Dr. Matthew Chow’s Top Beach Reads for 2023

Close up of a open book on a summer day

Whether you’re reading on the beach or in your backyard, getting lost in a book is the perfect way to unwind and enjoy the warm weather.

We asked TELUS Health Chief Mental Health Office Dr. Matthew Chow to share some of his recommendations for fun and educational page-turners this summer. Here are his top picks:

Non-Fiction

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. 

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

The Anxious Generation examines adolescent mental health trends. What happened to young people in the early 2010s that triggered the surge of anxiety and depression around 2012

The Power Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

The Confidence Code explore the nature of women's power—in the workplace, in politics, and at home—explaining how a new model, one designed by and for women, will not only make it possible for women to become their most powerful selves but will benefit everyone.

Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 Lessons in Chemistry tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, who becomes a beloved cooking show host in 1960s Southern California after being fired as a chemist four years earlier.

Graphic Novels 

Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volumes 1 & 2 by Yuval Noah Harari

In this series, a fictional Yuval invites us to take a ride on the wild side of history – accompanied by a whole host of globetrotting characters. Together, they cut through the noise of our information-deluged world, step back, and take a look at the really big picture: the entire history of the human species.

My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame
Yaichi, a work-at-home dad in Tokyo, lives with his daughter Kana. Their routine is disrupted by the arrival of Mike Flanagan, a Canadian who was married to Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike's visit to explore Ryoji's past forces the family to confront their own prejudices and the broader issues of Japan's largely closeted gay culture.