Hi, all. I’m 25F and have always struggled with severe depression that I hide well. I’ve always craved friendship more than anything, but really struggled to make friends despite being incredibly lonely. I am a single mom to a 2 year old and around the time she was born all of my family moved far away. I’ve recently given up all effort at finding friends or taking care of myself outside of work, and find every aspect of my life mind numbing and pointless.
I want any book recommendations that will make me feel something. I am in desperate need of anything that might give me reason to think, live, be happy, laugh, cry, etc. I have no specific interests to note, it’s been years since I’ve read. Thank you!
by here4dagoodstuff
7 Comments
I don’t have a book suggestion, I’m just sending my love. I know how lonely life can be x
The Midnight Library is a nice book.
From Goodreads:
“Between life and death there is a library.
When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.
The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.
Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?”
In essence, she’s a depressed woman who “decides to die”. During the process, she enters into some strange purgatory – a library, with her old school librarian. The shelves are stacked infinitely high and run infinitely long. Each book is an alternate timeline. The librarian grants her that ability to peak inside each book and live these lives for a short period. “The grass is always greener” isn’t always true; she chooses lives where she assumes the right decision would result in a happy ever after, but each new timeline brings with it it’s own stresses.
The message is: ruminating on the past won’t change our future, because we can’t change the past. We CAN change the future, and whilst “perfect” isn’t real, the human experience is complex and full of so many potent emotions.
It’s a nice book for some perspective, and quite a short read!
hi, “before i die” helped me a lot, because it’s not extremely sad, it has an entertaining plot (maybe a lil predictable too) but i loved it, seeing somebody with so much to live for but not having enough time to, made me appreciate being alive and healthy, bc not everyone has the same luck. The protagonists are teenagers but i’m sure you’ll love it either way.
I send you a big hug, everything will be ok, everything has a solution ❤️
The Asia Saga by James Clavell. Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Piranesi by Susana Clark. 👍
I have been there, and I am so sorry that you are going through this. I sincerely hope things get better for you. I have no idea if these will help you at all, but I will list the books that have gotten me through similar bad times in my life, maybe one of them will help you like it did me. I find emotional release, inspiration, and all manner of help with my mental illnesses and struggles in general through fantasy and other fiction.
Here are some that could be therapeutic:
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison – themes of coping with loneliness and isolation, desiring connection and love and being unable to get it, compassion and building connections
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba – friendship, grief and loss, isolation and being separated from everyone and everything you know, with some great escapist elements and humor as well
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin – mental health struggles, ocd/ptsd/autism/phobias
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See – isolation and being separated from everyone and everything you know, loneliness and sadness, chronic pain, grief and loss
Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang – oppression/racism/sexism, justice, sacrifice
A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers – starting over in life, loss and rediscovery of passion
Here are some that are largely escapism in my opinion:
Cradle series by Will Wight – underdog working to become strong enough to save his home and family, progression fantasy so focused on the main characters getting stronger
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland – MM romance in a fantasy setting
Any of Samantha Irby’s books of memoir essays. I read Wow, No Thank You during a really bleak time in my life, and it helped me so much- beyond just the laughs. And all of them are that good. Truly, if you’re going through a questioning of reasons to live time, I cannot recommend her memoirs enough.
You’re not alone, please know that! I really struggle with depression and anxiety too, and when things get overwhelming for me I like to read romance. Usually the silly, feel-good, wish-fulfillment, guilty-pleasure kind of book that you can and escape into for a while. Feels like a warm hug and a lot of the time it makes me cry (in a good way), which is somewhat cathartic because I’m usually just feeling empty lol.
Some of my recent favourites have been:
– Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
– Spotless by Camilla Monk
– Billionaires of Manhattan series by Annika Martin
– The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker
– Failure to Match by Kyra Parsi
And an honourable mention to Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, my ultimate comfort read. It’s not romance but it’s cozy and whimsical and I adore it.
Sending you lots of love, I hope you feel better soon!