Now Read This: Something Like Happy, by Eva Woods

I imagine many of you made the traditional New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, connect with family more often, get organized, etc. I was sick over New Year’s, so I’ll admit that making resolutions didn’t even cross my mind until I read my first book of 2018. “Something Like Happy,” by Eva Woods, promotes a resolution to find something to be happy about each day, by either doing something nice for yourself or for someone else.

There are two main characters in this novel: Polly, who has an incurable brain tumor, and Annie, who is incredibly sad due to one too many tragedies in her life.

Annie has lost her husband and her baby and is losing her mother to dementia. She shares a two-bedroom apartment with a gay foreigner with whom she only communicates through email. She hates her job and the people she works with.

Annie meets Polly in the hospital where Annie’s mother is a patient and where Polly spends many of her days having tests. Polly is committed to making the most of the few days she has left and, after meeting sad Annie, decides to take her on as a project. Polly befriends Annie and convinces her to participate in her 100-happy-days adventure.

They have their portraits drawn, raise money for hospital needs, dance in a fountain, etc. Along the way, Polly brings her brother and Annie’s roommate into the adventure. The chapters in the book are numbered by day and a summary phrase: “share something,” “reclaim a hobby,” “change your bedsheets,” “forgive someone,” “dance in a fountain,” “volunteer,” etc. Some of the chapters are only one sentence.

As one reviewer wrote, “Eventually misery takes a back seat in this uplifting, humorous and touching novel.”

Read alikes for this title include: “A Man Called Ove,” by Fredrik Backman, “Message in a Bottle,” by Nicholas Sparks, “Once Upon a Time There was You,” by Elizabeth Berg, and “Close Enough to Touch,” by Colleen Oakley. The library owns copies of all of these books.

So, back to my resolutions. I like the idea of finding happiness each day. I know it always makes me happy to talk about books, so I resolve to do more of that.

Happy New Year, and happy readings to all of you!