Here are 2 books that Good Inside fans have personally recommended if you like Good Inside. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of My Dark Vanessa

Alex Myers Author Of While We Were Silent

From my list on dark academy books from a 25-year veteran of prep school teaching.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been teaching in prep schools for twenty-five years, and I also attended one. As both student and teacher, I’ve been fascinated by student social dynamics—how groups form, fracture, and define what they value or reject. I’m equally interested in how teachers’ experiences mirror yet differ from students’. Though I always looked forward to summer breaks, I was drawn to literature—especially mysteries—set in prep schools. These stories helped me better understand the complexity of these relationships while offering a lens to reflect on my own experiences, often with far more drama than real life.

Alex's book list on dark academy books from a 25-year veteran of prep school teaching

Alex Myers Why Alex loves this book

The voice! The psychology!

I was captivated by the main character, who is so complex and nuanced and troubled. I will admit that, at times, this book edged up to “too dark” for me, but the realism of the voice and the way in which the fiction echoed hard, real truths about power and abuse kept me reading.

I haven’t read anything else that captures the simultaneous depth and shallowness of adolescent psychology so well.

By Kate Elizabeth Russell ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked My Dark Vanessa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DYLAN THOMAS AWARD

'A package of dynamite' Stephen King

'Powerful, compulsive, brilliant' Marian Keyes

An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and her teacher

ALL HE DID WAS FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AND THE WORLD TURNED HIM INTO A MONSTER

Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years-old when she first had sex with her English teacher.

She is now thirty-two and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student.…


If you love Good Inside...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

Jennifer Kemp Author Of The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD: Cultivate Self-Compassion, Live Authentically, and Be Your Own Advocate

From my list on being proud of your neurodivergent identity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a clinical psychologist who was surprised to realize that I am both Autistic and an ADHDer in my late 40s. I have always been fascinated by psychology, and now Autism and ADHD have become my areas of “special interest” (“spin”). I have been reading widely to learn more about myself, find practical ways to alleviate the chronic sense of overwhelm I experience and recover from burnout. Most of my clients are also late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults who have complex mental and physical health problems, so the reading I’ve been doing has given me fresh insights to share and helpful strategies we can test out together. 

Jennifer's book list on being proud of your neurodivergent identity

Jennifer Kemp Why Jennifer loves this book

This tiny book taught me how to be more self-compassionate in some very practical ways. On the surface, this book is about housekeeping and chores, but it’s much more than that. When I read this book, I was in burnout, and “doom piles” of unfinished tasks were building up in my home.

KC reminded me that I could unhook from the unrealistic expectations I had of myself, see this mess as “morally neutral,” and understand that my home being messy did not mean I was a failure. She gave me practical strategies to show “kindness to future me,” and I still love how the book has a shortcut way of reading it, with all the key points highlighted, so I can jump back in at any time and find something useful.

By KC Davis ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked How to Keep House While Drowning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE PERFECT CLEANING GUIDE FOR 2023

This is a book for anyone who is looking for an accessible and gentle way to care for their home - and themselves.

KC Davis, therapist and busy mother of two, will introduce you to six life-changing principles to revolutionise the way you approach domestic work, all without a single to-do list. Inside, you'll learn how to stagger tasks to avoid procrastination, soothe stress by setting priorities, set up your space to work for you... and tackle that ever-mounting laundry pile. With KC's help, your home will feel like a sanctuary again.

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What…


Book cover of My Dark Vanessa
Book cover of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

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