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Do feel-good books make you... well, feel good?


g2narat

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Like the title of this thread says, do feel-good books make you feel good? I'm talking about the kind of books by Mitch Albom and John Green. The kind that's supposed to be heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time. Do you like those kind of books? Or do you think they are too cheesy? i personally think they are fine in moderation. I couldn't read two of those consecutively though.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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I never found either writer's works cheesy, but I can't stand Nicholas Sparks. Not anymore. I know he's more of a romance-genre writer but he aims for the feel-good effect (which John Green is guilty of in 'Fault in Our Stars') and fails terribly at it. Sparks has written far too many romance novelettes with the same tragic outcome where someone dies, but before doing so, dead main character gets to express his/her emotions to the subject of his affections. It's as if Sparks has a formula and he sticks to it. He knows the right words that tug at your heartstrings but if you go through all his books, you realize it's the same thing. I'm not saying he's a terrible writer: he's a wonderful writer, but his work is so formulaic, one can predict the ending by page 2.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I never found either writer's works cheesy, but I can't stand Nicholas Sparks. Not anymore. I know he's more of a romance-genre writer but he aims for the feel-good effect (which John Green is guilty of in 'Fault in Our Stars') and fails terribly at it. Sparks has written far too many romance novelettes with the same tragic outcome where someone dies, but before doing so, dead main character gets to express his/her emotions to the subject of his affections. It's as if Sparks has a formula and he sticks to it. He knows the right words that tug at your heartstrings but if you go through all his books, you realize it's the same thing. I'm not saying he's a terrible writer: he's a wonderful writer, but his work is so formulaic, one can predict the ending by page 2.

Ugh. I don't like his stories. They are too predictable for me too. But I guess some people read it because of that. Maybe they just don't want the challenge and just want to read something easy that doesn't take guess work. I can't say I blame them though as I also get tired of novels that take too much intellectual work sometimes.

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Ugh. I don't like his stories. They are too predictable for me too. But I guess some people read it because of that. Maybe they just don't want the challenge and just want to read something easy that doesn't take guess work. I can't say I blame them though as I also get tired of novels that take too much intellectual work sometimes.

I have read two of his novels. After that, I thought he was too cheesy for me. But you're right. If you're used to reading "deep or symbolic" novels, then reading his titles may just be the right break for you. Hehe.

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I haven't read John Green yet but have had several friends recommend The Fault in Our Stars and it didn't sound feel-good at all!

Maybe I shouldn't have been avoiding it  :laugh:

Honestly, I didn't feel good after reading it. I felt devastated> HAHAHALOL.

And oh, try reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson, that's a collab from John Green and David Levithan. :')

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  • 4 weeks later...

I haven't read John Green yet but have had several friends recommend The Fault in Our Stars and it didn't sound feel-good at all!

Maybe I shouldn't have been avoiding it  :laugh:

I didn't think it was a bad book. But it's not one of my favorites either. I guess it's one of those books where you have to relate to on some level for it to be effective. I didn't get too attached to it, I'm afraid.

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I'm fine with feel-good books, at least they're less cheesy than feel-good movies, ugh!  Don't get me wrong, I do like feel-good flicks, but in moderation, because too much of that isn't good.

I like to watch feel-good movies whenever I'm in the dire need to watch a comfort movie, but I just can't watch the comfort movie of my choice, so I pick a generic one and it works just fine.  Same with feel-good books!  I love chicken soup for the soul series, because those stories never fail to make me feel better, and it seems there is a chicken soup for the soul for everyone!  There is even a chicken soup for the soul book for the single mom or the mom-in-law or the lawyer, lol.

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Honestly, I can't recall any book where I felt good after reading it. Some are enlightening like - The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren.  :smile:

Or maybe I just haven't found/read the right feel-good book for me yet.  Because I am more moved by book versions than movie versions like those movies adapted from Dan Brown books.  So I'm sure that a good feel-good book can really make me feel good.  :grin:

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I like the idea, but I've never read works from either authors. Not that I don't like their works, but I don't like getting too emotional. However, basing from some accidental instances (having cheesy parts in other works I've read), it's really something, well, good. It really makes me feel good. Not really "too good," but good enough to feel satisfied reading and feeling the characters. Kind of a way of "connecting" with the characters more.

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Interesting thread, but I am really not familiar with feel-good books, but I guess I can answer with another question, do spiritual books make you feel any more spiritual? I think it depends on what you invest on the book, if it's your thing or not.

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  • 4 months later...

I'm pretty much a cold hearted individual and it would take a lot of emotional force to make me give a crap and stir some emotions in me, not unless of course if I relate to the story but no matter I tend to be neutral. It's not that I'm not moved by any of it it's just that maybe they're too cliche and is far away from reality. If I were to write a heart wrenching novel it would be closer to the truth and not some fairy tale off of a 13 year old girls dreams.

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Nope. They never worked for me. Even though I'm pretty much a romantic person I tend to stick close to what works and never with what makes me feel good. Some of this kinds of books are really too much to handle. They're either too cliche' or the characters are too dumb to even be interesting let alone sympathize with.

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I'm totally not against a cheesy story. I think it's good to allow ourselves to get engrossed in these types of stories once in a while, or risk becoming too cynical and jaded. I love reading about or watching inspirational stories, regardless if they are biographical or fictional. I find myself getting uplifted either way.

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I can't say feel good books make me feel good. I'd rather say they leave me with mixed feelings. Luckily, they are fictions, plus I know they always end on a happy note so I quickly get over it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Something similar happens to me, Rosa.  Those feel good books don't really leave me feeling that good, maybe the chicken soup for the soul books do, but others I have read not so much. I guess I need stories ranging in the exaggerated optimism in order to really feel good and cozy after reading a book.

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I must admit that I enjoy a good feeling book. I love motivational books that make me have hope that everything will be right with the world. I feel very disappointed if I read a book and the character I like gets into trouble or dies. “ And they live happily ever after” is the perfect ending of a good book for me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

O would think that they do! There is nothing better than to read a book that has a wonderful and pleasant and feel good message attached to it. "Chicken soup for the soul" is a great book for people to feel uplifted and reading some of the celestian prophecy books have been good to me too. I love stories and books that make you feel fantastic and yes there are such books out there.

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Definitely. But for me, feel-good books are comedic romances. When I finish these kind of books I feel really great. Inspirational feel-good books are great but there's usually a sad story included to teach a lesson. So, I usually come away more pensive than giggly happy.

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Well, it depends cause not all those books labeled "feel good books" can really make me feel good. :P

Usually I find books about real life stories and inspirational stories, feel good books. There are times that some books are really just not what they want their readers to get from reading it. It is a matter of preference.

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