The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

9. A Book That Sparks Joy


“Sparks joy” is a popular saying based on the catchphrase of Marie Kondo. If something “sparks joy” it brings delight, is important to you, makes you feel a little thrill, or gives you a feeling of warmth. This will vary for each of us!

Some prompts are easy to plan in advance for, while others might be trickier. For this prompt, you might choose to pick a genre or an author that you are particularly fond of. You might choose to re-read an old favorite. Or, you might skip this prompt until later in the year and see if any of your previous reads fall into the category naturally.

Other creative ideas could include a book with joy in the title, Marie Kondo’s book, a self-help read, or a feel-good book that everyone else seems to be talking about lately.

Check out our Goodreads List for examples

I haven't read it yet but there is a cozy mystery series called A Sparks & Joy Mystery. The first book is called Death and Decluttering. The author is Nancy McGovern.

The Guncle by S Rowley. Great story.

I chose The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis. It has always been a favorite of mine and brings good memories back with every read.

I chose All the Feels by Olivia Dade for this prompt because I adore her writing and this one was no exception!

Set to read The Golden Enclaves which comes out later this year. 3rd book in The Scholomance series which I LOVE.

I will be reading Peter Darling by Austin Chant because I was super interested in it as soon as I heard the premise and have been dying to read it ever since!

I know this is going to sound crazy but Dead Silence. I have searched all over for a book that truly scares me and finally I have found a genre that really gets in my bones and doesn't let go. I adored this book and I have so much joy that sci-fi/horror is my new favorite genre.

Shelly wrote: "The Guncle by S Rowley. Great story."

I'm listening to this right now. Its great!

I read A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins and it reminded me of the joy I have for reading!

I read In Every Generation. I was a big Buffy the Vampire series fan and this start up a new series with the next generation. What brings me joy is my favorite character from the show plays a part, which I won't share because it would be a spoiler.

I had no idea what I would read for this prompt, but I just finished one that struck me as perfect. It's a brand-new book called Love and Saffron. I found myself smiling through nearly every page. It's a short book and I read it in only a couple of sittings (I'm recovering from some minor surgery so I'm mainly reading!) with a big smile on my face.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston ended up fitting nicely into this category for me!

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

I read Sewing Suspicion, a cozy that really was adorable and made me happy!

Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark. I actually cried happy tears!

I read the The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren. I don't usually like romance or "chick-lit" books, but something about this one. I loved it so much. I hated when I had to put it down and when I finished it, I just had this sense of well being...which wasn't associated with the plot, oddly. It was one of my 5 stars for this year, and I will definitely be reading it again.

I have read Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe for this one and it sparked so many emotions!

Hilda and the Great Parade

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

I will be re-reading The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper for a book club. The first time I read it, it gave me a serious case of the happies.

I read the 15th book in the Maisie Dobbs series called The American Agent. I had read the first 14 books of this series about 4 years ago and was super excited to see that the 15th book had come out! I love the character, Maisie Dobbs, so this book definitely sparked joy!

Reg

The Lonely Fajita by Abigail Mann. https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2022...

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

I read The Glass Harmonica: A Lexicon of the Fantasticalby Barbara Ninde Byfield.

REASONS WHY THIS BOOK BRINGS ME JOY:

*It's a thin little picture dictionary of Fantasy and Folklore tropes and topics

*It was written at an interesting time for fantasy fiction. Most of the "great old writers" like Peake, Tolkien, Howard & Leiber were done writing, but Le Guin hadn't started Earthsea, The D&D Red Box and Discworld were 10 years away at least, and The Sandman was still a second rate DC throwaway superhero

*Its art and humor are both exquisite and precise

*The copy I got from the library had light pencil notes annotating some of the more obscure jokes and references (Thanks previous reader at the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, much love)

*This book came to my awareness when I finally set out to find out the name of that book from elementary school that I loved and had forgotten: The Haunted Spy. The idea that Byfield wrote a book that I loved as an 8 year old and also wrote this lexicon that I love as a 42 year old brings me an immense amount of joy

* The idea that I get to let all of you know about it is great. I get it, there are plenty of readers in the group who will have no interest in this thing and that's fine, but if you have even a passing interest in fantasy fiction at all I really suggest you keep an eye open for this book. It's underknown and Byfield deserves more readers.

I read "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy

I love this book. Great choice.

I read Cafe at the Edge of the World -- a wonderful book!

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

Light from uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. It is such a delight!

This sparks joy because it reminds me of my son's obsession with this series as well as how funny the movies are

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 2/23/22

https://titlesurfingwithtraci.blogspo...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had a hard time with this prompt, not because books don't bring joy, but because reading does, so in a sense every book brings joy. I had filled the prompt a while ago, but knew that other books had brought more joy. Then I ended up getting The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury on Prime reading and I knew what this was a book that would bring so much joy.

I read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, 5 Stars

I read Places We've Never Been by Kasie West.

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
3 stars

Re-reading an old favourite; Les yeux de Leïlan by Magali Ségura :3

I read "Hinds' Feet in High Places," by Hannah Hurnard.

I read howl's moving castle for this prompt

I re-read an old favourite
Les Yeux de Leïlan by Magali Ségura

"The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There" by Angela Kinsey & Jenna Fischer