Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Day 2 of Five Fall Favorites: JOY Hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary

 

It's Tuesday! Which means it is day two of the Five Fall Favorites 2024 challenge hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary. Today's prompt is Joy. The dictionary definition of joy is "a feeling of great pleasure or happiness." (From Mariam Webster dictionary) I decided I would share five of my favorite stories where the ending wasn't what I expected, but it made me happy and was an even better way to end the story. Here are five favorites with unexpected happy endings.


1. The Swap by Megan Shull

In this middle grade novel, Ellie and Jack are twelve years old and on the precipice of childhood entering into adolescence. Otherwise, they could not have less in common Jack is a popular, hockey player with four older brothers. Ellie is a shy, soccer player and the only family in her life is her mother. After a bad day, Ellie and Jack swap bodies. They have to live each other's lives, the good, the bad and the awkward, until they can figure out why they swapped bodies and how to switch back. Without saying anything about the ending, there are two epilogues. The first epilogue is a few months later and the second epilogue was a few years later and reader checks in with the characters and see the happy changes that have happened in their lives.

2. The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

From the author of My Life with the Walter Boys (now a Netflix TV show), this is a story about love, growing up and standing up for yourself. Stella has always been defined by her siblings. First as one in a set of triples and now as the girl whose twin sister has cancer. Being one of three, photography is the only thing that is unique to her, and she carries her camera everywhere she goes. While looking for a great birthday present her sister, Cara, Stella stops into a coffeeshop for some caffeine and meets a cute boy who notices her camera, but she does not know that he's Oliver Perry, the lead singer of her sister's favorite band. This story was a beautiful blend of serious themes and hilarious shenanigans told from both Stella's and Oliver's perspectives. The ending is grounded in reality. 

3. Famous In a Small Town by Emma Mills

For Sophie it is the summer before senior year, she is busy planning for college, fund raising for her school's marching band and babysitting for a young couple in her neighborhood. When her neighbors take in a seventeen-year-old, they ask her if she can show him around and introduce him to the teens in their small town. Inside this story there are many sub-plots and hilarious moments which lead up to a gut-wrenching climax and surprising conclusion. The ending plot-twist changes how readers view every moment of story. 

4. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Drawing upon both Hans Christan Anderson's and Disney's The Little Mermaid stories for inspiration, this is a sweet, modern retelling. The youngest of six sisters, Elyse was a talented singer before a boating accident stole her voice, now she's alone, away from her home island of Tobago staying in Atargatis Cove, Oregon, a popular summer destination, with family friends. New friends Kirby and Vanessa warn her about the summer population playboys, and that Christian Kane is the worst. However, his kid brother Sabastain is fascinated with mermaids and when the boy meets Elyse, he is convinced she is one. Between that and an upcoming boat race, she'll have a hard time staying away from Christan. This is a beautiful story, not about romance, but about reclaiming your voice, and finding family again.

5. The Match by Sarah Adams

Evie works for a non-profit which trains service dogs and pairs them with people who need them. When she receives an email from a single father with a nine-year-old daughter who has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, she feels a kinship to the girl and wants to help her. Only when she shows up accompanied by her faithful service dog, Charlie, she learns that the girl set up this meeting without her father's knowledge. Her father, the handsome, brooding, Jacob does not want a service dog and is rudely vocal about Evie and her dog. This romance is about trust and loyalty dealing delicately and informatively about epilepsy and disabilities. While the ending might not surprise, the happiness of all of the characters is too joyful to not include in a list about joyful books.

Conclusion

This list is full of joyful memories of books which made me happy, and that I would love to get to read again like it was the first time reading them. Tomorrow's word is peace! I will be sharing five favorite non-fiction titles.

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me on Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
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