Any suggestions for books that are either uplifting (e.g. inspirational, happy ending, sweet romance, etc.) or funny (but not too modern of a style or too sexual)?  My mother-in-law and I have a long history of sharing books, but lately she says the books I give her are too serious, intense, or sad.  She likes historical fiction ... as long as there's not too much violence or human suffering described in graphic detail.

Tall order, I know.  Thanks for any help!

My vote for one of the funniest books I have ever read is The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Frances Lee.   I don't know about historical fiction.  A really funny cozy mystery series is by Tamar Myers, her Penn Dutch series.

She might like Jan Karon's "Mitford Years" series.  (The first one of which is on my bookshelf -- just sayin'.)

If she likes quirky and whacky (but very funny, I thought), she might like "The Spellman Files" by Lisa Lutz.

Susan Wittig Albert's "The Darling Dahlia's and the Cucumber Tree" was a totally clean, cute cozy mystery.

In the funny category, it might be a kids book, but I still laugh at The Twenty-one Balloons. It's the tale of an man who crashes his hot air balloon on the island of Krakatoa (sp?) and discovers a masssive diamond mine and a rather odd socioty of people.

As for heartwarming, I really liked another YA book called Seven Daughters and Seven Sons. It has an almost fairytale-like quality, but no fairy godmothers, and the story is such that it could happen.

The Miss Julia series by Ann Ross is quite funny and sweet without being saccharine.

I read this book and thought it was quite funny!

The Widows' Adventures
Author: Charles Dickinson
Widowhood came late in life to Ina and helene, two sisters living in Chicago. Now there is nothing holding them back from one last great adventure: a long, leisurely drive to visit family in Los Angeles. Only Helene knows how to operate an automobile, however, and she has been blind for years. But with caustic beer-swigging Ina as her eyes, she's willing to get behind the wheel once again. And now, on sparsely traveled back roads in the dead of night - cruising at a comfortable twelve miles per hour - they're off to see an America they never knew.