Not really, but Nick was learning that his brain could do things that others couldn’t. In a way, he had his own superpower, even if it was called a disorder.”⁠ ― T.J. Klune, The Extraordinaries⁠ ⁠

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune⁠

I loved Lucy and his dark humor!

“I am evil incarnate. I am the blight upon the skin of this world. And I will bring it to its knees. Prepare for the End of Days! Your time has come, and the rivers will run with the blood of innocents.”

Ooooh Lucy is such a drama queen!!! LOL

That found family is AMAZING!⁠ ⁠

Now what puts me in an amazing mood are sassy heroines! So the list below is dedicated to all these sassy girls that made me smile and rejoicing!

Elements of Chemistry (the whole series Hypothesis truly) by Penny Reid

This series was not just enjoyable, it was fr****ng fantastic!
I laughed so hard at their banter. I was also mesmerized by Kaitlyn. She was so unique. A fascinating mix between smart, controlled, rational and innocent, clumsy with that adorable quirk of chanting synonyms each time she was nervous or hiding in any closet available to “recover”.
”Why did you hide? Did they make fun of you?” “No, they ignored me. I think I hid because hiding made it my choice. You can’t be ignored if no one can see you.”

Naked Love by Jewel E Ann

If you are looking for a funny book low on angst that will have you giggling all along don’t look further!

This book was a total surprise. A gift from Jewel E Ann to her followers.

After having read a fantastic story on WWII and a heartbreaking but beautiful YA contemporary I was looking for something light and fun. This book was a godsend!

Avery and Jake banter and bickering was a delicious and fun long foreplay!

 Meet Avery:

“Pain slices along my hand, shooting up my arm, as a cold sweat breaks out along my brow from the nausea settling into the pit of my stomach. I admit it—if only to myself—I, Avery Montgomery, am a wuss. I’ve cancelled clients because of an irritated hangnail. Menstrual cramps leave me bedridden for twenty-four hours. And I’m one of those patients who require nitrous oxide just to get my teeth cleaned. It’s genetic. There has to be a low pain tolerance gene.”

Do you picture Avery, diva to her painted toes and nails?

I was already grinning like a fool! Seriously I must have looked like a deranged woman so many times while reading this on the train!

Moti on the Water by Leylah Attar

Warning: reading this book and laughing hard while walking fast on the threadmill is a VERY BAD IDEA! Or a very good one as your abs will work twice as hard to laugh and help keep your balance in the hope of avoiding a “Moti Moment”.

I have never given more than 5 stars for what could be seen as romcom so far but Moti is in a category of its own!

That scene with Moti choking on her food and then falling backward, below the dais being stuck with her legs at an angle impossible for her to stand up discreetly already had me laughing so hard that I nearly peed my pants. And that was only the beginning.

Perfectly Adequate by Jewel E Ann

I laughed SO HARD at Dorothy’s brutal honesty! She is “Aspie” or Asperger, brilliant but with no mouth filter and incapable of lying which of course gives very interesting and funny situations! Dorothy is impossible not to love.

She is weird but so kind and selfless. Wanting to help others kids or poor people. Taking care of emus and setting them an Instagram account (it reminded me of Atticus, Sawyer Bennett’s dog). Housing her parents. Studying everything to understand it before experimenting like the art of kissing for example.

Being different is no picnic!

“Being an Aspie isn’t always hot chocolate and marshmallows with rainbow sprinkles. No. Oftentimes it’s showing up to a Star Wars themed party dressed as Mr. Spock, greeting everyone with the Vulcan salute.”

But she is brave and soldiers on. She always tries to do her best, analyzing everything in her journals. Dorothy is one of the best humans!

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata

My favorite parts in that story were:

-the banter! Ivan and Jasmine were mean to each other, trading insults but it was so funny! Energizing I would say!

-Jasmine’s family! They could earn the medal of “best family in books”. Seriously these siblings were a tight knit bunch but always bickering and poking the other … lovingly!

Jasmine’s mom was fearsome and caring; Jojo with his big head was adorably annoying, Ruby was all warm, maternal and caring ….

 Here is how it goes in that family when someone learns something on their sibling and they begin messaging the others:

“Jojo: WHY WOULD YOU NOT TELL ME?

Jojo: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?

Jojo: DID THE REST OF YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?

Tali: What happened? What did she not tell you?

Tali: OH MY GOD JAMSINE! Did you get knocked up?

Tali: I swear, if you got knocked up, I’m going to beat the hell out of you! We talked about contraception when you hit puberty.

Sebastian: Jasmine is pregnant?

Rubes: Jasmine is not pregnant.

Rubes: What happened, Jojo?

Jojo: MOM DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?”

And it goes on! I swear I laughed so hard with that family!

Managed by Kristen Callihan

If you want something easy to read, sweet funny as hell with a joyful and sassy heroine paired with a stuck up protective hottie, just one click now. I can promise you’ll have a very good time!

I enjoyed this one even better than Idol that I did really love.
Kristen Callihan has written exceptional banter between the main characters. I laughed or smiled so many times. The scenes in the plane should have been hard to believe (who would cuddle with a haughty and unknown man to ease his fear really?) but they were so entertaining and true to Sophie’s character I just rolled with it.

Sophie Darling stumbles in Scottie’s world like a tornado. She does not take prisoners. She is bubbly, smart full of life and laughter and is so not impressed (only mesmerized) by Scottie’s demeanor. They were so different and yet made so much sense.

Now, just to give you a taste of their banter, here is some extract of their first encounter on the plane, Sophie’s speaking first: ”“Jesus,” I blurt out, lifting my hand as if to shield my eyes. “It’s like looking into the sun.” “What?” he snaps, those laser-bright eyes narrowing. Oh, this will be fun. “Just stop, will you?” I squint at him. “You’re too hot. It’s too much to take.” This is true, though I’d never have the guts to say so in normal circumstances. “Are you quite well?” he intones, as if he thinks the opposite. “No, you’ve nearly rendered me blind.” I flap a hand. “Do you have an off switch? Maybe put it on low?” His nostrils flare, his skin going a shade darker. “Lovely. I’m stuck next to a mad woman.” “Don’t tell me you’re unaware of the dazzling effect you have on the world.”

Lifel1k3 by Jay Kristoff

I so love this series because the characters are fantastic.
They are and feel real, even the bots and droids.
Moving even the bots and droids.
Funny even the bots and the droids!
They make a crew of misfits. Banter is flying and sarcasm the ruling money!
I love Miss Fresh and her perpetual devil may care attitude paired with big loyalty and fun banter.
I adore Eve with her courage determination huge heart and caustic remarks. The more desperate the situation the more come back she dishes.
I love Zeke. Blue eyes drop dead gorgeous and indestructible Zeke. I don’t care he is a droid I want to marry him.
I love Cricket the little mechanica Oops I said he was little! Pant less and “man parts” less I don’t care he was adorable.
Kaiser the loyal dog robot…

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

I absolutely adored the balance between gravity and humor in this book!

Some of the first moments that made me smile was when the heroine, Elisabeth Scrivener, orphaned abandoned at the entrance of a Great Library and raised among very alive grimoires was retelling that the first time she had seen a normal book she thought he was dead because he made no noise nor movement! So delicious!!!

Then of course or sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn is a master at irony and sarcasm.

Always unruffled even in dire circumstances he had the best come backs! He reminded me of Jace Wayland or …….

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he inquired. “You used a demonic incantation to pack my stockings!” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re right, that doesn’t sound like something a proper evil sorcerer would do. Next time, I won’t fold them.”

What also added humor and comic moments was the knack of Elisabeth to always jump head first into compromising situations! Like making fall an entire book shelf on the sorcerer she covertly and discreetly tried to spy on just to end falling on him and grabbing his surprisingly soft hair to test a theory and make sure he had or had not pointed ears! It’s for science you see…

And two more favorites just because I can!

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

I am madly in love with this book!

It is clever, witty, moving, smart, bold under the cover of a seemingly innocent YA story!

I think every teenager and professor and parent should read this book!

I also give Betty the gold medal of supportive, unconventional and witty grand-mother.

And I want to be Izzy O’Neil when I grow up!

And a recent crush, just from this summer…The Guncle by Steve Rowney

I loved reading about Patrick, his quirks and struggle. His “Guncle rules” were equally funny and full of wisdom. He truly encouraged the kids to be who they wanted to be. This was certainly an ode at acceptance. Be whomever you want, you are perfect.

I laughed but I also cried a lot. Because this sent me back to my own grief, the one I experienced more than two and a half years ago. The one I thought I had overcome until it made a come-back with this story.

 That book is joyful, colorful, kind, snarky and moving. Much more than a simple beach read.

OK I know it’s more than ten but if I can give some joy to others …

Thanks for reading!

Sophie