Feelin’ the Blues? Here’s Hopecore Books to Read When Life Feels Heavy

There have been times where we, as people, can get very gloomy. However, reading hopecore books helps us ease the weight we bear in everyday challenges.

Words Henry Ramirez
Photos courtesy of Fully Booked
September 4, 2026

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? 

That was what our forefathers have told us. It is a famous saying whenever we stand on problems, bad luck, sadness, or during hard times—it tells us to be strong, fix the problem, and use what we have to make things better.

Yet, as we find ourselves back into blues, there are moments when we just want life to flow slowly, cuddle up in secrecy, and move in silence without bothering the people around us.

Heavy downpour brought by the continuous rainfall in the city may cause gloominess due to the lack of sunlight causing it to lower the brain’s serotonin levels and raise melatonin, making a person feel tired or sluggish. Thus, popular bookstore chain Fully Booked shared a handful of books to read whenever the world feels heavy.

This list does not limit itself to one metric, of course. This includes a poetry collection, an epistolary novel, a gentle mindfulness book, and many more. Here are eight books that we think may lift your spirits up even during your somber nights.

Devotions: Selected Poems by Mary Oliver

Written by the late poet Mary Oliver, Devotions is a series of poetry spanning from her early works as a young writer to her reflections as a golden-ager that culminated in her final collection in 2015 before passing away.

The book invites the readers to look beyond everyday life, from poems of hatching of bird eggs to her love for her dog, to her relationship with poetry—it encapsulates the wonders of the world. Oliver, who often writes emotional pieces about the spectrum of nature and human emotion, reminds us to pause, pay attention, and not take anything for granted.

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune

TJ Klune’s We Burned So Bright is a story of husbands Don and Rodney’s cross-country expedition as the Earth is about to be sucked and eradicated by a black hole. Their journey explores the lives of a variety of strangers as they cope differently with the impending doom ahead of them.

With just three weeks of life left to live, this reflects on whether they have fully lived it, begging the question of being enough and choosing differently when given a chance. 

I Eat the Stars by Sarah Wilson

Something is wrong with the world, it is hard to ignore that, and award-winning journalist and author Sarah Wilson wrote this book because what you’re feeling is experienced by others. She wrote this book because Wilson herself has grappled with disillusionment and hopelessness, confronting the readers with a harsh truth yet shed light amid troubled moments.

I Eat the Stars draws on Wilson’s years of research and conversations with philosophers, poets, climate scientists, and many more as she takes the audiences on an intimate and enlightening journey.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent follows a protagonist named Sybil Van Antwerp, an elderly woman living alone, spending her time quietly while reading and writing letters to various people yet never sends them.

This book reminds the audiences that it is never wrong or late to make amends with the past, embrace change, and discover that life can still hold unexpected surprises.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

This book is not your typical novel—It is a collection of Dear Sugar advice columns from The Rumpus, revealing anonymous letters of deepest pains and offering raw and unfiltered advice.

Cheryl Strayed’s approach to each problem seeps through every possible angle, pulling truths deeply confined within her soul by offering wisdom, and at the same time, devastating, moving, powerful, and brutally honest.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A timeless classic that continues to captivate the readers with its heartfelt story of transformation and renewal, The Secret Garden follows a young orphan named Mary Lennox who was sent to live with her reclusive uncle in a gloomy mansion.

However, everything changed as her fate discovers a hidden garden locked away for years, tending it and watching it come back to life. Despite Lennox never grasping love, something within her began to blossom as she found wonder and joy filled with friendship, hope, and restorative power of nature, proving that even wounded hearts heal.

A Walk in the Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh by Joseph Parent

We all know and love our little yellow bear, Winnie the Pooh, as it celebrates its 100th anniversary, taking a walk on the gentle guide to transformative practice of mindfulness.

This sweet and charming book encourages the readers to slow down, pay attention, and fully embrace the world around you, one step at a time by being present and kind to other people around you, whether you are seeking peace of mind, managing stress, or looking for a moment to breathe.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

And lastly we have The Anthropocene Reviewed by bestselling author John Green, turning his attention to the beautiful yet strange and heartbreaking experiences of being mortals. This collection of essays examines different aspects of life in the current geological age of the Earth defined by humanity’s impact on the planet by rating them on a likert scale.

This collection explores the topics of grief, hope, love, and the fragility and beauty of existence, finding meaning in the everyday and the extraordinary, telling that when the world feels heavy, this book—and the series of other books—might help you conquer through the darkness and once again shed light a little bright to a world, and a little more hopeful.

Books are More Powerful Than You Think

Books have helped humanity for more than a millennium; it is essentially the purest form of writing dating back to 3000 BC when people only used tablets. However, in the modern day, books have become an essential piece due to its usability for human growth.

Words are powerful. It holds a space when the world is dark and heavy; suggesting that reading books can help increase empathy and well-being—possessing a magic that does not make you feel alone, offer hope, and sometimes tells what we need to hear.

What kind of books do you turn to when you’re struggling? What would you add to the list? Find the book through our website: https://fullybookedonline.com/.