Read this book and call me in the morning

This may what British GPs may soon be telling patients with mental health issues. According to Hannah Furness, writing in The Telegraph, 30 books have been found effective against such conditions as anxiety, depression, and relationship problems—even bulimia.

And no, this initiative was not launched by the publishers of self-help books, but by the Reading Agency, a “charity whose mission is to give everyone an equal change in life, by helping people become confident and enthusiastic readers. Because everything changes when we read.” -- I’m not kidding here. -- They announced the Books on Prescription scheme on January 28: the books will be in special sections of libraries in May.

If it sounds a little, well, nutty, the scheme has the backing of the Royal Colleges of GPs, Nursing and Psychiatry, the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies and the Department of Health. Funding is being provided by the Arts Council England. The Society of Chief Librarians is in league, of course.

A little research shows this is not a first: biblotherapy programs exist all over the UK and have for some time. Warwickshire even put out a really boring video about it.

In addition to the 30 prescribed books, this year's program is also recommending “mood-busting books”—novels, poems, and short stories to cheer you up. Of course, not everyone is convinced of the medicinal efficacy of cheery books. Also writing in The Telegraph, online culture editor Martin Chilton ponders whether MDs would be better prescribing depressing books as a literary shock treatment: just so you know others have it worse than you. He provides a list of 20 bleak reads to get you started.

I’ve never read a self-help book, but am tempted to try a dieting book to see if I lose weight. Or maybe a book on exercise will tone me up. Can you recommend any titles?