Since I was small, reading has been part of my life. I’d pick up a book and get lost in its pages for hours. Hot, sticky summer afternoons were often spent bingeing whatever fantasy series I was most fascinated with at the time. I still remember the first time a book that asn’t just good – it spoke my soul. Even decades later, I find myself searching for stories that offer that same type of connection. Now, as a counselor, I find books with this magical quality often shift our thinking, help us feel seen, and sometimes offer the push we need to propel our healing.
Lisa Cron, in her book Story Genius, uses neuroscience to help writers write more effective stories. Utilizing brain scan technology, she illustrates that we often experience a story as if we are living it alongside the protagonist. This opens a window of opportunity to cultivate powerful, meaningful, and creative avenues of healing. In the practice of counseling, using the written word to support and enhance the process of therapy is called bibliotherapy (Psychology Today Staff). While there is certainly a plethora of clinical and self-help books that could be recommended, I would instead like to focus on some non-traditional options.
It’s the end of the world, and they are only half-convinced of it. In a storyline that weaves perspectives, this is one family’s response to the existential and literal end. A story that is equally charming, humorous, and deeply horrifying that dares to ask, “What if?” Each member of the family wades through their own tribulations as the news reaches them – this is the end. The intersection of each storyline forced me to reflect on what it means not only to be a dying species, but what it means to love.
Favorite Quote: “And maybe this is how time has always worked; maybe time is all over the place, only perfectly linear in a person’s memory, like a deck of cards being thrown into the air and then gathered and put in order after the fact. There’s no way to know for sure.”
Themes: Existentialism, death and dying, love, complex family system
In the years post-war, a young girl named Alex finds herself living through the Mass Dragoning of 1955. While on the surface this book might seem like just another odd tale about dragons, what it really does is challenge the roles of women and the valuation of motherhood. The young but aging protagonist provides a wonderful perspective on how we find ourselves limited in a system that does not acknowledge our contribution. For people wanting to explore the expectations of women and the challenges of motherhood, When Women Were Dragons might be a good place to begin.
Favorite Quote: “Who benefits, my dear, when you force yourself to not feel angry?”
Themes: Sexism, grief, authoritarianism, anger, complex family dynamics
It’s the end of the world, and they are only half-convinced of it. In a storyline that weaves perspectives, this is one family’s response to the existential and literal end. A story that is equally charming, humorous, and deeply horrifying that dares to ask, “What if?” Each member of the family wades through their own tribulations as the news reaches them – this is the end. The intersection of each storyline forced me to reflect on what it means not only to be a dying species, but what it means to love.
Favorite Quote: “And maybe this is how time has always worked; maybe time is all over the place, only perfectly linear in a person’s memory, like a deck of cards being thrown into the air and then gathered and put in order after the fact. There’s no way to know for sure.”
Themes: Existentialism, death and dying, love, complex family system
Perhaps my most unusual recommendation on this list, Bird by Bird is a realistic and humorous perspective on writing books as both a profession and hobby. While Lamott eulogizes the writing process, she also extols word of wisdom on life. What started as an attempt to improve my own writing, turned into an exploration of my experiences with and process of writing. Deeply motivating, it reminded me that “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people” (Lamott). Writing is an art, form of expression, and one our most valuable tools to better understand ourselves.
Favorite Quote: “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
Themes: Authenticity, perfectionism, alcoholism, writer’s block, anxiety, depression
Citations:
Cron, L. (2016). Story genius: How to use brain science to go beyond outlining and write a riveting novel (before you waste three years writing 327 pages that go nowhere). Ten Speed Press.
Psychology Today Staff. (2022, September 8). Bibliotherapy. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/bibliotherapy
