Mental Health: A Person-Centered Approach

Edited by Nicholas Protcter and others

Non-fiction

Mental Health: a person-centred approach aligns leading mental health research with the human connections that can and should be made in mental health care. It seeks to deepen readers' understanding of themselves, the work they do, and how this intersects with the lives and crises of people with mental illness.

Challenger Deep

Neal Shusterman

Fiction

A story about a teen with schizophrenia.

Looking After Your Mental Health

Alice James and Louie Stowell

Non-fiction

A guide to looking after your mental health. Includes lots of advice!

Are U Ok? A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health

Kati Morton

Non-fiction

Kati Morton answers the most commonly asked questions about mental health, including when to get help and where to find it

Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions

Johann Hari

Non-fiction

A radical new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.

You Are Not a Rock: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Mental Health (for Humans)

Freeman Mark

Non-fiction

A prescriptive and positive guide, illustrated with line drawings, making the case that mental well-being, like physical health, can be strengthened over time and with specific techniques

(Don't) Call Me Crazy

Kelly Jensen

Non-fiction

A conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day with 30 contributors providing their insight and experience.

Reasons to Stay Alive

Matt Haig

Memoir

At the age of 24, the writer himself suffered from severe depression. In the book, he unfolded how he recovered and learned to live with depression.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful

Sarah Wilson

Non-fiction

Insight and personal stories on living with anxiety.

Emotional Resilience How to Safeguard Your Mental Health

Dr. Harry Barry

Non-fiction

In this audiobook, best-selling author and GP Dr Harry Barry reveals how you can unlock your inner emotional resilience reserves, deal with the challenges of life and protect your mental health. He explores the key skills needed to transform your emotional capacity and reach your full potential.

Get Out of Your Own Way

by Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg

Non-fiction

All about overcoming self-defeating behaviour

Furiously Happy

by Jenny Lawson

Non-fiction

The author's direct experience with mental illness

The Noonday Demon

by Andrew Solomon

Non-fiction

The author's memoir about his own mental health

Reasons to Stay Alive

by Matt Haig

Non-fiction

The author's memoir about his own mental health

Little Panic

by Amanda Stern

Non-fiction

The author's account of her mental health journey

The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens

Jennifer Shannon

Non-fiction

A guide on CBT skills for teens to use when dealing with anxiety. The book explains anxiety first, and then describes ways to reframe thinking and combat it.

A Boy and a Bear: The Children’s Relaxation Book

Lori Lite

Fiction

Children's book teaching relaxation skills.

Gordy the Rabbit has ADHD

Jessie Shepherd

Fiction

Children's book on ADHD

Let’s Talk about Taking Care of You: An Educational Book about Body Safety

PhD Lori Stauffer and PhD Esther Deblinger

Non-fiction

Children's book talking about personal safety and coping skills.

A Little SPOT of Anxiety

Diane Alber

Fiction

Children's book on anxiety and how to address it

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Non-fiction

Book on the affects of trauma on the brain and devlopment.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Kay Remfield Jamison

Non-fiction

A psychologists's memoir on dealing with bipolar disorder.

Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers

Dr. Karyl McBride PHD

Non-fiction

It's a book on how children of narcisstic mothers can deal with the scars of childhood trauma.

The Sociopath Next Door

Martha Stout

Non-fiction

Book on how to identify sociopaths.

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

Non-fiction

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy an self-improvement.

Stuff That Sucks

Ben Sedley

Self-help

Stuff That Sucks provides the reader with ideas and skills that can help them manage their mental health.

Not that Kind of Girl

Lena Dunham

Non-fiction

In a collection of essays, Lena Dunham reflects her experiences through womanhood

Some Kind of Happiness

Claire Legrand

Fiction

Book about teenager struggling with depression creating a fantasy world.

Mosquitoland

David Arnold

Fiction

A teen's journey to find her way back to her depressed mother.

Finding Audrey

Sophia Kinsella

Fiction

A socially anxious woman is befriended by someone who helps her take on new challenges.

More Happy Than Not

Adam Silvera

Fiction

A teen's struggle after his father commits suicide.

Highly Illogical Behavior

John Corey Whaley

Fiction

An agoraphobia leaves his home for the first time in 3 years and befriends someone.

Made You Up

Francesca Zappia

Fiction

A high school senior who is schizophrenic questions if her idyllic life is reality.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

Patrick Ness

Fiction

A realistic look at what it's like to suffer OCD.

Free Verse

Sarah Dooley

Fiction

Using poetry, a teen starts to regain her voice and herself.

Paperweight

Meg Haston

Fiction

An engaging and beautifully written tale of a teen girl, Stevie, struggling with guilt and loss after her mother leaves the family and her brother dies. Told in part through flashbacks, the reader puts together the pieces of Stevie's story as she is ready to recall and face them herself.

We've Been Too Patient

Edited by L. D. Green and Kelechi Ubozoh

Non-fiction

Stories that break the stigmas that surround mental health.

How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t: 14 Habits That Are Holding You Back From Happiness

Andrea Owen

Self-help

In her novel, Andrea discusses harmful habits and how they get in the way of mental wellness.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Ned Vizzini

Fiction

Craig struggles with keeping up with the stress of his future and his new highschool when he checks into a mental hospital.

Crazy like Us

Ethan Watters

Non-Fiction

This book looks into the differences of mental illnesses through different cultures. It looks into the Westernization of mental illnesses and how that can ultimately lead to more harm than good.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Mark Manson

Non-Fiction (Advices)

This book gives you practical advice about how not to get stressed out about things you should not be stressed about.

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

Non-Fiction

Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome.

Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts

Jennie Allen

Self-help book, Christian literature

Feeling stuck, frustrated, and defeated? Allen believes the solution is simple: how we think shapes how we live. We can learn to stop thoughts that leave us prey to toxic patterns like victimhood, anxiety, and distraction. Drawing on biblical teaching and neuroscience, she shows how to fight the enemies of the mind with the truth of God.

The Art of Not Falling Apart

Christina Patterson

Autobiography

A joyous, moving, and sometimes shockingly honest celebration of life as an adventure, one where you ditch your expectations, raise a glass, and prepare for a rocky ride.

Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD

Allison Britz

Biography, Young adult non-fiction

A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

Lori Gottlieb

Non-Fiction

A memoir where the author portrays a difficult time in her professional and personal life. She shows her experiences both as a therapist and someone receiving therapy.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman

Fiction

The novel focuses on 29-year-old Eleanor Oliphant, a social misfit with a traumatic past who becomes enamoured of a singer, whom she believes she is destined to be with.

Deppression Is a Liar

Danny Baker

Biography/Memoir

Depression is a Liar is a memoir that recounts my struggle and eventual triumph over depression. It is highly recommended for the following people: People who don't believe that it's possible to recover from depression and find happiness again (I will show you that it is);

The Price of Silence: A Mom's Perspective on Mental Illness

Liza Long

Non-Fiction

The emotional response she posted on her blog went viral, putting Long at the center of a passionate controversy. Now, she takes the next step. Powerful and shocking, The Price of Silence looks at how society stigmatizes mental illness—including in children—and the devastating societal cost. In the wake of repeated acts of mass violence, Long points the way forward.

The Heart and the Bottle

Oliver Jeffers

(picture book) fiction

An inquisitive little girl, who is enchanted by the world around her, is badly shaken when she loses someone she loves. She retreats into herself and as she gets older, stops noticing the stars and the sea, which she had previously delighted in.

Seasons

Blexbolex

(picture book) fiction

This boldly illustrated book takes the reader through the symphony of the four seasons. It captures the great moments of winter, spring, summer and fall with fascinating simplicity.

MAPS

Aleksandra Mizielinska; Daniel Mizielinski

(picture book) fiction

MAPS is an aesthetically pleasing, antique-type depiction of various countries’ borders and topography. The book also includes interesting information about various countries’ culture

Bentley and Blueberry

Randy Houk

(picture book) fiction

Blueberry is a lonely stray dog sitting in a shelter waiting for a family. Bentley is loved but lonely puppy. When the two meet, it brings mayhem and happiness to their owner Ms. Moody’s life. This book is based upon a true story.

Olivia

Ian Falconer

(picture book) fiction

Every Olivia book is a delightful journey into the mind of a young girl. With simple but character-filled illustrations, every one of Olivia’s adventures – whether real or imaginary – are fun.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Bill Martin Jr. ;Eric Carle

(picture book) fiction

This poetic tale of a day at the zoo depicts Eric Carle’s amazing creativity, coupled with Bill Martin’s sense of rhyme for an enjoyable exploration through the eyes of animals.

Corduroy

Don Freeman

(picture book) fiction

Corduroy – a little bear all alone on a department store shelf – finds the love of a young girl, only to be abandoned because of his broken overalls. Corduroy ventures off his shelf to find a button to fix his overalls, but despite his escapades through the department store, he cannot fix them.

Jumanji

Chris Van Allsburg

(picture book) fiction

Jumanji – the only board game that literally sucks you in – is an amazing jungle adventure that comes to life and symbolizes a son’s conflict with his father and his transformation into adulthood.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl

(picture book) fiction

In its 50th year, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still celebrating the unlikely friendship between Charlie Bucket – a boy living in abject poverty – and Willy Wonka – the successful chocolatier without a family. This tale of love, triumph and family continues to amaze children from five to 95.

The River

Alessandro Sanna

(picture book) fiction

The very talented Alessandro Sanna takes us through the seasons with divine watercolor pictorials of each season’s special burst of color and flair.

Fox

Margaret Wild, illustrated by Ron Brooks

(picture book) fiction

Another amazing illustrated book, this story explores the wonderful side of friendship and the dark side of jealousy.

Voices in the Park

Anthony Browne

(picture book) fiction

Sometimes seeing the world from another person’s point of view can be difficult. Voices in the Park enlightens adults and children alike on how to see life from another person’s perspective and how to look beyond our own prejudice.

Frankenstein

Rick Walton, illustrated by Nathan Hale

(picture book) fiction

Walton’s parody of Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline features a not-so-scary Frankenstein encompassing the fun spirit of Halloween.

Lights Out!

John Himmelman

(picture book) fiction

Himmelman’s book is for moms, dads and sisters who have always wanted to know what really goes on at Boy Scout Camp, or for Boy Scouts who want to remember the silly stuff that makes camp so memorable.

Still Alice

Lisa Genova

Fiction

Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease.

The Swan Thieves

Elizabeth Kostova

Fiction

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath

Fiction

The Bell Jar details the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet. She is selected for a month-long summer internship as a guest editor of Ladies' Day magazine, but her time in New York City is unfulfilling as she struggles with issues of identity and societal norms.

Mrs Dalloway

Virginia Woolf

Fiction

This novel examines one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class Londoner married to a member of Parliament. Mrs. Dalloway is essentially plotless; what action there is takes place mainly in the characters' consciousness

A Beautiful Mind

Sylvia Nasar

Biography

The life of a Nobel-Prize winning mathematician and how schizophrenia affected his work and personal life.

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays

Esme Weijun Wang

Biography, Autobiography

The Happiness Trap

Russ Harris

Self-help book

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh

Non-Fiction

This novel is set in New York City in 2000 and 2001 and follows an unnamed protagonist as she gradually escalates her use of prescription medications in an attempt to sleep for an entire year.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Ken Kesey

Non-Fiction

Set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, the narrative serves as a study of institutional processes and the human mind; including a critique of psychiatry, and a tribute to individualistic principles.

The Body Keeps the Score

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

Self-Help

Trauma comes in all forms, from near-death experiences to unexpected loss. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk uses recent scientific discoveries to reveal how trauma doesn’t just impact the mind, but also the body.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Body

Daniel G. Amen

Self-Help

The brain is a powerful organ that is responsible for a myriad of functions in our body and mind. Why not treat it like the rest of our body? Author and neuropsychiatrist Daniel G. Amen, MD, makes the case for how anxiety, depression, obsessiveness, impulsiveness, and anger may be related to how specific structures work in your brain.

Hope and Help for Your Nerves: End Anxiety Now

Dr. Claire Weekes

Self-Help

Do you ever feel like a prisoner to your thoughts? If you can’t seem to snuff out the flames of intrusive thoughts, there’s a book for that.

Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions

Russell Brand

Self-Help

In 2019, Brand debuted his book, “Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions.” His book provides lessons that can be applied to a variety of addictions, and provides steps for people with addiction and their loved ones to get the help they need.

Healing the Trauma of Abuse: A Women’s Workbook

Mary Ellen Copeland

Self-Help

With abuse being a saddening but common experience among women, it’s likely you or someone you know has experienced some type of intimate partner violence. Workbooks like “Healing the Trauma of Abuse: A Women’s Workbook” help to provide a gentle approach to healing and recovery.

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone

Lori Gottlieb

Self-Help

In the New York Times bestselling memoir, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” Gottlieb takes readers through life as a therapist seeking therapy. The book follows the therapy sessions of her clients at her Los Angeles-based practice, including the lessons she learns from them and the progress they’ve made along the way.

Codependent No More

Melody Beattie

Self-Help

In Melody Beattie’s “Codependent No More,” she shares life stories, reflections, exercises, and self-tests to help readers break the pattern of codependency and start putting their lives first.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Emily and Amelia Nagoski

Self-Help

Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are on a mission to end burnout by helping readers understand how to unlock the biological stress cycle. Their book, “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle,” has set out to explain why women experience burnout differently from men, how to minimize the feeling, and how to manage emotions.

Emotional First Aid

Guy Winch

Self-Help

Loss, heartache, failure, and rejection aren’t as visible as a broken limb or open cut, but that doesn’t make them any less painful. Guy Winch, PhD, wrote “Emotional First Aid” to provide strategies to those in need of mending the emotional pains that everyone experiences at some point in life.

It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle

Mark Wolynn

Self-Help

Mark Wolynn has been recognized around the world as a leading expert on the subject of inherited family trauma. In his 2016 release, “It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle,” he dissects how the trauma of relatives can be passed down the family tree.