If you are feeling stressed, depressed or just want a bit of a pick-me-up, boost your mood with a recommended read.
Catch Mood-boosting Books in local libraries, colleges, hospitals and workplaces around the country. If you would like to promote Mood-boosting Books where you work, get hold of our lovely goodies.
Reading groups around the country are recommending and reviewing Mood-boosting Books to other readers – from novels to non-fiction, and from poetry to graphic novels – and we will be adding new titles for you to read and comment on.
- Post your Mood Boosting reviews and you could win prizes
- Tweet your #moodboosting recommendations
- Join a reading group and make yourself feel better
- Start a reading group and spread the goodness
Reading group reviews: A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
13 May 2012
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To celebrate the launch of Mood Boosting Books, we gave away reading group sets of Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother which features in our Mood Boosting Books list. If your reading group or book club has read the book, please do use this page to post your reviews and see what other reading group members think of it.
About the book
George Hall doesn't understand the modern obsession with talking about everything._ 'The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely'._ Some things in life, however, cannot be ignored. At fifty-seven, George is settling down to… more
1 April 2012
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Love Lane Readers Group, HMP Wakefield, tell us about being involved in our Mood Boosting Books Campaign:
Love Lane Readers Group has been going for six years and for the last four has been facilitated by Library Assistant, Dawn Gilkes. Attendance can vary but generally the group has between six and ten members, all men, who read and discuss a broad… more
7 March 2012
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We were intrigued to know what a Book Doctor actually does, so we asked Alison Dunne from Leicester Libraries to tell us about her job as Book Doctor to Leicester's readers, reading groups and book clubs:
Many people ask me if I mend books. I'd love to mend books but sadly I don't have those skills. My job is to… more
23 February 2012
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Last year Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency was selected by reading groups around the UK as a Mood-boosting book and he remained hugely popular when we we're putting together this year's book lists.
In this Radio 4 episode of One to One Bridget Kendall talks to the author about his novels and the positive effects they have… more
19 February 2012
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Alison Dunne, the Book Doctor at Leicester Libraries, tells us about the Hill of Happiness social read group:
The Hill of Happiness Social Read group first started at New Parks Library as an Everybody's Reading Storycafe. It is based on principles of bibliotherapy - or the 'reading cure' - the proposition that reading can heal and has been funded partly by… more
17 February 2012
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Are you in a reading group or book club for carers, or do you run one? If so, we would love to involve you in recommending some 'mood-boosting' books. A mood-boosting books should:
Focus on mood-boosting reading material with the potential to lift spirits and promote well-being.
Provide positive role models and/or thematic content inspiring characters and uplifting storylines with mood-boosting… more
7 February 2012
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At our recent launch of Mood-boosting Books, we were delighted that so many of you recommended books that have made you feel better. Below is a selection of your recommendations. Read a book that has boosted your mood? Why not add a comment below?
The Grimble Series by Clement Freud
'My dad read this to me on a very long train journey… more
3 February 2012
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Make Friends with a Book is the name of two fantastic reading groups, taking place in libraries in Sandwell on a weekly basis one in Smethwick Library and one in Bleakhouse Library . Unlike regular reading groups, the focus is on well being and mental health promotion and it is clear that the groups offer invaluable support to members.
'Make Friends… more
24 January 2012
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We had a great night at Canada Water Library when we launched the Mood Boosting Books promotion and Stop What You're Doing and Read This! A capacity audience came out on a wintry night in London town to talk about the importance of reading with Mark Haddon Michael Rosen and Miranda McKearney and Debbie Hicks from The Reading Agency.
What… more
21 January 2012
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Josie Watson from Essex Libraries tells Reading Groups for Everyone about one of the many reading groups they run:
Feel Better with a Book improves the wellbeing of mental health service users and other vulnerable people in Essex. A trained facilitator reads from imaginative literature (normally short stories and poems). Other group members follow the text and take turns… more
10 January 2012
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If January's getting to you then take a look at the 27 books in our Mood-Boosting Books promotion. Over 135 libraries across the country are lifting the nations spirits with mood-boosting books and all the titles have been specially chosen by reading groups - we hope you will find one that will improve your mood!
The Beach Café by… more
3 January 2012
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Stop What You're Doing and Read This! - Authors Mark Haddon and Michael Rosen discuss why reading is good for you.
In a world of fast-moving technology and increasing demands on your time, why should you stop what you're doing and read a book?
Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon discuss the importance of reading to our quality of life and how great… more
22 December 2011
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Our brand-new Mood-boosting Books promotion will launch in January 2012. Research shows that reading improves mental well-being. Our Mood-boosting Books promotion is aimed at adults, particularly those who might have experienced mild to moderate mental-health conditions linked to stress, anxiety and depression.
Eight reading groups around the country have read, reviewed and recommended 27 Mood-boosting Books. We will… more
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