Blogmas #7: My Favourite Feel Good Media

Hi all!

It’s Blogmas day 7, and today I’m bringing you my favourite feel good media!

This year has been pretty horrible for everyone. We’re all very over it — the virus, the election, the inept politicians. It’s been A Lot.

So I’ve been getting into a lot of “feel good media” — books, movies, shows, etc., that make me feel happy and safe and a bit better about this horrible world.

So here’s my list of feel good media! Make sure to tell me yours!

Books

All the books I talk about in this post are books that I’ve reread multiple times! Anywhere between 2 to 5 times at least.

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• The Soldier’s Scoundrel: I love this book so much. It’s a historical romance about a man named Jack who uses his background in crime to help highborn women leave their husbands or pave a way for themselves in the world. He knocks heads with Oliver, a highborn soldier, who is offended by Jack’s crimes and soon the two men find themselves working together. Their romance is so beautiful and it’s amazing to read them coming together, especially because Jack is so grumpy and hates everyone but Oliver, and Oliver is literal sunshine.

• Boyfriend Material: If you want to laugh like a loon, you need to pick this book up ASAP! It’s about Luc, the son of an old rockstar, who hates the fame that comes his way. After an embarrassing night that ends up in the tabloids, his boss tells him he needs to get his act together before their infamous Beetle Drive and to do that he needs to get a boyfriend fast. So he finds a fake boyfriend in Oliver, an upright, ethical lawyer … but the to men actually start falling for each other. I adore this book so much. Much like The Soldier’s Scoundrel, this is a romance where opposites attract and men struggle to be open about their feelings. You’re going to love it!

• How to be a Normal Person: Gosh, this book is sunshine and happiness in book form. It’s about Gus, who is a very awkward video store owner in the 21st century, who hates most people and prefers being by himself, reading encyclopaedias. Then Casey moves to town, an asexual stoner hipster who writes popular werewolf YA stories. Very soon, Casey gets under Gus’s walls and makes Gus want to become a “normal” person for him. Don’t worry, this book isn’t about someone changing for their partner — Gus does learn he’s perfect the way he is. The book is so sweet and lovely. If you’re looking for a very sweet romance with no sexual content, this is the book for you!

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• Team Phison: Another extremely sweet and touching queer romance you have to read! It’s about 55-year-old Phil who runs a successful restaurant. He’s very grumpy, wants people to leave him alone, and likes to relax each night by playing video games. It’s during one online multiplayer game that he meets Tyson, a very adorable 29-year-old waiter and the connection between them is instant. They become fast friends and soon fall for each other, but Phil is worried that Tyson won’t want to be with him because of his age. I seriously can’t even begin to explain how freaking cute this book is! You will be smiling on every page, that’s a guarantee!

• Leo Loves Aries: Anyta Sunday is one of the best romance writers when it comes to writing a hilarious, oblivious character. And my favourite of her’s is Leo Loves Aries! It’s about Theo, an economic student, who contacts his ex-professor, Jamie, for assistance with an essay and soon finds out Jamie is looking for a new place to live while Theo and his sister are looking for a new roommate. Oh my god, they were roommates. But because Theo is so damn oblivious, he has no idea that he and Jamie have been flirting with each other and thinks they’re just becoming very close friends. This is one of my favourite books ever because it’s so fun and funny, I highly recommend it!

• The Lightning-Struck Heart: This book isn’t for everyone, but if you like pretty fucked-up humour, then this is for you! This is the first book in a series that follows Sam of Wilds, a wizard apprentice, who is sent on a quest to save his enemy Prince Justin from a talking dragon that kidnapped him, along with Sam’s best friends, a talking gay unicorn and a half-giant, and his soulmate Ryan, who just so happens to be Prince Justin’s fiancee 👀. Sam and Ryan’s romance is so lovely because they yearn for each other so much and don’t realise they’re both in love! Even better, they’re actually soulmates and Sam won’t tell Ryan that because he’s engaged to the prince.

TV Shows

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• Avatar: The Last Airbender: I’ve rewatched this show about 4 times because with every single watch it gets better and better. If you’ve been living under a rock, this show is about Aang who is the missing Avatar in a world where people can control the elements, but only the Avatar can control all four. While Aang was missing, the genocidal Fire Nation has taken control of most of the other nations and its up to Aang and his new friends to take them down. Seriously, if you haven’t watched this show yet, what are you doing with your life? The worldbuilding is phenomenal and the characters are so loveable and iconic.

• Over the Garden Wall: This show is one of my favourite shows of all time, undoubtedly. The aesthetic, the storytelling, the characters — all visually beautiful. It follows two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in the woods and try and find their way home, while being pursued by the Beast that lives in the woods. This is the perfect autumnal show, please watch it ASAP!

• Trollhunters: I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this show! If you want to watch something full of incredible worldbuilding and storytelling, this is it for you! It follows 15-year-old Jim Lake Jr who discovers a magical amulet that turns him into the Trollhunter, the mythological protector of trolls that live underneath the earth against the evil trolls that live in another realm are conspiracy to find their way into this one. If I haven’t convinced you to watch this show yet, it’s created by Guillermo Del Toro!

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• Derry Girls: This show is so much fun and so damn hilarious. Although it’s set in the early 90s, I relate to it so much because the girls go to a Catholic high school and I feel that. The show is about four best friends and one boy that joins the group, growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles while trying to live normal lives but getting into hilarious mishaps.

• The Good Place: I’ve watched this show three times, all the way through, because it’s so relaxing for me but also ridiculously funny! I also love how super diverse the show is — more shows need to be like this. The Good Place is about a woman named Eleanor Shellstrop who dies and, because she was such an amazing person, gets to go to the Good Place. However, very soon it becomes apparent that there was a mixup: Eleanor was a horrible person and does not deserve to be there, and she, along with her new friends, learns how to be a good person.

• Friends: I love Friends so much. I think I’ve watched some episodes at least 10 times each, but I’ve watched the entire series twice. It’s just such an easy show to watch, something quick to put on in the background, but even when you pay attention to it, it’s so lovely and welcoming. I’m not going to go into what the show is about, because I’m sure everyone knows haha!

Movies

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• Pride and Prejudice: Does this movie need any introduction? I don’t think so! I adore this film so much and have watched it more times than I can count. I especially love this version, the 2005 version with Kiera Knightly, because the aesthetic, the music and the acting is just so damn on Point!

• Klaus: This film is so freaking cute! Watching it makes me so happy and puts a big smile on my face. It’s about Jesper, the son of the postmaster, being sent to the freezing, fighting town of Smeerensburg, where everyone hates everyone. In order for him to go back home, he must send 6,000 letters from Smeerensburg … but the problem is, the two ruling families of the town hate each other and won’t cooperate. So Jesper hires a local toymaker to help him “trick” children into sending letters.

• The Old Guard: IF YOU WANT A FILM ABOUT QUEER IMMORTALS, WATCH THIS FILM. It’s about a group of immortal soldiers, led by Andromache of Scythia, who work for whoever can afford them. But in the 21st century, being immortal is a hard secret to keep and soon there’s a sinister medical force out there that is after them. Watch this for Joe and Nicky!!

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• Wall-E: Every time I watch this film, I cry and then get super happy and hopeful. It’s set in the far future where Earth has been destroyed and the last of humanity lives on a spaceship, and a tiny robot becomes an unlikely hero.

• The Emperor’s New Groove: This movie is so damn funny, it’s still a favourite years later! I watched it when I was about 11, I think, at the cinemas and almost peed myself laughing. Also: Yzma. It’s about an Incan emperor who gets turned into a llama in an assassination gone wrong, who has to rely on the help of a peasant whose home he wanted to destroy to turn into a human again.

• Little Women: Oh, I adore this movie so much … which is strange, as I’m not a fan of the book! But the actors really bring the characters to life, the sets are incredible, and the fashion is stunning. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again!

What’s some of your favourite feel-good media? Let me know!