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Curl Up With a Good Book: Recommendations From Nurses

Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS

Dec 06, 2012

What Do Nurses Like to Read?

What do nurses like to read when they aren't slogging through documentation, policy manuals, or hospital email? When we first asked Medscape readers to suggest books that other nurses might like to read, we sought titles that might have inspired them as nurses or influenced how they approach and care for patients. We received many great suggestions, and the top picks became the slideshow Best Summer Reading for Nurses.
However, we also received dozens of suggestions for other books that readers found thought-provoking, illuminating, or just plain entertaining. As a group, do these titles tell us anything about what nurses like to read? Maybe not, but nurses looking for that next great book might find it in these suggestions from colleagues.

Anything but Nursing, Please!

Our summer reading slideshow was admittedly heavy on books that were either directly or tangentially related to nurses and nursing. After the slideshow posted, a few Medscape readers were quick to point out that when they finally find time to relax with a book, the last place they want to escape to is the hospital.

If I'm reading for pleasure, why on earth would I be reading anything related to nursing? Reading about nursing for "pleasure" is like being around people who like to talk shop all the time. I want a well-deserved break from it. When I want to relax and read for pleasure, books about nursing, medicine, or healing are OUT!

Another nurse took this sentiment a step further, believing that it isn't healthy to continually read books about nurses and nursing:

I am just not into total immersion in nursing. It is a great profession, but limiting your world to only nursing is damaging to your profession and to your life.

Fair enough. So, what books do nurses choose to read when they want to "escape" from the professional life? Apparently, just about anything. Here are a few of their recommendations, covering many different genres, along with a short descriptions or comments from the person who recommended the book.

What We're Reading Now

Life is too short to read a bad book, so readers love to talk about what they are reading right now. Maybe one of these books will appeal to you.
•  A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (Bantam, 1997). First in the series A Song of Ice and Fire; recommended by several readers.
•  Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (Signet, 1990) and its sequel, World Without End (Signet, 2010).
•  The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery (Europa Editions, 2008). A great "appearances can be deceiving" story, translated from the French by Alison Anderson.
•  Morton's Fork, by Dale Coy (Chi-Towne, 2012), a medicolegal thriller written by a physician.
•  Room, by Emma Donaghue. A stunner of a novel, told from the perspective of 5-year old Jack.
•  Unforgiveable, by Keri-lee Griffiths (Amazon Digital Services, 2012). The author's first novel, written while she was waiting for a kidney transplant.
•  War Brides, by Helen Bryan (AmazonEncore, 2012). A story of women bonding during World War II.
•  The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King (Signet). "Impossible to put down."
•  The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper, 2009). An epistolary novel, told through letters and diary entries.
And for those who prefer nonfiction:
•  The Book of Books, by Melvyn Bragg (Hodder & Stoughton, 2011). "The history of the King James Bible, not a light read but absolutely fascinating."
•  Destiny of the Republic, by Candice Millard (Anchor, 2012). "A fascinating (nonfiction) book about the assassination of President James Garfield."
•  The Violinist's Thumb, and Other Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Told by Our Genetic Code, by Sam Kean (Little, Brown & Co., 2012). Apparently, there are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, Einstein's genius, and why some people survive nuclear bombs.

Something to Make Us Laugh!

Many respondents nominated their favorite authors (rather than specific books), and many of these authors write very funny books:
• Jasper Fforde, author of the Thursday Next series (Penguin Books). "Start with The Eyre Affair. If you love literature, you will love this mind-bending and hilarious series."
• Janet Evanovich. "Her books are great for laughs."
• Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, "to make me laugh."
• Douglas Adams, author of the humorous Hitchhiker's series and other science fiction/fantasy titles.
• Augusten Burroughs. "Funny books based on the author's life" (for example, Running With Scissors).
Also recommended, but not necessarily for laughs, were these authors:
• Steven King. "His books are not just in the horror genre -- blistering hot prose, totally engaging."
• Jodi Picoult. Her books were recommended by several readers.
• Patricia Cornwell. Author of the Kay Scarpetta mysteries.
• Kate Morton. Each of her 4 novels is highly readable, with great stories and well-drawn characters. "You don't want her books to end."

Stories About Real Women

Most of the following books are not about nurses, but each one in some way inspired the nurse who recommended it.
•  Quest of the Warrior Woman, by Christina Feldman (Thorsons, 1995). "It can light a fire in you where perhaps only a spark exists -- nothing to do with the practice of nursing, but everything to do with being female and making a difference in any area of life."
•  The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices, by Xinran (Anchor, 2003). "The story of China, its women, and the tragedies of the past."
• The Covered Wagon Women series, by Kenneth Holmes (Bison Books). Collections of diaries and journal entries by women on the Oregon Trail, 1840-1852.
•  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed (Knopf, 2012). "It will stay with you long after you've finished the book, and [it] celebrates the strength of women through one woman's journey."
•  The Total Woman, by Tashara Luster (Xulon Press, 2010). "This book speaks to the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of the person. It is truly uplifting and motivational."
•  American Nightingale, by Bob Welch (Atria, 2005). "Taught me a lesson or two, and made me proud all over again to be a nurse!"

We Don't Mind "Shop-Talk"

Several nurses admitted to enjoying books about nurses, nursing, and healthcare, and shared favorite titles that didn't make the cut in the summer reading slideshow. One reader said, "I am a nurse who enjoys reading everything, including medicine/nursing related books."Others enjoy medicine/nursing-themed books "if they make me laugh and/or cry." A nurse in graduate school commented, "I have done so much reading for school that reading a great book, even if it is about nursing, is relaxing to me."
For those of you who agree and occasionally pick up a nursing or healthcare-related book for leisure reading, here are the titles recommended by your colleagues:

• Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse and Critical Care (Ivy Books, 1988) and Condition Critical (Ivy Books, 1995), both by Echo Heron
• Opening My Heart (Emblem, 2012) and A Nurse's Story (Emblem, 2005), both by Tilda Shalof
• God's Hotel, by Victoria Sweet (Riverhead, 2012)
• If Disney Ran Your Hospital, by Fred Lee (Second River Healthcare, 2004)
• Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder (Random House, 2004)
• A Never Event, by Evelyn V. McNight and Travis T. Bennington (Arbor Books, 2008)
• The Florence Prescription, by Joe Tye and Dick Schwab (Values Coach, Inc., 2009)
• Lipstick in Afghanistan, by Roberta Gately (Gallery, 2010)
• Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis, by Lisa Sanders (Broadway, 2010)
• The Lazarus Case: Life and Death in Neonatal Intensive Care, by John D. Lantos (Johns Hopkins University, 2007)
• Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America, by Ira Rutkow (Scribner, 2010)
• Walk on Water, by Michael Ruhlman (Penguin, 2004)

If you like a touch of laugh-out-loud comedy with your nursing/medical books, try Emergency Laughter: It Wasn't Funny When It Happened, But It Is Now! by Mike Cyra (Amazon Digital Services, 2011), describing real-life, hair-raising experiences in emergency medicine. Another book recommended by several readers was You'll Know You're a Nurse When..., a compilation published by Sigma Theta Tau, International (2009) that was called "a 2-box of tissues book that reminds you of why you became a nurse." (The reader didn't say whether the tissues were for laughing, or crying, or both).
Keep reading, and keep telling us about your favorite new and old authors. (Jane Austen, anyone?)
Editor’s Note: To leave your recommendations, go to Books for Pleasure: Your Recommendations?

 

Medscape Nurses © 2012  WebMD, LLC

Cite this article: Curl Up With a Good Book: Recommendations From Nurses.  Medscape. Dec 06, 2012.