Therapy is expensive, TikTok advice is terrifying, and your obscurely named group chat is one bad breakup away from a meltdown. Whether you’re creatively blocked, romantically jaded, existentially bored, or convinced the world is one bad headline away from total collapse, books are cheaper than therapy and judgment-free.

BookTrib’s staff has come together to recommend books that range from Dolly Alderton, helping us survive our messy 20s to Nelson Mandela, proving that change, whether on a personal or global scale, is always possible. These titles remind us that sometimes the perfect book at the perfect time doesn’t just comfort you; it rejuvenates you.

So before you text your ex, quit your job, or join a cult, maybe… just consider picking up a book. You never know, it might not solve everything but we know it won’t make it worse!

The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

In my years since graduating from art school, no family member, friend, or teacher has ever made me feel as seen in my quiet struggle to create than Julia Cameron. Rather than a rudimentary workbook for the lazy or otherwise indisposed creative, this book is described as a “spiritual guide” to help anyone (even if you don’t count yourself as an artist) find their way back to themselves through daily journaling, mantras, weekly homework and some solid self-reflection. Cameron reintroduces us to “God” in a way that is uniquely personal, as secular as it is non-secular. God becomes our well of creativity that is in constant need of being refilled as it is of being drained. "The Artists Way" reminds us that the process is often the most important part of the journey – no matter how difficult the growing pains are.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, illustrated by John Burgoyne

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Indigenous scientist and lauded author of "Braiding Sweetgrass," returns with another tender rumination on what we can learn from the natural world. In this 2024 publication, Kimmerer uses her experience with the gift economy – specifically, harvesting serviceberries alongside birds – to examine the ethics of reciprocity in the age of scarcity and competitive capitalism. Does the book solve climate change itself? No. But Kimmerer’s words are able to fundamentally shift the way we view our current world and give us another perspective, one that makes a lasting positive change seem much closer in reach than we may think.

Everything I know About Love by Dolly Alderton

This memoir has everything you need to know to embrace all of the chaos and crises of being in your 20s. Funny and heartbreaking, tender and sharp, Alderton knows exactly what your young-adult life is throwing at you, and equipping you with advice akin to a favorite romcom

Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

Pollan is probably best known for "The Ominvore’s Dilemma" and "How to Change Your Mind," but five years before that he gave us a guided tour of four plants that have seduced humankind’s senses. Witnessing how plants have beguiled us with beauty (tulips), sweetness (apples), control (potatoes), and intoxication (marijuana) in order to advance their own agenda of survival and dissemination will restore your faith that wonder still exists.

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Sometimes, the best medicine is laughter, and Jenny Lawson (who also suffers from depression) has the ability to make something as debilitating as depression lighter. Furiously Happy is one of those books that’ll make you laugh out loud, literally, making things just a bit brighter again.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

It’s not the first time the world has fallen apart. It won’t be the last. But "Long Walk to Freedom" reminds us that history can show us how to heal even the most broken parts of our world. Through his extraordinary journey from prisoner to president, Nelson Mandela proves that change is slow, hard, and absolutely possible.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

"The Midnight Library" is surprisingly uplifting and thought-provoking when you’re feeling stuck and dissatisfied with your life. While it doesn’t give a formula for instant life satisfaction, it can definitely help you see your life from new angles, reduce regret, and focus on the things that really matter. I know it helped me!

Against Nature by Joris-Karl Husmans

Feeling bored? "Against Nature" is a class in hobby obsession. Des Esseintes, a misfit, retreats to a remote villa to indulge in excess and overthinking. A lover of literature, jewels, and perfumes, he turns all facets of life into a sensory spectacle. This book will inspire your imagination to replace reality.

What My Mother and I Don't Talk About by Edited Michele Filgate

This anthology is like a group chat for everyone who’s ever left something unsaid at the dinner table. Edited by Michele Filgate, it brings together essays that unpack the unspoken tension between mothers and their children with brutal honesty and surprising tenderness.

It’s not exactly a feel-good read, but it’s definitely a feel-seen one. You’ll find yourself nodding, cringing, maybe texting your therapist. Finishing this collection made me realize that sometimes, the first step to healing isn’t confrontation—it’s commiseration through other people’s dysfunction.