“To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose is the next best.”
Breakups are an inevitable part of forming relationships, but that doesn’t necessarily make any of the hurtful feelings they evoke any less painful. From losing a connection with someone you’ve poured years into building to grappling with self-worth and confidence in both personality and appearance, bouncing back from a breakup can be a long and daunting task. Thankfully, a wealth of experts have weighed in with a number of works designed to help readers identify, manage, and move on from these issues. So, grab your carton of ice cream, wrap up with a heavy blanket, and join us at What We Reading for the best books to read after a breakup!
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times – Pema Chödrön
Considered one of the all-time essential books on wellness, trauma, and recovery, When Things Fall Apart is a collection of talks from Pema Chödrön between 1987 and 1994. An incredibly poetic and accessible writer among practising Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, Pema Chödrön’s years of wisdom and personal experiences with breakup and divorce shine through throughout this practical guidebook.
When Things Fall Apart guides readers through the practices and mindsets needed to overcome times when life seems to pile on pain and difficulties. From lessons on how to communicate effectively, reverse habitual patterns, and work through chaotic situations, to cultivating compassion and courage, Chödrön’s work is not only inspiring and empowering but can also be applied across all aspects of self-care.
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice On Love And Life From Dear Sugar – Cheryl Strayed
Cheryl Strayed is the number one bestselling author of Wild, and her 2012 book, Tiny Beautiful Things remains one of the best books to read after a breakup, a loss, or when faced with any challenges life can bring. Whether facing a partner’s unfaithfulness or struggling to pay the bills, this guidebook is filled with warmth, compassion, and the kinds of advice that only an author who has had her fair share of tragedy and trauma can impart.
Having overcome her demons during her hike across the Pacific Crest Trail, Tiny Beautiful Things sees Strayed sit down with the letters from thousands of people in the same boat as her. The very best of these correspondences are collected across the book, making the perfect companion for anyone feeling a little lost in life.
The Breakup Bible: The Smart Woman’s Guide To Healing From A Breakup Or Divorce – Rachel Sussman
The reality of relationships failing is unfortunate for every woman. And there’s certainly no denying how profoundly painful the experience can be. In The Breakup Bible, psychotherapist and breakup expert Rachel Sussman reveals not only how women can get over the pain but also get their lives back on track quickly with a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
Utilizing the lessons and experiences of hundreds of different counselling sessions she hosted with those going through breakups, The Breakup Bible is condensed into a three-part program designed for healing in the aftermath of a relationship reaching its end. Bold and accessible, Sussman teaches readers about the power of Healing, Understanding, and Transformation, helping them to chart their own personalised Love Map, giving them all the tools and perspectives they need to find a way of moving on in a manner that is comforting and empowering.
Notes On Heartbreak – Annie Lord
Funny, fierce, and unflinchingly honest, Annie Lord’s Notes on Heartbreak is the book to read after a breakup when you want your witty best friend/agony aunt with you. A raw exploration of the euphoric and the gut-wrenching, the beauty and the pains, and how significant the effects of a breakup can be, Lord’s work is a love story told in reverse.
Reeling from her own broken heart, readers follow Annie’s journey as she revisits her past. From the shared in-jokes, the construction of a long-term relationship, the deep emotion of falling in love, and the gradual erosion of a bond that had been five years in the making. It’s a potently relatable read that reminds readers of the joys and sorrows of being in love. It is sure to resonate with anyone healing from their own broken heart.
The Wisdom Of A Broken Heart: An Uncommon Guide To Healing, Insight, And Love – Susan Piver
From the bestselling author of The Hard Questions, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart is an invaluable exploration of the hardest part of a breakup—the heartbreak. It provides readers with a practical, steadying, and empathy-driven course for emerging with a braver, resilient, and compassionate perspective.
Susan Piver fills her book with on-the-spot practices, exercises, meditations, hilarious anecdotes, poems, insights, and advice from her experiences to help readers navigate the day-to-day hardships that come in the fallout of a broken-down relationship. Not only does this book reassure readers that they’re going to be okay, but it ensures they have a plan and a framework for putting it into action.
Check Out The Best Books For Starting Over
Love Hurts: Buddhist Advice For The Heartbroken – Lodro Rinzler
Lodro Rinzler imparts Buddhist-inspired advice for navigating broken relationships and other pain-filled emotional experiences in his breakup book, Love Hurts. The bestselling author of The Buddha Walks into a Bar leans on 2,500 years’ worth of lessons from Buddhist teachings on how to approach suffering, providing an emotional antidote readers can apply in their own lives, whether they are practising Buddhists or not.
This snappy guidebook takes readers through the causes and cures of suffering, offering a wealth of practical advice for self-care when navigating a break-up. One of the best spiritual books to read after splitting up with a loved one, Rinzler guides readers on how to find light at the end of the tunnel.
How To Heal A Broken Heart: From Rock Bottom To Reinvention – Rosie Green
When Rosie Green’s husband walked out of her life after twenty-six years together, he didn’t even leave behind a forwarding address. Instead, in his wake, he left a devastated woman whose world had imploded. Unable to eat or sleep, Green’s desperation to keep her family together came at the expense of her sense of dignity and self-worth.
She was convinced that she would never get over the breakup. But she did. And, through her sharp and insightful book How to Heal a Broken Heart, she takes readers through all the advice she wished she had been given during her struggles. Delivered with dark humour, intimate honesty and collaborations with leading relationship experts, Green’s handbook demonstrates how readers can heal faster, learn more about themselves and move on from their breakup with a more fulfilling, joyful future on the cards.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
