Here are 100 books that A Beginner's Guide to Dying fans have personally recommended if you like A Beginner's Guide to Dying. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Daisy Darker

Dita Dow Author Of Sins in Black

From my list on small-town mystery books for fans of secrets, lies & twists.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a suspense thriller author and retired police detective, I’ve seen how ordinary people can hide the darkest secrets. That’s why I love small-town mysteries. They show the endless ways people cover up what they don’t want others to see, and they remind me of the unsettling truth I’ve witnessed firsthand: behind every neat house and familiar smile, there can be lies, betrayal, or danger and nothing is ever as safe as it looks.

Dita's book list on small-town mystery books for fans of secrets, lies & twists

Dita Dow Why Dita loves this book

I loved Daisy Darker because it was haunting and impossible to put down.

The eerie, locked-in setting gave me chills, and every page pulled me deeper in. I kept thinking I had the mystery solved, but the ending shocked me completely. I closed the book in awe and couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

By Alice Feeney ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Daisy Darker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
"Alice Feeney is great with TWISTS and TURNS." —Harlan Coben

The NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of Rock Paper Scissors returns with a locked-room mystery when a family reunion leads to murder in a delightfully twisty and atmospheric thriller, as seen on the TODAY show.

“A dysfunctional family meets Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None with a truly gasp-inducing twist. This is the book you've been looking for.” —Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of 56 Days

Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. Now after years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing

Stuart Ritchie Author Of Who Will Get My Money When I Die?: The concise guide to making your Will and reducing the impact of Inheritance Tax on your Estate

From my list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an expert tax advisor with over 30 years of experience in the field, I understand how important it is to properly plan your Will. While having these conversations with friends and family is not easy or comfortable, it is essential that we break this taboo to ensure that we are able to enact the wishes of our loved ones as they would like. This is why I’m passionate about this subject and why I created my firm, Ritchie Phillips LLP. Estate planning is a responsible, caring, and loving action to secure your legacy and it is books like these that will enable people to plan their futures with confidence. 

Stuart's book list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes

Stuart Ritchie Why Stuart loves this book

I was curious to find how Bronnie Wave became an accidental end of life carer. I found it interesting to read this was often shaped by the outlook of those she was caring for rather than any pre-fixed ideas on her part.

I congratulate Bronnie on a career she has taken to brilliantly which also brings to the reader her unique insight.

By Bronnie Ware ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Top Five Regrets of the Dying as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This book had a profound effect on my life.' - Dr Wayne W. Dyer, bestselling author of I Can See Clearly Now

Bronnie was looking for a 'job with heart'. Through circumstance, she became a carer to the dying. Over the years that she assisted people to the end of their lives, Bronnie continuously heard them expressing the same regrets over and over again. Struck by the common threads between these regrets, she wrote a blog post about them, called 'The Top Five Regrets of the Dying'. In just one year, it had reached 3 million views.

Based on Bronnie's…


Book cover of Your Last Gift: Getting your Affairs in Order

Stuart Ritchie Author Of Who Will Get My Money When I Die?: The concise guide to making your Will and reducing the impact of Inheritance Tax on your Estate

From my list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an expert tax advisor with over 30 years of experience in the field, I understand how important it is to properly plan your Will. While having these conversations with friends and family is not easy or comfortable, it is essential that we break this taboo to ensure that we are able to enact the wishes of our loved ones as they would like. This is why I’m passionate about this subject and why I created my firm, Ritchie Phillips LLP. Estate planning is a responsible, caring, and loving action to secure your legacy and it is books like these that will enable people to plan their futures with confidence. 

Stuart's book list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes

Stuart Ritchie Why Stuart loves this book

I have been fortunate to know Matthew Hutton for decades. In his professional career, he qualified as a solicitor specializing in private client tax and became an excellent tax lecturer in this field. In retirement, he became an ordained minister in the Church of England, and during this time he has also found time to write the one book that complements my own book.

I have found it so useful in writing my own guide for my family to help them deal with my assets after I have died. I liked the pithy quotes interspersing the practical steps I should take in documenting my own position. I have sent copies of this book to some of my clients. The actor Stephen Fry said, in reviewing this book “Bravo! This is just about as useful as a book can be."

By Matthew Hutton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Your Last Gift as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New Revised 2nd Edition out now
"Bravo. This is about as useful as a book can be." Stephen Fry

Does the idea of getting your affairs in order fill you with dread?

Your Last Gift is a practical step-by-step guide to getting your paperwork together, to help your loved ones. The heart of this Book is a comprehensive collection of structured forms downloadable from the website www.yourlastgiftbook.com These forms are for you to adapt and complete at your own pace. These bring together all the information that you would want to leave as Your Last Gift. There’s no need to…


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Book cover of The Guardian of the Palace

The Guardian of the Palace by Steven J. Morris,

The Guardian of the Palace is the first novel in a modern fantasy series set in a New York City where magic is real—but hidden, suppressed, and dangerous when exposed.

When an ancient magic begins to leak into the world, a small group of unlikely allies is forced to act…

Book cover of The Disintegration of a Heritage: Country Houses and Their Collections, 1979-1992

Stuart Ritchie Author Of Who Will Get My Money When I Die?: The concise guide to making your Will and reducing the impact of Inheritance Tax on your Estate

From my list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an expert tax advisor with over 30 years of experience in the field, I understand how important it is to properly plan your Will. While having these conversations with friends and family is not easy or comfortable, it is essential that we break this taboo to ensure that we are able to enact the wishes of our loved ones as they would like. This is why I’m passionate about this subject and why I created my firm, Ritchie Phillips LLP. Estate planning is a responsible, caring, and loving action to secure your legacy and it is books like these that will enable people to plan their futures with confidence. 

Stuart's book list on plan your Will and fulfill your final wishes

Stuart Ritchie Why Stuart loves this book

I was first introduced to this book early in my professional career as it described why so many houses were passed to the National Trust as families disassembled their collections of works of art and libraries of books until the house ceased to be viable in its own right. 

I also now appreciate better those stately homes that remain in private ownership and open to the public, with the unrelenting challenge families face to keep those homes going. I also recognized Hugh Massingberd as the then obituary editor at The Daily Telegraph, who took his role most seriously as often having the last word on an individual’s life.

Book cover of If You Should Fail: Why Success Eludes Us and Why It Doesn't Matter

Kieran Setiya Author Of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way

From my list on finding solidarity in suffering.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I work on ethics and related questions about human agency and human knowledge. My interest in adversity is both personal and philosophical: it comes from my own experience with chronic pain and from a desire to revive the tradition of moral philosophy as a medium of self-help. My last book was Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, and I have also written about baseball and philosophy, stand-up comedy, and the American author H. P. Lovecraft.

Kieran's book list on finding solidarity in suffering

Kieran Setiya Why Kieran loves this book

I don’t know if misery loves company but I’m convinced that failure does. When their projects fall flat, my kid likes nothing better than to hear about the wreckage of mine: romantic fiascos, flunked tests, athletic defeats. Joe Moran’s “book of solace,” If You Should Fail, is in part a compendium of stories like these, in part an effort to dislodge our tendency to think of human beings as winners or losers at all. “To call any life a failure, or a success, is to miss the infinite granularity, the inexhaustible miscellany of all lives,” Moran writes. “A life can’t really succeed or fail at all; it can only be lived.” 

By Joe Moran ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked If You Should Fail as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'There is an honesty and a clarity in Joe Moran's book If You Should Fail that normalises and softens the usual blows of life that enables us to accept and live with them rather than be diminished/wounded by them' Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works and This Too Shall Pass

'Full of wise insight and honesty. Moran manages to be funny, erudite and kindly: a rare - and compelling - combination. This is the essential antidote to a culture obsessed with success. Read it' Madeleine Bunting

Failure is the small print in life's terms and conditions.

Covering everything from examination…


Book cover of Conversations on Love

Kate Moyle Author Of The Science of Sex: Every Question About Your Sex Life Answered

From my list on thinking about sex and relationships differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been fascinated by what makes people tick. Why people do what they do, how people can experience the same thing so differently, and why certain words like sex can create a shift in how people behave. As a Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist it’s what I’m working on with people every day – and every day is different. My work outside the therapy room, hosting my podcast The Sexual Wellness Sessions and writing my book The Science Of Sex feels ironic in ways – I’m trying to normalise the conversations and break down the taboo so that less people end up in the therapy room feeling like they are the only one struggling.

Kate's book list on thinking about sex and relationships differently

Kate Moyle Why Kate loves this book

This is a book that everyone should read. It’s a celebration of love in all its forms, and it brings together the most incredible range of experts and authors which makes it impossible for you not to widen your perspective, and start to think about things a little differently.

Love stories are such a critical part of our humanness – even if we are not in love, we will likely have some love in our lives and some experiences of it. The questions I get asked as a therapist are often about how we can make love, relationships, desire, and sex last love is so complex, and it continues to be one of life’s biggest mysteries; which is why this book feels so important.

I really felt like I emotionally connected to something in every conversation. 

By Natasha Lunn ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Conversations on Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*THE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

'This book might just change your life' Sunday Times

'Wise, wonderful, moving and brilliant... will leave your heart in a much better place' Stylist

After years of feeling that love was always out of reach, journalist Natasha Lunn set out to understand how relationships work and evolve over a lifetime. She turned to authors and experts to learn about their experiences, as well as drawing on her own, asking: How do we find love? How do we sustain it? And how do we survive when we lose it?

In Conversations on Love she began…


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Book cover of Oaky With a Hint of Murder

Oaky With a Hint of Murder by Dawn Brotherton,

Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New York’s wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, it’s time to dig into the details and see…

Book cover of Languages of Loss: A psychotherapist's journey through grief

Lizzie Pickering Author Of When Grief Equals Love: Long-term Perspectives on Living with Loss

From my list on grief books to see you through the 3 Ds: death, diagnosis or divorce.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a speaker, grief investigator, filmmaker, and voracious reader! Since the death of my eldest son, Harry, 23 years ago, I have become passionate about changing the landscape for people who have to face life and work when they are living with grief. Books on grief helped me enormously right from the start with Harry’s diagnosis when I was going through ‘living’ or ‘anticipatory grief’ and even more after Harry’s death. They could be fiction or factual; it didn’t matter. They offered me a translation, a guide for what I was going through, and gave me the courage to go forward as these authors were demonstrating. 

Lizzie's book list on grief books to see you through the 3 Ds: death, diagnosis or divorce

Lizzie Pickering Why Lizzie loves this book

It is rare to find a book by a therapist that is written so viscerally and openly about their own personal experience. In writing about the sudden and unexpected death of her husband, Bill, Sasha has her professional and personal hat on.

I could almost feel her grief coming in waves through the pages, but rather than that being depressing, the therapist in her writes with wise observations on what is happening, what she is going through, and what helped at any given time; and just as importantly, what didn’t.

I have recommended this book to so many people going through grief and also to those who support them. It is a must-read! 

By Sasha Bates ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Languages of Loss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This is the most startlingly honest book about grief I have ever read. Its immediacy hits you on the first page and takes you on an unforgettable journey. No one has set out so clearly the stages we go through as we try to come to terms with facing the enormity of death.' - Dame Penelope Wilton, DBE

'Sasha writes exquisitely and honestly, the sheer rawness of what she has gone through and is still going through, sitting in balance with the calm and clear-sighted objectivity of the therapist, who is also her.' - Hugh Bonneville

One person, two perspectives…


Book cover of Inspiring Children to Never Give Up

Dawn Doig Author Of Hair Peace

From my list on inspire children to be happy with who they are.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, but inherited ‘travelling DNA’ from my sailor father which has led to a life of work and travel around the globe. In addition to being an audiologist and teacher, I am also the author (and sometimes illustrator) of 15 children’s picture books. Many of my books have been inspired by the special children I have had the privilege to work with as both an audiologist and teacher. My books are on a variety of topics including childhood hearing loss, dysgraphia and writing challenges, bullying and forgiveness, learning English as an additional language, and positive self-image. Some of my books are written to evoke giggles and belly laughs. 

Dawn's book list on inspire children to be happy with who they are

Dawn Doig Why Dawn loves this book

Beautiful story. I loved the ‘real’ letters from children around the world to little Julia. Children with any kind of ‘different ability’ need these kinds of stories to inspire and encourage them. A positive self-image goes a long way toward loving oneself. Children who are self-conscious because of how they look or because of a visible physical disability/challenge need to be reassured that there are things they can do and challenges they can overcome.  

By Argyro Graphy , Michael Reyes (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Inspiring Children to Never Give Up as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

We are pleased to announce that the NEW upgraded version of our 5-book series is now available. 

On this adventure Bentley and his friends meet children that have special needs. Listening to them talk about their own struggles, Bentley and the others reveal that they too have challenges. The children are all surprised. Looking out through a hospital room window is Julia, a sad little girl having treatment and wishing she could be outside with her friends. Bentley spots her and comes up with a plan to cheer her up

A heart-warming story of resilience, friendship, strength, and love

Children…


Book cover of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

Eran Pichersky Author Of Plants and Human Conflict

From my list on how plants have had a dramatic influence on human history.

Why am I passionate about this?

After serving in the military for several years, I pursued a scientific career as a plant biologist. It was during my military service in a unit that spent most of our time in the wilderness that I discovered plants, and particularly their smells. One cannot help it–if you step or crawl on a plant, you will smell it. As a military history buff, I also learned that many wars were fought over plants, and so I decided to write a book that combines the two–explaining what these plants do, why they are so important to people, and, therefore, how plants basically drive human behavior, often to violence. 

Eran's book list on how plants have had a dramatic influence on human history

Eran Pichersky Why Eran loves this book

In my youth I actually worked in banana groves, cutting old stems to make room for new ones. But I never gave much thought to how one plant could cause so much war and political mayhem.

This book makes it easy to follow the convoluted political history of the banana plant. I now know what the term Banana Republic means–and that I live in one.

By Dan Koeppel ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Banana as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the vein of Mark Kurlansky's bestselling Salt and Cod, a gripping chronicle of the myth, mystery, and uncertain fate of the world's most popular fruit

In this fascinating and surprising exploration of the banana's history, cultural significance, and endangered future, award-winning journalist Dan Koeppel gives readers plenty of food for thought. Fast-paced and highly entertaining, Banana takes us from jungle to supermarket, from corporate boardrooms to kitchen tables around the world. We begin in the Garden of Eden-examining scholars' belief that Eve's "apple" was actually a banana- and travel to early-twentieth-century Central America, where aptly named "banana republics" rose…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Banana Cultures: Agriculture, Consumption, and Environmental Change in Honduras and the United States

Gillian McGillivray Author Of Blazing Cane: Sugar Communities, Class, and State Formation in Cuba, 1868-1959

From my list on workers, populism, and revolution in Latin America.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became curious about US imperialism and Latin American history after reading Gabriel García Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. While pursuing a BA in History and Spanish at Dalhousie and an MA and PhD in Latin American Studies and History at Georgetown, I learned that Marquez's fictional banana worker massacre really happened in 1928 Colombia. What made me focus on sugar, rather than bananas, is the fact that sugar’s not really food... it often takes over land where food was planted, and the lack of food leads to a potentially revolutionary situation. I've used the following books in my classes about Revolution, Populism, and Commodities in Latin America at York University's Glendon College.

Gillian's book list on workers, populism, and revolution in Latin America

Gillian McGillivray Why Gillian loves this book

How could you not love a book that explores the at times hilarious, at times tragic, but always fascinating impact of the banana in the United States and Latin America?

From the changing faces of Chiquita Banana to cookbooks and popular jingles like, “Yes, we have no bananas!” Soluri shows us how the banana became one of the most common fruits in the US diet. At the same time, he shows how US importers and marketers took control over, manipulated, and expanded, much of the production in tropical areas like Honduras.

On the production side, Soluri explores ironies like the fact that the United Fruit Company created the perfect breeding ground for pathogens by shrinking banana gene pools and shoving the same type of banana trees all in a row... or the tragic fact that “macho” banana workers became sterile after refusing to wear protective clothing.

John Soluri’s book is…

By John Soluri ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Banana Cultures as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bananas, the most frequently consumed fresh fruit in the United States, have been linked to Miss Chiquita and Carmen Miranda, "banana republics," and Banana Republic clothing stores-everything from exotic kitsch, to Third World dictatorships, to middle-class fashion. But how did the rise in banana consumption in the United States affect the banana-growing regions of Central America? In this lively, interdisciplinary study, John Soluri integrates agroecology, anthropology, political economy, and history to trace the symbiotic growth of the export banana industry in Honduras and the consumer mass market in the United States.

Beginning in the 1870s, when bananas first appeared in…


Book cover of Daisy Darker
Book cover of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing
Book cover of Your Last Gift: Getting your Affairs in Order

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Interested in bananas, cancer, and health?

Bananas 13 books
Cancer 128 books
Health 127 books