I recently asked some writer friends to share with me what books they turn to in difficult times. So many people responded that this will be the first of two posts – the next one will be posted partway through February.
I appreciate the time and thought people devoted to their responses. There is inspiration here, both in the books they’ve suggested and in their reasons for choosing those books. Thank you, all!
Thank you also, to my friend, Kathy, who suggested I do this blog post. It was an inspired idea.
Pamela Courtney, children’s author: I thought a lot about this. And it occurred to me the two books I have gone to for a feeling of love, security, pride, tradition, and heritage.
As a child, I chose or better yet, I begged my parents to allow me to live with my grandmother. Whenever I was missing my siblings (I was the oldest of 5, well at that time, our family grew to eight offspring), I would reach for my Madear’s gold embossed family bible. It’s special to me because when I was in 3rd grade my grandmother had me fill in the names of all my relatives in this book. Looking at these dates, how I was related to them, was all there. But there were stories that came with many of the entries. So much pride and legacy.
As an adult, the other is our cookbook. So much tradition and culture and ohhh the stories and family trash talk about whose recipe was best, or whose recipe was great but their plated dish “Did not pass the spoon.” So much life and love in that cookbook. I often find myself with that book in hand for solace.
Becky Levine, children’s author: The first book I read after the 2016 election, as an intentional reread, was Kristin Cashore’s BITTERBLUE. I was SO angry, and I needed to read about a woman who was smarter than everyone around her and whose intelligence basically saved her realm and brought it back from the edge of destruction.
Then, the first book I read after this last election, was also an intentional reread – THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA. This time I needed to read about love and kindness, to remind myself that they exist and can make a difference.
Deborah Underwood, children’s author: My pick is THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune. It’s a book about changing hearts and kindness and inclusion and love, and that’s pretty much exactly what we need right now.
Wendie Olde, children’s author: I always like to get involved in other worlds. For example, I own a lot of Mercedes Lackey’s books and am deep in the world of Valdemar. Talking horses (mentally), magic and monsters, what more can you want to distract yourself from today’s world?
Teresa Robeson, author of children’s literature: The book that helps me through difficult times is, funny enough, THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams. Humor, especially absurd, dead-pan humor helps to distract me from the distressing situation we’re in. A friend of mine gave me a towel embroidered with the THGTTG’s logo “Don’t Panic” on it, which I find really comforting to see and to remind myself.
Here’s a photo of the towel. Isn’t it great? Thanks for sharing it, Teresa!
Emma Walton Hamilton, author: When times are tough and my mental state suffers, a book I often refer to is an old one by Hugh Prather – HOW TO LIVE IN THE WORLD AND STILL BE HAPPY. It beautifully reminds me that the only real thing I have any control over is my own mind, and helps me access the calm that can be found in the present moment.
Carol Doeringer, author of the picture book, If You Wake a Skunk: Demoralized by our national politics, I’m turning to historical fiction for respite and perspective. I just finished reading THE PARIS ORPHAN by Natasha Lester, based loosely on the true story of a WW II female journalist who pushed back against both misogyny and battlefield-reporting convention. The book reminds me to value and support those who use their strong moral compasses to fight injustice and speak truth to power.
Kathy Halsey, children’s author: As writers, sooner or later we will need the gift of patience and the fortitude to wait. We wait for submissions, we wait for an agent, we wait for a manuscript to ripen so we have fresh eyes. Today, I offer you some quotes and inspiration on this crucial skill, especially now. In 2025, I feel distracted and disheartened by the backward direction our country is taking, but I know the path of SIDDARTHA is a form of hope and resistance in hard times.
Since my college days, SIDDARTHA by Herman Hesse has been one of my go-to cherished books. There was a time when I knew much of it by heart. I remembered that Siddartha could conquer obstacles by perfecting these skills: thinking, fasting, and waiting.
“When someone is seeking,” said Siddartha, “It happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything, because he is only thinking of the thing he is seeking, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
To me, Hesse here is describing the writer’s goal of publication and the unsettled feeling when life’s circumstances feel beyond our control. If that is all we see, we may miss the fruits of the journey: friendships formed, connections that are established, finding our voice and using it for good. There is hope and strength in quietude.
See you back here on February 12 for Part 2!
These are all wonderful reflections, and now my TBR list has grown! Great post, Beth. Thank you for inviting me to participate.
Thank YOU, Carol! My TBR list has grown, too!
What terrific words and recommendations from everyone! It’s good to know what like-minded folks are turning to to sustain themselves during this tide of evil we’re facing right now.
Yes, indeed. Thank you, Teresa!
Teresa, of course, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galazy is a classic to get lost in and enjoy! Love your towel!