Play Hard

5 Books that Celebrate the Joy of Being Alone

What are you waiting for? Crack open one of these fantastic books and prepare for a journey of self-discovery that will help you realise that you're already complete.

Written by High Life North
Published 06.02.2021

What a Time to be Alone – by Chidera Eggerue

Chidera Eggerue (who goes by the pen name @theslumflower) takes the power of being alone to the next level in her inspiring self-help style book. Not only does What a Time to be Alone set out to help readers come to terms with being alone, but it celebrates being solitary.  Funny, motivating, and wise, this book will inspire you to find your intention, accept that you a more than enough, and define your own self-worth regardless of anyone else’s view of you. If What a Time to be Alone leaves you eager for more from Eggerue, check out her most recent book, How to Get Over a Boy.

From £4.50

Wild – by Cheryl Strayed

Wild is an empowering book that will cause you to step back and think about your life with a fresh perspective. Adapted into a film starring Reese Wetherspoon in 2014, Wild tells the true story of twenty-two-year-old Cheryl Strayed, at a major turning point in her life. After her mother’s death and the breakdown of her marriage, she makes the impulsive decision to set out on a solitary journey – hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State. If you’re looking a story that will empower you and help you to believe that you’re capable of anything you set your mind on, you won’t be able to put Wild down.

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone – by Olivia Laing

Olivia Laing’s moving memoir has become nothing short of a modern classic since its release in 2016. This dive into what it means to be alone in one of the busiest cities in the world, New York, will leave you feeling hopeful and introspective. Laing uses art as a lens to discover the true meaning of being alone, eloquently investigating the reason behind loneliness as well as ways to overcome the negative feelings of loneliness and embrace the joys of being alone.

Everything I Know About Love – Dolly Alderton

Although Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love seems at first like it will be a memoir revolving around relationships and romantic entanglements, this is refreshingly not the case. Instead, Alderton’s funny and charming story centres around the importance of her female friendships and how they stand the test of time, while romantic relationships come and go. Witty and joyful to read, Everything I Know About Love may not be about complete isolation, but it illuminates on the importance of having a healthy relationship with yourself, and with your friends, before seeking romantic attachments.

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

This ambitious, eclectic, and thought-provoking selection of nine essays from Rebecca Solnit will take you on a winding and unpredictable journey. Entwining themes of feminism, history, and philosophy, Solnit’s investigation into loss, losing, and being lost will help you in the art of self-reflection and encourage an understanding of what it means to be alone.

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