Happy June, book lovers! Now that summer is officially here, I can’t wait to share some of my favorite beach reads over the next few months. There is nothing I love more than soaking up some sun while taking in an amazing read.

“Happiness for Beginners” by Katherine Center is a book I read last summer that I thoroughly enjoyed. The pace of the book is perfect for reading in one or two sittings and while tough topics like family relationships and the death of a parent are mentioned, the book is not overwhelmingly heavy.

“Happiness” follows newly divorced English teacher Helen Carpenter, who decided to sign up for a wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming in order to try and regain control of her life and start fresh. Of course, Helen is wildly out of her depth. She doesn’t really know anything about the great outdoors and to make matters worse, her younger brother’s annoying best friend, Jake, signed up for the course as well.

I really enjoyed the cast of misfits in this book, all of whom are on the same survival course as Helen. They range from sorority girls to gym bros and an overconfident tour guide. However, the heart of the book is Helen’s journey to finding herself and dealing with trauma from her past. As she treks through the wilderness, Helen becomes more confident in herself and her abilities. Her growing romance with Jake is also adorable, as she learns that he is not the same annoying teenager she remembers from years past.

“Happiness” is one of Center’s older books and she has recently been having a renaissance with many of her romances, with the “The Rom-Commers” and “The Bodyguard” becoming bestsellers. I really enjoyed this book because even though it does have a romance running through it, it focuses more on Helen’s journey to self-acceptance.

Another great thing is that if you enjoy this book, there is a movie adaptation on Netflix that stars Ellie Kemper as Helen. While the movie makes some changes, it really captures the heart of the story as well as the ragtag group of people on the wilderness trip.

If you’re looking for a feel-good book, look no further than “Happiness for Beginners”!