Reese's Book Club Picks That Will Leave You Sobbing (Who Doesn't Need A Good Cry?)

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Occasionally, you need a good, cathartic, ugly cry, but it's not always easy to get there on your own. During difficult times, it can be helpful to reach for the perfect movie or book to release the waterworks building inside you. For those looking for this kind of comfort, Reese's Book Club has you covered. The popular literary group has a knack for discovering books that don't just make people weep, but also remind them of how deeply humans are capable of loving, feeling, and enduring.

Although Reese's Book Club has a preference for picking mysteries and thrillers, each time it platforms heartfelt tearjerker, readers often describe them in reviews as the kind of stories they are unable to forget. Historically, the club's selections in this genre have explored the fleeting nature of life, the power of love and familial bonds, and the courage humans take on to face the most devastating heartbreaks life throws at them. Whether it's a heartbreaking story about a boy searching for his mother in a dystopian America or a mother's memoir about the power of love and perseverance to save her daughter, Reese's Book Club has something for anyone seeking a seriously good cry. 

"The Giver of Stars" was among some of our best literary fiction picks from Reese's book club, so we knew it deserved a spot on this list, too. Based on reviews, it seems Jojo Moyes has mastered the art of crafting heart-wrenching stories that leave readers in tears. One Reddit user shared some sentiments after finishing "The Giver of Stars," writing, "I have never sobbed after reading a book before until tonight. I have never felt so much empathy for characters and so much heart ache after finishing a story. I am regretful of how many years I've gone without reading, but I feel like this may have changed everything."

Set in 1930s Kentucky, "The Giver of Stars" follows a group of women assembled to deliver books on horseback, known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. Through these book deliveries, the women not only provide people with literature but also courage, hope, and knowledge. Among these women is Alice Wright, an Englishwoman who married an American man, hoping marriage would set her free. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a small town, feeling suffocated by her controlling father-in-law breathing down her neck. Desperate for another escape, she jumps at the opportunity to join Eleanor Roosevelt's travel library and comes to discover an unexpected sisterhood with the other four women librarians. Together, these courageous women go above and beyond to help people understand that stories can transform people's lives. This read is a tribute to women's resilience, powerful friendships, and overcoming the most unthinkable adversities.

"Our Missing Hearts" was another entry that made it onto our list of the best thriller & mystery picks from Reese's Book Club. This book may be classified as mystery, but it's also a devastating exploration of one's family and identity. Named one of the best books of 2022 by multiple major media outlets, including People, TIME Magazine, NPR, and Oprah Daily, Celeste Ng writes a poignant tale about a young boy's journey to find his mother in a dystopian America.

Many reviewers of the book claim this is a soul-crushing read. One Amazon reviewer wrote, "I'm crying. Over a book- no, over a story. So sad and terrible and beautiful," and another said, "I had to put this book down after the first chapter. Then I picked it back up, because a story this good must be read. If you have kids, you can literally feel the pain of the characters. AHHH. Big ole' croc tears."

In a dystopian America full of fear and division, 12-year-old Bird ventures on a treacherous journey in search of his mother, a rebellious poet who disappeared years ago. On his search, young Bird will uncover some painful truths about not only his mother, but also his family, his identity, and the power of those who dare to resist and fight to tell their stories. Readers will join Bird on this journey in the darkest times as he discovers the human spirit can never really be silenced.

Not only was Angeline Boulley's "Firekeeper's Daughter" a Reese's Book Club pick, it also won countless literary awards, such as the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult and the William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award. The book has more than 150,000 reviews and it maintains a 4.3-star rating on Goodreads at the time of writing. Reviewers say they were captivated by the beautiful cover, but ended up loving the book for the thrilling and heartfelt story and the insight they got about Native American culture.

Boulley told Entertainment Weekly, "I'm writing something that very much celebrates my community." She told the outlet that when she was growing up, she noticed a significant lack of representation for people like herself in the media she consumed. She hoped to one day read about a character with "a Native dad and a non-Native mom, and the kinds of things that I had to deal with," and thus, decided to write a story for the sake of others who felt this way. In "Firekeeper's Daughter," Boulley gives readers an authentic and powerful look at what it means to be Native American and the struggles that come with it. Protagonist Daunis is a 18-year-old Ojibwe woman who becomes the witness to a murder. She must work with the FBI to uncover a dangerous drug operation that is threatening the community she loves and longs to protect. Throughout the investigation, Daunis will find herself torn between her loyalty to the community and her sense of justice and seeking the truth. The story is sure to tug at readers' hearts as the protagonist grapples with tragic loss, a sense of belonging, and painful choices.

"Happiness: A Memoir: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After" was the November 2018 pick for Reese's Book Club. Witherspoon herself said of the title, "I love this book about the truth of motherhood, parenting, relationships, and the road to happiness." The actor-producer also warned readers to prepare a box of tissues as she described the story as an "emotional rollercoaster ride." As it is a memoir, author Heather Harpham told Leslie Lindsey that it wasn't the easiest story to write as it's very personal and she "felt special obligations to readers and to the people I love most in the world, to get this story as 'right' as possible." Harpham does a superb job telling her raw and vulnerable story of the of love she experienced, the community that rallied together to protect her daughter, and the tangled emotions of caring for a gravely ill child. 

Heather and Brian's whirlwind romance comes to a halt when Heather becomes pregnant, and Brian is sure he doesn't want kids. Heather packs up her life and returns to her mother's home in California and is determined to raise their daughter on her own and with the community of family and friends who have come together to keep her afloat. But when her daughter is born critically ill, Heather has no choice but to let Brian back into their lives, and together they must confront the most painful choices a parent must make and endure a gut-wrenching journey that will tests everything they thought they knew about love and resilience. 

As the November 2023 pick for Reese's Book Club, "Maybe Next Time" is a beautiful and tragic love story at its finest. The book is described as the perfect mix of "One Day" and "Groundhog Day." Our writer said the London setting and the story reminded her of "If Only" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Reese loved it so much her production company and Apple TV have teamed up to turn it into a film. So, it's going to be another Reese's Book Club pick that's making it to the big screen. Cesca Major shared with The Gloss that she "wanted this novel to be a book about love and hope and making peace with today." 

By the time Emma realizes she's been too invested in her work as a literary agent and has neglected her husband, Dan, and children, it's too late. A tragic accident on a Monday leaves Dan dead. But when Emma finds herself waking up to the same Monday she lost Dan, again and again, she realizes it's her last chance to rethink what truly matters in her life. Through repeated chances to change her actions and reconnect with her family, Emma embarks on a tragic yet profound journey of learning to slow down, to appreciate each day, and to love passionately every chance she gets. 

As you may already know, Reese's Book Club's complete list of picks to date is full of unforgettable one-of-a-kind stories that readers around the world have raved about. So, it was quite the challenge to simply narrow this list down to just five picks because there were so many we wanted to share with our readers.

Everyone has a different barometer for what they consider a tearjerker. However, when curating our list of books, we took extra care to highlight titles that dive deep into the rawest human emotions; highlighting stories that were praised for being so vivid and real that readers can't help but picture themselves in the shoes of the characters. To be able to feel each and every character's heartbreak and tiny glimmers of hope as if it were the reader's very own sheds light on the power of good storytelling. 

As one of the biggest fans of romance tropes similar to that of "One Day," our writer sobbed as she read "Maybe Next Time," enamored by the most bittersweet tale of second chances and the importance of the happiness found in every day moments. So, she knew it deserved a spot on a list of books for a good cry and luckily many reviewers agreed. The other picks on this list gave impactful stories full of emotional layers and dynamic characters left facing some of life's toughest choices. As always, the books had to have at least a 40% 4-star approval rating or higher from reviewers to earn their place on our final list.