Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been living with anxiety since I was a child. I had no idea what it was back then, or how much it controlled my life. I wish I had the numerous resources that we have today, and all the knowledge at our fingertips. For me, the way to really truly understand something is through a story. Seeing a beautifully chaotic life unfold before me, and riding alongside the characters, offers me so much hope and lets me know I’m not alone in this. You are not alone in the anxiety battle. By working together, sharing our stories, we’ll find a way through the darkest times and embrace the light.


I wrote

Daphne's Questionable Bet

By Sara Jo Cluff,

Book cover of Daphne's Questionable Bet

What is my book about?

When sixteen-year-old Daphne Richards moves back to her hometown, she finds herself next door to her mom's high school rival…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of By Your Side

Sara Jo Cluff Why did I love this book?

Going through anxiety can be tough and lonesome. I know most of us are stubborn and want to go things alone, just like Autumn does in this book. West paints a picture of how keeping our trials to ourselves can hold us back and keep us from growing. It can damage friendships and relationships. By giving your close friends and family a chance to see the world through your eyes, you’re giving them a way to truly and deeply understand you, which is all anyone really wants.

By Kasie West,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked By Your Side as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect?

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her.

Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to…


Book cover of Finding Audrey

Sara Jo Cluff Why did I love this book?

Anxiety can be paralyzing. Like make getting out of bed and stepping out into the world seem like the most terrifying thing in the world. Kinsella captures that debilitating fear perfectly through Audrey’s eyes. She also discusses the psychology behind it and the benefits of having a well-educated therapist. Kinsella doesn’t skirt around the awful truth. Instead, she pulls us right into it in such a raw and refreshing way, which I absolutely admire.

By Sophie Kinsella,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Finding Audrey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Bestseller & A ZOELLA Book Club Pick!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain.
 
An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their…


Book cover of The Words We Keep

Sara Jo Cluff Why did I love this book?

Oh my goodness, this book hits all the feels. Stewart is a beautiful writer. Her unique style is refreshing and captivating. This definitely deals with the darker side of anxiety, including self-harm and suicide. Stewart perfectly nails that inner beast, that voice in our heads telling us we’re not going enough. That voice questioning everything anyone says or does, thinking it’s directed at us. This book is heavy and dark, yet light and uplifting. It’s brilliant.

By Erin Stewart,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Words We Keep as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health—anxiety, perfectionism, depression—and the healing powers of art--perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and How it Feels to Float. Whatever you struggle with, you are not alone and you are already enough—just the way you are.

It's been three months since The Night on the Bathroom Floor--when Lily found her older sister Alice hurting herself. Ever since then, Lily has been desperately trying to keep things together, for herself and for her family. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it is becoming harder for Lily to ignore…


Book cover of Meet Me There

Sara Jo Cluff Why did I love this book?

Even the people we least expect have anxiety. We are all dealing with hidden battles, even those that look so perfectly put together. So much pressure can be put on teenagers, to fit in, to live up to a certain standard, to get the highest grades, and sign-up for every extra-curricular activity known to mankind. I love how Corry dives into that world, really grasping the core of it all and how it affects all of our relationships, and showing us we don’t have to go it alone.

By Judy Corry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Meet Me There as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A dark Chemistry lab. A fake British accent. It's all fun and games until somebody falls in love.

When sixteen-year-old, Ashlyn Brooks, runs into a sweet British guy in the dark Chemistry lab, she has no idea she's actually sitting in the pitch black room with her longtime rival, Luke Davenport. She also doesn't know that she's stepped into another one of the football captain's pranks. It isn't long before she's sharing things she's never told anyone, and starting to fall for the mysterious guy with a sexy accent who seems to understand her in a way no one ever…


Book cover of Eliza and Her Monsters

Sara Jo Cluff Why did I love this book?

Anyone with anxiety knows that sometimes it can be so much easier to deal with people in the confines of your own room, safely behind a computer screen, instead of face-to-face. Socializing can be draining and confusing. Eliza’s monsters are so real and relatable. You truly understand her fear. This book is about finding that balance of having your alone time but also being a contributing member of society. Zappia’s format is creative and fun, and boy, does she know how to pull at the heartstrings.

By Francesca Zappia,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Eliza and Her Monsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

"A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and Her Monsters is absolutely magical."-Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times-bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends


Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she's worked for begins to crumble.

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Noelle Stevenson's Nimona in this acclaimed novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. "A must-have."-School Library Journal

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and…


Explore my book 😀

Daphne's Questionable Bet

By Sara Jo Cluff,

Book cover of Daphne's Questionable Bet

What is my book about?

When sixteen-year-old Daphne Richards moves back to her hometown, she finds herself next door to her mom's high school rival – with a daughter the same age as Daphne. Eager to redeem her mother's name, Sierra offers Daphne a simple bet: Who can get the gorgeous and charming Bentley Anderson to ask her to prom?

Confident in her ability, and unable to turn down a challenge, Daphne takes the bet. Both girls quickly go to work, doing everything in their powers to woo Bentley – while sabotaging the other. Only, another guy at school quickly catches Daphne's eye, and her ever-building anxiety mounts when a picture involving Care Bear underwear risks getting out. If Daphne can't sift through her emotions and figure out how to handle the bet, she'll not only risk social suicide, but the chance at true love.

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What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

Sharman Apt Russell Author Of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Explorer Runner Mother

Sharman's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks left by browsing deer, predatory weasels, and inquisitive bears, skunks, and raccoons. Master tracker Kim A Cabrera provides photos and illustrations.

Winner of the prestigious John Burroughs Medal, Russell also writes about community, a sense of place, and a renewed connection with the nonhuman world. She explores the health of…

What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

By Sharman Apt Russell,

What is this book about?

Did a red fox pass this way? Could that be a bobcat print there in the dirt? Do those tracks belong to a domestic dog or a coyote? Combining lyrical memoir with an introduction to wildlife tracking, What Walks This Way explores the joys of learning to recognize the traces of the creatures with whom we share our world.

The nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife-mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice-near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. With wit and compassion, she guides readers through…


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