A book about love, illness and being brave. Maddy has a rare disease that makes her allergic to everything. She is so ill that she can’t go outside, and she only ever sees her mum and her nurse. But then Olly moves into the house opposite, and he is opposite to her in so many ways: he’s adventurous, athletic and daring. They’re literally neighbours, but because of Maddy’s illness, they  can’t get to know each other in person, so they have to do it through emails.  This is a book about taking risks. It brings to mind that “No guts, no glory” quote because, as this book shows, sometimes, if we don’t take risks, it can be just as damaging as when we take one and it goes wrong.  It’s also a book about overprotective parents, and deciding what’s best for yourself, because no one knows you better than you do.  “Everything’s a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It’s up to you.” #overprotectiveparents #illness  Video review here

The reality of racism in America.  Khalil is pulled over for “failing to signal a lane change.” When the police officer claims to mistake Khalil’s hairbrush for a gun, the officer shoots Khalil dead, right in front of Starr. The story that follows is Starr’s fight to honour Khalil, and her fight against systemic racism in America.  While Khalil’s story is fictional, there are so many TRUE stories that follow the same narrative of “unarmed black person gets killed by police.” George Floyd. Breanna Taylor . . . If you click here , you will find a sickeningly long list of names. THUG is the truth about white privilege and corruption in the American justice system. Reading this book, I felt every emotion on the spectrum, but mostly rage. Starr obviously feels that more strongly than anyone, but she manages to turn her rage into a superpower, sharing Khalil’s truth, and fighting racism, through her activism. It’s a must-read (and watch - the film is great too).  “What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?” This is a book for anyone who wants to explore #racism #protest Video review here

The importance of kindness to others, and ourselves: especially the bits we don’t like. Olive has a diagnosis, but she doesn’t want to know what it is, although it’s enough to get her a place at Camp Reset, a summer camp with a programme for people with mental illnesses. Olive and the friends she makes go through some super low times. You watch them self-sabotage, and that’s tough, but you also watch them heal through therapy and friendship. In classic Holly Bourne style, I was laughing the whole way through. She strikes the perfect balance of light and dark.  “It’s okay to not be okay, as long as you don’t stay that way.”  This is a book for anyone struggling with #mentalhealth #anxiety #depression #bipolar #friendship #intervention  Video review here

A summery love triangle with some lessons in heartbreak. Belly (Isabel) and her family have been going on the same summer holiday for Belly’s whole life, and they always stay with the same family. The mums are best friends. And the two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, are close with Belly’s brother, which has meant Belly has often felt left out.  But this year, Conrad and Jeremiah start to look at her a lot differently, and it’s looking inevitable that someone’s feelings are going to get hurt.  On top of that, the parents are trying (and failing) to keep some life changing news from the kids, so tensions are running high. It’s time to find out who means what to whom, and what’s most important, because summer, the way the two families have always known it, won’t last forever. This is a book for #heartbreak, #relationships and #parentalillness.  Video review here

Teens are sent to a facility to help improve their mental health, but the tasks they must complete are dangerous and degrading. Seb is sent to Happy Head, thinking it’s going to help him with his anxiety and depression. He’s forced to share embarrassing information in front of his peers, subjected to horrible treatments and has to complete dangerous tasks. So while there are obvious mental health themes in this book, the reason I chose it was not because I find it soothing in any way; I chose it because sometimes it’s helpful to see an example of what not  to do.  Seb goes to great lengths to people please, to the extent that his mental health deteriorates in this backwards environment that is allegedly meant to make him feel better. He’s under immense pressure, and lives in fear of failure and judgement. He knows it’s wrong, but that pull to people please makes him continue. This book will show you the danger of betraying yourself. This book is for anyone who struggles with #peoplepleasing #mentalhealth #anxiety #depression Video review here

Like a pharmacy in a book, with a poem to treat every part of you that hurts. This is your book-sized best mate who has all the right things to say. These poems are so relatable. Self-loathing? Yup, been there. Broken-hearted? Tick. Hating my body? Yep. Worried about the planet? Identity? Social media? Yep. Yep. Yep.  Gill’s poetry is full of empathy, proving we aren’t alone in our experiences. I wish I had known earlier that I wasn't alone, because that message, when it really sinks in, is life-changing. “You are angry and anxious  because you never agreed  to live in a burning home while the people who should care pretend the fire doesn’t exist.” From the poem ‘For When You Need Validation For Your Anger’ This is a book for anyone struggling with #bodyimage, #eatingdisorders, #sexualidentity, a #brokenheart, #racism, #climateanxiety, #sexualassault, #socialmedia. Video review here

Two best friends find out what they really mean to each other.  Finn and Autumn grew up doing everything together — they are even next door neighbours. And while they grow apart in high school, they’re still there for each other when it counts. It’s not an obvious ‘remedy’ book, but it has themes of grief, breaking up and parents breaking up. If you’re processing a similar experience, you might share some of Autumn’s feelings. In her case, her friendship with Finn carries her through her low points and even depression. For these two, first love is as powerful as it’s cracked up to be.  “I love him in a way I cannot define, as if my love were an organ within my body that I could not live without yet could not pick out of an anatomy book.” This is a book about #friendship and could be helpful to you if you’re struggling with #heartbreak #depression or #parentsbreakingup Video review here

Struggling with identity and finding it through drag. This coming-of-age verse novel is about sexual and racial identity. Micheal is gay. Michael is part Greek-Cypriot. Michael is part Jamaican. But none of those labels feels right. So who is Michael, really? “I feel like Goldilocks: trying to find a group of people the perfect fit for me. A group that’s ‘just right.’ I didn’t feel black enough for African Caribbean Society, I didn’t feel Greek enough for Hellenic Society, I didn’t feel queer enough for LGBT Society.” Some bits of this book were so painful I had to stare at the wall and take deep breaths to recover. Reading about the bullying Michael endures isn’t easy. But watching him find himself through drag, and become more confident, is inspirational and so beautiful. This is a book for anyone struggling with #racialidentity or #sexualidentity. It has themes of #LGBT #comingout #drag #fittingin #identity Video review here

When the modern world is driving you crazy, this book will make you feel sane. Modern life is designed to make us feel anxious and depressed. We’re hooked on our phones, high on buying stuff we don’t need, and we’re low on sleep. That’s not really news, but Matt Haig explores the ways people are profiting from making us feel shit, and how the inadequacy we feel is only ever temporarily relieved by stuff we buy, or by the likes we get on social media.  He also explores how overloaded we are: 24 hour news, constant notifications — it doesn’t stop, and it’s completely overwhelming. A recipe for anxiety. Once you read this book, it’s hard to unsee.  Notes on a Nervous Planet is funny and it’s hopeful, and it helps you realise how much this world is messing with our heads, and all the things we can do about it.  “I sometimes feel like my head is a computer with too many windows open. Too much clutter on the desktop. There is a metaphorical spinning rainbow wheel inside me. Disabling me. And if only I could find a way to switch off some of the frames, if only I could drag some of the clutter into the trash, then I would be fine.” This is a book for anyone struggling with #anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #modernlife #consumerism and #socialmedia Video review here

When you’re neck-deep in a mess you didn’t create. Marlon has always stayed the right side of the law, he tries hard in school, and he’s good to his mum. But his life is being ruined by a group who want payback for something his brother did.  Out of nowhere, the hottest girl Marlon knows asks him on a date to the fair — it’s amazing, it’s perfect - and then suddenly, it’s terrifying and tragic. Now, Marlon is grieving, confused and scared, and he’s scared, not only for his life, but the lives of his mum and best friend. How far will he go to protect them? “Not cool enough, not clever enough, not street enough for anyone to notice me. I was the kid people looked straight through.” This YA thriller is for anyone struggling between what’s  #rightandwrong , or feeling confused and helpless in a situation they didn’t create. It has themes of #grief , #friendship , #family , #drugs , #gangs and it’s about finding inner strength for when you’re in a really tough spot.  Video review here

Girl rejects love, then finds it in a thrift store. This queer rom-com is HILARIOUS. I laughed hysterically, and loved Phoebe, the main character, despite her spikiness.  When Phoebe’s best friend ditches her for a boy, she thinks love makes people complete idiots and that everything about it is cringe. But when she gets a job in a thrift store, she meets someone who changes her mind. If we go by the old saying that “Laughter is the best medicine,” this book is great for anyone looking for some relief from everyday troubles. But it also explores difficult mother-daughter relationships, grief, the stress of getting through GCSEs, and the importance of friendship.  “My life would be so much easier if I wasn’t this awkward.”  This book could help if you are struggling with #parents #estrangement #sexualidentity #examstress #GCSE #friendship Video review here

Real friends can help you through anything, and will love you for who you are.  Charlie’s always felt a bit different, and he’s felt more like a spectator than a person who gets stuck in. He’s been going through a lot: panic attacks, family stress, and his best friend recently committed suicide.  When he makes friends with Sam and Patrick, things improve in lots of ways, but Charlie has a dark past that’s still eating away at him.  This is, hands down, one of my favourite books. I love Charlie, his kindness, naivety, intelligence and the beautiful way he sees the world from his perspective as a wallflower.  “We accept the love we think we deserve.”  This is a book for anyone struggling with #PTSD, #sexual assault, #anxiety, #suicide or feeling like a #misfit.  Video review here