8 books about romanticizing life and finding beauty every day
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A vase of tulips on the dining room table, reading the newspaper on weekends with a fresh pot of coffee, and finding magic in the mundane…
When I’m going through difficult moments or feeling low, I try to find ways to bring beauty into my day and romanticize the little things in life.
Whether it’s enjoying a cardamon pastry with a single cortado at my favourite Copenhagen coffee shop or just going for a leisurely walk in the park, it doesn’t cost much to brighten my day and take some time for myself.
That said, as well as cultivating restorative daily rituals and moments of joy in my own life, I also love reading about characters and authors who romanticize the details of their own lives, too.
Including mostly fiction, read on for some of my favourite books about romanticizing life and bringing beauty into your day, no matter how you’re feeling or what life is throwing at you.
As you read the recommendations, why not take a moment to ponder how can you treat yourself to more love, beauty, and kindness today?
Books that feel like romanticizing the details of your life
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself….” So begins Mrs Dalloway (public domain), one of the best modernist novels of all time, taking place on a single day in “the middle of June” 1923.
If you want a fresh perspective on your day-to-day errands, tumble into the immersive world of Virginia Woolf’s trademark stream-of-consciousness storytelling, here following the details of Clarissa Dalloway’s day as she runs errands preparing to host a party that evening.
As with other novels on this list, it’s not without a darker side (Woolf contrasts everyday joy with deep depression) but it’s also an investigation of the wonder to be found in the world: “beauty, that was the truth now. Beauty was everywhere.”
Darling by India Knight
If you fancy stepping into a world of ornamental flower beds, lazy weekends eating scrambled eggs on toast with the morning paper, and brisk strolls over English fields, read Darling.
This gorgeous book is India Knight’s modern retelling of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love (also an excellent read), and although it’s not without tragedy, the cozy English countryside setting – with detours via London and Paris – is enough of a reason to read this.
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
For early morning trips to farmer’s markets, bouquets full of hydrangeas, and stunning attention to interior design details, read Elin Hilderbrand.
All of Hilderbrand’s beach reads set on Nantucket are delightful tours of culinary decadence, wine on the beach, and seasonal joys, but I’d especially recommend The Five-Star Weekend for a story of getting back to life’s pleasures.
In the early pages of this 2023 bestseller, food blogger Hollis Shaw loses her husband in a sudden accident and searches for ways to navigate her grief. Her solution: inviting five friends from different stages of her life to join her for a weekend of luxury, companionship, and healing.
I love how intricately Hollis’s kitchen creations are described in The Five-Star Weekend (a summer squash tart with goat cheese and mint, served with a large green salad and homemade baguettes with black pepper anyone?)
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will…”
As an adult, I can’t agree wholeheartedly with Anne’s exuberant optimism, but I should – and can – absolutely borrow some of it. As Anne of Green Gables (public domain) so wonderfully shows, beauty and meaning can be found in unexpected places, if we adjust our perspective and make the effort to look.
L.M. Montgomery somehow manages to make a story of an orphan girl moving to a rural Canadian island both unputdownable and delightfully cozy.
Joie: A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life by Ajiri Aki
If you dream of moving to Paris and becoming a flâneur (or flâneuse) – a keen-eyed urban wanderer and people watcher – then Joie is excellent fuel for your imagination (or plans).
Described as a Parisian’s guide to celebrating the good life, this is Ajiri Aki’s compendium of French city delights and rituals, published in a sumptuous hardcover with stunning photographs and illustrations throughout.
Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
“What a happy woman I am, living in a garden, with books, babies, birds and flowers, and plenty of leisure to enjoy them. Sometimes I feel as if I were blest above all my fellows in being able to find happiness so easily.”
Elizabeth von Arnim is best known (and rightly so) for her classic vacation in a novel, The Enchanted April. But her semi-autobiographical novel, Elizabeth and Her German Garden (public domain), is also a delight.
As one of my favourite fiction books about simple living in the countryside, Elizabeth and Her German Garden is the protagonist’s year-long diary of learning to garden, tending to tulips and hyacinths among countless other flowers, enjoying tea under acacias, and seeking the warmth of wood fires in the library on chilly evenings.
This short read is chiefly about gardening, but also the delicate balance between undisturbed solitude and enjoying the company of others. Von Arnim’s writing is perfect for summer, but has something for every season – especially when the weather is dreary or you feel uninspired.
A Love Song to Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
“It was a frosty night, but it gave her the opportunity to wear a 1950s belted wool coat and dramatic faux-fur muff passed down from Ms. Della. (Ricki felt that romanticizing unpleasant things, like New York winters, was self-care.)”
Just published in 2024, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde isn’t secretive about how much its titular character loves to romanticize life’s little details.
As the unruly daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, Ricki jumps at the chance to follow her dream of starting a floristry boutique in Harlem, unlocking the door to both love and magical realism.
Read this for dreamy descriptions of impressive floristry displays, afternoon tea with unexpected mentors, and a journey of self-discovery. It’s also a perfect read for anyone who’s ever dreamed of starting a flower shop (or any other creative business, really).
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Rosamunde Pilcher’s writing is one of the finest bookish discoveries of my adult life thus far. When it comes to heartwarming stories about cozy escapes from life and neatly resolved challenges, she’s my undisputed winner.
The beloved beach read and book club classic, The Shell Seekers, is the obvious choice for Pilcher at her best. Across nearly 600 joyful pages (which I flew through via the audiobook), you’ll meet artist’s daughter Penelope Keeling as she looks back on her rich and varied life, contends with her three children, and rebels against old age.
There’s a chance The Shell Seekers will make you want to move to Cornwall, grow masses of peonies, bake bread every day, and make friends with everyone. (If that proves difficult, you can also just re-read the book regularly.)
For more fiction books about daily routines and finding the beauty in life, head over to…