Books have the power to heal. Reading stories that expand your mind and introduce new ideas can be a powerful tool to help you overcome hard times in life. So when a woman struggling opened up to complete strangers for book recommendations to help her through, they delivered.
"Looking for a book that can help me through a really hard time in life right now," she shared. "I’m going though a lot of changes and grief in my life right now. Getting very depressed and it’s hard for me to keep positive. I’m looking for a book that changed your life? Something that helps with perspective and makes you think." These are 46 of the best books that have helped people get through hard times.
1. "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb." – lam516
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori GottliebLorigotltieb.com
Author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist Lori Gottlieb shares a behind the scenes look into her life as a therapist as she navigates helping clients while also navigating her own personal challenges.
2. "When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön." – Altruistic-Pause-890
3. "Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, How to Cook a Wolf by M.F.K. Fisher; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (VERY inspirational & lifechanging novel); Art of Loving by Erich Fromme; The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other (a Jungian analysis on Relationships) by James Hollis; Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Milman; Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés; Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; Books by Irvin D. Yalom such as Becoming Myself, Staring at the Sun and Love's Executioner; Anatomy of an Illness: As Received by the Patient by Norman Cousins; On Becoming A Person: A Therapist's View on Psychotherapy, Humanistic Psychology, and the Path to Personal Growth by Carl Rogers; Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Persuasion by Jane Austen (themes of deep regret)." –bewell84 (This entry counts for a whopping 19 titles!)
4. "The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd." – Sweet_Sub73
5. "Illusions by Richard Bach. Was life changing for me." – xanaxnationx
6. "Well I’m not sure that this is what you’re looking for according to your post but Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America helped me a lot when my depression hit the roof years ago. If anything, it made me feel less alone." – mynameisipswitch2
Prozac Nation by Elizabeth WurtzelBookshop.org
Author Elizabeth Wurtzel's memoir highlights her experience with depression, drug use, and psychopharmacological treatment methods. She shares her raw journey towards mental health.
7. "Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton." – mik-the-beachbunny
8. "Wild by Cheryl Strayed." – ciestaconquistador
9. "Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. I find this book very soothing. It’s the story of a life lived simply. Hardships and tragedies are not missing or ignored, but they are lived through. Beauty is noticed. Choices are made and examined." – MaleficentMousse7473
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan DidionBookshop.org
10. "If you’re down for something very emotional but extremely touching I recommend The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. It’s her reflections on the year when she lost her husband and how she experienced that grief. It’s amazing and I’ve heard many say it helped them process their own grief! I’m sorry you’re experiencing grief, books are great company in hard times <3." –Independent_Exam8274
This memoir by Joan Didion details the depths of love, loss and grief as she navigated simultaneous family tragedies regarding her daughter and husband. It was also named on the The New York Times’ list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
11. "Currently reading Hector and The Search for Happiness (by François Lelord). Deals with a psychiatrist looking for the meaning of happiness. When I’m depressed sometimes it’s hard to have the motivation to do certain things and this book is nice because it has short chapters and reads quickly. I wish you luck on your journey through life." – NewAd5794
12. "C.S.Lewis, A Grief Observed. About his own grief after losing his wife." – Taffergirl2021
A Grief Observed by C.S. LewisBookshop.org
Author and literary scholar C.S. Lewis reflects on the life, death, and faith in A Grief Observed, written after the death of his wife Joy Davidman in 1960. Lewis grapples with how to survive devastating loss and his experience with bereavement.
13. "Maude by Donna Foley Mabry. This book saved me. I was at the worst point in my life when this book found me. Maude was a badass woman! What she survived in insane. Life was cruel to her, but that did not stop her from waking up every single day and trying. This book put my life in perspective. Yes. We all have problems. It is how we manage those problems that matter." – Cami_glitter
14. "The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins." – suitable_zone3
15. "Hmm, if you're up for a short novel about unlikely friendship and humanity and finding meaning/purpose in life and overcoming a difficult past I'd recommend Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa, it's a really touching and beautiful story and my go to comfort book that never fails to make me feel better about myself and the world and give me hope when I'm feeling low. As for “actual” grief, as in focusing on losing a person close to you, Kitchen (and the novella, Moonlight Shadow that's added at the end of most editions) by Banana Yoshimoto is a book that definitely helped me a lot in accepting my pain and sadness and giving myself time but at the same time finding my way back to a new life. Finally in terms of giving you perspective and making you think, you might find Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha helpful/interesting? It was quite life-changing for me. I'm not sure if any of these are quite up your alley, maybe not if you were looking more for self-help recommendations than fiction, but I'm sending you my love regardless, I hope you feel better soon!" – maedhreos
16. "The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest!!! 'if you really want to change your life, let yourself be consumed with rage. Not towards others, not with the world , but yourself.'"– Ill_Tangerine_7125
17. "The Wintering by Katherine May." – BhamsterPine
18. "The book Easier Than You Think by Sylvia Boorstein. I'm not a Buddhist, but years ago this Intro to Buddhism helped lighten my load." – Living_Screen9111
19. "The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. Applied stoicism." – Strokesite
20. "I don’t know if it will help, but my go to book whenever I’m depressed is The Summerhouse by Jude Devereau. It reminds me that no matter how bad I feel, there are people who have faced worse problems than me. If I need to laugh I’ll read post apocalyptic novels which reminds me how much more insane it can be." – Crazy_Past6259
21. "The Testament by John Grisham." – LectureOk5523
22. "A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This book helped me process my dad’s death. I recommend it to everyone." – mcmesq
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik BackmanBookshop.org
This novel by Fredrik Backman follows the life of curmudgeon Ove whose solo life is transformed after he is befriended by two warm and friendly neighbors. It was turned into a film starring Tom Hanks in 2022 titled A Man Called Otto.
23. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Book by Mark Manson." – Emotional_Ocelot969
24. "Piranesi by Susanna Clarke." – tofudelight13
25. "The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Oprah loved it." – textbandit
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