As summer brings longer days and an opportunity for beach reads, it is worth asking if a good book can do more than entertain.

In this CBC Health article, award-winning health journalist Amina Zafar explores bibliotherapy, the century’s old practice of using reading to support mental well-being. From fiction that offers safe ways to explore life’s challenges to self-help books that guide reflection, her piece reveals how stories can be more than pastimes and serve as tools for healing.