Top 5 Wednesday: Mental Health

(Don’t) Call Me Crazy

Edited by Kelly Jensen, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a beautiful compilation of stories—of people’s journey with mental health, how it is normal to go through it, and our eventual dips and short (and permanent) escapes.

The beauty of this book lies within its inclusivity as it is an anthology of stories. You might not be the person to relate to with the first story, but there’s always the next one to look forward to. Plus, it’s always inspiring to see that despite not having deeply related with the first few, knowing that there’s someone out there who can understand what you’re going through still assists in lifting a boulder from your chest.

MonsterMind: Dealing with Anxiety and Self-Doubt

In this vulnerable graphic novel, the author [Alfonso Casas] shares his struggles with his inner “monsters.”

The strength of the book and its effect towards your growth in being more knowledgeable with what you may do with your anxiety and self-doubt is tremendously helpful. I would have appreciated this book so much, had it been published in my years in high school. Despite that, it was still successful in allowing me the wisdom of embracing, knowing, and having the proper mindset in living with my monsters.

Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?

This was such an impactful book for me as it told me that you aren’t supposed to be kind all day and night. That it is completely normal to have those off days when you just explode. The only thing to remember is that even with that explosion, you should be aware of other people’s feelings and you still have complete control on what you do and say.

I might not enjoy this as much now than with my first reading; however, I can still remember the book’s appeal to me and how it helped lift me up in just the right moment.

A Monster Calls

Probably the only book in this list that I had strong doubts about.

I was thinking as to how I could place this within the contraints of the prompt and had to ask my friend, Alaissa (@alythereader), to share her input and fortify my desire to include this as a book that represents mental health.

As expected, she agreed with my sentiments and further elaborated how the book represents mental health in the sense that the main character is in the midst of grief and struggles with his reality, in turn protecting himself in a bubble of safety.

I can see how this book is very powerful and impactful, especially in its perfectly unique way in encapsulating the challenge the main character is facing. A worthy read!

Felicity: (Some) Happy Stories

There is a level of gratitude and joy with putting an author of the same nationality within my list. It is not as easy as it seem to stumble upon a Filipino author that perfectly vibes with the type of book you enjoy reading, more so if they indicate a topic of choice that is rather sensitive and succeed in sending their message across.

You may have some reservations with picking this book as I have said that the author is Filipino. However, fret not, for this book is written in English. Similar to (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, this book is an anthology of stories—that may or may not be happy. A brilliant collection, this book portrayed moments of truth and vulnerability and, for sure, someone will find themselves aligning with the characters.

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by the lovely Lainey and Sam. If you’re interested in participating in the topics and such, make sure to visit their Goodreads group page!