What to Read When…you’re in the waiting room of your therapist’s office.

I thought I’d start a list of “What to Read When…” only because there are so many times in our lives when a book can save us from a variety of social angst, or divert our attention from bad days or existential crises.  Don’t misunderstand, I’m all for chatting up a stranger on a bus and the use of chocolate for the latter two examples, but sometimes, the solitude and richness of the page is exactly what is required.

The Lobotomist’s Wife was a surprisingly light read given its subject matter, which, aside from the ice pick to the brain, includes spousal abuse, postpartum depression and a myriad of other devastating mental health disorders.  By “light” I mean both in the way it was written—uncomplicated prose, somewhat predictable structure—but also in the way the author handled the topics in a straight-forward, sometimes sanitized way that keeps the reader comfortably removed from any deep emotion.  If the beginning tends to drag a bit, the ending is very satisfying.

So this is the book for you, if you’re looking for something that doesn’t require much attention.  It’s also the book for you if you’re looking for something to hide in while you wait for your therapist appointment.  Trust me, NO one will chat with you.

Use this link to find this book in your local indie bookstore (our book-buying choices matter!)