Six Books to Read if You Need a Good Cry
- maxxwellbooks
- Sep 27, 2023
- 3 min read
I LOVE to cry over a good book. I find it is an incredible release of energy, and a good gauge for how much I enjoy a book.
I know that I am not alone in loving a good cry, so I decided to share the top six tear jerkers I have read in the last year,
A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction
My rating: 5 stars
When I tell you I was woefully unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster I was signing up for, I mean that. This book is heartbreaking and beautiful and has incredibly well written found family. What else could you ask for?
I will note, this book has a decent amount of fatphobia, which I have come to anticipate reading as much as I do. I still found this book to be five stars, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I do tell everyone I recommend about that aspect, so I needed to disclaim it here.
If you love books about contemplating the meaning of life and death, if you love a grumpy main character with sunshine side characters, and found family, please pick this book up.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction
My rating: 5 stars
I chose this as my Book of the Month pick earlier this year, and did a full review over on Write Through the Night. This book was so unbelievably good and sad and simultaneously full of joy.
This book follows Clover, who is a Death Doula. As someone who has considered becoming a Death Doula, the second I saw the synopsis it was an easy “add to cart” for me!
I was crying and laughing and kicking my little feet. I would say this is the most balanced book on this list emotionally.
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Genre(s): Fantasy
My rating: 5 stars
I went into the book not having any idea what it was about. Honestly, that is how I prefer to read books.
After I read The House in the Cerulean Sea, I was really willing to read any of Klune’s books. I ended up borrowing this from my local library via Libby, and I fell in love!
I love books that tackle grief (can you tell?). And the way this book was done was so beautiful and magical. I don’t want to give you too much information so you can go in the same way I did, but I will give you a few keywords: queer, afterlife, found family, ghost dog.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction
My rating: 5 stars
Backman is a huge name in contemporary fiction for a reason, hence him having two books on this list. This book is maybe the most unique look at grief I have ever read.
We get to see grief through the eyes of a seven year old precocious girl, and that is a lens we do not see often in adult fiction. And my goodness, Backman once again hits it out of the park.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
My rating: 5 stars
This was a book I had read in high school, and I decided to reread it as an adult.
I was fully expecting to hate this book as an adult, but I ended up loving it! I cried more now than I did when I first read it, and that was shocking to me.
The disability representation is actually really good, which I was worried about going into it. If you read this as a teen and have been considering a reread, this is your sign to do it!
If you didn’t, but you still enjoy YA as an adult, I highly recommend this book.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Genre(s): Fantasy, Historical Fiction
My rating: 5 stars
I can understand why some folks don’t like this book (it is fairly slow paced and not a whole lot happens) but I absolutely ADORED this book, and I was crying by the twenty page mark.
One of my biggest fears, at least socially, is all my friends forgetting me (which has gotten better, but still lingers occasionally) so this book HIT me. I found myself absolutely heartbroken for Addie, and I read through this a lot faster than most books of its size.
I definitely recommend this book if you are someone who likes a slower story with a slightly magical and paranormal element.
What books have made you cry (in a good way)? Let me know in the comments!
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