What Books Are Similar To The Consolation Of Philosophy?

Sometimes you can find similar things in totally different media. The podcast “Scene on Radio” had a series of episodes called “Seeing White”, a really in depth and philosophical exploration of the construction of whiteness. For me, those episodes of “Scene on Radio” had the same feeling of having a hidden mechanism of society explained as the Soyinka poem. Or the song “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday, a really powerful and lyrical song about lynching that uses the poetic imagery to force the listener to look at the atrocity described in the song. The strategies of art to expose uncomfortable truths are different in these cases, but the end is the same. So don’t limit yourself to books on the topic. Follow the feeling to music, to podcasts, to documentaries on the subject.

The fanfiction world is full of amazing novel-length stories, including many that are coffee shop AUs or artist AUs of existing characters. I talked about building a small business and slow-burn romance in those. You can find a lot of these stories on sites like Archive of Our Own. They have lots of filters, so you can search for your favorite fandom and then add tags like ‘fluff’ or ‘slice of life’ or ‘bakery AU’ or ‘bookshop AU’. I find some of the best character-driven, low-conflict storytelling on Archive of Our Own, and it’s all free.

For a bit of a twist, look at The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley. Like the Emerald Tablet, this short book of paradoxes is seriously funny in places, yet profound in others. The Golden Chain of Homer is similarly fascinating, a deeply satisfying nature philosophy and alchemy book that’s less obscure than the Tablet yet no less magical. Again, these books are not reads – they are experiences which stay with you long after you have finished reading them – like a truly wonderful joke that somehow becomes even greater with age.

The next book I wanted to read after Falling Upward was another book on transformation. Even though The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is mostly fiction and an allegory, it is another very good book on transformation. Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor is another book that portrays darkness as a place of transformation, and ways that we can grow there. Like Rohr, she shows how we can transform our messy lives into something beautiful.

If you loved 'Women of the Word' for its blend of faith and practical scripture study, you might dive into 'Disciplines of a Godly Woman' by Barbara Hughes. It’s got that same mix of spiritual depth and actionable advice, but with a focus on cultivating daily habits that align with biblical principles. The tone is warm yet challenging—perfect for anyone craving structure in their devotional life. Another gem is 'Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands' by Paul David Tripp. While not exclusively for women, it unpacks how to apply Scripture to personal struggles and relationships in a way that feels deeply relatable. The book’s emphasis on grace and growth echoes the heart of 'Women of the Word,' though it broadens the conversation to include communal discipleship. I often recommend both to friends who want to go deeper without feeling overwhelmed.

Give Yes, Your Serpentine Excellency by Kate Stradling a try.

Otaku no Video is an older OVA that is sort of a documentary on the rise of the “otaku king.” Of course it would be all celebratory towards the end, but the “interviews” with live-action, 80s-shaded “real” otaku in the thing have that same cringeworthy, uncompromising authenticity that was the hallmark of Dorkin’s comic. The stories that make up the main body of the thing are sort of triumphant in hindsight, but the general take is that the main character’s an obsessive outcast, and the thing looks like a sort of time capsule of Eltingville-style intense fandom viewed by outsiders with revulsion and disgust.

I’ve read recently – with much pleasure – The Pisces by Melissa Broder. As I said earlier, Notes on Heartbreak is a deeply emotional read and whilst The Pisces is a vastly different book, it also deals with the depths of heartbreak and the journey of the person left to pick up the pieces after. The book is wild and crazy and at times surreal, but it’s also very real and is a very humorous take on the typical heartbreak stories that we read about. Annie Lord is another author who tackles tough subject matters with honesty and Unflinching courage in her writing. For an even more twisted take on relationships, you have to read Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. The book is a smart and quirky dissection of the stresses of dating in your 30s and follows a protagonist as conflicted and as stuck in limbo as the narrator of Notes on Heartbreak. It’s fun and often laugh-out-loud and the dry humor has got me reading passages aloud to my flatmates to get their take. Even more, though, it’s good to have this sort of relatable take on a series of relationships, whole from the really bad to the just plain stumped. If you are looking for something a little more lyrical but equally painful, I highly recommend Graham Greene’s classic The End of the Affair. The story is of a man whose obsessive love of a woman that ended in an affair culminates in her unexpected death, and in the years that follow, he struggles with his jealousy, anger and conflicts with his Christian faith. As with Notes on Heartbreak, the novel is intense and leaves its reader shaken. It is a stunning exploration of love, and is written with incredible precision and beauty. Finally, I picked How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs because it’s different but also explores themes of love. This is a collection of short stories that follow a variety of characters, all dealing with love and relationships in different ways, from identities of families and cultures to how people are dealing with being diasporic. I find that this book is similar to Notes on Heartbreak in that the emotional range of the stories goes from extreme love to extreme hate, and in between there is a lot of love and it is so beautiful and relatable that it will make you feel all the emotions and hopefully see a little bit of yourself in the characters. Like with Notes on Heartbreak, reading How to Love a Jamaican will leave you feeling wrecked but better in the end.

I am also looking for something similar to All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven in terms of emotional impact. This novel deals with mental health and love in a beautiful, heart-wrenching way, similar to You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone. Her characters are so real and relatable, which makes it easy to see their struggles and celebrations. Deb Caletti also wrote The Secret Life of Prince Charming, a novel centered around family, secrets, and relationships. While not nearly as focused on the medical side of things, it deals with issues in a truly honest manner, bringing a lot of heartache and laughter to the read.

And then there is fun. How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps is a parody of the RPG genre and of games similar to The Legend of Zelda. The “club” is the party the heroine collects on her journey. It’s short, it’s funny, it contains all the well-known elements of a RPG. This book is not trying to be deep. It’s just lots of fun for gamers and readers of fantasy in general. After having read a long and serious epic, this is the lighthearted, tropey way to a club saving the world. It’s a warm hug and a high-five for you.