I’ve talked a lot about being a mood reader and what it is LIKE to be a mood reader. An IRL friend of mine was at my apartment and wanted a new book and I was like “Whatcha in the mood for?” and I started spouting out like, “Do you want to cry? Do you want fun? Do you want fast-paced? Fantasy? Real life??” and she just laughed at me and said “you’ve got a book for every mood, huh?”
Then it dawned on me…HMM maybe this could be something new on the blog. I thought it would be fun to sporadically dole out recommendations according to what kind of mood you might be in — whether that be an actual mood or a specific type of book. The moods will probably change each time and be completely random but that’s how we do things around here. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you could also leave some recs for my categories in the comments to further help people looking for books that fit!
Check out more “Whatcha In the Mood For?” posts for even more book recommendations!
Need a good cry?
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Why? Well, Morgan Matson knows how to write grief (also see her book Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour) and the pain of watching someone you love slowly die from cancer. I know I might have cried partly because this story was SO personal and so similar to my own but it really is a tearjerker! But you’ll walk away with other things from it than just a pile of tissues! Promise! Plus it’s set in the Poconos which are some fabulous mountains about an hour or so from where I live.
Feeling stuck?
Why? It’s hard to speak about this one too much. It’s one of those special books to me and an ALL TIME FAVE. I read it in a time that I really needed to and it changed my life (more on that in the upcoming weeks…it’s taken me years to feel like I wanted to share it). But it really makes you think about the life you are living when you are kind of stuck and kicks your butt to change it! Plus TRAVEL. And romance. SO? Yeah. Read it. This gets my highest of high ratings. (My review of Just One Day)
Need to laugh?
Why? Because this one made me snort laugh quite a bit and it’s premise is so fun. I MEAN YOUR EX BOYFRIEND WRITES A HIT SONG ABOUT YOU and your life blows up. The shenanigans this gets Audrey into! Audrey is so witty and hilarious and I would totally be best friends with her. Seriously, read my review of Audrey, Wait because this book is just too much fun. (I will warn you there are quite a bit of swears in it if that sort of things bothers you).
Feeling like a paranormal romance?
Why? I had a bunch of paranormal romances I could have gone for but I wanted to pick something a little older and lesser known. This one is just SO GOOD and made me feel so many emotions. LOVE the world (when you die you don’t necessarily go away) and it was a love triangle that I actually really enjoyed because of the fact that the main character’s boyfriend is a ghost and things are not the same but she’s still trying to hold on vs. the boy who is alive. (Check out my review of Shade and omg I’m so sorry for the ugly formatting…I’m too lazy to clean up things from back then).
Want something intense?
Why? I read this book SO FREAKING FAST with like white knuckles. The premise was intense (depression is an epidemic that you can catch) and the execution was great. Totally had this unsettled feeling the whole time I was reading because of how intense the world and the storyline got. (Read my review of The Program + my book club’s themed meeting)
Have you read any of these? Agree/disagree with my recs? Have any to add?? Also, if you have a specific mood you think I should do next time….drop that in the comments!
NerdyLilly says
I would definitely add, under paranormal romance, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan – seriously it was a super quick, FUNNY yet creepy read!
Also, for light dystopia with a bunch of pop culture 80’s references, my go to recommendation is always Ready Player One by Ernie Cline.
Hope to see more of this in the future. Xo
Jamie says
Ya know…I tried Unspoken and put it down…but a review last year made me want to reconsider the series!!
Madeline Johnston says
Firstly, I have never heard of “The Program” before and have just added it to be ‘to-read’ bookshelf on Goodreads.
Secondly, what about a book that just makes you love reading? Something that is so enjoyable that it makes you fall in love with reading all over again? Personally, for me, I love the ‘City of Bones’ but I know many people wouldn’t agree with me 🙂
Jamie says
Oh my gawwwd….you will not be able to put this one down! I remember staying up super late to finish it!!!
Ooh I like that idea!! Thank you! <3 And I can understand how you'd say City of Bones for sure!
Naina says
For the section on a good cry I would highly recommend Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor loved it and I cried like a baby. If you need a good laugh definitely read The Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil 🙂
Jamie says
That’s so funny you picked that one because it was my second choice for this category but I went with the fact I rated SCS higher!! Maybe One Day made me BAWL. Oooh never heard of The Adventures of Cinnamon Girl! Definitely checking that out! I rarely have funny books in the queue so this is perfect!
Krista says
I would add to Want to Laugh— The Duff by Kody Keplinger. So funny. I know it is a movie in theaters, but I promise the book is actually quite different than the movie, in a good way.
I love this idea for your blog! I have been needed something exactly like this.
Jamie says
I’ve been meaning to read The Duff for a long time now. Like since I started blogging and it was THE book everyone was talking about!
And thank you <3
Kelsey says
I love this idea!! I always get great recommendations from your blog and being a mood reader as well, I think this is a great addition!!
Jamie says
Thank you, Kelsey!! 🙂
Kimberly says
This is a such a good idea. I’m really drawn to Audrey, Wait and The Program. I feel like I’ve heard about Audrey. Wait but just didn’t make time for it. I’ll definitely pick it up now.
Jamie says
Audrey, Wait is SO fun! An older-ish title for sure but worth making time for!! You’ll have to let me know what you think! And oh my gosh..The Program..could not put it down!
Kimberly says
I’ll definitely let you know what I think!
Zoë B says
I love this!!
Would I be able to use this as a post idea for my blog? Obviously with links to yourself, but recommendations based on moods is such a topic I can relate to. What ever other categories I come up with (if I do, ha) you’re very welcome to use.
Definitely found a couple books that I need to add to my Goodreads TBR, The Program sounds awesome.
Jamie says
I mean, sure, as along as you link back to me each time? Unfortunately I’ve started a lot of blog features over the past 5 years and people drop the crediting so it looks like I’m just one of the many when I actually started it 🙁
The Program is SO thrilling. Hope you enjoy it!!
Asheley (@BookwormAsheley) says
I’m absolutely a mood reader too and I ask the same question to people that want a recommendation, so this made me laugh when I read your words up there in this blog post! YES to book hoarders having books for all moods, I love it really. MMatson’s book made me cry ohhhh so much because I was going through exactly that when I read it and just the other day I thought maybe I should pull it out again and see if it would resonate with this new issue with my Dad-then I thought OH NO DON’T DO THAT, but then I thought YESSS, Morgan is amazing and if anyone can capture my feelings it is HER, and then I thought again NO! So I’m doing that mood thing again myself, and I love that you chose this particular book for this particular mood. I’m wishy-washy on rereading this one, and you make me chuckle about it because you’re SO in my head right now. Anyway.
Love this post, love mood reading. Great thoughts, Jamie, as always. I hate that I can’t get by here enough to read them ALL right now, but always always, I want to. xx
Jamie says
AHHH YEAH…that might be hard to reread given what you are going through right now :/ Either it could be therapeutic or depressing. 🙁 (btw how is your dad? You can text if you don’t want to answer here).
And I always appreciate you reading…don’t apologize for not being able to get here all the time!! I understand that well! Hate that I can’t shower tons of love always on my friend’s, like yours, blog!!
Grace says
I love this because I do the same with me friends when they ask for recs – I actually haven’t read any of these but look interesting and will check out
Jamie says
Haha it must be a bookworm thing! My mouth starts shooting off all these different things like “oh but if you are in the mood for this than this will be good but OH I know you liked this book so maybe this would be better.” They are probably like JUST GIVE ME A BOOK STOPPPP.
Sam says
I LOVE Audrey, Wait! It’s one of my most favourite books of all time, but I’ve never met anyone else who had heard about it, never mind actually read it! It’s definitely my go-to book when I need a pick-me-up.
This is a fantastic idea for a blog post! I’m going to go look up Shade right now 🙂
Jamie says
When I reviewed it a couple of years ago it inspired me to make a shelf on goodreads called “WTF WHY IS THIS NOT MORE POPULAR??” I mean, seriously….why have not more people read it??? Did you read her other book Also Known As? I didn’t love it as much as Audrey but it was fun!
Sam says
That’s the perfect shelf title!
I felt the same way about AKA – it was good, but I didn’t love it as much (same with the sequel). I really enjoyed The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June; I think anyone with siblings (especially sisters!) will relate to the characters to a certain extent. It’s also pretty funny (May, the middle sister, is like a combination of Audrey and Victoria), but it does have its serious moments.
Emma @ Miss Print says
Great recs! (Including some I need to get to.)
Have I told you yet about my library’s virtual Reader’s Advisory service? I feel like you might want to try it maybe? http://bklynlibrary.org/bookmatch.
My recs that you’ve probably read already:
Good Cry: My True Love Gave to Me–I teared up so many times!
Feeling Stuck: Grafitti Moon by Cath Crowley is my go to for this always followed by Saving Francesca.
Need to Laugh: Alice, I Think by Susan Juby, Loop by Karen Akins
Paranormal Romance: Almost anything by Sarah Beth Durst.
Intense: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver
Unreleased titles I suspect you will love: Hold Me Like a Breath, I am Princess X by Cherie Priest (wait for a finished copy of that last one–arcs are missing artwork)
Jamie says
Ooh thanks for all the recs! LOVE Graffiti Moon and SF. LOVE.
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Oh I like this feature! I’m often a mood reader, but sometimes don’t really know “what” I’m in the mood for. I haven’t read any of these but they all sound really great! I still NEED to read Just One Day. Need need need! 🙂
Jamie says
OH MY GOSH JUST ONE DAY. WE CANNOT BE BEA ROOMIES UNTIL YOU READ IT!! 😛
Laura says
Yes! This is great. I recently discovered that I’m a mood reader too. I will be checking out this feature every time you post it. I can always use some recs when I’m in a weird reading mood.
Jamie says
YAY I’m so glad!!! <3
Kayla @ The Thousand Lives says
Another one I’d add in the “For a good cry” section and also deals with grief is Me Since You by Laura Weiss. SO painful and amazing <3 But I completely agree with SCS – anything Matson is fabulous.
Jamie says
ooh that’s been on my TBR for a while! GOOD TO KNOW.
Alexa S. says
Loved your choice for “being stuck”! Just One Day is definitely one of my favorite novels, and I feel like it’s a story that could inspire people or encourage them (whichever the case may be.) And this is a fun feature idea!
Jamie says
YES. It definitely made me change some things in my life. And thank you, love! <3 It was one of those ideas that kind of just happened after picking out a book for my friend when she was over a couple weeks ago (I ended up giving her Throne of Glass which she LOOOOOVED). Now that I think of it...some of my favorite new ideas came from interactions with friends or readers of my blog haha
Amanda says
This is an awesome list! Shade has been on my TBR for years, but I’ve never quite gotten to it. I’ll have to move it up the list now.
As for me, my “feeling stuck” book is Where’d You Go, Bernedette. I love how it’s written (a compilation of emails, letters, invoices, etc.) and it shows how this woman has become stuck over the years, because…life. It’s so relatable!!!
Jamie says
I still need to read Shade’s sequel so I’m thinking a reread is going to happen for me soon! And OOOOH I’ve been meaning to read Where’d You Go, Bernadette. I’m so glad you mentioned it for this category because I’ve SO been in the mood for something like that lately so YAY this is definitely what I think I need!
Alexia says
Ahhh Jamie, I’ve got so much love for The Program. I loved this book and the sequel as well. I’d recommend the heck out of both of them.
I have Second Chance Summer, but I haven’t read it yet. I need to be in a specific mood for it.
If you want to cry, here are my recs
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills
Feeling Stuck?
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Want To Laugh?
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I just started Simon last night and I’m already laughing nearly constantly.
Jamie says
YAS Maybe One Day made me sob too! I have Positively Beautiful here so GOOD TO KNOW.
Love Jellicoe. OMG.
And YES Simon is a perfect choice for want to laugh. I would have picked it but I”ve talked about it a lot recently and wanted to go for an older title!
Thanks for all the recs!
Emily says
I have nothing to add necessarily (though I am sure I will think of suggestions when it is completely irrelevant to what I am actually doing with my time, ha). I just wanted to say that I LOVE this feature. I have recently realized just how much of a mood reader I truly am, and I like that you are not throwing out this brand spanking new books at us but books that have been out for a little bit. Not only are you giving us books for our mood, but you are also promoting those books we may have missed. Love this! And you now gave me even MORE books to add to my TBR.
Jamie says
Thank you, Emily!! And yes…when I was thinking about how I wanted to do this (because really I could have picked a BUNCH of books for each category) I was thinking how at one point I wanted something on the blog that featured older books I love so this kind of killed two birds with one stone because I can throw in older picks! So thank you for noticing that!! <3
Lisa @ Reading, Writing, and Random Musings says
I think I MUST read The Program! This is a new one to me! I would also recommend All the Bright Places or Me Before You if you’re looking for a good cry.
Jamie says
AH I hope you read The Program soon. SO intense.
All the Bright Places is my book club’s pick for this month so YAY TEARS SOON haha. And I’ve heard that about Me Before You and it’s been on my TBR for a while. Must get to it. Thanks for leaving recs!! The recs in the comments are going to be GOLD for people looking for these categories!
Lindsey says
I can’t agree enough with Second Chance Summer. It is the first (and so far only) book to ever make me cry. And I read it after Fault in Our Stars.
Jamie says
THE ONLY?!?!? Feeling like I want to rec you some really sad books!!! haha. I’m such a crier though so I acknowledge that sometimes not all books are ones that normal people would cry at hahah
Lindsey says
I’m not a huge crier in general. I can count the amount of movies I’ve cried during probably on one hand. Granted, that’s not including tearing up, I’m talking actual tears. But I’m always open for some recommendations 🙂
Jamie says
Soooo I used to be the same way. Like in high school and colllege. I was always like the dry eyed one when it came to any movie or book. But then after my mom died? I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. I literally cry about everything. Will laughs at me because like commericals and reality shows and awards shows will even make me cry. like things normal people don’t cry about. HAPPY AND SAD CRIES. Idk what happened but the floodgates opened all those years ago and never closed lol
And I will have to think of books that maybe will make you cry!!!! Challenge accepted 😛
Frannie Pan @ In Clouds of Pages says
Thank you for the recs!!!
Have you read Inspire? That is a good NA paranormal book *-*
I have recently read a book called Perfect Timing by Robin Mellom. OMG, I laughed till I was crying! So so hilarious! I’m definitely going to pick up more books by her whenever I need a good laugh!
Also, whenever I want to read a book that’ll make me cry.. Colleen Hoover. She’s my safe harbor. <3
Jamie says
Oooh I haven’t read Inspire but I’ve heard good things! I’ve read her All Lined Up book!
Never heard of Perfect Timing but can’t wait to look it up!!
Thanks for all the great recs!!
Michelle says
What an awesome feature! Easier than reading an entire review to figure out what’s the right pick at the moment!
Tany says
Some moods I would ask are wonderlust mood (or travel mood), hungry mood, friendship mood or nostalgic mood 🙂
Kristen says
i am totally a mood reader… and adding all of these to my list.