The Bibliofilles by Hosted by Sophie and Chaya

March 02, 2026 High Functioning but Barely Holding it Together: Books and Mental Health

This week we’re diving headfirst into books & mental health.

Over the years we have received many messages asking for books for when life feels wobbly, overwhelming, or is unravelling at the seams, & we wanted to create a resource to help anyone who may need it.

We’ve organised our recommendations into three groups, the self help & non fiction books (from candid memoirs to practical, perspective-shifting guides), the novels that teach you through character & the gloriously escapist fantasy reads, because sometimes salvation comes with dragons.

There is also a healthy dose of lively chaos & airing of laundry!

If you’ve ever needed a book to steady you, distract you, or quietly rebuild you, this one’s for you.

👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇

How to Thrive with Adult ADHD by Dr James Kustow

👉 https://amzn.to/4bNtcWw

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

👉 https://amzn.to/3M5Pd8v

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

👉 https://amzn.to/3YYKecQ

Open Water by Dr Julie Smith

👉 https://amzn.to/4bjrlbU

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith

👉 https://amzn.to/45xHoPD

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal

👉 https://amzn.to/3NFGpqn

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

👉 https://amzn.to/3LTS84b

There’s Nothing Wrong With Her by Kate Weinberg

👉 https://amzn.to/45z58Tw

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

👉 https://amzn.to/4sX4Yze

The Women by Kristin Hannah

👉 https://amzn.to/49WSw9Y

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

👉 https://amzn.to/45YEsM0

The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz

👉 https://amzn.to/4pXR6SI

When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister

👉 https://amzn.to/4aeaTbN

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

👉 https://amzn.to/4qErV8G

Mythos by Stephen Fry

👉 https://amzn.to/49UxzML

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson

👉 https://amzn.to/4abQsw6

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch

👉 https://amzn.to/4bTuYoZ

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

👉 https://amzn.to/4rhHy68

Atomic Habits by James Clear

👉 https://amzn.to/49TMMhd

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

👉 https://amzn.to/4qEflWZ

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

👉 https://amzn.to/4qHuKpR

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

👉 https://amzn.to/3M5Idsg

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

👉 https://amzn.to/4t7f2G7

Becoming by Michelle Obama

👉 https://amzn.to/45vGjI9

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

👉 https://amzn.to/4aeOriI

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

👉 https://amzn.to/4jVYvjQ

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

👉 https://amzn.to/3ZwTTr7

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

👉 https://amzn.to/4qA0Of2

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

👉 https://amzn.to/4qO1NZq

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

👉 https://amzn.to/4bdlnJw

Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy

👉 https://amzn.to/4pZNnUD

Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding

👉 https://amzn.to/49Vk8fw

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

👉 https://amzn.to/4qJE64i

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

👉 https://amzn.to/3NET8K3

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

👉 https://amzn.to/45R0lNt

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

👉 https://amzn.to/4rbgXYd

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

👉 https://amzn.to/49UzrVN

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

👉 https://amzn.to/4ryzkqv

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
👉 https://amzn.to/4pZOjZ9

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