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If He is the same God who collects every single tear, why wouldn’t He collect every single laugh as well?

Candace Payne

Do you ever feel caught up in life and feel like it is hard to find joy in the things you do every day? 

I catch myself feeling like this more than I would like to admit. I get overwhelmed by what is going on in life and let the smallest setbacks get to me. 

I often overlook the joy in the simple things that happen around me from day today. Sometimes, I think we believe that joy should just show up at our front door, but it doesn’t always work like that. We have to look for the things to be joyful about in our lives.

More often than not, we are surrounded by people, pets, kids, activities, and other small things in our lives that we can find joy from. God surrounds us with joy among chaos!

It can be hard to find joy in life when we’ve hit a rough patch, and things are hard and seem to not be getting better. But one great thig about life is that there are always things around us to be joyful about.

Reading these books helped me realize that there is so much in life that can bring joy and happiness to our lives! It’s all around us, we have to be mindful of it and realize its there. 

I wanted to put together a list of books for a fall reading list because the fall season can be one of the most joyful times of year, but it can also be one of the hardest times of year to find joy for other people. 

Whichever situation you find yourself in, grabbing a book, soaking in the autumn vibes, and enjoying some time to read may be just what you need this season!

I have compiled a list of some of my favorite books that I have read this year that have helped inspire me to look for joy in my daily activities.

These books will be perfect for a fall reading list. Fall is the perfect time to grab one of these books and enjoy a nice cup of joe while sitting on the front porch or enjoying a nice evening by the fire!

A good book can cure just about anything for me, I hope it can for you too! 

What is Joy?

According to the dictionary, joy is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.”

Joy and happiness are different, but they go hand in hand. Joy is something we find in our everyday lives. We feel joy in our hearts and soul.

Happiness is more temporary and can change throughout our circumstances, but at the end of the day, if we are joyful and can find joy, we can also find happiness around us.  

Finding joy throughout our day-to-day lives can be difficult sometimes. I know I have struggled with this many times because I get caught up in life and don’t take the time to look around me and be happy and full of joy for what I have in life. The smallest things are worthy of our joy! 

The good news is that you are not alone in feeling this way! Many people lose sight of what can bring them joy. I found that reading about joy, what it is, how to find it, and people’s stories about finding joy in their lives has really helped me understand and find joy more often in my life. 

Grab some hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, or whatever your favorite fall drink is and check out my list of best books for finding joy this fall season. (by the way, I’m more of a hot chocolate or apple cider girl. What about you?)

Fall Reading List for Finding Joy

1. Simple Joys

This first book is written by Candace Payne. She has become one of my favorite authors! You will see more than one book by her on this list (because she is amazing!)

She is the main character and is so honest in this book about her life. 

Even when we have the most difficult days, the days we think we won’t survive, if we simply look around there will be something to be joyful about.

If we take a step back from the craziness of our lives…. there will always be something to be joyful about, even if we have to take a bad situation and turn it into something joyful. I love knowing there is joy all around me, even on the bad days!

2. A Fresh Infusion of Joy

This book gives you prompts to spend five minutes with Jesus every morning (or evening). Sheila Walsh does an amazing job sharing funny and inspiring stories and relating them to finding joy in our lives.

She relates her stories to the Word and how we can always find joy in God’s beautiful creation, His goodness, and His grace. If you are looking to get a little bit of inspiration and motivation daily, this book is for you!

Related Post: 21 Books for a Motivational Summer Reading List

3. Laugh It Up!

Candace Payne did another wonderful job with this book! Laugh It Up quickly became one of my new favorites. 

Candace Payne is so honest and raw about her past, and describes how she came to know joy from such a deep and dark place. Joy can be found in the everyday wonders of this world, if we just take a minute to step back and look for it. We may not always be in the best place in our lives, but there is always, always something to be joyful about. 

Candace Payne has a podcast, called Shut the Should Up, that you should check out if you enjoy listening to them. I love listening to podcasts when driving or working, when I can’t sit down and read. Her podcast is just as amazing as her books! She offers daily doses of joy- check it out here!

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4. And Still She Laughs: Defiant Joy in the Depths of Suffering

To me, a great book can make you feel many emotions, and this book does exactly that!

In this book, Kate Merrick will make you experience so many different emotions. She teaches you that even through devastating circumstances, you can still smile and find joy.

One of my favorite lines from the book is when Kate Merrick says, “This life isn’t all just a beach, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t blessed.” There will always be something to look forward too, and we can smile about that! If you are looking for inspiration to get through a hard situation or time in your life, this book is for you! 

5. Finding Joy: 101 Ways to Free your Free Spirit and Dance with Life

This book was such a fun read! The author, Charlotte Kasl, takes you on an adventure to finding joy! She shows you how to dance with the negatives of life to turn them into something positive for yourself. Kasl offers different ways to find joy by finding your creativity, honesty, and self-awareness to bring out the joy in your life.

Instead of being submerged in the drama in your life, Kasl helps us learn to dance along side them, bringing out the joy in each situation.

The good and bad situations we find ourselves in are a part of life, and we must learn to accept this. What could be better than learning to find joy in every situation, no matter the circumstance? So, if you are wanting to free your spirit and learn to dance with life, this is the book for you!

6. Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness

In this book, Ingird Fetell Lee does a great job discussing joy. She talks about how joy can be found in all the places we least expect to find it in life.

You will be transported into a lifestyle full of sponteneity and inspired to follow your intuitions. Don’t be afraid to things that you’ve never done before!

Fill you life with things that bring you joy. 

Related Post: Simple Life: Doing What Makes You Happy

7. Choose Joy

Kay Warren has a very powerful story about how she chooses joy in light of her son’s death. In the midst of unanswered questions, it can be hard to find happiness and joy. 

The author of this book tells you how she found joy in the midst of darkness because happiness wasn’t enough! ALlow Kay Warren to encourage and motivate you today to always choose joy!

I would love to know what books are on your tbr list (to be read list) or any book recommendations you might have. I love adding new books to my reading list. 

What are your favorite ways to read books? Do you enjoy a book club? Or reading books by yourself in a cozy sweater by the warm fireplace? As long as I have a great read and a warm blanket- I don’t care where I’m at or who I’m with! 

Don’t forget to pass these recomendations along to your best friend, a young woman, or someone else in your life that could use a boost in life. Finding joy is for everyone!

Until next time,

Catherine