I am a total cry baby. I cry all the time. If there’s an ASPCA commercial, a really sweet movie, a military surprise homecoming, when the barista remembers my order on a really tough day—tears! But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Sometimes a good cry really helps you release your emotions.
Here are a few titles that will give you that cathartic cry session, no matter where you are. You’ve been warned!
This book left me weeping on an airplane… and then giggling? The way I looked insane on that flight, but fully worth it for this gorgeous read! It’s a funny and beautiful story about first love, making mistakes, and healing from loss. The romance is so cute, the characters feel so alive, and as soon as you finish it I guarantee you’ll be buoyed with so much hope!
From the author of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow (another novel that made me cry in public – this time on the subway), The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue tells the story of a Syrian American girl whose magical sketchbook helps her turn her grief into art. Zoulfa’s writing is stunningly gorgeous, capturing human emotion with such lyrical precision. Make sure you have a whole box of tissues at the ready for this one!
This book will break your heart, and then heal it back up! But what else would you expect from Lane Clarke? Her first book, Love Times Infinity, was just as heartwrenching. So I should have been prepared, right? WRONG. I don’t know how Lane does it, but her books knock me off my feet with how gorgeous and sweet they are. And Every Reason to Stay is both metaphorically and physically sweet as it tells the story of a girl seeking comfort from grief in baking, entering a competition where the prize is a trip to a Parisian baking school. And as she starts to make new friends, and find more than friendship with the boy next door, she might find she has more reasons to stay in her new town than she thought.
Not to generalize but if it’s a WWII story, you can guarantee I’ll be crying. But this time, there are not only tears of sadness, but also of hope. Tears of joy in the little moments, and in seeing the resiliency and the bravery we have within ourselves. Monica Hesse’s writing is not only amazingly well-researched, but gripping and hopeful.
Emily X.R. Pan’s beautiful writing is enough to evoke tears on its own, but this stunning story of one girl’s journey into her family history following the death of her mother by suicide, is heart wrenching and hopeful at the same time.
Ronni Davis had no business breaking our hearts like this in her DEBUT! But she did, and here we are, LOVING it. There’s the magical summer romance, first love, and epic heartbreak. And then just when you think you can move on—boom—that one person appears again. What do you do? What would you do? All questions you ask yourself, as you wipe your eyes, and read this passionate story.
If you’ve seen the show, read the book. If you haven’t seen the show, read the book. This coming-of-age story is perfect for teens and adults alike, and is especially poignant in these tough times, to remind us all that we are not alone.
It’s the night before leaving for college—HELLO! GOODBYE! All of the tears. This story follows one couple as they visit familiar places and relive their relationship’s history, deciding how permanent their goodbye is going to be, as they pack up for a new life adventure. Whether you haven’t experienced a big move or decision like this yet, or you remember it all too well, this one definitely hits all the happy/sad notes. Really just pick up any Jennifer E. Smith novel and you’re set! (As long as you also have tissues!)
It’s a weekly pen pal assignment, that turns into a friendship, that turns into love. OBVIOUSLY, tears are going to be shed. When two classmates are randomly assigned to write letters to each other, they have no idea what’s in store. As if trying to navigate high school isn’t difficult enough, these two must deal with bullying, family issues, and more, all while trying to figure out and maintain this new relationship.
