If you’re feeling in need of a bit of a boost, what do you do to cheer yourself up? If a friend was feeling down, what would you do to give them a lift? What about a lovely mood-boosting book?
As part of a reading group, you will know better than most the benefits and joys of a good book. Recent research conducted by The Reading Agency shows that:
“…reading for pleasure can result in increased empathy, improved relationships with others, reductions in the symptoms of depression and dementia, and improved wellbeing.”
You can find out more about the report on The Reading Agency website.
Mood-boosting Books 2016
Reading Well Mood-boosting Books is a national promotion of crowd-sourced uplifting books, curated by The Reading Agency. We have been developing these collections of books since 2010, featuring titles recommended by readers and reading groups. You can find readers’ previous recommendations on the Reading Well website.
Get involved for 2016
We are now creating a brand-new Mood-boosting Book list for 2016, and we need your help! We would like reading group members to recommend books that they have found uplifting; books they think would boost people’s mood.
To suggest a title, just fill in this short form with the book details, and a quick review of why you would recommend it. Please send us your recommendations by Friday 11 December, and encourage your fellow readers to take part too.
You can recommend almost any kind of title; fiction, poetry, short stories, biographies, cookery books, anything at all that you think is uplifting. It just needs to be a book we haven’t had on the previous lists, and a book that’s available in physical format. The final list will be chosen from your recommendations by a panel of librarians, readers and staff from The Reading Agency.
The new list will launch on 18 January, known as Blue Monday, unofficially the most miserable day of the year. We think that a cold Monday in January is just the time when someone might need a cheerful book to brighten up their day!
Want to join in the conversation? Share your thoughts on Twitter and Facebook using #moodboosting.
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I really feel that the mood-boosting book campaign has worked well within libraries, as it has been proven that reading can aid physical and mental well being.
I look forward to seeing the new list
Sarah Davis - Greenwich libraries