The most recommended books about diseases

This book charmed me from the very beginning. I loved all the enchanting characters that populate the story—a mysterious flying bird woman, an invisible tiger, a magical messenger parrot, and a powerful magician known as The Man Who Bends Light.

As the story opens, Micah needs a miracle—his grandfather is dying, and the only one who might be able to save him is a magician who owes the family a favor.

The Circus Mirandus is a wonderous, whimsical world of its own. This book made me want to find my own circus ticket, swing from a trapeze, and befriend a wise old elephant. I love stories that highlight the joys and complexities of family life, and this does just that. It’s also a tale filled with wonder, intrigue, and all the sparkle of a one-of-a-kind circus. 

This nonfiction book on tuberculosis, published the same year as my book, begins with the discovery of a skull marked by the scars of tuberculosis. Turns out it belonged to a young man who died over 500,000 years ago from the disease. The authors trace the devastating effects of tuberculosis to modern day when our drugs can no longer fully guarantee treatment. This book tells a fascinating, yet worrisome, story about a most dreaded disease.

A totally distinctive coming-of-age novel, set in a desert community where people with environmental illnesses are forced to live, far away from the everyday chemicals and wireless gadgets which make them sick. The author gets so much right about the emotional fallout of this falling away from the normal: the ache that never quite goes for the old life that has been lost; the new bonds that form between disparate characters finding themselves in the same boat; the corrosive extra layer of societal contempt and disbelief (“of course it’s all in the mind…”). which makes these already devastating illnesses even harder to bear - and the lurking temptation of suicide. I gasped with recognition on almost every page. It’s a YA novel, but who cares?

As I said before, I love history, and Puckle’s book gives the reader a great look into the why of our funeral customs. As in: why do we send funeral flowers? (To which Puckle offers the glib answer, “the half sovereign he paid for it save him from the mental exercise of composing a suitable letter of condolence” before offering a serious explanation). Sure, the book was published almost a century ago, but that has no bearing on the contents. It’s an evergreen book and a highly recommended read for serious funereal scholars or those considering a career in funeral service.

When this book was released in 2017 I delayed reading it due to its major theme of a teenager dealing with her father’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

I usually avoid books or movies where this is a key element of the story due to my own experience. While I was a mature adult in my late forties and well past my teens when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I know too well the devastating impact of slowly losing a loved one to the disease. I’m glad I finally set aside my reservations and read this book.

Julia Lawrinson has drawn on her own and her daughter’s experience to produce a beautifully crafted and memorable story. It’s raw, honest, and heartbreaking yet never heavy. Before You Forget is also full of warmth, humour, and hope. 

I love this book because it’s a beautifully written, tough story of finding friendship amidst chaotic loss. It takes place near the ocean in 1972, the year I was also 12 and living near the beach, so I related to Chirp immediately upon meeting her. I got to know her very well in the pages of this book as she struggles to deal with her mother’s illness(es).

She’s an ordinary girl facing extraordinary pain and confusion, and the author beautifully guides readers through her story, through its turbulence and quiet spells, inserting spot-on bits of humor right.

Ani’s Light by Tanu Shree Singh with art by Sandhya Prabhat is about the depression and sadness when Mom is gone to the hospital for chemotherapy. This gentle picture book shows the reader that often fear makes us want to “hide” and find someplace safe.  But little by little the reader sees the importance of reaching out to others and slowly facing and talking about the fears that hurt one’s heart. 

Reality and magic interweave with Korean folklore in this intergenerational family story that I couldn’t stop listening to. This deeply emotional story about a young girl trying to save her dying grandmother was captivating and magical.

Lily drew me in right away with her desperation, and the magical tiger didn’t let me leave. It was tense all the way to the end where I was left more heartbroken than I was prepared for. This is a story I’ll never forget and always recommend!

Illnesses affect families as well as individuals. How would you react to the news that your Dad would soon lose a leg because of type 2 diabetes? Two brothers reacted by setting out to find the hard information about type 2 diabetes. That was tough—but the brothers tracked down the new information that this type of diabetes could be reversed to normal. Then persuading Dad that things had to change was an even greater challenge. The family’s journey, and the remarkable achievement of major weight loss, is brilliantly documented. The insights into the stresses on the family as they support Dad are sublime. Even after decades of dealing with human tragedies as a doctor, this book raised a lump in my throat. Today, Geoff still has two legs. 

This story’s protagonist, Jessi, remains one of my favorite YA protagonists; she’s the sort of girl I would’ve loved being friends with as a teenager. And the Cohen boys… it’s no wonder Jessi is so enamored with them both! A poignant narrative centering around unimaginable tragedy, Some Other Now combines two of my favorite romance tropes: the boy next door and the love triangle. It’s a story about best friends, broken families, and love in all its fiercest forms, written with thoughtfulness and lyricism.