Reading Well for health and wellbeing

Coventry Libraries are proud to offer Reading Well Books on Prescription and Reading Well mood-boosting books at all our libraries

Reading Well self-help books

Reading Well helps you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using helpful reading. The books are all chosen and recommended by health experts, as well as people living with the conditions covered and their relatives and carers. You can be recommended a title by a health professional, or you can visit your local library and take a book out yourself.

Some titles are available to download for free as eBooks.

There are five book lists available:

  1. Reading Well for mental health
  2. Reading Well for teens
  3. Reading Well for children
  4. Reading Well for long term conditions
  5. Reading Well for dementia

The books are available for anyone to access from their local library for free. Friendly staff will be on hand to help you join the library if you are not already a member.

Reading Well for teens

Reading well for teens

Reading Well for teens supports the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers, providing helpful information, advice and support to help them better understand their feelings, handle difficult experiences and boost confidence. The list has been developed as an update to the 2016 Reading Well for Young People (“Shelf Help”) list and is focused on supporting teens’ mental health and wellbeing in a post-pandemic context.

Reading Well for mental health

Reading Well for mental health provides information and support for people with common mental health needs and for dealing with difficult feelings and experiences. The books are all endorsed by health experts, as well as people with personal experience of mental health conditions. The books include information on approaches such as CBT and mindfulness, as well as common mental health conditions including depression anxiety, OCD and others. The collection also includes personal stories and advice for carers.

Watch this short video to find out more:

Download the Reading Well for Mental Health book list.

Reading Well for dementia

Reading Well Books on Prescription for dementia recommends books you might find helpful if you have dementia, are caring for someone with dementia, or want to find out more about the condition. The books include information and advice, help after diagnosis, practical support for carers and personal stories. The books are endorsed by health experts.

Watch this short video to find out more:

Download the full Reading Well for Dementia book list.

 

Reading Well for long term conditions

Reading Well for people with long term conditions is a collection of books that provides information and support for people living with a long term health condition and their carers. The books provide quality-assured information about common conditions and symptoms, practical advice for living with a long term condition and support for self-management.

Reading Well for long term conditions covers general information about living with a long term condition, as well as a focus on conditions such as diabetes and stroke, and common symptoms such as pain and fatigue. The list also includes titles to support the carers, friends and families of people living with a long term condition.

Watch this short video to find out more:

Download the full Reading Well for Long-term Conditions book list.

Reading Well for Children

Reading Well for children supports the mental health and wellbeing of children, providing children and their families and carers with information, advice and support for coping with feelings and worries, daily life and getting through a tough time. The books have been chosen and endorsed by leading health professionals and co-produced with children and families. The booklist is targeted at children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11), but includes a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers, and to encourage children to read together with their siblings and carers.

Download the full Reading Well for children book list

Reading Well mood- boosting books

Reading Well Mood Boosting Books is a national promotion of uplifting titles, including novels, poetry and non-fiction. The books are all recommended by readers and reading groups and are perfect when you’re in need of a boost. Visit your local library to pick up a reading well mood-boosting book today.

View all the Mood Boosting booklists on the Reading Well website.

Download the Reading Well for health and wellbeing book lists.

For more information please visit our health information page.

Libraries and Information Service

Address: Central Library
Smithford Way
Coventry
CV1 1FY

Telephone: 024 7683 2314