20 Books That Will Make You Cry (In the Best Way)

Hi friends!

You guys have asked for more books recs and I am more than happy to provide. I love sharing what I am reading and honestly wish we could all sit in the same room and have a book club. I could talk about books all day.

I shared a whole lot of feel good/romances so far, but I wanted to pull together the not-so-bright books. You know, the books that are so heartbreakingly beautiful you just want to scream about them for all to read? The books that crack your heart and slowly piece it back together. The books that are tough to read and make you go through a whole range of emotions. The books that sometimes have happy endings. Sometimes bittersweet. Sometimes sad. These books are just beautiful, even if they are on the darker side. If you want to feel some feelings and have a good cry, here’s what you should pick up.

✨Explore all bookish content here.

Updated: September 2026

1. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali: A story of true love taking place in 1953 Tehran. Boy and girl meet in a stationery shop and from there, a messy story unfolds. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and soul lifting. The epilogue had me in tears.

2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: I can’t sing enough praises for this book (it was in my top 3 favorite novels in 2020). Follow Kya’s life story as she grows up without guidance in a marsh — and eventually has two men pining for the Marsh Girl. This coming of age story will break your heart and sew it back up. There is nothing I can say about the storyline that will do it justice. Just read it.

3. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren: I talk about this book a lot because it really stuck with me. I remember this kept me up until about 1 AM because I couldn’t put it down. It’s a story about childhood sweethearts that fall apart and then meet again as adults. Come along for the ride as they figure out what went wrong. This book made me feel a whole range of emotions in less than 24 hours and I think that is why it stuck with me. And I just really fell in love with the two main characters.

4. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: While this story was truly haunting and heavy, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire ride and I fell in love with many of the characters. Definitely a book that you will not forget.

5. Euphoria by Lily King: Three anthropologists are caught in a love triangle. King’s writing is stunning – I felt like I was living among the tribe at parts. But my God, this story REALLY stuck with me. It is one of the most unique books I have ever read. Bittersweet and beautiful.

6. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali: I think about this story often… another one that will stick with you. It tells the decades-long story of two girls growing up in Iran and their blooming yet tumultuous friendship. It is completely captivating, immersive, and emotional. There are not enough good things to say about it!! If you like historical fiction, please pick this up.

7. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Focused on two women in NASA astronaut training program. This is another that I went into blindly and I think you should, too. Just know that I cried multiple times in the 24 hours it took me to inhale it. I could not put it down.

8. Heart the Lover by Lily King: Lily King knows how to craft a beautiful, slow-paced story. It focuses on a love triangle that spans decades. The writing is beautiful (as always with King) and I appreciated the introspective nature of this read.

9. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: I really love slow burn stories that span decades, it seems! This is another one that focuses on childhood friends who become video game designers. It focuses on their creative partnership and the complicated love between them. This was a wild ride with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. More tears. And as a gamer myself, I really loved the focus.

10. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi: This is one of my favorite books of all time. I went into it blind and I think it’s best that way. A debut novel from Levi, it follows Theo… just Theo. He arrives in a town where no one knows him and makes an everlasting impression. Please… just read it! If you love poignant storytelling, this is it.

11. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver: A unique take on love and loss. The main character Lydia loses her fiancé in an accident. You follow her as she goes through the grief of it and trying to piece her life back together with help of her sister and best friend, Jonah Jones. Good luck trying not to swoon over Jonah Jones.

12. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: Of all the books I have mentioned on this list, I would say this was the toughest one to read for me personally but also one of the most overwhelming stories I have ever read (in a good way). A moving story of family and friendship among strong women. And holy hell, you’ll never forget these characters. Truly haunting.

13. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: This coming of age novel is YA but tackles some heavy issues. It is one of those books that will stick with you for a very long time.

14. Bringing Down the Stars & Long Live the Beautiful Hearts by Emma Scott: This is a duet (you do have to read both for the full experience, as it leaves on a major cliffhanger and the second book really wrecks you in the best way). This is a romance featuring a complicated love triangle that takes a number of unexpected turns. I still can’t believe how it started and how it ended. Just wow.

15. The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: The title and cover drew me in and my gosh, thank God!! This is a story about an orphanage for magical children. We follow a (depressed) caseworker as he gets to know the children and its headmaster. I fell in love with every single one of these characters – the children!! Just beautifully written. There are so many heart-warming moments and I laughed out loud many times. This book will take you away from reality. So magical.

16. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: My favorite TJR book ever. It caught me by surprise, to be honest. I went into it pretty blind but wow, what a story. I couldn’t read it fast enough. A journalist is requested by one of Hollywood’s greatest and most mysterious actresses to write her life story. And her life story is everything.

17. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré: The authentic voice and writing style hits you in the face immediately and you are just hooked. It is an unforgettable story about a Nigerian girl who learns to use her voice against injustice. Adunni is one of the best fictional characters I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know.

18. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: Twin sisters run away and are separated, leading vastly different lives. One returns to her hometown to raise her black child while the other secretly passes as white and lives a lie. This is another book that will stick with you.

19. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt: Now a movie, too! A widow working the night shift at a small-town aquarium strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, an intelligent and sharp-witted octopus. You will fall in love with him, too.

20. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas: Let’s finish with a series rather than a standalone book that will ruin you from book 1 to book 7 and everything in between. Without spoilers, I will say that this is a story that begins with an assassin who is fighting for her life and freedom in a tournament and suddenly faces realizations and truths that quickly turn this series into an immersive, beautifully and intricately crafted story with a cast of unforgettable characters fighting the same good fight against evil.

✨Enjoy more bookish & cozy living content: