Books are books. Wow, that sounds vague. I mean, for real though, movies, series, documentaries, short films or any other form can never replace the magic and depth of a well-written book. Books become your best friend, make you smile/laugh, fill your heart, and then comfort you as well. A good story, indeed, can teach you more things than your whole school education (a bit exaggerated? Don’t think so). Moreover, a good story can touch your emotions to the point that you end up sobbing uncontrollably. It has the ability to touch your deepest core.
Here go the best 15 emotional books you need to read right now.
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
John Green has a knack for making people feel connected to his works on an emotional level. All his books are designed with warmth and intensity that make the readers feel helplessly overwhelmed.
His debut novel is probably his most famous and loved book of all time, that is, The Fault in Our Stars. Throughout the book, you will find yourself beaten up with feelings, and this book will make your eyes well up towards the end.
2. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan
This is one of the best emotion-triggering autobiographies about a dog, a Labrador Retriever named Marley. The story will make you smile, laugh, and then tear up. The book has also been made into a famous movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. The story feels even more endearing when a live dog plays the character of Marley.
This work proves the fact that dogs are indeed the purest little beings in the entire world.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Another great writer of this generation, Khaled Hosseini’s books are a delight to read. With utmost purity, emotions and rawness, you will find yourself seeped into the world he projects. His book, The Kite Runner, is based on the concepts of mistakes, betrayal, love, and mostly, redemption. Every page contains a new emotion to unravel which is a surreal feeling that you experience while reading this book.
4) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Another brilliant novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, beautifully portrays the depths of patriarchy, friendship, love, and extreme social issues in the form of a brave story set in the context of the political chaos in Afghanistan. It definitely deserves a read. The arc of the story is captivating and inspiring to a great extent.
5) The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
If you want to read a book that is heartbreaking and sumptuous, The Light Between Oceans is the one for you. It is a very simple yet well-written story primarily about two people and the importance of making decisions in one’s life. It also highlights the distinction between what is right and what is wrong.
6) Life Is What You Make It by Preeti Shenoy
This book is about Ankita and her life. No, it is not a romantic novel; it is much more than that. You cannot help but wail hard, at the end. It is surely a beautiful work.
7) A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove is a man who lost his wife and is somewhat cranky in nature. This outstanding novel is jolly, plainly simple, and beautiful. It teaches how the sense of loss can be filled with unexpected events, people, and things.
8) Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis
This young-adult novel definitely suits to be present in everyone’s shelf. The love story in this novel is heart-warming, compelling, and inspiring. The movie based on this book came out and became an instant hit. Well, it deserves the popularity.
9) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The story is set in Nazi Germany, and Death narrates the story. Yes, you read that right. This book is a literal masterpiece which needs way more popularity than it has now.
10) If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern
Cecilia Ahern is known for writing stories that produce a magical effect over the readers. If You Could See Me Now is a story that will not lose you, not even at a single point. Heard of imaginative friends that kids have? What if they are not, in fact, imaginative? Yes, now you know enough to read the book.
11) Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Even if you are only a reader in the nascent stage of reading books, you would surely know Paulo Coelho. Well, most of the people know The Alchemist, and it is too obvious to include it on this list. His novel, Veronika Decides to Die, is a book that will force you (in a way, force you to decide) to live. Ironic? Not so much. The concept of the book may not be the most refreshing thing you read, but everything from the storytelling technique to the depth of feelings in this book appears incredibly amazing to read.
12) The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely
It is tough to live with a disease, but with one’s will, everything becomes prettier and more real. This novel tells the story about the acute angst of Alzheimer’s disease. Brendan Kiely has made a brilliant effort in communicating the most significant and beautiful message with the ending.
13) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The devastating practice of racism in western countries is the context of this novel, which is realistically and emotionally developed and depicted. So, if you intend to read The Color Purple, make sure you have garnered enough strength because you are going to need it. The book is devastating and simply impressive; one of the finest, to be exact.
14) First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung
A tragedy like war can destroy lives and snatch away the lives of the loved ones. This book will leave an unerasable impact on you with its depth and reality. Throughout the book, you would cry your heart out. It is sad and quite well-written.
15) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Finally, we arrive at a book that will appall you, and then leave you stuck and aghast by its painful ending. The story is set during the holocaust, and it is exceptionally vivid and emotional. Overall, this book will make you feel great pain.
These are some of the best emotional books that will surely make you emotional and perhaps weep relentlessly. The way these books are written is surely beautiful and painful to read, but definitely something you should consider reading in your lifetime.