It’s officially Great Big Beautiful Life month! In honor of this national holiday, I have ranked Emily Henry’s five books. Emily Henry is my favorite author by a long shot, and while I have deeply enjoyed every book of hers that I have read, I definitely have favorites and some that I love a little less. With that being said, let’s get into it!
#5: People We Meet on Vacation
From what I’ve heard, this is quite a few people’s least favorite by Henry, and I have to agree with them. I read this after Book Lovers, Beach Read, and Happy Place, so PWMOV felt a little lackluster and fell flat for me. I loved the idea of this story and the dual timeline, and I loved seeing the two travel all over the world and meet so many fun people. As always with Emily Henry, the settings were perfect, and I could clearly picture each new city and feel the energy radiating from the page. Bonus points for the main setting being Palm Springs (my hometown!). However, Poppy is probably my least favorite Emily Henry character. I did not connect with her or Alex at all, so I felt very disconnected from the book overall. The only reason I kept reading was to find more Palm Springs references and to say that I have read all of Henry’s books. This is not to say I don’t recommend this story, but I would not put it on the same level as her other novels.
#4: Book Lovers
OK wait. Just because this is at number 4 does not mean I didn’t like it. I did, just not as much as the other three that follow. Once again, I found myself a little disconnected from Nora and Charlie and struggled to pick up the book from time to time. I’ve found that, if I can’t relate to the story or characters in any way, I have a harder time giving the book a high rating. I’m putting this book above PWMOV because I could feel the emotional weight that Nora felt, I just did not connect to it. The small mountain town scenery was beautiful, but I’ve always found myself to be more of a beach girl. Honestly, it comes down to just not being able to care about where the plot was going.
#3: Happy Place
This was tough. Happy Place is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read, and I would recommend this book to anyone with a brain. The only reason this is not higher is because of how connected I feel to Beach Read. Happy Place is the New England summer vacation that we all dream of taking with our closest friends. The way this friend group changed throughout the story pulled at my heartstrings and made me deeply care for and root for each individual. Henry describes and shows the evolution of Harriett and Wyn’s relationship in a realistic way that allows me to feel the struggle and understand the character’s emotions. With that being said, there were a few moments when I was a little frustrated with the characters, and I don’t entirely love the ending. To mitigate that, I preferred looking at this book more as a comment on the evolution of adult friendships and personal growth throughout adulthood with a side of romance.
#2: Beach Read
Beach Read was the first book I read by Emily Henry, and it has been the book that I have had the strongest emotional connection to since I first read it. Not only is January’s internal dialogue hilarious, but I understand every thought she has and why she thinks the way she thinks. Henry’s depiction of January’s personal growth throughout this story is so beautiful and something that I will always return to and admire. Her relationship with Gus is so pure, and I am obsessed with the way that you can feel the comfort that they bring each other after the struggles that they both face. The Minnesota beach house and small-town setting could not be more perfect for this story, and as always, Henry’s imagery and ability to craft a scene sets this book apart from some of my other favorites. However, it is not my number one for a reason. While I do connect to this book at a deep emotional level, this book feels heavy and is not the most positive and heartwarming book; it definitely takes a little more mental energy to dive into.
#1: Funny Story
I know that I’ve been going on about how I have to deeply connect to a book to rank it high, but when I say Funny Story is the only exception, I mean it. I think Emily Henry put something in this book that has made me think about this book every day since I’ve read it. It has crawled its way into my brain, and I don’t foresee it leaving anytime soon. To start, the setting of this book is taken directly from the imaginary life I have set up for myself in my brain: the winery, the farmer’s market, the hidden beach. I don’t think there was a single setting in this book that I did not perfectly picture in my head and dream of being in. Moving on to the characters. Miles is my favorite book boyfriend of all time. The way that he has the charisma that people can’t help but be attracted to, can remain calm in almost any situation, and let Daphne be her true self — he just has SOMETHING about him. Daphne is also adorable. I absolutely love the plot of the main character getting out of a toxic relationship to become who she is meant to be and discovering the things that she truly loves about the world. I loved watching Daphne find her confidence and learn to stand up for herself while navigating the new obstacles that life was throwing at her. The small moments that Daphnes and Miles share while they help each other heal and rely on each other to learn that they deserve authentic love and be treated with kindness and respect for who their true selves are so precious. Even as I write this, I’m remembering sweet moments showcasing their gentle love as friends before they fall for each other. Also, I know that it kind of became a side plot, but I loved the small moments of the fake dating trope. Like I said, there is not a day that goes by where I don’t think of this book. Dare I say that it’s my favorite book of all time?
There it is! I know that there will definitely be people who disagree, but that’s what I love about the book community. I don’t think Great Big Beautiful Life will dethrone Funny Story, but I’m excited to see where it falls on my list.