Books that help

An easily digestible list of titles that may help if you're struggling with life in general.

If we’re being honest, I’m struggling today - with anxiety, with existential dread, with C-PTSD, with grief. Everything feels terrifying and unknown. I know I’m not alone in this, far from it. To top it all off, my dog has a cough and my laptop stopped working. These little nuisances, which are a normal part of daily living, feel like the thing that will tip me over the edge on days like today. My loins feel quite ungirded.

I asked myself this morning, Beloved, what helps?

Following my routines helps. Taking my dog for a walk helps. Hopefully creating lists of books which may help others will also help. We’re going to give it a try.

I’m linking each book to bookshop.org which supports independent bookstores nationwide, with a little one-ish sentence description to pique your interest. Full descriptions can be found at the link.

Books that help us escape

Let’s start here since many us of simply want off the mental merry go round, These books engage my imagination and are more challenging than brain candy reads (there’s a place for those in every reading life. I’m not judging), They help me forget about reality for a bit.

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey - Set in Alaska, a young woman and her daughter move to the mountaintop cabin of a mysterious young man, but he has a secret. Despite the description, this isn’t a thriller at all.

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson - A story of love and loss told through the lens of a family heirloom which was created by an enslaved ancestor. For bonus feel good points, also read Wilkerson’s Black Cake, arguably one of the all time favorite selections of my long running book club book club.

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdich - A gorgeous exploration of the connection between a place and its community, and how together we can find healing from past tragedy.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - The Sea Women of Jejune (heanyeo) are a dying culture, but Lisa See brings honor to their past and present with this beautiful historical fiction.

Books that help boost serotonin

Sometimes, we need to read something we know ends happily and which won’t cause stress on the journey. These books give that warm feeling. I’ve recommended them dozens of times.

House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - What do a Wyvern, a shapeshifter, a gnome, a sprite, an unidentifiable gelatinous mass, and a phoenix have in common? They’re roommates with the anti-christ, of course! This book contains one of the most clever and endearing characters of my entire reading career. Look for the audiobook if you want to really be enraptured.

A Psalm for the Wild Built/ A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers - A non-binary monk and a Robot travel to the end of the road…and back again. Gentle, sweet, funny, philosophical. Honestly, everything Chambers writes is both thoughtful and playful.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - Count Alexander Rostov is exiled to the Metropol Hotel for the remainder of his life after a political coup. What follows is utter magic. Bonus: this has been made into a series on Paramount, and it is exquisite. I never like book-to-film adaptations, but this one? SWOON!

One in a Million Boy by Monica Woods - 104 year old Ona has seen it all, until one day an 11 year old boy arrives to help with basic chores, and then one he morning fails to show up. Extraordinary.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - Lillian arrives at the home of an old friend to nanny for her new step-kids, twins who spontaneously combust (with no harm to themselves) whenever they are upset. Quirky, hilarious, heart-felt, found family goodness. Again, the audiobook is incredible!

Books that help me connect with nature

I’ve always loved to be in nature. When I was young I would disappear into the woods and be away all day. As an adult, on days when my spirit falters, I know lying on the grass in the sun, thinking only of my breathing will help. These are books for the curious nature lover. Not a dull moment to be found here.

How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler - On the surface, this is a book of ten essays on unusual sea creatures which in itself is very cool. Beneath the surface, it’s an invitation to expand how we understand ourselves and each other.

Why Fish don’t Exist by Lulu Miller - NPR reporter Lulu Miller traces the history of David Starr Jordan, renowned taxologist who relentlessly pursued the classification of fish. Spoiler: fish don’t exist. This book is for all of us who keep trying to make order from chaos.

The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl - I don’t know if I loved this more because it takes place next door to my childhood hometown, or because Margaret Renkl can write a grocery list and I will read it rapturously. Live one year in the backyard with this observant author and nature lover.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren - I never thought I could love a book about dirt so much. Gorgeous writing about one scientist’s efforts to do whatever she can to save us all.

The Salt Path by Raynor Wynn - A vulnerable memoir of two people who lose it all, including a terminal diagnosis, and heal through hiking the Southwest Coast Pass from Somerset to Dorset. Sea and sky, sea and sky, sea and sky. Lovely.

Books that help my spirit

When I need to be inspired and renewed, and only books are tolerable company, these are my go-to reads.

Inciting Joy by Ross Gay - An exploration of joy in a time of hardship from poet, Ross Gay. Earthy, hilarious, and so delight-full.

Rising strong by Brene Brown - My favorite Brene Brown book written in her one-of-a-kind voice. How do we rise when we’ve fallen? This is the map we need.

The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (yes, that Shonda Rhimes) - When Shonda’s sister her accuses her of never saying yes to anything, she embarks on one of the grandest adventures of her life.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - This might be the non-fiction book I’ve reread more than any other. I love Gretchen’s scientific and introspective project to boost her happiness. She makes me feel adventurous.

Books that help me understand

This list was the hardest for me to put together. I know there are many, many brilliant books I haven’t mentioned and there’s not a single title here about Palestine (an area where I am only beginning to build my library). These books have shaped the way I see and understand world events.

The Barn: the secret history of a murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson - I just finished this one and WOW! An exploration of white supremacy through the history of the Mississippi Delta, culminating in the murder of Emmett Till. This was a buddy read with my friend and we kept the ALL CAPS OUTRAGE texts up the entire time.

Caste: the origins of our discontent by Isabel Wilkerson - The history of the unspoken caste system in America.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - For me this is the book that started it all. No other work has opened my eyes so abruptly to systemic racism, specifically in this book, in the “justice” system.

Solito by Javier Zamora - A young boy leaves his grandparents home in El Salvador to cross the American border with a group of immigrant strangers and find his parents. Terrifying.

Soldiers and Kings by Jason de Leon - An exploration of human smuggling as told by the smugglers. I am in awe of writers who can humanize our modern day monsters.

The View from Down Here: life as a young disabled woman by Lucy Webster - Lucy Webster lives with CP. In this engaging book she frankly discusses basic life skills, fertility, sexuality, career and social life all through the lens of a person with a disability.

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar Oritz - This is the book to read if you don’t want the victor’s white-washed narrative of American history.

So many people have asked me recently what they should be reading right now, and the answer is: it’s complicated. Reader advisory is my superpower but not en masse. I prefer to spend time getting to know a reader before suggesting a book that might fit. The lists I’ve shared here are far from exhaustive, but these specific books have been in my head and heart this year. They have helped me. I hope they will help you too.

What would you add to the list? What are you reading now that’s helping you?