Joyful, Anyway is the new book by Kate Bowler, PhD, that writer Anne Lamott claims “changed me.” Two other nonfiction books about joy are also well worth mentioning.
I. Joyful, Anyway by Kate Bowler (2026)
A previous memoir, the bestselling 2018 Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, was written after Bowler had been diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. Needless to say, she has survived. And now she provides “(a) book to take you through life’s aftermaths,” states Wintering author, Katherine May.
From the publisher: “Joy isn’t something you can optimize or manufacture—it finds us at the edge of expectation, when life interrupts our scripts. Joyful, Anyway gives language for the ache we all carry and practices for ‘putting yourself in the way of joy’: loosening control, introducing novelty, choosing charity, and staying open to the surprising, technicolor moments that pull us back into life.”
Oliver Burkeman calls this book “A profoundly wise, hilarious, large-hearted and down-to-earth meditation on the fundamental unsolvability of being human—and how it’s in the very middle of the mess that joy is waiting to be found.”
II. Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer (2024)
Actor/comedian Paul Scheer experienced childhood abuse at the hands of his stepfather, Hunter. Scheer recounts the lack of help he and his mom received, including from therapy.
After hearing about Scheer’s victimization, the family therapist appropriately said she’d call the police if Hunter was ever abusive again. She failed, however, to do so. “She treated him like she had caught a kid stealing an Oreo from the pantry. I had never felt more helpless. I knew she was never going to call the police, and I knew we were never going to family counseling again, because Hunter had gotten lucky, and he wasn’t going to double down on his good luck. We left that office and never returned, and the therapist never followed up with us.”
It was only when Scheer anonymously called Child Protective Services himself that the police did come to the house, accompanied by a counselor. His mom, interviewed together with Hunter, was too scared to admit the truth, of course; and Scheer wasn’t asked to speak at all.
On the brighter side, individual therapy proved to be effective when Scheer, left with severe anger and aggression issues into his adulthood, chose to give it a try. Married (to actress June Diane Raphael) with two sons and in a successful career, Scheer is truly a survivor.
Jack Probst, Paste: “He expertly balances the humor with heartfelt ruminations on resilience, personal growth, and parenthood. Scheer’s candid exploration of these themes makes the memoir relatable and profoundly moving, even as it keeps you laughing.”
III. Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee (2018)
A designer with a highly regarded TED talk, Lee emphasizes how external environments can promote inner well-being.
“Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology,” states the publisher,” she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.”
Happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky: “Joyful overturns conventional wisdom about happiness: that it comes from within, and that experiences — not things — make us happier. Ingrid Fetell Lee’s delightful book evokes the same positive feelings she describes. It is full of whimsy, wonder, energy, and joy. I loved it.”
