It’s Friday once again and that means it’s time for Connect Five Friday, hosted at Book Date by Kathryn – the meme where we share five book/reading things that connect in some way.
As I was checking what books I could read for the coming August challenges, I realized that I have many of the books on my TBR for the challenge for Diversity. The category for their August pick is “Mental Health/Addiction”
Here are 5 books relating to mental health/addiction I hope to read
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells. A memoir
From Goodreads: “Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.”
From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle. A moving debut memoir
From Goodreads: “n this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle—once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar—chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is.”
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. A harrowing memoir of her 2 years in a mental hospital.
From Goodreads: “Kaysen’s memoir encompasses horror and razor-edged perception while providing vivid portraits of her fellow patients and their keepers. It is a brilliant evocation of a “parallel universe” set within the kaleidoscopically shifting landscape of the late sixties.”
Dear Scarlet by Teresa Wong. A graphic novel/memoir about her postpartum depression.
From Goodreads: “In this intimate and moving graphic memoir, Teresa Wong writes and illustrates the story of her struggle with postpartum depression in the form of a letter to her daughter Scarlet. Equal parts heartbreaking and funny, Dear Scarlet perfectly captures the quiet desperation of those suffering from PPD and the profound feelings of inadequacy and loss.”
Legacy by Suzanne Methot. “Trauma, story and indigenous healing”
From Goodreads: “With passionate argumentation and chillingly clear prose, author and educator Suzanne Methot uses her own and others’ stories to trace the roots of colonial trauma and the mechanisms by which trauma has become intergenerational, and she explores the Indigenous ways of knowing that can lead us toward change.”
Beverley A Baird 
What a great topic – going to make for tough but rewarding reading I suspect.
So agree Kathryn So many fascinating memoirs out there.
What a great list. I’ve only read “Dear Scarlet”, which I highly recommend. The first two I’ve wanted to read for a long time, and the third I know in its movie version.
Thanks Linda. I haven’t read any. There was a wonderful article in today’sToronto Star by Jesse Thistle – about the difference between how he and his wife approached the pandemic.
Cool! I’ll have to look it up.