Summer Reading List - BCBWP Staff Top Picks

Feeling like you need a good book to enjoy this summer? Check out the list of favorites from the staff at the BC Brain Wellness Program. And as an alternative to sitting and reading, consider listening while walking with the option of audiobooks from Vancouver Public Library using the Libby app: https://www.vpl.ca/digital-library/vpl-go 

 
Basma 

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein 

An illustrated children’s book about the story of generosity and the emotional rewards of giving. 
 https://www.amazon.ca/Giving-Tree-Shel-Silverstein/dp/0060256656 

101 Essays that will Change the Way you Think by Brainna Wiest 

A collection of the author, Brianna Wiest's, short essays about the resistance between what’s right and what’s easy. Shifting your mindset about problems being roadblocks when they are pathways and embracing daily routine with a lens of wisdom. 

Elaine 

The Love Prescription: Seven Days to more Intimacy, Connection and Joy by John and Julie Gottman 

Drs. John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman are the world’s leading relationship scientists. The Love Prescription distills their life’s work into a bite-size, seven-day action plan with easy and immediately actionable steps. Anyone can do this, from any starting point. There is a formula for a good relationship, and this book will show you how a few small changes can fundamentally transform your relationship for the better.  

Breaking the age code: How your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and How Well You Live by Becca Levy 

Yale professor and leading expert on the psychology of successful aging, Dr. Becca Levy, draws on her ground-breaking research to show how age beliefs can be improved so they benefit all aspects of the aging process, including the way genes operate and the extension of life expectancy by 7.5 years. 

The Boy, the Fox, the Horse and the Mole by Charlie Mackesy 

Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox, and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.  

Alex 

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 

This book is an autobiographical memoir by a neurosurgeon detailing his life and his contemplation on mortality through his studies and own battle against lung cancer. 

Hanna 

 How Not to Die by Dr. Micheal Greger  

Dr. Greger is a very well-known researcher in the nutrition realm (also the creator of NutritionFacts.org), and throughout this book, describes how a plant-based diet could potentially prevent and reverse the leading causes of death.  

Cynthia 

Surrender by Bono 

Episodic and irreverent, introspective and illuminating, Surrender is Bono's life story, organized—but not too tidily—around forty U2 songs. 

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 

Bel Canto balances themes of love and crisis as disparate characters learn that music is their only common language. 

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason 

In 1886 a shy, middle-aged piano tuner named Edgar Drake receives an unusual commission from the British War to travel to the remote jungles of northeast Burma and repair a rare piano belonging to an eccentric army surgeon who has proven mysteriously indispensable to the imperial design. 

Cheyanne 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner 

A beautifully written memoir about how a family connects through food, a challenging mother-daughter relationship, and a journey through grief. 

Susie 

Save me the Plums by Ruth Reichl 

Trailblazing food writer and beloved restaurant critic Ruthe Reichl took the job and risk of a lifetime when she entered the high-stakes world of magazine publishing. 

Megan 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman    

The novel deals with themes of isolation and loneliness, depicting Eleanor's transformational journey towards a fuller understanding of self and life. 

Bonnie 

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 

A transcendental experience of parallel stories about a young runaway boy in search of his family, and an elderly man burdened with a mysterious wartime affliction; this book, with its extraordinary events and vivid descriptions, re-evaluates the concepts of love, memory, loss, and reality.  

Matt 

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae 

Everyone can dance if they find the right song – advice that rings true through your whole life. 

The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland 

All I really want is a quiet place to sleep – words that every new parent utters. 

You Are Home  by Mackenzie Porter 

Giving little pieces of yourself to your kids make them who they are! 

Silke 

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen