As winter blankets us in its chilly embrace, there’s no better time to dive into a good book — one that warms the heart or maybe provides a bit of a challenge! In this article, our community members share their top winter reading recommendations — books that inspire resilience, spark joy, and encourage meaningful conversations about mental well-being. Join us as we explore these literary finds that are perfect for hibernation season!
The Life Impossible
by Matt Haig
“The Life Impossible by Matt Haig introduces us to Grace Winters, a retired math teacher who rediscovers her zest for life after inheriting a house on the vibrant island of Ibiza. Grace’s journey out of anhedonia — from feeling nothing to feeling everything — is beautifully transformative and deeply relatable. Despite being post-menopausal, she dives headfirst into the island’s exuberant nightlife, proving that joy and adventure are ageless. This book left me feeling inspired and reminded me of the surprising ways life can reignite our passion for living.”
Recommended by:
Rosie Jeffares-Levitt
Friend of Eli’s Place
Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life
by James Middleton
“James Middleton, Princess Kate’s brother, shares his deeply personal story of living with depression and dyslexia and how his dog Ella became the catalyst for his healing journey in his memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. I am not a pet owner, but this book made me realize how caring for an animal and receiving unconditional love in return can make a life changing difference in one’s mental health. It is a heartwarming, hopeful, and uplifting story.”
Recommended by:
Carolyn Berthelet
Friend of Eli’s Place
Soulbroken: A Guidebook For Your Journey
Through Ambiguous Grief
by Stephanie Sarazin
“When we lose a loved one there are rituals to help us and people to support us through our grief. However, many of us struggle with a grief that is not caused by death, but by something more elusive yet equally painful to navigate: this is called ambiguous grief. For parents who have a child struggling with addiction and/or mental illness, this journey is triggered by the death of our dreams for our child and our complicated relationship with their challenges. I highly recommend Soulbroken, by grief educator Sarah Sarazin who shares advice and exercises for regaining your equilibrium and reimagining life.”
Recommended by:
Sara Moore
Volunteer Communications Committee
Permanent Astonishment
By Tomson Highway
“I was so moved by the strength and resilience of Tomson Highway’s most engaging memoir, Permanent Astonishment. Tomson’s life wasn’t easy, but his incredibly positive attitude, and love of living was an absolute inspiration to me. I easily became lost in both the stunning descriptive language as well as this remarkable, enlightening personal story. I believe this book is a testament to the power of love and viewing life through a lens of hope and faith.”
Recommended by:
Deborah Cooper
Co-Founder Eli’s Place
Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me,
Depression in the First Person
by Anna Mehler Paperny
“Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me, Depression in the First Person by Anna Mehler Paperny, a Toronto journalist, is genre defying. Billed as a memoir, the book leans more on the research Paperny completed via interviews, conversations and scientific papers augmented with her personal experiences as a psychiatric inpatient and someone living with depression. Of course there is no easy “fix” for suicidality and depression, but I found this book enlarged my understanding of the limitations and possibilities of contemporary psychiatric medicine.”
Recommended by:
Kate Kostandoff
Board Member
Eli’s Place will be a rural, residential treatment program for young adults with serious mental illness. To learn more about our mission and our proven-effective model click here.
