What to read to help you heal
Of all the reasons we use books – education, entertainment, escapism – one of the least known and most misunderstood is as a form of therapy. As a bibliotherapist, I’ve observed first-hand how reading can give us a level of intimacy and connection that other more traditional ‘cures’ can’t. Books allow us to connect with people who we’d not otherwise meet in our daily lives, extending our empathetic capabilities and safely submerging us in a virtual world that can sometimes feel more ‘real’ and powerful than the one we’re actually in.
And by helping us feel understood, books can ease anxiety and fear while encouraging us to look at our problems in a different way. If traditional therapy is the ‘talking cure’, then bibliotherapy is what I call the ‘reading cure’. It brings an added dimension to healing by providing almost immediate access to the unconscious mind through the realm of the imagination. Not only are the words on the page ‘talking to us’, but they also take us on a magical journey into the depths of our unconscious, where we visit the recesses of our mind that we might have neglected for years, or encounter spaces and desires that we never even knew existed.
We can leverage this unique ability and use the practice of bibliotherapy to guide, enlighten and eventually transform us. Here are my own reading lists of recommended books, which I fondly call ‘book prescriptions’. I hope you find them helpful and valuable, as well as uplifting, engaging and inspirational.
Dealing with anxiety?
Fear, worry or uneasiness are all natural responses to uncertain outcomes. But when these emotions are excessive and persistent, and interfere with your daily life, it’s important that you acknowledge them and speak to a professional. Anxiety symptoms vary, but include restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension and sleep disturbance.
I’ve curated a selection of titles that have worked well for my clients, but do discuss this with a health professional, too.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
● I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
Non-fiction
● Dare: The New Way To End
Anxiety And Stop Panic Attacks by Barry McDonagh
● My Age Of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, And The Search For Peace Of Mind by
Scott Stossel
● The Anxiety And Worry Workbook: The Cognitive Behavioral Solution by David A Clark and Aaron T Beck
● Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
● Don’t Feed The Monkey Mind: How To Stop The Cycle Of Anxiety, Fear And Worry by Jennifer Shannon
● Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom For A Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton
Dislike your body?
Each day, we’re faced with hundreds of seemingly perfect, airbrushed images in ads and on social media, and this can seriously affect our self-esteem and our relationship with our bodies. I’ve found that the following books are useful tools to better understand body image and our often fraught relationship with it
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● How Moon Fuentez Fell In Love With The
Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Non-fiction
● The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power
Of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
● Body Talk: How To Embrace Your Body And Start Living Your Best Life by Katie Sturino
Want to improve family dynamics?
Every family has its own stories and challenges, from personality clashes to intergenerational trauma, mental health issues and financial stress. The following books can provide a new perspective.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● Far From The Tree by Robin Benway
● My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Non-fiction
● What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang
● Educated by Tara Westover
● The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
● They F*** You Up: How To Survive Family Life by Oliver James
● Family Healing: Strategies For Hope And Understanding by Salvador Minuchin and Michael P Nichols
● Every Family Has A Story: How We Inherit Love And Loss by Julia Samuel
Having a midlife crisis?
It is not uncommon to experience an identity crisis in midlife that can result in psychological and emotional turmoil. If you’re going through one, you might experience dissatisfaction with your current life situation, a desire for change or new experiences, and a sense of unease or anxiety about the future.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● The Keeper Of Stories by Sally Page
● The Summer Before The Dark by Doris Lessing
● Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi
Non-fiction
● Lots Of Candles, Plenty Of Cake by Anna Quindlen
● The Middlepause by Marina Benjamin
● Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents And Flourishing As We Age by Mary Pipher
● Hagitude: Reimagining The Second Half Of Life by Sharon Blackie
Struggling with insomnia?
An extremely frustrating condition to deal with, insomnia plays havoc with our minds both during the day and at night, affecting our moods, productivity and overall quality of life. While we may need professional help to address our sleeplessness, we may also find comfort and support in the following literature.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● After Dark by Haruki Murakami
● Compass by Mathias Énard
Non-fiction
● Nothing: A Portrait Of Insomnia by Blake Butler
● Insomnia by Marina Benjamin
● Why We Sleep: Unlocking The Power Of Sleep And Dreams by Matthew Walker
● Awakenings by Oliver Sacks
● Sleep Rituals: 100 Practices For A Deep And Peaceful Sleep by Jennifer Williamson
Glass half-empty?
Having a negative or gloomy outlook can leave us feeling hopeless and sceptical. But with the right support and interventions, we can develop a more positive mindset.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● Journey To The End Of The Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
● The Stranger by Albert Camus
Non-fiction
● On The Heights Of Despair And A Short History Of Decay, both Emil M Cioran
Feeling lonely?
Loneliness, a universal human emotion, has been explored in literature for centuries.
Pages to turn to
Fiction
● Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
● Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
● All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
● Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Non-fiction
● The Lonely City: Adventures In The Art Of Being Alone by Olivia Laing
● Platonic: How Understanding Your Attachment Style Can Help You Make And Keep Friends by Marisa G Franco
● Solitude: In Pursuit Of A Singular Life In A Crowded World by Michael Harris
Dealing with grief?
Grief comes from loss, through death, the end of a relationship, the loss of part of our health, or any other significant change, such as moving house or losing a job. Life is a series of losses and grief is acutely painful and complex. Through books, we can connect with others who’ve experienced loss and learn to express our feelings, finding peace and relief.
Pages to turn to
● The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
● Grief Is The Thing With Feathers by Max Porter
● Lily And The Octopus by Steven Rowley
● What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons
● The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler
Non-fiction
● The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
● A Grief Observed by CS Lewis
● It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
● In Love: A Memoir Of Love And Loss by Amy Bloom
● Languages Of Loss: A Psychotherapist’s Journey Through Grief by Sasha Bates
Poetry
● Somehow by Helen Calcutt
For more book prescriptions, visit Bijal's website Book Therapy
*Edited extract from Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power Of Reading by Bijal Shah, out now.
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