What is Bibliotherapy?

As Book Riot describes it: "The Guardian reported recently that some doctors in England are set to begin prescribing books instead of drugs for their patients with mild-to-moderate mental health concerns, so why not have someone whose job it is to prescribe books for whatever ails you, be it physical or existential? I suppose you might already have access to this kind of service if you are particularly close to a bookseller or librarian (or if you have poor boundaries and tell anyone who will listen about your issues–speaking of, there’s a book for that). How great would it be if you could make an appointment or have a regular date with your bibliotherapist where you could dish about your mood, your travel plans, the annoying thing your husband is doing lately, your recent bout of insomnia, and the song that won’t get out of your head, and they would prescribe the perfect book to make you happy again?"

This is what I propose to do for you, my dear readers. Contact me (see the form in the sidebar) with your stories, problems, your woes and worries. Where it asks for a name, write any tagline you wish that sums up your message. I will post your message and my reply here on this blog within 24 hours. Please include a preferred format: fiction/non-fiction, poetry, essays, short story. You may also make a note of any type of writing that you absolutely cannot stand to read. PLEASE NOTE: If you accidentally put your real name or any identifying info, I will keep it out of the post and change your name to match your message's content. I will keep everything private to protect your identity. I only want to help you, so here's my promise to never use the knowledge you give me for anything other than bibliotherapy.

I have always sought and found solace in books my whole life. I wish to share that peace and joy with you, my darling fellow readers.

With great love and compassion, best is a book twice read,
Your Bibliotherapist

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Dear Bibliotherapist, From Captivated

 (Being a continuation of an IRL personal recommendation)
Soooo I finished Captivating a little while ago and it was oh-so "captivating"! I rather enjoyed it and have been recommending it to all of my female friends!

Now I'm needing a new book to read...and I'm thinking something light and fun, something entertaining. My life has been a bit stressful, but not unbearably so. I think I would like something funny and or enjoyable to immerse myself into so it can take the edge off of the stress stuff. My husband works late and I hate getting sucked into watching TV when there's nothing on, I'd like to fill my mind with fun, happy & enjoyable things! Please let me know what you recommend I read next!
Thanks!
Sincerely,

Captivated

Dearest Captivated,

I'm so glad you enjoyed Captivating! It's a book dear to my heart, for sure.

So you're looking for something light, and fun. That's a tough one for me, because I'm a sucker for soul-shaking books. But I know I've got some entertaining reads in my repertoire, just for you!

Something fun for you might be The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble. This one is about two sisters, one came from a seashell, and the other came from a stork. They are raised by an elderly fairy(human sized, not tiny flittering wing size), and as the sisters turn 16, Maren begins her transformation into a mermaid. The other sister, Clara, will stop at nothing to rescue her sister from this fate. It's a fantastical, wonderful journey, and a really good book. Think Neil Gaiman's Stardust(another one you should look into!) or The Princess Bride. I think you'll really enjoy this one.

If you haven't read Brian Jacques' Redwall series, this might be a good time to do so. It might be regarded as a children's series, like Narnia, but I heartily disagree. Sometimes the lessons we leave for children are lessons people of all ages need to learn and relearn throughout their life. And with Redwall, besides lessons about friendship, loyalty and love, you have talking animals, adventures and life-saving destinies. What more could you want in fun and entertaining?

I saved the best for last. I just started a book that I've been meaning to read for years, called The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I don't always like suggesting books before I've finished them, but I think this book merits enough to garner a recommendation. I have fallen deeply in love with this book. It conjures up Barcelona in a beautifully simple way, not overbearing with too many fancy words or names that I don't recognize. The story, though a little bit dark and very mysterious, has caught me in such a way that I can't wait to see what happens on the next page. The protagonist, Daniel, is brought to a mysterious library full of ancient forgotten books. His father tells him to pick one(how in the world could he pick?! I definitely wouldn't be able to), and young Daniel chooses a book by a fairly unknown author, Julián Carax. What he then falls into is a mystery of why the author is unknown(the book he chooses is one of those life-changing types), and why this strange, haunting man follows him, this man who is determined to destroy all of Carax's books and wipe them from all memory. And the best part about this book? It's a series! This is a translation from Spanish, and I feel like a lot of the romance and wonder of this book resides there, in between the two languages. It's extremely well-written and translated clearly. I highly suggest this one, for sure!

Well, here's a couple to choose from, I hope you find what you're looking for in those! From The Shadow of the Wind, I give you a quote about the wonder of universes hidden inside books and why reading is such a great pastime:
“After a while it occurred to me that between the covers of each of those books lay a boundless universe waiting to be discovered while beyond those walls, in the outside world, people allowed life to pass by in afternoons of football and radio soaps, content to do little more than gaze at their navels.” 
Happy reading!
Best is a book twice read,

Your Bibliotherapist
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