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Letter A

ADHD

This reading list is for anyone navigating ADHD, whether it's newly named, long suspected, or something you've lived with for years without quite having the language for it. And brings you to something closer to the truth: what it actually feels like to have a brain that works this way, and what actually helps.

Dear reader,

This reading list is for anyone navigating ADHD, whether it's newly named, long suspected, or something you've lived with for years without quite having the language for it. And brings you to something closer to the truth: what it actually feels like to have a brain that works this way, and what actually helps. If you have ever finished a book and thought, "how did they know?", that is the part of reading I care most about. This is a small collection of books about adhd that I keep coming back to, and that readers keep telling me made a real difference. It gathers 1 fiction title and 5 nonfiction titles.

You will find writers like Allie Brosh, Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Ratey, and Sonia Ali here, each one approaching adhd in their own way. Some are practical and clear, some are messier and more personal, and a few simply keep you company on a hard evening. There is no right order to read them in. Start with whichever title sounds most like where you are today, and put anything down that feels too close for now.

One small note: these books are here as good company, not as a fix. They are not a replacement for therapy or medical care, but reading has been helping people make sense of themselves for a very long time, and the right book at the right moment can genuinely shift something.

Warmly,

Bijal x

Learn more about Bibliotherapy in my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best books to read about adhd?

A good place to start is the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry suggested in this reading list. They each explore this theme differently, so you can select what you are connecting with the most.

Can reading really help with adhd?

Yes, although it should not be viewed as a substitute for therapy. The right book can help you articulate feelings you have struggled to explain, offer reassurance that you are not alone, and provide a new perspective. Sometimes that insight is exactly what you need; at other times, it can encourage you to seek further support.

Who curates the ADHD reading list?

Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist, founder of Book Therapy and The Book Therapy Method and the author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading (Hachette, 2024). She has spent over ten years matching readers to books for all kinds of emotional and life themes, including adhd.

Do I need a Book Therapy membership to see the full adhd list?

Yes. The full ADHD reading list, with my notes on each book, the covers and the personal reading tools, lives inside the Book Therapy membership. You also get the whole A to Z of Book Prescriptions, the journalling, and writing tools and reading progress tracking.

Are these adhd books suitable if I've never read anything on the topic before?

Yes. The list is deliberately diverse in order to ensure there is something for everyone, whether that's a short memoir, a poem to sit with over a cup of tea, or a novel to properly disappear into. If something feels too close to what you're going through right now, you have the option to put it down. And another book on the list might be more helpful.

Related reading lists

If ADHD resonates, these companion themes from the A–Z of Book Prescriptions may meet you next.

Browse the full A–Z of Book Prescriptions →