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Health & Lifestyle » Family & Relationships

Most Recommended Books

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

Browse book recommendations:

Health & Lifestyle

  • Addiction
  • Death
  • Education
  • Family & Relationships
  • Happiness
  • Illness & Medical Conditions
  • Parenting
  • Sex & Sexuality

We have an extremely varied set of recommendations for books on family and relationships. Deborah Levy looks at motherhood in literature and Amy Chua at being a mother, while Kyle Pruett, professor of child psychology at Yale University, chooses his best books on fatherhood.  The historian Nancy Goldstone chooses five memoirs about daughters, from the Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre in the 16th century to titles of the present day. Tim Lott looks at brothers, choosing both Shakespeare's Hamlet and Atomised by Michel Houellebecq.

Mona Simpson discusses family stories and Jonathan Rauch looks at marriage, extolling its importance as an institution, not just for the individuals within the relationship, but for society—and for people of all sexual orientations. Kate Figes chooses her best books on sex and marriage.  She points to research suggesting that middle aged sex is the best of people’s lives and recommends books as diverse as The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

Evan Zimroth chooses his best books on adultery and Katie Kitamura chooses her best books on marriage and divorce in literature. Ella Berthoud recommends novels on love and relationships. As a bibliotherapist, recommending books as a form of therapy for a living, she is highly qualified to make her recommendations. Meanwhile, author and therapist Mira Kirshenbaum looks at relationship therapy. She argues that at any given moment, the average person’s understanding of relationships is about 100 years behind the times. In any relationship between two people the relationship itself needs to be seen as a third, vital force, independent of the individuals who are living it.

    The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries

    1

    Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love
    by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America by Beth L. Bailey

    2

    From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America
    by Beth L. Bailey

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity — What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves by Christian Rudder

    3

    Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity — What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves
    by Christian Rudder

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Modern Romance: An Investigation by Aziz Ansari

    4

    Modern Romance: An Investigation
    by Aziz Ansari

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder by Nichi Hodgson

    5

    The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder
    by Nichi Hodgson

The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin

“Love,” wrote Ovid, “is no assignment for cowards.” Cultural critic Mia Levitin talks us through the history of seduction from the Classical era, through ballroom dancing, calling cards and into the present age of swiping on our mobile phones. Here she recommends five of the best books for those braving the modern dating scene.

    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature

  • Read
    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

    1

    Rebecca
    by Daphne Du Maurier

  • Read
    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

    2

    The Portrait of a Lady
    by Henry James

  • Read
    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - Lust by Elfriede Jelinek & Translated by Michael Hulse

    3

    Lust
    by Elfriede Jelinek & Translated by Michael Hulse

  • Read
    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - My First Wife by Jakob Wassermann & Translated by Michael Hofmann

    4

    My First Wife
    by Jakob Wassermann & Translated by Michael Hofmann

  • Read
    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

    5

    The Argonauts
    by Maggie Nelson

Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature

Love and marriage may go together like a horse and carriage, but what happens when the horses are spooked and the whole procession is run off the road? Katie Kitamura, whose new novel A Separation charts the disastrous—and tragic—failure of a marriage, considers some of literature’s most heartfelt accounts of relationship failure

    The best books on Relationship Therapy, recommended by Mira Kirshenbaum

  • Read
    The best books on Relationship Therapy - Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows

    1

    Thinking in Systems
    by Donella Meadows

  • Read
    The best books on Relationship Therapy - The Mirages of Marriage by William Lederer and Don Jackson

    2

    The Mirages of Marriage
    by William Lederer and Don Jackson

  • Read
    The best books on Relationship Therapy - The Family Crucible by Augustus Napier and Carl Whitaker

    3

    The Family Crucible
    by Augustus Napier and Carl Whitaker

  • Read
    The best books on Relationship Therapy - Uncommon Therapy by Jay Haley

    4

    Uncommon Therapy
    by Jay Haley

  • Read
    The best books on Relationship Therapy - Change by John H. Weakland and Richard Fisch & Paul Latzlawick

    5

    Change
    by John H. Weakland and Richard Fisch & Paul Latzlawick

The best books on Relationship Therapy, recommended by Mira Kirshenbaum

Systems thinking is key to figuring out how relationships work, says Mira Kirshenbaum, psychotherapist and clinical director of the Chestnut Hill Institute. She chooses the best books to help us understand modern relationship therapy.

    The best books on Friendship, recommended by Emma Jane Unsworth

  • Read
    The best books on Friendship - Paulina and Fran by Rachel B Glaser

    1

    Paulina and Fran
    by Rachel B Glaser

  • Read
    The best books on Friendship - Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

    2

    Cat's Eye
    by Margaret Atwood

  • Read
    The best books on Friendship - Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? by Lorrie Moore

    3

    Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
    by Lorrie Moore

  • Read
    The best books on Friendship - Weathercock by Glen Duncan

    4

    Weathercock
    by Glen Duncan

  • Read
    The best books on Friendship - Best Friends Forever by Amy Key (editor)

    5

    Best Friends Forever
    by Amy Key (editor)

The best books on Friendship, recommended by Emma Jane Unsworth

The award-winning writer recommends the best books on friendship, the theme of her latest novel Animals.

    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature

  • Read
    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature - My Mother's House by Colette

    1

    My Mother's House
    by Colette

  • Read
    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature - To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

    2

    To the Lighthouse
    by Virginia Woolf

  • Read
    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature - The Lover by Marguerite Duras

    3

    The Lover
    by Marguerite Duras

  • Read
    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature - As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh: Journals and Notebooks, 1964-1980 by Susan Sontag

    4

    As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh: Journals and Notebooks, 1964-1980
    by Susan Sontag

  • Read
    Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature - All About My Mother (film) by Pedro Almodóvar

    5

    All About My Mother (film)
    by Pedro Almodóvar

Deborah Levy on Motherhood in Literature

Aristotle tells us that all politics starts in the family, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the infamously fraught relationship between mother and daughter. Here, the novelist, playwright and poet Deborah Levy chooses five books – or rather, four books and one film – that explore motherhood.

    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters, recommended by Nancy Goldstone

  • Read
    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters - The Memoirs Of Marguerite De Valois by Marguerite De Valois

    1

    The Memoirs Of Marguerite De Valois
    by Marguerite De Valois

  • Read
    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters - Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir by Ivana Lowell

    2

    Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir
    by Ivana Lowell

  • Read
    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters - Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa by Wendy Kann

    3

    Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa
    by Wendy Kann

  • Read
    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters - The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson

    4

    The Mighty Queens of Freeville
    by Amy Dickinson

  • Read
    The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

    5

    Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
    by Cheryl Strayed

The best books on Memoirs of Dauntless Daughters, recommended by Nancy Goldstone

In her book The Rival Queens, historian Nancy Goldstone explored the destructive relationship between Marguerite de Valois and her mother Catherine de’ Medici. Here she chooses five different memoirs that best explore the emotionally complex dynamics that characterise mother-daughter relationships.

    The best books on Fatherhood, recommended by Kyle Pruett

  • Read
    The best books on Fatherhood - Silas Marner by George Eliot

    1

    Silas Marner
    by George Eliot

  • Read
    The best books on Fatherhood - The Role of the Father in Child Development by Michael Lamb

    2

    The Role of the Father in Child Development
    by Michael Lamb

  • Read
    The best books on Fatherhood - Fatherneed by Kyle Pruett

    3

    Fatherneed
    by Kyle Pruett

  • Read
    The best books on Fatherhood - Partnership Parenting by Kyle Pruett

    4

    Partnership Parenting
    by Kyle Pruett

  • Read
    The best books on Fatherhood - The Myth of the Missing Black Father by Roberta Coles

    5

    The Myth of the Missing Black Father
    by Roberta Coles

The best books on Fatherhood, recommended by Kyle Pruett

Fathers and mothers play very different roles in a child’s development, says Kyle Pruett, Clinical Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine—and both are essential. He recommends books on fathers and fatherhood—for both parents.

    The best books on Brothers, recommended by Tim Lott

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - East of Eden by John Steinbeck

    1

    East of Eden
    by John Steinbeck

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

    2

    A River Runs Through It
    by Norman Maclean

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    3

    Hamlet
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Atomised by Michel Houellebecq

    4

    Atomised
    by Michel Houellebecq

  • Read
    The best books on Brothers - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller & Tim Lott

    5

    Death of a Salesman
    by Arthur Miller & Tim Lott

The best books on Brothers, recommended by Tim Lott

Novelist Tim Lott, whose autobiographical book Under the Same Stars lays bare a dysfunctional relationship with his brother, tells us about love and rivalry among siblings – and, from Cain and Abel on, the dark, even murderous, impulses that can be engendered between them.

    The best books on Love and Relationships, recommended by Ella Berthoud

  • Read
    The best books on Love and Relationships - The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

    1

    The Enchanted April
    by Elizabeth von Arnim

  • Read
    The best books on Love and Relationships - Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

    2

    Greengage Summer
    by Rumer Godden

  • Read
    The best books on Love and Relationships - On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

    3

    On Chesil Beach
    by Ian McEwan

  • Read
    The best books on Love and Relationships - Les Enfants Terribles by Jean Cocteau

    4

    Les Enfants Terribles
    by Jean Cocteau

  • Read
    The best books on Love and Relationships - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

    5

    Lolita
    by Vladimir Nabokov

The best books on Love and Relationships, recommended by Ella Berthoud

Bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud prescribes some reading for love. Rekindle your relationship, remember first passions and beware obsessive love with help from these suggestions.

    The best books on Family Stories, recommended by Mona Simpson

  • Read
    The best books on Family Stories - The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata

    1

    The Sound of the Mountain
    by Yasunari Kawabata

  • Read
    The best books on Family Stories - On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

    2

    On Chesil Beach
    by Ian McEwan

  • Read
    The best books on Family Stories - All the Days and Nights by William Maxwell

    3

    All the Days and Nights
    by William Maxwell

  • Read
    The best books on Family Stories - In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

    4

    In Search of Lost Time
    by Marcel Proust

  • Read
    The best books on Family Stories - Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf

    5

    Jacob's Room
    by Virginia Woolf

The best books on Family Stories, recommended by Mona Simpson

Family dynamics are changing dramatically in our modern, workaholic age. The novelist – and sister of Steve Jobs, separated at birth – selects five works of fiction that illustrate some truths about families in all their variety

    The best books on Being a Mother, recommended by Amy Chua

  • Read
    The best books on Being a Mother - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    1

    Little Women
    by Louisa May Alcott

  • Read
    The best books on Being a Mother - The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

    2

    The Good Earth
    by Pearl Buck

  • Read
    The best books on Being a Mother - Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

    3

    Make Way for Ducklings
    by Robert McCloskey

  • Read
    The best books on Being a Mother - The Hours by Michael Cunningham

    4

    The Hours
    by Michael Cunningham

  • Read
    The best books on Being a Mother - A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers

    5

    A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
    by David Eggers

The best books on Being a Mother, recommended by Amy Chua

The author of the self-satirising memoir on ambitious “tiger mothers” talks us through the books about motherhood that have made the most impact on her.

    The best books on Sex and Marriage, recommended by Kate Figes

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Married Love by Marie Stopes

    1

    Married Love
    by Marie Stopes

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort

    2

    The Joy of Sex
    by Alex Comfort

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Sex and Psyche by Brett Kahr

    3

    Sex and Psyche
    by Brett Kahr

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    4

    Love in the Time of Cholera
    by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and translated by Rosamund Bartlett

    5

    Anna Karenina
    by Leo Tolstoy and translated by Rosamund Bartlett

The best books on Sex and Marriage, recommended by Kate Figes

Research shows that middle-aged sex is the best of people’s lives, says journalist and author Kate Figes. She picks the best books on sex and marriage.

    The best books on Adultery, recommended by Evan Zimroth

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

    1

    The End of the Affair
    by Graham Greene

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Light Years by James Salter

    2

    Light Years
    by James Salter

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Julia Paradise by Rod Jones

    3

    Julia Paradise
    by Rod Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux

    4

    Simple Passion
    by Annie Ernaux

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Unopened Letters by Linda Zisquit

    5

    Unopened Letters
    by Linda Zisquit

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes

    6

    Birthday Letters
    by Ted Hughes

The best books on Adultery, recommended by Evan Zimroth

The poet, novelist and author of memoirs explores parallels between faith in the divine and commitment to a worldly erotic passion, and books that show you can have purity within licentiousness

    Books About Suicide, recommended by Johanna Reiss

  • Read
    Books About Suicide - Remembering Denny by Calvin Trillin

    1

    Remembering Denny
    by Calvin Trillin

  • Read
    Books About Suicide - Darkness Visible by William Clark Styron

    2

    Darkness Visible
    by William Clark Styron

  • Read
    Books About Suicide - Night by Elie Wiesel

    3

    Night
    by Elie Wiesel

  • Read
    Books About Suicide - Night Falls Fast by Kay Redfield Jamison

    4

    Night Falls Fast
    by Kay Redfield Jamison

  • Read
    Books About Suicide - The Savage God by Al Alvarez

    5

    The Savage God
    by Al Alvarez

Books About Suicide, recommended by Johanna Reiss

As a young Dutch Jewish girl, Johanna Reiss survived World War II hidden in the attic of a farmer called Johan Oosterveld. Her memoir of that time, The Upstairs Room, is still read in schools today. But while she was researching that book in 1969, her American husband, Jim, killed himself. In this interview, she recommends books on the painful subject of suicide, as well as the music that helped heal the pain.

    The best books on Marriage, recommended by Jonathan Rauch

  • Read
    The best books on Marriage - Mary Poppins [DVD] by Robert Stevens

    1

    Mary Poppins [DVD]
    by Robert Stevens

  • Read
    The best books on Marriage - Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran

    2

    Dancer from the Dance
    by Andrew Holleran

  • Read
    The best books on Marriage - And the Band Played on by Randy Shilts

    3

    And the Band Played on
    by Randy Shilts

  • Read
    The best books on Marriage - What's Happening to the American Family? by Professor Frank Gallo, Professor Richard Belous & Professor Sara A. Levitan

    4

    What's Happening to the American Family?
    by Professor Frank Gallo, Professor Richard Belous & Professor Sara A. Levitan

  • Read
    The best books on Marriage - The Case for Marriage by Linda J. Waite, Maggie Gallagher

    5

    The Case for Marriage
    by Linda J. Waite, Maggie Gallagher

The best books on Marriage, recommended by Jonathan Rauch

Jonathan Rauch, the National Journal columnist and author of Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America, recounts his own marriage odyssey, starting with Mary Poppins.

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