Today is #BellLetsTalk Day! For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a day where Bell pledges to donate 5 cents to mental health initiatives for every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, among other things! So, in the spirit of talking and listening, here are some of the books we’ll be reading this year!

For reassurance (in a non-preachy, down-to-earth, and often funny way) when you need it the most: The Matt Haig Holy Trifecta

Reasons to Stay Alive, The Humans, and Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

Matt Haig combines wit, wisdom, and heart to create a series of books – both fiction and non-fiction, and for all ages of readers – that gets at the core of understanding your own mental health and helping others who struggle with their mental health.

For anyone who turns to fiction for understanding

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappta
The Rest of Us Just Live Here and Release by Patrick Ness
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too by jomny sun

Sometimes fiction can be more relatable than the truth, and these books absolutely nail what it’s like to live with various types of mental illnesses.

For anyone looking to connect or understand the lives of other people

My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Notes on a Banana by David Leite
Project Semicolon by Amy Bleuel

And sometimes it’s helpful to read about the lived experiences of others to know that you are not alone.

What are your favourite, go-to books about mental health? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @SavvyReader, and be sure to include #BellLetsTalk!

Remember: you are not alone.

Jesse

Follow me on Twitter @JesseDorey15