In Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll wrote, “Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” I love this quote because I believe that we can always think about old problems in new ways. 

Counterintuitively, thinking in new ways might require stepping back from those problems rather than leaning into them. There are countless studies and articles about how we do our best thinking in the shower (when our brain has space to wander) or after a good night’s sleep. The end of the year, especially the end of this year, is the perfect time to take that step back and give our brains the space and rest they need to approach the new year with creativity and vigor. 

For some of us HealthBegins, reading is a vital part of our rest and recovery, so we wanted to share with our community of Upstreamists these recommendations of books we’ve loved. This far-ranging list includes new and backlist options, from beach reads to serious nonfiction. We say, with some confidence, that this list should have something on it for everyone. 

Non-Fiction

Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen (2023). Recommended by Kathryn Jantz. Austin tells the story of two men imprisoned for murder and, through them, the broader story of our parole system. While I have read a lot about criminal justice and criminal justice reform, this book made me realize how little I know about our variable and arbitrary parole processes. Even on a topic rife with technicalities, this book is the kind of nonfiction that reads like fiction.

Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed edited by Saraciea Fennell (2021). Recommended by Alejandra Cabrera. I absolutely loved this anthology of essays and poetry by 15 Latinx writers for its real, raw, authentic storytelling. The collection made me laugh, cry, and even feel anger at times, but above all, it was inspiring and humbling to read such powerful essays, poems, and stories about myths, stereotypes, and realities of the Latinx diaspora.

Bossy Pants by Tina Fey (2013) Recommended by Bayley Raiz. Tina Fey’s autobiographical essays cover a range of her experiences, from actress and comedy writer to college student and mother. Her voice and humor in the written word is the exact way she speaks, and her authenticity of disbelief that she herself could achieve fame was vulnerable, yet I laughed out loud at least three or four times a chapter.

Bad Feminist (10th anniversary edition) by Roxane Gay (2014). Recommended by Ellen Lawton. This collection of essays has rip-roaring opinions, cultural commentary, and righteous indignation about Scrabble. Gay really has something for everyone.

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon (2020). Recommended by Eva Batalla-Mann. This is a harrowing look into how harmful and ingrained anti-fatness is and how it manifests in legal discrimination, access to healthcare, access to public spaces, and violence. (Also recommend Gordon’s podcast Maintenance Phase)

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024). Recommended by Rishi Manchanda and Kathryn Jantz. In this data-driven book, Haidt argues that we have overprotected our children in the real world and underprotected them in the digital world—and the result is a generation of youth with profound mental health struggles. For Kathryn, even as a parent of a three-year-old and five-year-old, it provided immediately actionable insights to foster independence and confidence. We have both recommended it to other parents with some urgency. 

The Art and Science of Connection by Kasley Killam (2024). Recommended by Glasha Marcon. With a mix of data, stories, and advice, this book inspired me to count social connection as a foundational determinant of health, emphasizing the power of relationships in fostering health and well-being. For Upstreamists this book posits important considerations for how to think about the role of well-being in social connection. 

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein (2023). Recommended by Eva Batalla-Mann and Glasha Marcon. Combining memoir, political commentary, and social critique, Klein helps us make sense of the polarization that is so prevalent in today’s zeitgeist and see a path forged by solidarity and critical thinking.

Palestine in a World on Fire edited by Katherine Natanel and Ilan Pappé (2024). Recommended by Sadena Thevarajah. This series of interviews captures conversations with activists, organizers, experts between 2021 and 2022. The editors position Palestine as an entry point, and a guiding light, to understand global crises and illuminate how we can learn about, and insist upon, decolonization as a material, intellectual, and creative practice. Among the interviewees are Angela Davis, Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, and Gayatri Spivak.

State of Resistance by Manuel Pastor (2018). Recommended by Sadena Thevarajah. Pastor argues that the evolution of California’s political and social context, including shifting  approaches to climate change, wage inequality, incarceration, and immigration, can highlight a path forward for the country as a whole. 

The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger (2024). Recommended by Rishi Manchanda. A science journalist reveals how the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on earth, showing how plants’ astonishing adaptations hold lessons relevant for all of us. 

The Anti-Abelist Manifesto by Tiffany Yu (2024). Recommended by Glasha Marcon. Yu, who has permanent right-arm paralysis, describes a path to acknowledge and improve disability rights through changing terminology, community and individual interactions, and improved accessibility. I valued the manifesto’s bold call to action for dismantling ableism and centering disability justice as essential to achieving equity.

Fiction 

Table for Five by Izzy Bromley (2024). Recommended by Alejandra Cabrera. This novel tells the story of Abbie Finch, who loses her job and finds herself needing a community to support her. This book was exactly what I needed, especially in today’s political climate. It reminded me how powerful it is to find your community—and what limitless things you can accomplish together when you do!

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993). Recommended by Kathryn Jantz and Tatiana A. Perez. Butler’s post-apocalyptic novel, eerily set in 2024, charts the path of Lauren Oya Olamina, an African-American teenager navigating social collapse in the wake of climate change. Everything about this story feels eerily relevant and possible. Despite unrelenting challenges, Olamina’s commitment to a better future and big dreams, even in the face of the impossible, was deeply motivating. We feel we must let you know now, to prevent your future disappointment, that Butler didn’t finish the third book in the series before her death, so you will be left with the sequel Parable of the Talents and your imagination. 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (2022). Recommended by Eva Batalla-Mann. Loosely crafted in the style of David Copperfield, Kingsolver’s novel tells the story of Demon Copperhead, the son of a low-income single mother in southern Appalachia. The tale is a compassionate illustration of the cycle of poverty and the opioid epidemic. The emphasis on chosen family, mutual aid, and the power of art was moving and left us feeling hopeful. 

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer (2023). Recommended by Kathryn Jantz. This novel tells the story of Rachel, who escapes from her plantation after emancipation (because slavery transitioned directly into indentured servitude) to search for her five surviving children. I found in this book surprisingly relatable reflections on the grace of a mother’s love, combined with important historical reflections and a page-turning adventure. Despite the context of the brutality of slavery, the book is full of hope and love. 

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (2023). Recommended by Eva Batalla-Mann. In a tale that spans three generations, Verghese combines a rich family history, a creative look into the evolution of pathology, and the impact of social movements. 

Poetry

Sisters of the Earth: Women’s Prose and Poetry about Nature edited by Lorraine Anderson (2003). Recommended by Tatiana A. Perez. I stumbled on “Sisters of the Earth” during my first visit to Yosemite National Park earlier this year! This collection traces unique perspectives on nature from women across different eras and points of view: scientists, poets, teachers, and activists. Reading their words while sitting in Yosemite made me want to disconnect and truly soak in nature. I left this book with a cadre of new authors to explore!

Life on Earth by Dorianne Laux (2024). Recommended by Grace Rubenstein. Laux has a way of cutting to the core of human experience through quiet moments and vivid language that everyone can understand. Even when her poems describe pain, they leave me feeling more deeply connected to life.

Children’s Books

We Go Way Back by Idan Ben-Barak (2023). Recommended by Kathryn Jantz. This children’s book about evolution has prompted many multi-week conversations in my household about genetics, what is alive, and the relationship between animals and humans. The book is both technically accurate and completely accessible to my five-and-under audience. 

Thank You, Everything by Icinori (2024). Recommended by Grace Rubenstein. Simple, beautiful illustrations walk you through a journey of gratitude, cataloguing the myriad things in our daily lives that are worthy of thanks—a reminder that all of us (not only our kids) always need.

Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin (2024). Recommended by Grace Rubenstein. Everything is exactly the same in Garden Glen, from the window shutters to the rose bushes, until a decidedly different girl arrives in town. I love how this book celebrates eccentricity and reveals the joy of discovering different ways of being.

Greenling by Levi Pinfold (2016). Recommended by Kathryn Jantz. My three-year-old, five-year-old, and I each love this strange poetic book. It evokes for me the themes of nature and community—and that sense that your children are beings unto themselves—while perhaps being about none of these things at all.

If you read one of these books, tell us about it! Did you hate it or love it? What did it make you think about? We would also love to hear about some of your favorite reads! Please send your tips to info@healthbegins.org or tweet us @HealthBegins so that we can read along with you and share your recommendations with others.