One of my favorite self-care habits is to make a bowl of stove-popped popcorn (or now in the popcorn machine the Scotsman bought me) and curl up with a good book. In times of angst, I find myself especially drawn to the comfort of escaping into other worlds. Here are a few books that helped me during particularly difficult patches in my life.

Bet Me: Jennifer Crusie
This is one of my favorite go-to books that I will read over and over again. I love the humor and the romance, no matter what - it always picks me up.

Leave a Cheater: Gain a Life: The Chump Lady’s Survival Guide - By Tracy Shorne
The title says it all! I do recommend if you ever find yourself in this situation - let this book be your guide. It’s amazing! Or, if you want to see how it changed my life - read Ms. Bitch. :)

Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives - by Brian Weiss.
I found this book to be quite interesting. Though it can be a little salesy when it comes to pushing the author’s own talks, I do think the experience he had with his patient was really fascinating and food for thought. If anything, it has sparked some decent discussions with friends about putting our journey through life in perspective.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
If you have followed True Blood on HBO, this is the series that started it all. There is much more humor in the books than translated into the show, and I highly recommend this entire series.

E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout
I really enjoyed this read and also tried out conducting some of the energy experiments in the book. I think you might be surprised by the results! Give it a go and let me know if any work for you.

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling
I’ve always enjoyed her as an actress, and admire her achievements as a writer and a producer. She’s had to break down a lot of walls to get where she is today. I always admire strong women.

In Praise of Difficult Women by Karen Karbo
As a difficult woman myself, I highly enjoyed reading about other strong women. We can all inspire and lift each other up.

The Rules of Magic: By Alice Hoffman
The precursor to the book: Practical Magic. I love her writing style and how the author’s mind works. Highly recommend!

Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant
A simple concept with relatively simple delivery, but surprisingly effective.

Tricia O'Malley is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, etc.