'A Therapeutic Library' is a gem. Drawing attention to the number of books in existence (about 130 million) and the number added each year (4 million or so), The School of Life present 100 titles which 'are guaranteed to inspire, console and uplift us'. The chosen works span centuries and include the light-hearted as well as the worthy. Grouped by genres covering fiction, poetry, biography and a wide range of non-fiction, each book is preceded by an illustration and summarised in a single statement before a short essay expanding on what the reader might glean from it. The whole collection is readable, enlightening and thought-provoking. It's a marvellous resource. The final book in the collection was both a surprise and a delight, bringing everything together. Highly recommended. My thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher The School of Life for an advance copy of this guide to building a library that might help a person deal with the many slings and arrows that come from being a modern human.

Recently there has been a little strife going on in my world, and as I have usually done I reach for books to consulation and to make me forget for a brief time what is happening. Reading is my super-power, probably the only thing I can do well, and it has helped me in many ways over the years. My comfort readings are old comic collections, movie books, and music books, usually the making of albums. I can learn some things, view things differently, even hear things better, and hope this will carry over into my everyday life. I know I am not alone in this. As a bookseller one can read customers and can figure out why they are buying or even browsing a particular section. One picks up on asking if they need help, just saying any questions stop by the front, or just give them space. We all have our books of comfort. The School of Life has decided to create what they consider a library of books to explain the unexplainable, the modern world we have found ourselves inhabiting. A Therapeutic Library: 100 essential books that teach fulfilment, calm and well-being, is exactly what the title and subtitle say.

The book begins with numbers that are amazing to me, and make me realize I have a lot of reading to do. There are about 130 million books in the world, with 4 million being added each year. Deciding what to read is subjective to people, some like classics, some only read nonfiction, some only new fiction. The School of Life set themselves a goal, to find 100 books, that can help people be not just better people, but able to be better in dealing with the world. Some of the books seem obvious, a lot don't, and some appear for reasons that don't seem apparant, until one reads why. Each book is given there own description, and history along with an essay to explain the book being on the list. The Communist Manifesto is on the list, not for its political reasons, but because Mark and Engels were such different people, and could still come together and write a book. Jilly Cooper's Riders is a book that looks like it was sold in a pharmacy in a mass market spinner, but is on the list as a book that distracts the mind, the old argument of high-brow, low-brow literature. Biographies, books of travel, poems, short stories and much more fill out the collection.

A book that could cause fights in some circles, as well as could cause some people to feel better about themselves. Even the reading of the book takes on mind off the world. I went about ten books, before thoughts of the outside crashed back in, but for those ten books I was fully engaged and happy. The writing really sells this book, the way they approach the readings from different views, and makes one think in different ways about things that were once familiar, or even dismissed. If nothing else there are more books to be added to wishlist to be read someday. A self-help book that is much more than that. This might be the first book I have ever read that could be called a self-help library. A really interesting, special kind of book.

Books can be harbours in all life’s storms

This book highlights 100 books that we can turn to in various circumstances in our lives. But it goes above and beyond describing the books. The ideas and deeper insights about what we could gain from each book are therapeutic in their own right.

The book introduced me to books I’d never encountered before, or had taken at face value, made me want to read them and garner their wisdom for myself. This is a thought provoking book that I will return to time and time again.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

Hmm, not sure about the book. Like other reviewers have said, I expected something different, with books to read when you encounter various common life experiences - first time falling in love etc, leaving home, birth of your first child etc. The kind of situations where emotions are high and you want to see your situation reflected in a character's experience, so you can relate and know you aren't alone. This isn't what this collection is. It reads more like a "100 books you should read in your lifetime" collection, than actually offering support through literature. It's also kind of dull.

Thank you for the offer to review the book, but from my experience of reading it, I can't recommend it.

This is a wonderful book, which poses all kinds of interesting questions about how we could see our lives, as well as offering a broad selection of books that are now in my TBR pile! The voice is warm and encouraging, and will make you feel wiser even though you haven’t actually read the books in question! A lovely volume to browse and discuss and I could see myself using it as a prompt for a bookgroup discussion. This is a coffee table style which would be a valuable addition to a school library..

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

This book was really interesting and I loved reading about different books throughout time. I did notice that this was a heavily Euro-centric focused book and I would have enjoyed some other perspectives from other cultures. I loved the concept, but there were parts of the book that felt repetitive or analyses that felt too short and rushed to make a point.

‘A Therapeutic Library: 100 Essential books that teach fulfillment, calm and well-being by The School of Life.

A great resource that is easy to read and understand listing 100 books that span the time periods that are guaranteed to inspire and provide therapeutic insight and enlightenment.

I’ve added a few books to my list of books to read! I appreciate that older books were not forgotten and included in the list – with 4 million books being added every year, it’s difficult to narrow down which books one wishes to read. This is a great resource!

Thank you #NetGalley and #TheSchoolofLife for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review. All opinions and thoughts are those of my own. #ATherapeuticLibrary

Well, it was an interesting book... The list of books presented is subjective, to say the least. Although I did take a couple of recommendations for my TBR pile, and there were a couple of books mentioned that were on my radar, I hardly can call the mentioned selection to be therapeutic, or "the ones" to choose from 130 million books in the world.
As for the style of the book, expect a literal collection of book reviews with a slight note about the author. Great scroll-through, but don't expect much from it. The book description is more eloquent than the rest of the book. Honestly, I still have no idea why should I pick up any of the books mentioned, apart from those that pique my interest because I relate to something - the same result I can have when I go through a pile of cheap romance books in my local book store, that I will end up giving 3 or 4 stars just because those were entertaining.
Some people called it a "coffee table book". Never understood fully what it meant, but I think it's suitable - short texts not related to each other, some random or not-so-random pictures, and the book itself that will make you look smart and fancy while it's lying on your table or standing on the shelf around other accessories. And I was wondering who read those books... I just did, and I'm not a happy camper after it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Interesting and unique set of recommendations, makes for interesting reading, and is worth picking up a copy for the recommendations.

A Therapeutic Library endeavours to lead readers through literature and contemplation, encouraging self-reflection on how we ought to live. The book emphasizes the importance of not overlooking the vast reservoir of thoughts and ideas from past centuries and authors in favour of exclusively engaging with the latest releases. With its thought-provoking content, this book will likely inspire readers to broaden their reading lists and delve into diverse books and ideas.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This felt like the secret book you find in the corner of the library that feels like it was meant just for you. It was lovely and thought provoking. The art was incredible and pieces I hadn’t seen before.

Agree with those who said this would be a good coffee table book. I definitely took some new recommendations away from it and thoroughly enjoyed reading about those I've already read. It's a bit of a different list to just the old faithfuls which was nice to see.

This book, although explained well in the blurb, was not what I was expecting at all. It serves well as a reference book or even as a coffee table book and flows along the lines of 100 books to read before you die.
I had honestly never heard of 95% of the books recommended inside and I suppose that it just goes to show how accurate the first part of the book is when it discusses modern reading habits vs historical and modern books vs well aged tomes.
I have put a few on my TBR list.
Although written well, this wasn't my cup of tea and not something I will read again although I would recommend that others take a look and decide for themselves.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publishers for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent read for librarians, literature lovers, and friends who love to make book recommendations to their family and friends.

First of all, I did not expect what was inside this book. I don't know what to point out exactly but I had a little struggle with almost everything at some point, so it's just not my cup of tea. Also the chapters read somehow like book reviews?

This was not what I expected but I think it will be a great gift for book lovers who read everything.

Reading about the library is always interesting. I had a lovely time reading from cover to cover.
Despite, many book titles/ topics that I'm not familiar with, I gain much insight from the literature in the past.
Some of my favorites are topics about The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Pillow Book, and An Artist of the Floating World.

The world is very wide and many things to explore. The exploration can start with the library.
Thank you Netgalley and The School of Life for providing digital ARC in change of honest review.

Hi everyone!
So this book wasn’t what I expected…
It’s a very aesthetically organized list of books, mainly older ones and classics, divided in 12 categories:
Philosophy, Politics, History, Religion, Psychology, Memoirs, Nature and Science, The Arts and Architecture, Coffee Table Books, Essays, Fiction and Poetry.
Every book has a very detailed explanation with usually the original cover on the side.
It’s a very well made collection of books you should read once in your lifetime!

I found the overall idea of A Therapeutic Library interesting but I feel that the book lost its way. It starts by promoting a different way of reading books - encouraging a more personalised and less linear approach to reading.

The book then progresses to putting this idea into practice, which is where it falls down in my opinion. These chapters read more as book reviews than anything else. Some are chosen not because anything within them is deemed therapeutic but because of the reaction to the publication.

Originally I had though this could be an interesting read for someone studying bibliotherapy or for the wider public. However I now feel this book is aimed at people interested in the educational value of literature.