From escape fiction to self-help, a full list of the best books to read when you’re sad.
The Power of Reading to Heal: Best Books When Feeling Down
Picking up a good book when we’re feeling down can do a lot for our mental and emotional health. Reading can take us to new worlds, give us ideas, and help us feel better when things are hard.
In fact, studies have shown that reading has therapeutic benefits like lowering stress and improving brain function. This article will talk about some of the best books to read when you’re sad.
There’s something for everyone on this list, from escapism books to self-help books, memoirs to classics, and even funny books that will make you laugh out loud. So get a warm blanket and a cup of tea, and let’s dive into how books can help us feel better.
How Fiction Can Help When You’re Feeling Down
When you’re feeling down, sometimes the best thing to do is take a break from the real world and get lost in something else. Escapist fiction is great for this because it lets you forget about your own problems for a while and get involved in the lives of fictional characters. When you’re feeling down, one of the best things about reading escapism fiction is that it can be very therapeutic.
By going to another world, you can get away from your own problems and see them from a different point of view. Reading about characters who are going through their own problems can be comforting because it reminds you that everyone has problems at some point.
Popular books in the category of “escape” fiction
There are a lot of great escape novels out there that you can read when you’re feeling down. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien are all popular books in this genre. Harry Potter is great for people who like magic and new experiences.
A young boy named Harry finds out he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel that is full of action and takes place in a world where teenagers are forced to fight to the death on TV.
The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, takes readers on an epic journey through Middle Earth as hobbits Frodo and Sam try to destroy a powerful ring before an evil sorcerer can use it for his own purposes. No matter which book you choose, escapist fiction is a great way to forget about your problems and get lost in a fantastic adventure instead.
Finding Comfort and Direction in Hard Times with Self-Help Books When we’re feeling down, sometimes all we need is a little direction and motivation to get back on track.
Self-help books can help with this. When we’re feeling down, these books can help us feel better by giving us useful advice, helpful tools, and inspiring stories.
Here are some of the best books about helping yourself that you can read when you’re feeling down. The classic self-help book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle has helped many people find peace and clarity in their lives.
The book shows people how to live in the here and now, without worrying about the past or the future. Tolle shows readers how to reach a state of mindfulness that can make them happier and more fulfilled. His lessons are simple, but they are very deep.
Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck is another well-known book about how to improve your life. This funny but wise book tells readers to give up the things that don’t matter so they can focus on what does.
Manson tells his readers that they should be proud of their flaws and not try to be perfect all the time. This book is great for anyone who needs a little tough love when they’re feeling down. It uses direct language and gives clear advice.
Memoirs/Biographies
Getting ideas from the lives of other people
When you’re feeling down, it can help to read about someone who went through something similar and made it through. That’s where autobiographies and memoirs come in.
These books give you a look into the life of someone else and can give you ideas, comfort, and hope. Becoming, which was written by Michelle Obama, is a memoir that has become very popular.
In this book, the former First Lady talks about how she went from being born into a working-class family in Chicago to living in the White House. She talks about the problems she faced along the way, like racism and sexism, and how she overcame them.
Her story shows how strong and determined she was, which can give readers hope. Educated by Tara Westover is another memoir that has been praised by critics.
This book tells the story of how Westover grew up in rural Idaho with a strict Mormon family. Even though Westover didn’t get a good education for most of her childhood, she went on to get a PhD from Cambridge University.
Her story is one of determination and finding out more about herself as she faces the challenges of leaving her past behind and going after her dreams. When we read these kinds of books, we can see that we are not the only ones going through hard times.
It can also give us hope that we can also get through hard times and reach our goals. So the next time you’re feeling down, you might want to pick up a memoir or biography to help you get better and grow.
Classics: There’s something comforting about going back to a book we know well when we’re feeling down. Classic literature gives us that sense of comfort and lets us escape into a world we know very well.
Whether it’s the characters, the setting, or the language, there’s a reason why classic books have stood the test of time. Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is one of these classics.
The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy has been a favourite of readers for many years. There have been many movies and TV shows based on the book, but nothing beats reading it yourself.
Austen’s dry sense of humour and sharp observations about life never fail to amuse. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is another classic book that is comforting because it is so well-known.
This book is about Scout Finch as she grows up in the Deep South during the Great Depression and learns about unfair treatment of black people in her town. The themes of bravery, kindness, and standing up for what’s right are still important today, which makes this book a must-read for anyone who needs motivation in hard times.
Laughing the Blues Away: How Humor Can Help
When we’re feeling down, it can be hard to find things that make us happy. But, as the saying goes, laughter really is the best medicine. Humor has been shown over and over to help reduce stress, improve our mood, and even make us healthier physically.
So why not add something funny to your list of books to read? One great thing about funny books is that they’re often easy to read because you don’t have to think too hard or analyze every sentence.
Instead, you can just sit back and get lost in a world of nonsense and humour. And getting away from real life can be just what we need when it’s too much.
Titles We Recommend
There are a lot of funny books out there to choose from if you want to have a good laugh. Bossypants is a classic for a reason: Tina Fey’s witty comments on everything from motherhood to Hollywood are both relatable and hilarious.
In a similar way, Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is both funny and sad as it takes us on a wild ride through her strange childhood and adult life. Even if you’re not depressed but just having a bad day, these books will make you feel better.
Conclusion
Reading is a great way to get away from the stresses of everyday life, and it can also help us feel better when we’re sad. There are many different kinds of books that can help us feel better, whether we want to get away from reality, learn how to make our lives better, or get ideas from the stories of other people.
In this article, we looked at a few different types of books that can be especially helpful when we’re sad. From books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games that let us escape into a different world and forget about our problems for a while, to self-help books like The Power of Now and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck that give us advice on how to live happier, more mindful lives, there are a lot of books that can help us.
We’ve also talked about memoirs and biographies, like Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” and Tara Westover’s “Educated,” that teach us how to be strong in the face of hardship. Classic books like Pride and Prejudice or To Kill a Mockingbird are comforting because they are well-known.
Funny books like Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” or Jenny Lawson’s “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” can make you laugh. Don’t forget that reading is just one way to help us feel better when we’re sad.
It’s important to get help from a therapist or other mental health professional if you’re having trouble with sadness or depression. But if you just want something to make you feel better or take your mind off things for a while, one of these book categories might be just what you need.