Below you will find the book list I’ve compiled of cancer memoirs and other illness-related books that have been helpful in my journey. Please note these are Amazon Affiliate links, which means if you purchase one of the books after clicking the link, a few pennies will circle back to me. That being said, I only recommend books I’ve read and appreciated. They range from academic to completely fictional. Be gentle with yourself as you make a selection. For a downloadable PDF of this list, click HERE.
Cancer Books by Cancer Patients
The closest we will probably get to understanding what it’s like to actually have cancer.
"The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying" by Nina Riggs
A young mother’s memoir of preparing to leave her young family behind due to terminal cancer.“When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi
A physician turned patient documents his experience of terminal cancer."The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan
A woman who finds herself and her father experiencing cancer at the same time, while trying to still care for her children."Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved" by Kate Bowler
An academic in her early thirties diagnosed with stage four colon cancer documents her experience as a wife, mother, and cancer patient."No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)" by Kate Bowler
A follow-up to her first work that is focused on living in the difficult unknown of precarious survivorship.
Cancer Books by Caregivers
Whether family or healthcare workers, those of us who love a person with cancer may find solidarity in these works.
"Marrow" by Elizabeth Lesser
This is the only sibling-specific memoir I've found, and reflects more on the entire lifespan of sisterhood rather than the cancer and bone marrow transplant experience alone."The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" by Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD
A hefty scientific/medical perspective on the history of cancer, but written in an engaging way."It’s Okay to Laugh (Crying is Cool Too)" by Nora McInerny
A young widow’s experience of losing her husband to brain cancer, with a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm."Crying in H Mart: A Memoir" by Michelle Zauner
A Korean American twenty-something chronicles losing her mother to cancer in this refreshingly honest memoir about the complexity of family relationships.
Cancer-Adjacent Books
Ranging from the healthcare system to other chronic illnesses to death, these works supported and informed my journey as a cancer sibling
"God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine" by Victoria Sweet, MD
A reflection on the benefits of “slow medicine” and an invitation to rethink modern healthcare."Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande, MD
Focused primarily on death and the uniquely American obsession with avoiding the end of life at all costs."Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal" by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
Short reflections on life in the face of chronic illness by a medical doctor who struggles with these issues herself."Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson" by Mitch Albom
A sports journalist comes to see the value of a life well-lived while documenting the final months of his old professor’s life."Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again" by Kimberly Williams-Paisley
While focused on early-onset Alzheimer’s, this memoir gets to the discomfort present in most family relationships and explores how we can love each other anyway."Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer" by Lisa McCubbin
The former First Lady battled both addiction and cancer, and broke through many societal norms in deciding to go public with it. A truly inspirational biography.
Fictional Cancer Books
Sometimes fiction fills a need we just can’t seem to scratch with non-fiction.
"My Sister’s Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
Well-known and turned into a movie, this book still resonates for me as I consider the sibling relationship and how it changes, falters and grows in the face of chronic illness."The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Although some feel this book about a teenaged couple with cancer “glamorizes” their experience, I still found it cathartic to consider cancer from the teenage perspective and all the emotions that accompany that time of life."A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
Again, this work about a teenaged couple can be controversial in the cancer community, but something about the overly dramatized emotions of any Nicholas Sparks book connected with the depth of emotions I feel in relation to cancer."The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein
Unique in perspective, this book is narrated by the family dog as his owner marries a woman who eventually battles brain cancer and we watch the difficult relationship dynamics unfold. If you feel the need for a cathartic novel to let your tears out, this is one of my absolute favorites.