If you’re ready to explore bibliotherapy, this is the perfect time to dive in! Instead of reaching for a summer beach read, try picking up one of these works prescribed by biblio/psychotherapist Emely Rumble.
Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, there’s something on this list to appeal to you. Check out what she recommends — and why.
1. Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
A quietly powerful novel about a tragic moment that ripples through generations of two families. Shapiro masterfully explores time, memory, guilt, and the unspoken things that shape our lives. It’s intimate, tender, and beautifully written.
2. Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
Sexy, smart, and emotionally layered, this novel explores the tension between caregiving and self-abandonment. Hendrix Barry is juggling an elite career and caring for an aging parent. Romance isn’t part of the plan. Until Maverick Bell enters her life. Ryan writes with compassion and complexity about falling in love, boundaries, and choosing joy even in the midst of responsibility.
3. Of My Own Making by Daria Burke
A stunning memoir about surviving childhood trauma and rewriting your story through reflection, science, and soul work. Daria Burke traces her path from a neglected upbringing to the C-Suite, while diving deep into neuroplasticity, reparenting, and resilience. A must-read for those healing old wounds and reclaiming authorship over their lives. This one is part memoir, part mirror.
4. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
This novel is a gift for anyone grappling with questions of worth, generational wounds, or the long shadow of loneliness. It’s about the grace of second chances, the intimacy of care work, and the small, sacred ways we learn to keep living.
5. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
Part meditation guide, part emotional healing manual—this book is a balm for women learning to let go of perfectionism and self-judgment. Brach explores the healing power of mindfulness and compassion as a guide for inner peace.
If you’d like to join Emely’s book club to talk more about books, click here. Or listen to the Live Happy Now podcast episode featuring Emely Rumble.
