10 Books to Emotionally Wreck, and Then Rebuild You, This Summer
Summer is usually billed as a time to “unplug,” “recharge,” or “escape.” But what if you used this season to go deeper instead? These ten books won’t offer you easy answers but they will hold up a mirror. They’ll walk with you through grief, trauma, transformation and joy. Read them in the sun. Let them undo you a little. Then rebuild something softer.
We’ve included links to purchase direct from the author when available as well as from some of our fav indie book sellers. We also recommend checking out your local public library. Many of these titles are available as ebooks or audiobooks on Libby or the Hoopla App (free with a library card), so you can spiral without breaking the bank.
HYVEMIND’s 10 Books to Read: Summer 2025
1. Down the Drain by Julia Fox
Julia Fox’s memoir is raw, lucid, and weirdly devotional. It peels back the myth of the cool girl and reveals a woman surviving addiction, abuse and public scrutiny with defiant glam and zero shame.
Available to purchase from Unabridged Books
2. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
What sounds like a headline turns into a gutting exploration of child stardom, eating disorders and codependency. McCurdy writes with deadpan brilliance about grief, autonomy and the complicated aftermath of abuse disguised as parenting. A memoir that’s as funny as it is soul-shaking.
Available to purchase from Schuler Books
3. Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy & Molly Young Brown
A guide for anyone feeling paralyzed by the state of the world. Macy and Brown offer a spiritual framework for metabolizing grief, fear and despair—and turning them into fuel for collective healing.
Available to purchase from Indie Pubs
4. So Sad Today by Melissa Broder
This essay collection is a confession booth for the internet era: sexual obsession, anxiety spirals, addiction and the absurdity of being a body in a hyper-aware mind. It's funny, filthy and devastating in the way honesty always is.
Available to purchase from Riff Raff Bookstore
5. No Mud, No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh
Gentle but not passive, this little book distills Buddhist teachings into practical tools for sitting with pain without becoming it. It’s a balm for anyone navigating loss, depression or the “stuck” seasons of life. Carry it like a talisman in your beach tote.
Available to purchase from Plum Village
6. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
A masterclass in compassion, this book names the trance of unworthiness so many of us live in and shows us how to wake up. Through psychology and somatic awareness, Brach guides you toward a deeper relationship with yourself and the world.
Available to purchase from Tara Brach
7. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
An accessible meditation guide that avoids all the new-age fluff. Kabat-Zinn’s reflections offer quiet permission to stop running from discomfort, and instead meet it with presence. Read it slowly. Then read it again.
Available to purchase from McNally Jackson
8. Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
Part memoir, part cultural criticism, Hong's essays name the dissonance of racial identity, Asian American erasure and intergenerational frustration. Her language is razor-sharp, but the vulnerability runs deep. A must-read if you're ready to look at what’s been simmering beneath the surface.
Available to purchase from Rizzoli Bookstore
9. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. SingeR
A metaphysical mind-bender disguised as a self-help book. Singer challenges you to notice the voice in your head, detach from it and move through life with radical openness. It’s both expansive and grounding, and a great resource for learning how to release stuck energy.
Available to purchase from Michael A. Singer
10. What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
This memoir doesn’t flinch. Foo investigates her complex PTSD diagnosis with both sharpness and tenderness. It's a story about the long, nonlinear journey of healing and the science, love and grit it takes to feel safe in your own body again.
Available to purchase from City Lights Bookstore
