Life happens to all of us. And when life happens, there are few places to go more comforting than a good book.
People have different types of books they gravitate towards when they need comfort; some people like Nicholas Sparks, other people like Stephen King. Some books have a universal appeal. Stories of endurance and hope can help carry us through hard times, whether it’s been a crappy week, or you’re dealing with severe grief.
Whatever you’re going through, whatever your soul needs, you can (probably) find it in a book. Note: this post contains affiliate links. You can read the shine daily affiliate disclaimer here.
Inspiring Memoirs
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Born son of a white man and a Xhosa woman in the era of Apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah was literally born a crime. Noah has mastered comedic timing on the airwaves, and his book is laced with the perfect amount of humor, vulnerability, and strength.
Becoming by Michele Obama
Being the first black FLOTUS is inspiring enough, but Michelle Obama’s steady, thoughtful personality really shines through in this memoir. But truthfully, it doesn’t feel much like it’s about Michelle at all. Her family and friends are crucial players in the book, and you see how with the right support and trust, she became who she is.
Educated by Tara Westover
As a child, Tara Westover was not allowed to go to school. A few decades later, she graduated from Cambridge with her PhD. The story of how the child of extreme survivalists would have to choose between her family and her life may turn your stomach a few times, but it will change your perspective, too.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Teenage student-turned global education rights activist, Malala Yousafzai is one of the most courageous young women in the world today. After being shot in the face on her way to school, Yousafzai began campaigning for the rights of women and girls to obtain an education. The book touches on the cultural and historical landscape of girls’ education in Pakistan, and is as informative as it is inspiring.
Inspiring Non-Fiction
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Researcher and TED queen Brene Brown has written many books that could help you through a tough spot, but Braving the Wilderness is especially pointed. More than her other books, Braving the Wilderness focuses on the ways we can cultivate community and find belonging to get us through tough times.
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
As a young, ambitious woman, Susannah Cahalan thought she had a bad case of the flu. The reality of what was happening to her would end up taking a path no one ever imagined. Baffling the world’s leading neurosurgeons, her road to recovery ended up opening a door to thousands of other patients receiving her same diagnosis. Part memoir, part medical text, Cahalan’s account of her ordeal is a must-read.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottleib
Veteran therapist Lori Gottleib has seen a lot of patients over the years, and has seen a lot of pain. Her accounts of patients alongside her own journey as a patient seeking therapy will make you cry and laugh and think harder than you thought possible.
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
As the anonymous voice behind the Dear Sugar advice column, Strayed got a peek into the deepest insecurities of the hidden psyche, and answered back firmly but hopefully. This collection of some of her most powerful columns is best kept on a bedside table, rather than read all the way through in one go.
Inspiring Fiction
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
This allegorical tale of a young Andalusian shepherd boy has become a staple of many literature classes, and it’s easy to see why. Written in plain-spoken prose and following the classic hero’s journey, this book contains many nuggets of classic wisdom. Despite its simplicity, you can read this book over and over again and still get something new from it.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor is fine. It’s everyone else who has the problem. The protagonist’s brusque tone and bizarre (though strong) worldview makes opening this book like sticking your head in a pail of cold water. But as we get to know Eleanor and her colleague Raymond, it’s impossible not to have compassion for those we might’ve been keen to judge.
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Though this is a book clearly written for middle-grade readers, you’ll get over the writing pretty quickly as you immerse yourself in the story of a young boy born with a serious facial deformity. Palacio explores each character’s journey as they struggle to find their identities (both on their own and in relation to Auggie) at every stage of life.
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Quoyle has never been enough. When his fiery wife Wren leaves him to care for their two young daughters (confirming what he’s always been told), he jumps at the chance to move into his ancestral home in Newfoundland. Set against unforgiving storms and idiosyncratic locals, Quoyle nevertheless finds true belonging in this beautifully written story.
Non-Fiction for Grief
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
When unthinkable tragedy struck (her husband dying and her adult child seriously hospitalized in the space of a week) Joan Didion didn’t know what to do. So she wrote. If you have ever been in profound grief, or have just found yourself there, you will find kinship in this dissociative, thoughtful book.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine
As both a grief therapist and someone who’s experienced tragic loss, Megan Devine explores the misguided way our culture views grief and toxic positivity in this moving book.
Ida, Always by Caron Levis
Gus and Ida are two polar bears who spend all their time together. Until they don’t. While this book is designed to help children deal with loss, its naked vulnerability and truth portray grief in a startlingly accurate way.
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.
After Sheryl Sandberg’s husband died suddenly on their vacation in Mexico, she was suddenly left with the enormous responsibility of somehow carrying on. As one of the most powerful women in Silicon Valley, Sandberg had resources many of us do not, and yet she decided to use her platform to advocate for what we all might need should Option A completely fly out the window.
For When You Need to Cry
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
When Eilis makes the terrifying decision to move to Brooklyn from Ireland in the 1950s, she has no idea just what she’s in for. This elegantly written coming-of-age story exposes the hard questions we must ask ourselves, such as, “how much can you truly move on?”
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Based on a small side character in The Iliad, Miller’s astonishing debut novel is as emotionally grand as its source material. As deeply personal as it is sweeping and heroic, you’ll want a box of tissues at hand when you read the final pages.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
When two lonely children meet, they create a magical world together that stretches the bounds of the imagination. Their transformative friendship has given millions hope (and broken millions of hearts) since the book was published in 1977.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
After his beloved wife dies, Ove decides there’s nothing left for him to live for. The only problem is his nosy neighbor, and her two rambunctious children who keep getting in the way of his plans. Backman’s writing goes from gut-wrenching to hilarious so quickly you’ll get whiplash, but it’s worth it to remind yourself that love never leaves, it just finds new ways of getting to you.
For When You Need to Laugh
Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams
Packed into a relatively number of pages is this rich, full book. Funny yet tough, hard to read but hopeful as heck, following Queenie’s journey as she navigates microaggressions, horrible dating experiences, wildly different friends, and the NHS will feel both familiar and eye-opening.
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Many celebrity memoirs are either disgustingly smug or annoyingly self-deprecating. Candid, raw, hilarious and insightful, Yes Please is as intimate and fun as catching up with your zany best friend. Bonus: if you’re a Parks and Rec fan, Amy dedicates an entire chapter to effusively complimenting her costars.
Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
One day, after moving to London with her husband, Jessica Pan realized all her friends had left town, and she was home alone all day. Despite a loving partnership, she was desperately lonely. What’s an introvert to do? Come out of her shell, whatever the cost. Pan’s truthful, outrageous, extremely cringeworthy account of her walk on the extrovert side will make you extremely grateful she asked strangers on the tube who the Queen of England is (so you don’t have to).
Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson
Disgustingly funny comedian Phoebe Robinson takes society to task in this searing book of essays. You’ll relate to Robinson while secretly hoping she can narrate your life with her laser sharp commentary. R-rated and occasionally brutal, you’ll learn about how far we still have to go, and enjoy yourself doing it.
As Phoebe Robinson reminds us, everything may be trash, but it’s okay. Because we have books to read when we’re struggling.
