Task 24: Read a Book with a Main Character Who Has a Mental Illness

[Sophia]

At my sister's recommendation, I opted for the audiobook version of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things. I'm not a big fan of audiobooks in general (too easy for me to get distracted and tune it out), but in this case it was fantastic hearing the author's words in her own voice. This book made me laugh hysterically and also cry more than I was expecting to. Her thoughts really resonated with me.

[Eliatan]

Martha wrote: "A Tale for the Time Being was one of my favorite books in 2014. I think it fits this category."

I loved that book too :) Did she have a mental illness though? I thought it was more early stage dementia

[Martha]

It's been quite a few books ago so I had to go back and look. Nao and her father had depression. Tales for a Time Being is listed as #1 in Buzzfeed's Books that Are Straightforward About Mental Illness. http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannareboli...

[Lauren]

I just finished Challenger Deep for this task, and it was a really good - and an important - novel.

[Krista]

Sarah wrote: "I'm currently reading Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson and it is really good. The humor might not be for everyone but it's very honest and has a lighter tone than a lot of other books dealing with m..."

I'm about 2/3 of the way through this book, and I have to agree with you. It IS a good book and it's making me laugh. You're right that the humor may not be for everyone, but her honesty about what her life is like day to day is refreshing. She's referenced her first book in Furiously Happy, and I'll probably go back and read that one later.

[Renee]

I just finished The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, still an excellent read

[Alex]

I read Challenger Deep in 2015. It is such a lovely, sad, hopeful, enlightening book. It is a perfect fit for this task (I almost wish I had saved it for 2016!).

[Karena]

There is a urban fantasy book coming out beginning of March called Borderline and the main character is both a amputee and has borderline personality disorder. Sounds like a pretty great read.

[Hebah]

I went ahead and read Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, like several others have done. It deals more openly than her first book with her struggles with mental illness and her determination to be "furiously happy" to spite it all, seizing moments of joy as they are found. Nestled in the story are many observations and experiences that we can all identify with (like the idea that "All dressing rooms are just small cubes of vulnerability with mirrors to help multiply the shame"), but she's also not afraid to shed light on the darker moments of mental illness, like the chapter "The Fear," which dealt with self-harm (which was, I'll be honest, a bit difficult to read but commendable in its raw honesty). It never stays too dark for too long though, in keeping with her determination to find joy in the absurdity of life. Hilarious, poignant, eye-opening, and often bizarre--loved it.

[Martha]

I'm thinking of going in a different direction with a book about mental illness. I found Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves at the library yesterday and want to read that for this part of the challenge. The book is on 4 lists regarding mental illness and for me that counts.

I also want to recommend The Enchanted for this category. I wish I hadn't read it twice already.

[Ginny]

Kathy wrote: "I finished Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and loved it. 5 stars. I want to read her first book also[book:Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir..."

Let's Pretend This Never Happened is hilarious. Highly recommend

[Maxine]

Philippa wrote: "Maxine wrote: "I read Veronika Decides to Die for this one. It made me think. The way it talks about insanity and the characteristics of it versus sanity are scarily accurate. The reali..."

I hope you enjoy it, I'm already planning a re read for later in the year.

[Jess]

I just read Gabriel: A Poem. It also fits into the "Under 100 Pages" challenge and it's a book of poetry, if you're looking to diversify your reading even further. It was a poem about the author's son, who struggled with seizures, drug abuse, bipolar disorder and/or ADHD. (The truth is that none of this psychiatrists could ever pin down exactly what he had.)

It was a great (read: heartbreaking) read about a parent who struggled with the uncertainty of whether he did enough to get his son the help he needed and the grief among artists who lost their children. I can't recommend it enough.

[Cindy]

Highly recommend All My Puny Sorrows. Sad, but funny too. One of my favorite books ever.

[Lara]

Do you think this has to be a work of fiction to quality? "A book with a main character that has a mental illness"

[Martha]

Lara wrote: "Do you think this has to be a work of fiction to quality? "A book with a main character that has a mental illness""

No, it doesn't have to be a work of fiction. If you look at the first post that has recommendations, there is quite a mix of fiction and nonfiction.

[Jackie]

I read Challenger Deep for this challenge and had to mention it because I was BLOWN AWAY by this book. It's just beautiful and I highly recommend everyone read it.

[April]

I also read Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things for this one. I'm a fan of Jenny Lawson and knowing how funny she is had me looking forward to this one, especially since I'd heard that it was going to focus more on her experiences with anxiety, depression, etc. compared to her first book.

I read it on the plane ride back home after my daughter's father passed away from cancer, and it gave me the emotional lift that I needed.

[Lara]

I notice some nonfiction suggestions in this thread. The phrase 'main character' suggest to me fiction. Thoughts?

[Bea]

Lara wrote: "I notice some nonfiction suggestions in this thread. The phrase 'main character' suggest to me fiction. Thoughts?"

Main character, to me, is the individual that the book is primarily about. It could be fiction or non-fiction. This task does not specify so it seems up for one's interpretation.

[Caitlin]

Just finished The Incarnations, which I think qualifies for this task, at least as far as two of the main characters go.

[Victoria]

I read Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. It is amazing! (The main character has PTSD)

[Lisa]

What do you think about using Piece of Mind by Michelle Adelman for this one? The narrator's main thing is a brain injury, but she states in the first few chapters that she also has depression.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[Kate]

Wondering if "Confessions" by Kanae Minato could be included here? It's already on my want-to-read list, and it might also cover movie-release and Southeast Asian Author.

[Audrey]

Sean wrote: "While I was looking for books to fit this category, I came across The Hours. I absolutely loved Mrs. Dalloway (and would highly recommend it to anyone still looking to fi..."

Would Mrs Dalloway count for this? I would definitely use it, but I'm not sure if Septimus counts as a "main character." I feel like I need to put it on every list anyway, just for being a delightful read.

That, or could I use Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? I swear everyone in that book has some undiagnosed mental illness.

[Tina]

Just finished !

[Monica]

I just picked up The Bell Jar on Amazon kindle for $2.99 I got interested in it for this challenge from reading this thread.

[Alice]

I just realized I have a digital copy of The Yellow Wallpaper but since it lists as a short story, I don't know if it'd count. :(

[Audrey]

Alice, it has been published as it's own book. A very short book, but I think you could still count it. Or do what I do and count it and then, if you near the end of the year and have completed the rest of the challenges, you can give yourself stricter rules and read something else in addition to it.

[Alice]

Ttrivium - Thanks! I like that idea. :)

[Kathy]

I'm reading Lolitaand definitely think this book falls in this category. Has anyone read this and what's your thoughts on it?

[Jen]

I read The Silver Linings Playbook for this.

[Kathleen]

Kathy wrote: "I'm reading Lolitaand definitely think this book falls in this category. Has anyone read this and what's your thoughts on it?"

I would think so. IIRC, Humbert Humbert spent time in sanitariums for his mental health.

[Liz]

Kristin wrote: "I enjoyed bothThe Shock of the Fall and Girl, Interrupted. I didn't see anyone mention any graphic memoirs, but both Hyperbole & A Half and Marbles were really good!"

I've read Hyberbole & A Half and loved it! She has a new book coming out later this year.

[Karin]

I'm reading The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought.

Borderline mentioned by Karena sounds really interesting!!

[Emily]

I am going to read Challenger Deep and think it may also count for the task of reading a middle grade novel. (Or is it too "old"?) Looking forward to it!

[Teresa]

If anyone is looking for something light, Moonshell Beach by JoAnn Ross is a romance. It looks like the main character has PTSD.

[Arlene]

I am reading Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. She sees and describes depression better than so many others. I had already read The Bell Jar and Darkness Visible by William Styron which I would recommend. Challenger Deep is also on my list to read.

[Elizabeth]

I am reading Home by Toni Morrison. I'm fairly certain this counts for this task--I've only just started it, so I'm not positive. My understanding is that the main character has PTSD. I got it from my library's "blind date with a book." I've read some Toni Morrison before (The Bluest Eye), and it was excellent, so my hopes are set pretty high for this.

[Rainey]

Elizabeth wrote: "I am reading Home by Toni Morrison..
. Libraries blind date with a book"

That sounds so interesting. Please elaborate. I have never heard of this before.

[Teresa]

Hyperbole and A Half. Even if you've completed this task, I recommend this book. I blew through it in one day.

[Elizabeth]

Rainey wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I am reading Home by Toni Morrison..
. Libraries blind date with a book"

That sounds so interesting. Please elaborate. I have never heard of this before."

The library wraps up the books so that you can't see the cover, author, title, or description. They give you a couple of keywords to go off of, just to make sure you won't hate it, and you take it home without getting to know what it is.

[Lianne]

Any thoughts on The Girl on the Train for this one? For some reason the psychological thriller genre makes me think it's kind of a cop-out but there's definitely depression and alcoholism.

[Chessa]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but if anyone is looking for a great graphic novel for this category, check out Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me by Ellen Forney. I read it in a few sittings, and I found it very illuminating and sensitively done.

[Leanne]

I read "The Bell Jar" for this task and really enjoyed it. It made me think about the stigma around mental health, as well as the way suffering from a mental illness affects you. I thought this book illustrated the isolation and disorientation that often accompany mental illness well.

[Heidi]

Just finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Having worked in the mental health field for several years, this story demonstrates how our treatment of mental illness has evolved from the time when this book was written.

[Travis]

Daena wrote: "I will read A Tale for the Time Being"

Did she have a mental illness?

[Travis]

Desiree wrote: "I was thinking about reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time since it's told from the point of view of someone with autism spectrum disorder. I plan on going to see th..."

The main character is a little OCD, but autism itself isn't considered a mental illness, is it?

[Travis]

Rachel wrote: "I've had Still Alice sat on the shelf for a couple of months."

Great book.

[Bonnie G.]

Travis wrote: "Daena wrote: "I will read A Tale for the Time Being"

Did she have a mental illness?"

She suffered from depression as did her very ill father. Certainly some of her depression is situational, but she sinks into her victimhood in a way healthy people do not. It is a wonderful book.