Top 5 Wednesday: Mental Health/Illness

This weeks Top 5 Wednesday has me talking about my favorite books that cover the issue of wellness, including body and mind. Let’s get started!

1. If I Stay — Gayle Forman

This book is about a girl who is in a coma after a car accident that killed her parents. She can choose to rejoin the world where her boyfriend is, or end her life and go somewhere else, somewhere where her parents are. I really loved this book because it shows the reader something we can only imagine — life for a coma patient. We hope they can hear us, but we really don’t know. It’s a sad story but a powerful one.

2. The Bell Jar — Sylvia Plath

I love “The Bell Jar.” I think it highlights the most important things about mental illness and trying to understand it. If you want to know more about my thoughts on this book, you can read my review.

3. The Silver Linings Playbook — Matthew Quick

I’ll get this out of the way first, but the book is better than the movie. In the book, the reader gets a deeper look into Pat’s psyche and all the monsters he is battling inside his head. I really really  recommend this book to people who loved the movie.

4. Thirteen Reasons Why — Jay Asher

I read this book a long time ago, but I thought it was amazing after my first read. A girl who committed suicide has left tapes for people and explains to them how they played a role in her suicide. It is a haunting story that shows how even the little action, or lack of action, can forever alter a persons life.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky

I also reviewed “Perks” because I love it so much. It especially looks at how sometimes the people who struggle with mental illness don’t even know it until it’s too late. This book shines a light on what’s important in life and how we can overcome even our deepest struggles.

Happy reading,
Kimberly