Recently, I wrote an article about how reading can combat loneliness (‘We read to know we’re not alone’: Books as solace during our isolation’). But books don’t only help to connect us to each other and ease the ache of solitude; they can also really help us to heal during difficult times such as these.

The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II had an inscription carved above the entrance to his royal library. It read: ‘the house of healing for the soul’. Such a perfect description of a library, don’t you think?

Even way back in the time of Ramses II (13th century BC), people recognised the power of bibliotherapy: using books to heal the mind. These days, bibliotherapy is a recognised form of therapy; you can work with a dedicated bibliotherapist. The School of Life in London, for example, offers face-to-face and remote sessions in which bibliotherapists listen to your issues and concerns and then ‘prescribe’ a list of books for you to read that have been carefully chosen.

Studies have shown that bibliotherapy is especially powerful for alleviating anxiety and depression, which makes reading so important for us all right now as we are trapped in a bubble of worry, fear and isolation. Reading is an act of self-love; it is a way to make yourself feel better.

Does it matter what books you choose for your bibliotherapy? I don’t believe it does. You can read a romance novel or a thriller, a history tome or a gardening guide – so long as the book comforts or educates or challenges or inspires you, it is helping you to heal.

If, however, you are looking for help with a particular issue, I recommend The Novel Cure: An A-Z of Literary Remedies. This wonderful book helps you match ailments with suggested reading cures, and there is an edition tailored for each country in which it is published. I will leave you with the blurb, which thoroughly sold me on the premise:

Are you weary in Brain and Body? Do you desire a Positive Cure for your Pessimism? Do you require Brontë to re-boot your Broken Heart? Do you despair of your Nose? Can Fielding open your Flood Gates? Or Pynchon purge your Paranoia? May we administer Austen to curb your Arrogance? Hemingway for your Headache? An injection of du Maurier for your low Self-Esteem? Are you Shy, Single, Stressed or Sixty? Are your Vital Statistics in need of some Spark? May we massage you with Murakami? Ease your pain with Wolf or Wodehouse? Do you require the Very Book to lessen your Loneliness? May we revive your Spirit with a Literary Tonic?

This is a medical handbook, with a difference. Whether you have a stubbed toe or a severe case of the blues, within these pages you’ll find a cure in the form of a novel – or a combination of novels – to help ease your pain. You’ll also find advice on how to tackle common reading ailments – such as what to do when you feel overwhelmed by the number of books in the world, or you have a tendency to give up halfway through. When read at the right moment in your life, a novel can – quite literally – change it, and The Novel Cure is a reminder of that power. Written with authority, passion and wit, here is a fresh approach to finding new books to read, and an enchanting way to revisit the books on your shelves.