Books for When You Need to Laugh or Cry – Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday was Ten Books When You’re in the Mood for…. My first thought was to include books that will make you cry, but I thought that was a bit gloomy on its own, so I have split this week into two! Five books to make you cry, and five to make you laugh out loud.

Five Books for When You Need to Cry:

1. The Sidekicks – Will Kostakis

It’s sometimes happy crying! But this book tugs at ALL OF THE HEARTSTRINGS! And you just have to read it so you know how I feel about all the characters – they are adorable and must be protected at all costs! And their feelings became my feelings and AGHAGHAGH! READ IT (even if it will make you cry…..)

2. The A-Z of You and Me – James Hannah

Ivo, the main character, is in a hospice, dying. A nurse recommends that he play a game, to thank all of his body parts (in alphabetical order) for the memories they have given him. It is beautifully written, and tells many hard truths. And it is devastating. Tears will flow!

3. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

The ultimate tear-jerker. I cried for two days straight after finishing this book about two star-crossed teenagers. And then I gave it to my Mum and sister so I wasn’t alone in my grief…. (I didn’t cry as much in the movie though…..)

4. Bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Paterson

I first read this book when I was in primary school, and I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT! The friendship between Jesse and Leslie is beautiful, the world they create AMAZING, and the end hits you really really hard, right where it hurts most.

5. Laurinda – Alice Pung

A beautiful story of the struggles of finding yourself. Not as totally devastating as the other options, but it is so REAL! Every girl will understand the difficulties of high school, and you’ll cry with relief that you won’t the only one!

5 Books for When You Need to Laugh:

6. Hotel du Barry – Lesley Truffle

This book is actually about a murder, but the cast of characters at the Hotel du Barry are the most hysterical group of people I have ever read about! The story starts with a tryst in the hotel courtyard, which is interrupted when a baby is found in a pair of lady’s underpants hanging on the clothesline!

7. The Princess Bride – William Goldman

I loved the movie, but the book is EVEN BETTER (of course). I especially loved the Author’s Note at the beginning – DON’T SKIP IT – in which Goldman insults his family (though I think they’re just more characters….) and sets us up for this gloriously silly story.

8. Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) – Mindy Kaling

Everything about this book had me in fits of laughter. From the photo on the back cover and its caption, to the last line, I couldn’t stop giggling! And I’m smiling even now thinking about it!

9. The Rest of Us Just Live Here – Patrick Ness

This was the book I needed in high school to learn satire! Every chapter perfectly mocks the traditional YA hero novel, without insulting anybody who loves them – it’s just so darn funny! Even though the characters deal with real issues, they still manage to see the world with humour. Plus, one of the protagonists is descended from the god of cats!

10. Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Nothing is sacred (literally) in this book about the coming of the Anti-Christ. Crowley (an angel who did not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards) and Aziraphale (an angel, and part-time rare book dealer) are the most fantastic characters – and great friends, even though they’re on different sides of the ‘fight’. Piss your pants funny – these men are brilliant authors in their own right, and even better together!

Which books do you turn to when you need to cry? When you need to laugh?