We celebrate the power of reading and how books can positively impact our wellbeing and our lives.
We all know the wonderful feeling of unwinding after a long day by curling up and getting lost in a good book.
Have you ever thought about the positive benefits that reading can bring as we explore new people, worlds and adventures? At Walk in My Shoes (WIMS), we take a look at how reading can boost your mental health and list some literary recommendations to help you choose your next read.
Reading is an incredibly rewarding pastime that can expand imaginations, increase knowledge, improve concentration, and positively impact our wellbeing. Opening a book can motivate us to stay positive, help improve sleep quality, and decrease stress.
Reading can:
- improve our self-confidence when we learn about characters who overcome obstacles
- give us a healthy escape by getting invested in a plot or story
- expand our imaginations by taking us to new worlds, people and scenarios
- help improve our quality of sleep by relaxing our minds and bodies
- boost our mental health (a 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%)
- help us to stay connected with the world, even if we are not feeling our best.
We’ve asked some Transition Year (TY) students, our WIMS team, and staff from Willow Grove Adolescent Unit to suggest their favourite books that share a wellbeing message.
You can find their recommendations below; we hope you find a new favourite read!
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nivan
“All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nivan is a young adult fiction novel which is based on the author’s personal story. This is a compelling story about a girl who intends to live, from a boy who intends to die. The main message in this novel is what it feels like to navigate something uncontrollable to you.”
Recommended by a TY student
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All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott
“I really enjoyed this book; it was full of emotion and the impact people have on each other’s lives.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Everything Happens for a Reason by Madison Beer
“Everything Happens for a Reason by Madison Beer has a lot of wellbeing messages that are special to me, but the one that stands out and that I always keep in mind is “Eventually all things fall into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moments, and know everything happens for a reason”. Everyone should think positively like this, even when we’re going through tough times.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
“It’s about two people who, despite having health conditions that affect their quality and quantity of life, find happiness in being in the present with their friends and loved ones. It’s very inspirational and made me feel happy.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
“Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is a comic series following boyfriends Nick and Charlie. This comic shows positive LGBTQIA+ relations and has helped many queer youths feel more comfortable in themselves. It was even adapted to a Netflix series!”
Recommended by a TY student
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How I Learned to Live with Panic by Claire Eastham
“This book is described as “An electric, warm, comforting, and funny handbook on panic and how to cope and live alongside it”. It is an intimate, honest and ultimate exploration of panic attacks. Claire covers the crisis points where panic can hit and interviews a host of people - scientists, professors, dieticians, psychologists and people who struggle with panic - to anatomise how it can be managed.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
“Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles is a book based on the Japanese concept of finding purpose in life through connecting with nature and the five senses.”
Recommended by Willow Grove staff
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Stripped by Cara Alwill Leyba
“This book is a collection of poetry and inspired writings that celebrate the power of vulnerability and the magic that occurs when we decide to live authentically, commit to our personal evolution, and bare it all.”
Recommended by the WIMS team
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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charley Mackesey
“This is a charming book of fabulous illustrations and few words, but all with great meaning. It’s a book about being strong, riding the waves of life, the importance of friendships and being kind.”
Recommended by the WIMS team
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
“This is a read that has a supreme wellbeing message to me as it tackles health emotionally and physically, with its two main characters both having battled cancer. The message of the book is to live life to the fullest, because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Recommended by a TY student
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is one of my favourite books and it sends an immensely powerful message. I find the book very true to itself and shows what it is like to deal with trauma and how confusing it could be especially in your teen years. The story ends with a really uplifting and powerful monologue from the main character.”
Recommended by a TY student
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The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
“The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Learning that there is joy to be found in the present; that living in the past or future is not beneficial to your mental health.”
Recommended by the WIMS team
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They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
“This book is about two boys who are told they will die in the next week. One is very introverted, so, when told he’s soon going to die, he decides to finally start living. This is a great message that we should live every day as if it were our last.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Wonder by R. J. Palacio
“This is one of my favourite books. I feel the meaningful message in this book is about tolerance and friendship against bullying.”
Recommended by a TY student
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Wonder by R. J. Palacio
“There are two quotes from this book that really stood out to me – “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind” and “Learning who you are is what you are here to do”.”
Recommended by a TY student
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