A short list that will remind you of the healing power of books
The work many of us do requires a lot of reading: contracts, emails, endless messages, reports, reviews and so on. It’s not exactly the kind of reading that enriches the mind or nourishes the soul. Reading for leisure, holding something between your hands, eyes away from devices is something I haven’t done in a long time. But when I picked up the right book—a book left on a street library in Sydney—I couldn’t stop searching for stories that allowed me to escape and return to myself at the same time.
I’ve read a handful in the past three months and noticed that the books I enjoyed were often about a fresh start or starting over. It could be brought on by the season or where I am in terms of life stage, but stories of loss and defeat and triumph and redemption are inarguably timeless. And sometimes it is a good way to unpack and process your own feelings, especially if you have trouble doing so.
Ahead, a few book recommendations to start fresh:
I’m Glad My Mom Died
Jennette McCurdy
I'm Glad My Mom Died is a memoir by writer, director and former actress Jennette McCurdy. The book chronicles her career as a child star, her relationship with her abusive mother, who died in 2013, and the collective impact of her experiences on her mental and physical health.
One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this: “If we beat ourselves up after a mistake, we add shame onto the guilt and frustration that we already feel about our mistake. That guilt and frustration can be helpful in moving us forward, but shame…shame keeps us stuck. It's a paralyzing emotion. When we get caught in a shame spiral, we tend to make more of the same kinds of mistakes that caused us shame in the first place.”
I'm Glad My Mom Died reads like the kind of book to start fresh with.
Days at the Morisake Bookshop
Satoshi Yagisawa
Takako gets her heart broken after her boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else. She falls into a depression and later accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the Morisake Bookshop. There, Takako drops anchor for a little while and begins to heal.
Days at the Morisake Bookshop is not the kind of book that jumps off the shelf. But like the story and its characters, there's a tenderness and warmth to it that draws you in. It’s a charming companion for someone looking to process, start over and enjoy the journey—and a nice little reminder of the healing power of books.
Pageboy
Elliot Page
Pageboy is a coming-of-age memoir by Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. He details his experiences growing up queer in Canada and navigating through self-acceptance as a trans man under Hollywood’s glare.
Told through flashbacks and flashforwards, Pageboy is a brutally honest and painful account of taking control of one’s narrative. The journey may be difficult, messy, non-linear, and filled with challenges, self-doubt and u-turns. But well worth it if the outcome is peace with oneself and moments of joy that outweigh all the pain and sadness.
What have you been reading lately? Comment below for your own book recommendations to start fresh!
Art Alexandra Lara
