Recommendations based on Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Lawby Helen Garner

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

    by Norman Doidge
    Exploring the brain's remarkable ability to adapt, heal and change itself.

    An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country ... (Goodreads)

  2. Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall

    by Anna Funder
    An exploration of life in East Germany before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

    In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; shortly afterwards the two Germanies reunited, and East Germany ceased to exist. In a country where the headquarters of the secret police can become a museum literally ... (Goodreads)

  3. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

    by Jeanette Winterson
    A memoir of a woman's search for love and identity, and her struggles with mental illness.

    "Magnificent . . . A tour de force of literature and love."—,Vogue,",Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, is raucous. It hums with a dark refulgence from its first pages. . . . Singular and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Eggshell Skull

    by Bri Lee
    A memoir of a young woman's experience as a judge's associate in the Australian legal system, and her own journey seeking justice for sexual assault.

    EGGSHELL SKULL: A well-established legal doctrine that a defendant must 'take their victim as they find them'. If a single punch kills someone because of their thin skull, that victim's weakness ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster

    by Sarah Krasnostein
    The biography of Sandra Pankhurst, a trauma cleaner who tidies up after deaths, suicides, and hoarders. A story of resilience and compassion.

    Winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature, Sarah Krasnostein’s, The Trauma Cleaner:,, One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster, is the fascinating biography of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

    by Byron Katie
    An exploration of the power of thought and how it shapes our lives.

    Out of nowhere, like a breeze in a marketplace crowded with advice, comes Byron Katie and “The Work.” In the midst of a normal life, Katie became increasingly depressed, and over a ten-year period ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  8. A Grief Observed

    by C.S. Lewis
    A powerful account of a man's journey through grief following the death of his wife.

    Written with love, humility, and faith, this brief but poignant volume was first published in 1961 and concerns the death of C. S. Lewis's wife, the American-born poet Joy Davidman. In her ... (Goodreads)

  9. The World Without Us

    by Alan Weisman
    A thought experiment exploring how the Earth and its species would fare without the presence of humans.

    A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth In The World Without Us , Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy

    by Brian Sibley
    A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the epic movie trilogy, including interviews with cast and crew and stunning photographs.

    The official inside story on the making of the award-winning movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy is a lavishly illustrated, behind-the-scenes, definitive account of ... (Goodreads)

  11. 84, Charing Cross Road

    by Helene Hanff
    A 20-year correspondence between an American book lover and a London bookseller.

    This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London. ... (Goodreads)

  12. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

    by Eckhart Tolle
    A spiritual guide to finding peace and purpose in life, by transcending the ego.

    The highly anticipated follow-up to the 2,000,000 copy bestselling inspirational book, "The Power of Now" With his bestselling spiritual guide "The Power of Now," Eckhart Tolle inspired millions of ... (Goodreads)

  13. Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris

    by Sarah Turnbull
    A memoir of an Australian journalist's journey to Paris, navigating the complexities of French culture and falling in love with a Frenchman.

    The charming true story of a spirited young woman who finds adventure–and the love of her life--in Paris. "This isn't like me. I'm not the sort of girl who crosses continents to meet up with a man ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher

    by Bruno Ernst
    A comprehensive exploration of the life and work of M.C. Escher, the Dutch graphic artist known for his mind-bending optical illusions.

    "A woman once rang me up and said, 'Mr. Escher, I am absolutely crazy about your work. In your print Reptiles you have given such a striking illustration of reincarnation.' I replied, 'Madame, if ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

    by Miguel Ruiz
    A guide to transforming one's life by adopting four simple agreements.

    In The Four Agreements , don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir

    by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
    An exploration of the intersection between personal experience and a murder case, delving into questions of morality and justice.

    Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, they are ... (Goodreads)

  17. Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions

    by Russell Brand
    Comedian Russell Brand shares his personal journey of addiction and recovery, offering a 12-step program for those seeking freedom from addiction.

    A guide to all kinds of addiction from a star who has struggled with heroin, alcohol, sex, fame, food and eBay, that will help addicts and their loved ones make the first steps into recovery “This ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope

    by Megan Phelps-Roper
    A memoir of a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, detailing her journey from hate to empathy and compassion.

    The activist and TED speaker Megan Phelps-Roper reveals her life growing up in the most hated family in America,At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

    by Amanda Foreman
    A captivating biography of the 18th century aristocratic society, highlighting the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

    The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Complete Persepolis

    by Marjane Satrapi
    Autobiographical tale of a girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

    Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir. Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving ... (Goodreads)

  21. Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist

    by Richard Shepherd
    A memoir of a forensic pathologist's career, detailing high-profile cases and the impact of death on his personal life.

    As the UK's top forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd has spent a lifetime uncovering the secrets of the dead. When death is sudden or unexplained, it falls to Shepherd to establish the cause. ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film

    by Emma Thompson
    Behind-the-scenes look at the making of the 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel.

    This engaging and beautiful book includes the complete Academy Award-winning script and Thompson's own diaries detailing the production of the film, reviewed by Stanley Kauffmann in The New Republic ... (Goodreads)

  23. Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

    by Kathy Griffin
    Comedian Kathy Griffin recounts life stories and anecdotes from her career.

    Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It's ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Gospel Comes with a House Key

    by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
    A call to radical hospitality, inviting neighbors and strangers into our homes and lives as a way to share the gospel.

    The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World About The Gospel Comes with a House Key The word hospitality often invokes a scene of a ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

    by Jeffrey Toobin
    An exploration of the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices.

    In The Nine, acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin takes us into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, revealing the complex dynamic among the nine ... (Goodreads)

  26. Plenty

    by Yotam Ottolenghi
    A collection of vegetarian recipes, featuring exciting flavors and ingredients from around the world.

    With his fabulous restaurants and bestselling Ottolenghi Cookbook , Yotam Ottolenghi has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in the world of cookery and food writing. This ... (Goodreads)

  27. Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback

    by Robyn Davidson
    A woman's journey of self-discovery, solo-trekking through Australia's Outback.

    NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Robyn Davidson's opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the ... (Goodreads)

  28. Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

    by Adeline Yen Mah
    An autobiography recounting a young woman's struggles with a difficult family life.

    Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and ... (Goodreads)

  29. Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism

    by Temple Grandin
    An autobiographical account of a woman with autism who thinks in pictures, and how she learned to navigate a world that doesn't understand her.

    Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin ... (Goodreads)

  30. A Long Way Home

    by Saroo Brierley
    Autobiography of a man's journey to find his family after becoming lost in India as a child.

    When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost home town half a world away, he made global headlines. Saroo had become lost on a train in India at the age of five. Not knowing the name ... (Goodreads)