I’ve been reading more stories about grief recently, so when I saw this book, I was intrigued. The author is on vacation in Sri Lanka with her husband, two sons and her parents when an unimaginable thing happens. In just a few pages she has lost the five people she cared about most in a tsunami that came through unexpectedly and nearly ended her life, too. Her grief turns to suicidal thoughts and her family comes to her rescue, but they don’t understand what she is going through, and neither does she. She dabbles in substance abuse and begins harassing the new family that moved into her parents’ home, calling them at 2 a.m. and making ghost noises. She is haunted and haunting as she describes a grief that most people hide deep below the surface. It is a powerful story of such a tragic experience and the trauma that survivors face. Sadly, there is no happy ending to this story, just that she finally learns to live, grief and all. Keep your tissues close when you read this book.

If you want to laugh, follow Tiffany Jenkins on Facebook with her hilarious “Juggling the Jenkins” page where she documents real life as a mom and recovering addict who has depression and anxiety.

This book, however, is the behind-the-scenes account of how she got where she is today – and it isn’t for those who are easily offended. This is a raw account of her six months in a Florida prison where she was serving time for 20 felony charges. Her past was full of addiction and finding love in all the wrong places.

But there is a happy ending. As part of her terms for release, she went to rehab, where she got clean and sober. She met her husband and they have three children together. And she shares her crazy antics to show that life after addiction is possible.

I have followed Jenny Lawson – also known as “The Bloggess” – for several years on social media. Her struggles with extreme anxiety and depression are real and raw. These quirky stories will make you laugh if you are a fan of her zany antics but it can be hard to follow her sidebar-filled stories.

Although mental illness has caused her great pain and difficulty in life, it’s also taught her to embrace life and be “furiously happy.” Her love of weird, taxidermy animals shows up in several stories.

This is Part 1 of the Five Minute Therapy series by Harper and helpful for those who have been in therapy and need to get back on track.

As the title indicates, this book is full of strong language, but the science is real and her advice is extremely helpful. The appendix of recommended titles to read at the end is comprehensive and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had read several of the books.

This is an easy book to read in a day, and her Five Minute Therapy series is enjoyable and informative.