In this opening episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah, I trace love’s enduring role as literature’s greatest subject, and explore love not as sentimentality, but as a profound human discipline that shapes how we live, connect, and heal, from divine longing to intimacy, navigating loss and loneliness.

I reflect on the paradox of modern loneliness: that the deepest ache is not the absence of others, but the longing to be truly seen. Drawing on the words of Erich Fromm, Rumi, and Kahlil Gibran — and novels from Pride and Prejudice to Normal People — I explore how reading love stories and romance can mend the fractures of the heart and remind us that belonging is possible.

I also discuss how the romantic comedy is an important literary device in this respect — a gentle rebellion against cynicism — and explore how it offers a space for forgiveness, courage, and restoration of faith in love’s ability to connect, heal and empower us.

Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io

Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.

If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.

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Get 10% off with code PODCAST on the following:

Online Bibliotherapy Courses

Personalised Book Prescriptions

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Excited to share Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah is back with Season 4!

In Season 4, I’ll be sharing my 40 best books of 2025 to read in 2026 across both fiction and non-fiction — and yes there are some surprise reads in there!

We’ll also dive deep into the role of the romantic comedy in healing — and what it means to be a romantic hero: someone who, despite a hundred heartbreaks, can still say, “I still believe in love.” After all, most of us have been heartbroken — if not by a person, then by a loss of any kind.

We’ll analyse characters who embody romantic heroism, and what they teach us about endurance, vulnerability, and faith in connection.

From my favourite romance books from age 0 to 43, to AI and love in utopian and dystopian futures, and the timeless wisdom of Erich Fromm’s The Art of Loving — this season is a love letter to literature and to life.

We’ll also explore books to help us cope with disconnection, loss, and heartbreak over the festive season, and why true and lasting love often brings us closer to the divine.

And finally, I’ll share my most anticipated reads and bibliotherapy predictions for 2026 — stories that will heal, uplift, and inspire.

First episode drops this Thursday.

Hope you love it!

x

Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io

Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.

If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.

******************************************************************************************

Get 10% off with code PODCAST on the following:

Online Bibliotherapy Courses

Personalised Book Prescriptions

Bibliotherapy Sessions

You can also follow us on your preferred platform using the links below:

Instagram

Facebook

In today's episode, we’re immersing ourselves in the gentle, contemplative, and often transformative world of Japanese literature. As we step into the season of spring, a time of renewal, impermanence, and quiet growth, I can’t think of a better literary tradition to explore. We'll be diving into both Japanese fiction and nonfiction that can support our emotional wellbeing, offer perspective, and help us reconnect—with ourselves, with nature, and with others.

Plus I share some helpful therapeutic practices to engage with to deepen your reading experience. Hope you enjoy it!

Bijal x

(Bibliotherapist and Founder, Book Therapy, Author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading)

Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io

Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.

If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.

******************************************************************************************

Get 10% off with code PODCAST on the following:

Online Bibliotherapy Courses

Personalised Book Prescriptions

Bibliotherapy Sessions

You can also follow us on your preferred platform using the links below:

Instagram

Facebook