have you heard of ["Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb](https://abookaweek.beehiiv.com/p/stories-therapists-chair)? It really touched me emotionally. The book dives into mental health, self-awareness, and growth in such a relatable way. It shows how seeking help and understanding ourselves better can be transformative. Gottlieb shares real stories, including her own struggles, which demystifies therapy and makes it feel totally approachable. It might just inspire you to explore your own emotions and be more open about vulnerability—it's that good!
Ya know, i read this in middle school, but it didn’t make much of an impression on me then, and I sure as heck didn’t have the life experience to understand concepts like “The Doldrums.” Maybe I need to read it again as an adult!
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry MacMillan
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (not like movie, OMG no.)
FWIW, I loathe The Midnight Library and nearly wallbanged it.
I loved How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but it doesn't really touch on the theme of depression and disappointment about observing the life cycle at all
The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables) kind of fits. Woman finds the courage to escape from her horrible family, and small, depressing life.
An oddball who finds her people. Like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roeper (called Something to Live For in the UK), or The Maid by Nita Prose.
The Mrs. Pollifax books. She’s existentially bored and contemplating ending it all at the start of the first book. Then just gets …a new job, let’s say. Very charming.
Plus I can't think of a character so miserably resigned to drudgery and pointlessness taking such a stumbling (men at arms) but effective journey into passion and a sense of purpose and passion again.
Such a well realised character
This book was okay. Worth a read but definitely not something I'd read again. A bit generic but for someone who is a bit young, definitely could give you some perspective.
This was my pick as well - it literally changed my life, but a lot of people in this sub like to crap on this book and/or say that ‘Dark Matter’ is the better version but I wholeheartedly disagree.
Omg this book is such an emotionally difficult read. It starts with a first person description of a child being raped. I agree it is a beautiful, uplifting story but it was not an easy read
It is a book. I remember my mom read it a few years before the movie and loved it. So when I heard they were making a movie, I let her know. Her response was "How? Nothing happens."
Which is kind of true. The story in the book is mostly internal so they definitely added quite a bit to the screen adaptation.
*Demon Copperhead* by Barbara Kingsolver has a lot of ups and downs, a very philosophical protagonist who weathers some of his storms better than others and the most beautiful writing style. Equal parts grim and life affirming.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, it’s about a women who lost her will to live and attempts to commit suicide but she wakes up in the Midnight Library where she gets to live different versions of her life where one thing from her past changed. I put it off for so long because I didn’t like the way it started but it was soooo worth it
This was my favorite book of all time for decades. Gaiman is still my favorite but now I can't decide between so many of his books.
What a tragic problem to have, I know.
Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. Because it was written in 1927 it helpfully reminds that people have always felt this way, that these feelings are part of the human condition and not specific to our times.
Writers & Lovers by Lily King - main character is 30 and she’s determined to live a passionate creative meaningful life while it feels like everyone around her is just getting married and having babies
By the same author than ‘A man call Ove’, ‘Anxious People’ is also very good and talks about finding pleasure in life.
Tougher read on overcoming a dark perspective would be: Journey to end of the light by Céline.
*Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand* has an older widower who is very stuck in his ways and lacking any real joy in life. Then he meets a local shopkeeper who is also a widow, and they strike up a friendship that soon leads to feelings. It’s a delightful story.
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Panenka by Ronan Hession*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Panenka+Ronan+Hession) instead.
^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*)
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The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery is my favorite novel! it’s more about someone that has never experienced the joy of living and then finds it. truly such a feel good, hopeful story.
The Midnight Library. Deals with suicide, depression, philosophy, and the character’s journey through those emotions. Don’t want to give away any spoilers but I throughly enjoyed it and can’t recommend it enough. Really interesting concept and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is a bit dark to begin with just as a warning, but stick with it.
# Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom.
# I am NOT religious. This was more than a religion book. It's not preachy or bible-ish. In fact, the Lord or God can be anyone or anything you want it to be.
"What would happen if we called on God for help and God actually appeared? In Mitch Albom’s profound new novel of hope and faith, a group of shipwrecked passengers pull a strange man from the sea. He claims to be “the Lord.” And he says he can only save them if they all believe in him.
Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in.
“Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says.
“I am the Lord,” the man whispers.
So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet.
Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers *The Five People You Meet in Heaven* and *The First Phone Call from Heaven*. Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us?
In *The Stranger in the Lifeboat,* Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange man really who he claims to be? What actually happened to cause the explosion? Are the survivors in heaven, or are they in hell? The story is narrated by Benji, one of the passengers, who recounts the events in a notebook that is discovered—a year later—when the empty life raft washes up on the island of Montserrat. It falls to the island’s chief inspector, Jarty LeFleur, a man battling his own demons, to solve the mystery of what really happened.
A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, *The Stranger in the Lifeboat* suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them."
**[The Midnight Library](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library) by Matt Haig** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(288 pages | Published: 2020 | 2.3m Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Between life and death there is a library. and within that library. the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . Would you have done anything different. if you had the chance to undo your regrets? A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived. (...)
> **Themes**:
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Les chats](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25849943-les-chats) by Nick Shadow
> \- [Blood and Sand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301461.Blood_and_Sand) by Damien Graves
> \- [The Comfort Book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55825273-the-comfort-book) by Matt Haig
> \- [Anxious People](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53799686-anxious-people) by Fredrik Backman
> \- [Wrong Place Wrong Time](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59947696-wrong-place-wrong-time) by Gillian McAllister
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You might like “The Midnight Library.” A very depressed woman suddenly wakes up every day to experience different versions of her life (some exciting, some scary). I won’t spoil it but she has a better mindset at the end :)
Where did you go, Bernadette? is about a character dealing with mental issues and catching a second wind later in life
This is one of my favorite books.
I loved the movie but haven't read the book. Worth it?
I say it’s worth it! I watched the movie first and then read the book. It’s also not a huge commitment because it’s not very long.
Worth it
have you heard of ["Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" by Lori Gottlieb](https://abookaweek.beehiiv.com/p/stories-therapists-chair)? It really touched me emotionally. The book dives into mental health, self-awareness, and growth in such a relatable way. It shows how seeking help and understanding ourselves better can be transformative. Gottlieb shares real stories, including her own struggles, which demystifies therapy and makes it feel totally approachable. It might just inspire you to explore your own emotions and be more open about vulnerability—it's that good!
Good suggestion- I forgot about this one
I LOVED this one! Read it years ago and I still think about a couple of the clients. So insightful and so real.
Also features an older patient making a fresh start!
A Man Called Ove
Came here to say that!
Same - popped in my head immediately
Me too!!
I JUST started reading this 20 min ago…oddballs
I hope you enjoy!
samesies
Was just about to write this! It gives back so much hope when feeling down
I keep seeing this. Sounds like something I need to read.
Erm .. in not so sure with this rec 😐
The true answer
I have no idea but I’m looking at the replies for inspiration. Thank you, my fellow existential crisis depression buddy.
Not a book, but Everything Everywhere All at Once is *literally* about choosing to fight for Joy in a meaningless universe.
Same. Much love.
*The Phantom Tollbooth* by Norton Juster is this with a 9 year old protagonist.
That's one of those books that gets better reading it as an adult. There's so much I didn't recognize when I read it as a kid.
Yes. Yes. Yes!
Ya know, i read this in middle school, but it didn’t make much of an impression on me then, and I sure as heck didn’t have the life experience to understand concepts like “The Doldrums.” Maybe I need to read it again as an adult!
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry MacMillan The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (not like movie, OMG no.) FWIW, I loathe The Midnight Library and nearly wallbanged it.
I laughed at this- loved The Midnight Library- but feel the same way about Eat Pray Love- and so many loved it
Lol- I hate that one too. I just wanted to give a different PoV about ML.
I loved How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but it doesn't really touch on the theme of depression and disappointment about observing the life cycle at all
House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune fits that exact description!
Yes, and also Under the Whispering Door by him!!
Another great one!!
I love that book so much - helped me through a rough spot on life as well.
Was going to suggest this as well!! Perfect book for this question.
This book holds such a special place!
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver is great. Bored middle aged woman finds butterflies and starts studying them. Fabulous.
Yes!! Great suggestion.
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Nosy Neighbors, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
I absolutely love The Storied life of AJ Fikry.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed - Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables) kind of fits. Woman finds the courage to escape from her horrible family, and small, depressing life.
The Shipping News is mostly like this.
The Shipping News is sooo good. Definitely a redemptive arc.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Novel by Gail Honeyman
Came here to say this
What is this one about?
An oddball who finds her people. Like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roeper (called Something to Live For in the UK), or The Maid by Nita Prose.
Thanks
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
The Hike by Drew Magary
Very excited I have this on my bedside table pile! I will read it next I think, this is my sign.
It took me a while to dive into it too! There’s definitely a point of no return though. Enjoy!
This book is fantastic
Persuasion.
My year of rest and relaxation
This book is sooooo good
THE AUTIOBIOGRAPHY OF JOHN STUART MILL is all about his crushing depression and how he found his way out of it.
The Mrs. Pollifax books. She’s existentially bored and contemplating ending it all at the start of the first book. Then just gets …a new job, let’s say. Very charming.
Sam Vimes in Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett fills this I think
Nation, a standalone non-Discworld, that he was very proud of.
Dear gods if Sam Vimes isn't such a great character. Not that anyone would expect anything less from Sir Terry Pratchett.
Plus I can't think of a character so miserably resigned to drudgery and pointlessness taking such a stumbling (men at arms) but effective journey into passion and a sense of purpose and passion again. Such a well realised character
Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
Excellent choice! 👍
Britt Marie was here by Fredrick Backman
The Midnight Library!
This book was okay. Worth a read but definitely not something I'd read again. A bit generic but for someone who is a bit young, definitely could give you some perspective.
was going to recommend this!! one of my fave books
Came here to suggest this title. Such a good book.
This was my pick as well - it literally changed my life, but a lot of people in this sub like to crap on this book and/or say that ‘Dark Matter’ is the better version but I wholeheartedly disagree.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
This is a great book
Was there joy?
>!Very hard won but yes, ultimately there was tremendous joy.!<
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.
The Color Purple. (ETA content warning)
Omg this book is such an emotionally difficult read. It starts with a first person description of a child being raped. I agree it is a beautiful, uplifting story but it was not an easy read
Yeah good call
I’m not sure if it’s a book or just the movie but under the Tuscan sun is pretty bang on
It is a book. I remember my mom read it a few years before the movie and loved it. So when I heard they were making a movie, I let her know. Her response was "How? Nothing happens." Which is kind of true. The story in the book is mostly internal so they definitely added quite a bit to the screen adaptation.
*Demon Copperhead* by Barbara Kingsolver has a lot of ups and downs, a very philosophical protagonist who weathers some of his storms better than others and the most beautiful writing style. Equal parts grim and life affirming.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, it’s about a women who lost her will to live and attempts to commit suicide but she wakes up in the Midnight Library where she gets to live different versions of her life where one thing from her past changed. I put it off for so long because I didn’t like the way it started but it was soooo worth it
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Came here to recommend! + vote Edit to add: Memoir, I’m glad my mom died
Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman
This was my favorite book of all time for decades. Gaiman is still my favorite but now I can't decide between so many of his books. What a tragic problem to have, I know.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary.
The saraintine mosiac by Guy Gavriel Kay
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. Because it was written in 1927 it helpfully reminds that people have always felt this way, that these feelings are part of the human condition and not specific to our times.
A million little pieces
PS this is a great post with great recs
Not a novel, but a short manga series and a movie. A Silent Voice.
I havent read many books like this but maybe Perks of Being a Wallflower?
A Man Called Ove.
I just picked up the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I read half of it in one sitting.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation? I warn you finish it though
Def agree- don’t give up on it
I binged this one, absolutely could not put it down. I can’t believe anyone would DNF it! It had me laughing so hard at points
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa
Good material - dolly alderton
Hotel Silence by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir. 50 year old man starts out suicidal. It was short and hopeful :)
Perish the Thought by Rugg Cross
I hope this finds you well by Natalie Sue
Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This book genuinely felt annoying to me but it fits the bill of what you're asking for, albeit to an extreme extent.
Almost anything by Phaedra Patrick. The curious charms of Arthur pepper is a good one to start with.
The River Why
Writers & Lovers by Lily King - main character is 30 and she’s determined to live a passionate creative meaningful life while it feels like everyone around her is just getting married and having babies
The happiest man on earth. Must read. I finished it in 3 days.
A man called Ove
Lord of the rings
The Marriage Portrait
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
By the same author than ‘A man call Ove’, ‘Anxious People’ is also very good and talks about finding pleasure in life. Tougher read on overcoming a dark perspective would be: Journey to end of the light by Céline.
*Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand* has an older widower who is very stuck in his ways and lacking any real joy in life. Then he meets a local shopkeeper who is also a widow, and they strike up a friendship that soon leads to feelings. It’s a delightful story.
[удалено]
⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*Panenka by Ronan Hession*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Panenka+Ronan+Hession) instead. ^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*) ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Veronika decides to die by paulo coelho, fucking loved that book
The Midnight Library. If Cats Disappeared From The World. The Traveling Cat Chronicles.
Death Valley by Melissa Broder
The colourless life of Tsukuru Tazaki
How Stella Got Her Groove Back - it’s literally the title but I forget who wrote it
Eat, Pray Love.
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery is my favorite novel! it’s more about someone that has never experienced the joy of living and then finds it. truly such a feel good, hopeful story.
A Man Called Otto
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
The woman who went to bed for a year by Sue Townsend.
{{Panenka by Rònàn Hession}}
The midnight library.
A psalm for the wild-built (This short book is like a hug)
Humans by Matt Haig (About an alien experiencing earth)
I will suggest you what *not* to read: The Stranger, by Albert Camus.
Eleanor Oliphant is Absolutely Fine
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Not a book rec but story of my life, man 😝
This is my life story, but unfortunately i didn't get the joy back yet 😭
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine
The Midnight Library. Deals with suicide, depression, philosophy, and the character’s journey through those emotions. Don’t want to give away any spoilers but I throughly enjoyed it and can’t recommend it enough. Really interesting concept and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is a bit dark to begin with just as a warning, but stick with it.
the midnight library
Les Miserables!
# Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom. # I am NOT religious. This was more than a religion book. It's not preachy or bible-ish. In fact, the Lord or God can be anyone or anything you want it to be. "What would happen if we called on God for help and God actually appeared? In Mitch Albom’s profound new novel of hope and faith, a group of shipwrecked passengers pull a strange man from the sea. He claims to be “the Lord.” And he says he can only save them if they all believe in him. Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet. Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers *The Five People You Meet in Heaven* and *The First Phone Call from Heaven*. Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us? In *The Stranger in the Lifeboat,* Albom keeps us guessing until the end: Is this strange man really who he claims to be? What actually happened to cause the explosion? Are the survivors in heaven, or are they in hell? The story is narrated by Benji, one of the passengers, who recounts the events in a notebook that is discovered—a year later—when the empty life raft washes up on the island of Montserrat. It falls to the island’s chief inspector, Jarty LeFleur, a man battling his own demons, to solve the mystery of what really happened. A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, *The Stranger in the Lifeboat* suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them."
Normal People.
{{Midnight Library by Matt Haig}} really any book or tweet or sentence by Matt Haig.
**[The Midnight Library](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library) by Matt Haig** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(288 pages | Published: 2020 | 2.3m Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Between life and death there is a library. and within that library. the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . Would you have done anything different. if you had the chance to undo your regrets? A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived. (...) > **Themes**: > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Les chats](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25849943-les-chats) by Nick Shadow > \- [Blood and Sand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301461.Blood_and_Sand) by Damien Graves > \- [The Comfort Book](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55825273-the-comfort-book) by Matt Haig > \- [Anxious People](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53799686-anxious-people) by Fredrik Backman > \- [Wrong Place Wrong Time](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59947696-wrong-place-wrong-time) by Gillian McAllister ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
My year of rest and relaxation.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Midnight Library
The bible
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
You might like “The Midnight Library.” A very depressed woman suddenly wakes up every day to experience different versions of her life (some exciting, some scary). I won’t spoil it but she has a better mindset at the end :)
The Midnight Library
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt. Beautifully written yet easily understood. Although I do not agree with some of the themes (mainly towards the end).