Books can help us learn new things and understand different perspectives. Whether you’re looking for a self-help guide for tips on managing anxiety or a fairy tale when you need a little hope, the library has options.
Jes McCauley is a librarian at the Franklin Avenue branch of the Des Moines Public Library and a member of its Book Chat team, which provides personalized recommendations to patrons. She suggested a few titles for us that touch on mental health and wellness topics. All are available at DMPL branches. Find more recommendations on this and other topics at dmpl.org/book-chat.
Nonfiction
“Radical Self-Care: Rituals for Inner Resilience” by Rebecca Moore
An illustrated guide offering 40 accessible rituals for building resilience and nurturing mental wellbeing. With sections on presence, embodiment, reflection, rest and togetherness, Moore shows how small, intentional practices can protect your energy, deepen self-awareness and keep you grounded amid life’s challenges. A supportive companion for those seeking authentic ways to pause, restore and reconnect, it’s a reminder that mental health begins with self-love.
“How to Keep House While Drowning” by K.C. Davis
A compassionate, mental health-centered approach to cleaning and organizing that reframes messiness as neither failure nor flaw. Drawing on her own experience with depression, anxiety and new motherhood, Davis helps readers release guilt, find practical rhythms and reclaim their homes as supportive spaces for rest and healing. Her method, rooted in self-compassion, transforms housekeeping into an act of care for your future self rather than a measure of worth.
“Feelings” by Manjit Thapp
A beautifully illustrated exploration of the emotional seasons we all move through. Following a year in the life of one young woman, the book captures shifting moods — from the vibrant energy of summer creativity to the heaviness and isolation of winter. With rich artwork and thoughtful reflections, Thapp validates the full spectrum of human emotions, from anxiety and pressure to joy and growth. This visual journey reminds readers that, just like the weather, our feelings change in cycles and by honoring them, we find comfort, connection and a deeper understanding of our inner worlds.
Fiction
“A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
A hopeful, meditative tale that explores purpose, connection and what it means to care for ourselves and others. In a future where robots are sentient, one strikes up an unlikely companionship with a tea monk, which sparks a gentle but profound inquiry: What do people need? The answer lies not in material things but in understanding and meaning. With warmth and compassion, Chambers invites readers to reflect on mental wellbeing in an age of abundance, offering a story that comforts, restores and celebrates being fully human.
“The Swimmers” by Julie Otsuka
A reflection on memory, family and the small rituals that give life meaning. When a crack closes the local pool, a community loses its daily sanctuary — but for Alice, who is living with dementia, the rupture is devastating. Deprived of the solace of her daily laps, she drifts into disorientation. Alice’s daughter narrates both the challenges and the enduring love that remains as her mother’s fading mind returns to memories of childhood and wartime trauma. With lyrical prose, Otsuka reminds us of the resilience found in connection, the solace of routine and the beauty of cherishing moments even as they slip away.
“The Wedding People” by Alison Espach
A tender and witty novel about the unexpected connections that change us forever. When Phoebe arrives alone at a seaside inn, she’s mistaken for a wedding guest by a bride she’s never met. In truth, she’s at rock bottom, seeking a final escape. What begins as a weekend of solitude shifts when she finds a surprising kinship with the bride and her honesty. Espach’s novel of warmth and hope shows how even in moments of grief, we can reroute our lives toward new beginnings.
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