What Makes a Book Feel Good? ...A Top 10 List

When you ...as it’s said... live and learn, you learn LOVE comes in stages. So far, I’ve come across three stages of love. Puppy Love. Hormonal Love. And the ultimate love. Unconditional Love.

Lo and behold albeit, after finally getting around to reading Roy Blount’s memoir, “Be Sweet” (a memoirist who has at least twenty some years on me), I got to reading him summarizing unconditional love as ‘just an expression’ ..."like any other two words." Now, because his memoir is largely satirical, and given the title, on top of knowing better to think I know more than my elders (haha), it was hard to tell whether to take the definition seriously or facetiously. Whichever the case, as of today I define unconditional love without conditions. Unlike puppy love, built largely on a giddy childish infatuation superficially marveling over things or people, or that hormonal love responding to the cyclones and ebbs moving our hormones in this invisible like cylinder, there are no ifs, ands, buts, or exceptions governing unconditional love.

Plain and simple, my love for reading is unconditional. I Love Reading, period. The long and short of it. There are conditions as to what I read, however (and wink, wink). Today, my hook is on reading feel good books, and the ultimate feel good book has ALL 10 of these things working at once!

#10 - The ultimate feel good book is SWEET. And you’ll know if the book is sweet. You’ll naturally be smiling ear to ear. Won’t be able to stop yourself.

#9 - Feel good books are UPBEAT. The writing is exciting, positive, filled with good news galore. It can be raining like all get out, or a 10-foot snow fall and nowhere to go, and there you are, still smiling... ear to ear. There is hope.

#8 - Feel good books feel WARM and COZY. You snuggle up and curl up with them, and think good thoughts. And when you fall asleep, you’ll dream sweet dreams.

#7 - Feel good books are all kinds of PASSIONATE. Be it a choir singing to the rafters, praying on a miracle to happen for a mystery man in the congregation, or a couple of lovers making passionate hot love, the passion is there. Trust me, in either instances the passion is hot, Hot, HOT! Side note: In Stacey Dash’s book she included one of the most passionate lovemaking scenes that tops any I’ve ever read anywhere. WoW!!! (Check out George’s proposal to her. Haha.)

#6 - Feel good books are MOVING. Whether you’re moved to tears, or doing more of that smiling, you’ll be mooooovvved.

#5 - Feel good books are also DEEP, as in thought-provoking. You care about the characters and story being told, and think about them long after the book is closed.

#4 - Feel good books are GENUINE. This is a must. Nothing feels better than someone being candid with you, in a sweet, warm, moving way.

#3 - Oh, and this one. Feel good books include HUMOR. Personally for me, the funnier the better. Laughter makes a face glow, retains its youthfulness, and just make you look better... and feel better too.

#2 - Another must for feel good books; they must TELL A STORY! Solid good storytelling helps the pacing, keeps the pages turning, in a good way...

...getting to #1 - the best part of feel good books. The Ending. Which is ALWAYS REDEEMING!

What if many enjoyed reading...and writing feel good books?

Could it make something like Valentine's Day that much sweeter?