Iris Care Team Summer Reading List: Books That Comfort, Nourish, and Inspire
Whether you’re looking for something heartfelt, hopeful, or healing, the Iris Care Team has pulled together a few meaningful reads to explore this summer. From memoirs to cookbooks to powerful reflections on life, these books have brought insight and comfort to many—and we hope they do the same for you.
🍳 The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz
Recommended by Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD, LDN
This science-backed cookbook is packed with healing, flavorful recipes that support you through treatment and recovery. With tips to help manage side effects like fatigue and nausea, it’s a go-to guide for nourishing your body and lifting your spirits.
📖 Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
Recommended by Phoebe Souza, MSW, LCSW, MPH, OSW-C, APHSW-C & Allie Gubin, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
A beautifully written memoir of illness, recovery, and rediscovery. Suleika shares her experience as a young adult facing cancer and takes readers on a road trip that reconnects her with the people—and questions—that shaped her life beyond treatment.
🌈 Daddy, Can You Make Me Pancakes? by Dean S. Hurst
Recommended by Loreal Massiah, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, TTS
A touching true story of love, grief, and resilience. After a young mother’s cancer diagnosis, her husband navigates loss while keeping joy and connection alive for their family. It’s honest, emotional, and full of heart.
🧘We Were Made for These Times by Kaira Jewel Lingo
Recommended by Phoebe Souza, MSW, LCSW, MPH, OSW-C, APHSW-C
A calming, practical guide for anyone moving through change, loss, or uncertainty. Drawing on mindfulness and Buddhist teachings, this book gently invites readers to live with more ease—one breath at a time.
💬 Everything Happens for a Reason and No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler
Recommended by Jessica Fox, OSW-C, APHSW-C
With wit and raw honesty, Kate Bowler explores what it’s like to live with cancer as a young mother. These memoirs don’t offer easy answers, but they do offer comfort, clarity, and a reminder that life’s messiness still holds meaning.
🧠 When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
Recommended by Jessica Suarez, BSN, RN, OCN
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsteady, this classic offers grounding wisdom. With kindness and simplicity, Pema Chödrön helps readers face uncertainty, fear, and change with grace.
🕊️ Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Recommended by Lindsay Boudinot, BSN, RN, OCN
Written by a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, this profound book reflects on finding purpose in the midst of suffering. It’s short but powerful—and its message of resilience still resonates deeply today.
🪄 The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
On Allie’s Summer List
Suleika’s newest book explores the healing power of writing, journaling, and self-reflection. It's a creative and soul-nourishing follow-up to Between Two Kingdoms, already receiving praise for its emotional insight and inspiration.
Want more book recommendations or support?
You can always reach out to the Iris Care Team. We’re here to help—whether you’re looking for practical resources, tips on side effects, emotional support, or just a good book to get lost in.
This article meets Iris standards for medical accuracy. It has been fact-checked by the Iris Clinical Editorial Board, our team of oncology experts who ensure that the content is evidence based and up to date. The Iris Clinical Editorial Board includes board-certified oncologists and pharmacists, psychologists, advanced practice providers, licensed clinical social workers, oncology-certified nurses, and dietitians.
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