The 30-year-old person who feels like they haven’t advanced in their life sufficiently compared to their peers. The 28-year-old single mother feels like giving up on her difficult days. Lastly, the 45-year-old divorced person finds it hard to start all over and be happy again. I love The Comfort Book so much. If you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, read it as soon as possible. It's great! This fabulous books is a collection of stories that ground you and give you hope in dark times. Haig covers some heavy topics in a short space of time and leaves you feeling philosophical and free.

The Comfort Book… is brilliant, full of nuggets of profundity to consume when you’re feeling low. And he has a way of discussing mental health that rises above the general confessional noise.” — The Independent (Dublin) Whether you are going through some tough times, or simply need some occasional inspiration, there’s something worthwhile in The Comfort Book for you. Promises two things I can’t get enough of: hugs and lists . . . After a year starved of hope and hugs to the extreme, I can’t think of a greater comfort read than that”― Evening Standard, Best Summer Reads (London) It's a warm, cozy evening by the fire, sipping your coffee, walking through the autumn leaves after the rain, learning to breathe in and out slowly type of book. Yeah, it's comforting.

Christmas Gifts

Matt Haig is a writer for children and adults who is adept at digging into the human heart.”― Sunday Times (London) You can’t change the past. You can’t change other people. You can change you though. You narrate this story. So start to write a new chapter. The English novelist and journalist has been refreshingly and unflinchingly candid about his struggles with anxiety and depression, which saw him at the age of 24 years old almost walking off a cliff in Ibiza. In The Comfort Book , which I discovered while doing a deep dive into his works after I read The New York Times bestselling worldwide phenomenon The Midnight Library , Haig shares a collection of notes, lists, and stories that serve as a gentle reminder that things are not always as dark as they may seem.

This book has created so many emotions in me. Matt Haig has definitely become my favorite author. I love that he can write different genres including non-fiction, a genre that I don't tend to read a lot and still, entertain me so much. Bestselling Author Matt Haig Delivers Another Must-Read That Will Leave you Feeling All the Human Feelings You can look up stories from people just like you, who’ve gone through depression or negative, traumatic events in their life and made it. You can find inspiration in similar cases to yours, or completely different stories from people who managed to survive, push through, and create a beautiful life afterward. Matt Haig has done it again. With his refreshing honesty and signature wit, he has managed to capture the paradox of being human while reminding readers of their worth and authenticity while practicing self-compassion and getting comfortable with feeling your feelings. I can’t say – or write – enough about this book, except it should have a special place on every book lover’s bookshelf and be made part of the school curriculum so kids grow up knowing it’s okay to feel your feelings, be committed to self-compassion, and that they can get through to the other side even if they are a little broken. After all, as Leonard Cohen sang, “that’s how the light gets in”. To celebrate #NationalCookbookMonth, Jacqueline Hodges shares her favourite recipes from her top choice cook books!

They can be your online or real-life friends, but the point is to have them by your side if the situation asks for it. Oftentimes, standing in a group or feeling people’s company can improve our mood and feeling of belongingness. This can alleviate the emotions we get from certain difficult times. My two essential books, at the moment. One is Matt Haig’s The Comfort Book. This book is like a Bible of really lovely little titbits to help you through what could be a stressful time….Very helpful. This is something that offers a very lovely amount of relief and it’s like a cuddle.” – Jonathan Bailey ( Ten Things He Can’t Live Without, GQ)

You can’t change the past. You can’t change other people. You can change you though. You narrate this story. So start to write a new chapter." We all come from randomness. We exist out of uncertainty. Out of near impossibility. And yet we exist. So, when you feel the odds are against you it is important to realize that they are never so against you as they were when you didn’t exist. And there you are, we are, existing." If anyone in the west feels complacent about the extent of Russia’s far-reaching and malevolent power, they should read Guardian journalist Luke Harding’s essential exposé . A clear-sighted and often terrifying account of the ways in which Putin’s administration has infiltrated democratic powers to destructive effect, Shadow State is a grim reminder that Britain’s relationship with Russia is worse than it has been in decades and shows no signs of improving.

The Comfort Book Offers Hope, Gratitude and Simplicity

Perhaps the best thing about The Comfort Book is that it inspired me to create my own personal version of it. I think everyone should have a scrapbook or compilation of things that give them comfort. We could all use something like that when life gets tough, or when we simply need to pause and show gratitude.