The Blessings of Books
To be taken into the heart and led by the feet of another, through the portal of our imagination. Carried on by the lines of words shared from one to another.
Like a thread weaving lives together through real or imagined experiences.
Books and similar resources can make a world of difference by helping us connect with the author and the story's characters. When we see ourselves in others, we can create a sense of connection, empathy, and acceptance and help normalise our big feelings that others may not appreciate.
Our staff have read the recommended books below.
The Grief Bibliography is a collection curated by Marty Tousley, a grief counsellor.
Words carry what they are, and poetry is not just for literary-minded poetry buffs; it can be used in so many ways to ease the rub of this life – a balm if you like. I hope you will find comfort and new perspectives in my books and some things you already knew but had perhaps forgotten.
It’s a rocky ride in this world, and I like to think poetically arranged words are like medicine for soul flu. A hug on a page. A glimmer in the grey. A reminder that even in the worst of times, there is hope, there is light, and there are others who have been where you are.
The conventional view of grieving--encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance-- is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure.
In The Other Side of Sadness, psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions - anger, denial, relief, and joy - help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behaviour from the bereaved does them harm.
Grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.
A Grief Observed comprises the reflections of the great scholar and Christian on the death of his wife after only a few short years of marriage. Painfully honest in its dissection of his thoughts and feelings, this is a book that details his paralysing grief, bewilderment and sense of loss in simple and moving prose.
In this step-by-step guide, leading psychologist Dr Kristin Neff lays out an easy-to-follow path for being kinder to ourselves so we can accept our imperfections, improve our well-being, and live happier, more fulfilling lives.
What has this got to do with Grief? A lot. Our culture has such high expectations around timeframes and stoicism in the face of deep, profound pain. Admittedly, not everyone travels the road of grief the same, but for many, it is a road filled with surprises and expectations.
The power of self-compassion, giving permission and space for feelings, confusion, disassociation, and loss, along with many other experiences during this phase of life, is a powerful antidote and loving support along the journey.
A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again. An endearing novel that captured readers' hearts and introduced a fresh new voice in women's fiction--Cecelia Ahern.
Holly couldn't live without her husband, Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.
PS, I Love You is the kind of enchanting novel with cross-generational appeal that comes along once in a great while. It is a captivating love letter to the world!
[This list was last reviewed and modified on December 19, 2025.]
It has been said that every grief needs a thousand tellings. When we are stricken with grief over the loss of someone we dearly love, whether it is a special person in our lives or a treasured companion animal, we each have our own stories to tell, as well as a need to know the stories of others.
Whether written by experts in grief intervention or by ordinary people who have found their own way through grief, today there are literally dozens of excellent books on bereavement and loss, and they are readily available to all of us.
To better understand death and dying in general (and pet loss in particular), teachers, helpers, parents and children can also find and read a vast assortment of stories and books written especially for children.
I recently finished reading this book from cover to cover and will start rereading it. It took a few weeks because of the time I had, but since its messages are so impactful, they deserve time between chapters to sit, reflect, and shift your inner thoughts.
Bronnie's writing style is simply beautiful, making reading all the more pleasurable. Sharing her meanderings through life, particularly her time as an in-home palliative carer, holds many powerful messages from her clients and their regrets.
My take-home messages are to do the opposite of the regrets, just be me, get on with living the best I can, and go gently through the day's needs.
Please don't wait till the end. We are here now.
Live it, share it, love it and above all, be true to yourself!!
The Art of Dying Well is a book I enjoyed reading and certainly lived up to the posted reviews. It is well written, easy to follow, and understandable throughout. The only downside is that it is American-based, yet the principles of care, communication, and planning cross the oceans.
The principles of engaging in support services, medical intervention, compassionate care and encouraging different ways to work through grief.
As stated on Katy's site:
With groundbreaking insights and inspiring true stories, award-winning journalist and prominent end-of-life speaker Katy Butler shows how to thrive (even if coping with a chronic medical condition), get the best from our fragmented health system, and make your own peaceful, well-supported “good death” more likely.
This handbook of step-by-step preparations—practical, communal, physical, and spiritual—will help you make the most of your remaining time, be it months, years, or decades.
"Sometimes my mother thinks she lives on a ship. She doesn’t. She lives with me, a long way from the sea. Or any significant body of water. And yet: ‘Am I on a ship?’
“’No, Ma. You’re high on dry land.’
“’Oh.’
A unique combination of memoir and medicine, Rowan forensically examines the development of her mother's illness and explores dementia in a frank, illuminating and moving way.
For our February Pick of the Month, the Dementia Australia Librarians have chosen “A Silent Tsunami” by Anthea Rowan.
Find this book and audiobook in the Dementia Australia Library at https://lnkd.in/gUjFey2G
The Dementia Australia Library is free for members of the public and health and aged care professionals. Sign up to access our world-leading collection at https://lnkd.in/gktfw4c
A compassionate guide to growing, changing, and discovering meaning around loss.
If you’ve experienced loss, you may feel numb or despondent. Hearing that “time heals all wounds” can feel empty and dismissive. The truth is, you may never fully heal from loss—and that’s okay. You can still lead a rich, meaningful life. This gentle guide will help you transform the sadness of grief into validation, hope, and personal growth.
In this book, psychotherapist Alex Mammadyarov offers a comprehensive process for cultivating present-moment awareness, resilience, and self-compassion after significant loss. You’ll learn to navigate the ebbs and flows of grief, easing suffering and fostering personal growth during painful anniversaries. Comfort and clarity await as you confront a culture that often discourages open expression during this challenging time.
It's time to rethink grief—honestly and vulnerably, honouring what’s been lost. With this guide, you’ll learn to grow through your grief, creating more meaning, purpose, and connection in your life.
An exquisite memoir about how to live--and love--every day with "death in the room," from poet Nina Riggs, mother of two young sons and the direct descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in the tradition of When Breath Becomes Air.
"We are breathless, but we love the days. They are promises. They are the only way to walk from one night to the other."
Nina Riggs was just thirty-seven years old when initially diagnosed with breast cancer--one small spot. Within a year, the mother of two sons, ages seven and nine, and married sixteen years to her best friend, received the devastating news that her cancer was terminal.
How does one live each day, "unattached to outcome"? How does one approach the moments, big and small, with both love and honesty?
Exploring motherhood, marriage, friendship, and memory, even as she wrestles with the legacy of her great-great-great-grandfather, Ralph Waldo Emerson, she asks, what makes a meaningful life when one has limited time?
They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
Beyond the ordinary
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