Rachel's Holiday

I absolutely adored the way the narrative creates almost continual laugh-out-loud moments whilst tackling some pretty heavy themes.

Drug abuse and its effect on others is handled in a genuinely uplifting way, alongside hilarious family and relationship dynamics. I love Keyes’ ability to shine light through darkness every time.

I never take a bath or a vacation without a Marian Keyes book. That said, beneath the “chick lit” veneer, Keyes’ books typically contain keen insights on depression, addiction, grief, and more.

I recommend her entire canon but my starting point was Rachel’s Holiday. It gave me an understanding of my least favorite parts of myself when I wasn’t looking for it, an introduction to mental health vocabulary long before I ever knew I would need it, and a firm grasp on the importance of addressing the parts of you that frighten you—even if they seem unrelated to the “real”… show more.

This book blew my mind when I first read it because I had no idea there could be such a thing as a hilarious novel about addiction. I will never forget this line she has in it about how recovery groups will be comprised of “middle-aged men in sweaters.” It was also the first time I realized that people in recovery outside of the US were just as hilarious as those here. The story is a fun sort of Bridget Jones romp if Bridget loved cocaine and men in leather pants but it’s the voice—self-deprecating, self-aware, and funny AF—that’s always… show more.