Reading These 5 Novels Will Actually Make You Happier

We're all familiar with the way a book can help us temporarily escape from reality (that's why we love brand-new reads so much, after all), but did you know that reading books can literally act as a form of therapy?

That's right: Reading therapy, a.k.a. bibliotherapy, is a growing psychological practice. According to bibliotherapist Susan Elderkin, however, reading therapy is far from a new concept. In fact, the ancient Greeks were known to have used it. But until quite recently, Elderkin says that bibliotherapy had only been implemented in special-case scenarios, such as when veterans returned from war or when kids exhibited behavioral issues.

In 2008, Elderkin and her partner Ella Berthoud began offering the first-ever bibliotherapy service at The School of Life in London. They were the first to suggest that fictional novels, rather than just self-help books, could act as a cure for any number of psychological problems (their book, The Novel Cure, will provide you with 751 stories that can help nearly all of 'em) - and we're so glad they did.

Beyond excited that reading is now proven to make us happier people, we turned to Elderkin and Berthoud to give us recommendations for five common feelings. Read them ASAP to de-stress or reduce feelings of anxiety. Doctor's orders.