Her Best Self: Freedom from Disordered Eating, Body Obsession & Perfectionism EP 264: 6 Books That Will Transform Your ED Recovery in 2026 (My Must-Read List)
I'm a huge believer in reading—not just consuming content on social media but actually sitting down with a book and letting the words sink deep into your soul.
Over the years, there have been specific books that have absolutely transformed my life and my recovery journey. Books that challenged me. Books that comforted me. Books that made me think differently about myself, my identity, and my purpose.
And today? I'm sharing my six must-read book recommendations for 2026. These are books that I believe will help you in your eating disorder recovery journey—whether you're just starting out, you're in the thick of it, or you're on the other side working to stay free.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why reading matters in your recovery (and why it's different from scrolling social media)
- 6 game-changing books that will give you momentum in 2026
- How to tackle limiting beliefs and trust that recovery is figureoutable
- Why you don't need everyone's approval to live your life (and recover)
- How to understand who you are at your core—beyond the eating disorder's lies
- The power of shame resilience and why shame doesn't get to win
- A raw, honest fiction novel that mirrors the struggle and hope of recovery
- How to live in the beautiful tension of "now and not yet" on your journey
Grab a pen, grab your phone, take notes. Because sis, these books? They're game-changers.
Let's fill your mind with truth, hope, and wisdom—so there's less room for the eating disorder's lies.
THE 6 MUST-READ BOOKS FOR ED RECOVERY IN 2026📖 BOOK #1: Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
What it's about:
This book is all about tackling problems, obstacles, and challenges with the mindset that no matter what you're facing—yes, even eating disorder recovery—you can figure it out.
Why you need it:
Marie teaches you how to reframe limiting beliefs, take action even when you're scared, and trust that you have everything you need inside of you to solve any problem.
Perfect for you if:
You feel stuck, like recovery is too hard or too complicated. This book will remind you that you are more capable than you think. Everything—yes, everything—is figureoutable. Including your freedom.
📖 BOOK #2: The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
What it's about:
Based on the teachings of Alfred Adler, this book is presented as a dialogue between a philosopher and a young man about living free from the need for approval.
Why you need it:
It teaches you that you don't need everyone's approval to live your life. It challenges the people-pleasing, the need for external validation, and the fear of judgment that so many of us carry—especially those of us with eating disorders.
Perfect for you if:
You struggle with people-pleasing or feeling like you need permission to recover. This book will help you understand that you can choose freedom over approval. You can choose yourself over what everyone else thinks. And that's where real recovery lives.
📖 BOOK #3: Human Design by Jenna Zoe
What it's about:
Human Design is a system that helps you understand how you're uniquely wired as an individual.
Why you need it:
This book helps you discover who you are at your core—not who the eating disorder says you are, not who society says you should be, but who you were designed to be.
Perfect for you if:
You need permission to stop trying to fit into a mold that was never meant for you. When you start to see yourself through the lens of your unique design and personality, it helps you embrace your strengths, your natural way of being, and how you operate in the world. Recovery is about coming home to yourself. And this book? It's like a roadmap back.
📖 BOOK #4: I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't) by Brené Brown
What it's about:
This book is all about shame resilience—understanding how shame works, how it keeps us stuck, and most importantly, how to build resilience against it.
Why you need it:
If there's one thing that fuels an eating disorder, it's shame. Shame about your body. Shame about your eating. Shame about not being "good enough" or "perfect enough." Brené teaches you that shame loses its power when we talk about it, when we share our stories, when we realize we're not alone.
Perfect for you if:
You've ever felt like you're the only one struggling, like there's something uniquely broken about you. This book will remind you that you're not alone. And that shame? It doesn't get to win.
📖 BOOK #5: Slip by Mallary Tarplay
What it's about:
This is a novel—fiction—about a woman struggling with bulimia and the journey she goes through to find recovery. It's raw, it's honest, and it doesn't sugarcoat the hard parts.
Why you need it:
Sometimes we need to see ourselves in a story. Sometimes we need to read about someone else's journey to remind us that recovery is possible. That it's worth it. That we're not alone in the fight.
Perfect for you if:
You want a book that feels like a mirror—one that reflects the struggle but also the hope. This book shows the beauty of healing, the messiness of recovery, and the hope that exists even in the darkest moments.
📖 BOOK #6: Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons
What it's about:
This book is all about living in the tension of the "already but not yet." The idea that you are already loved, already worthy, already enough—but you're also still becoming. Still growing. Still on the journey.
Why you need it:
Recovery isn't linear. You're not "there" yet, but you're also not back where you started. You're in the middle. You're in the messy, beautiful, uncomfortable middle.
Perfect for you if:
You need a book that speaks hope, grace, and truth over your recovery journey. This book will remind you that God is with you in the now AND the not yet. That you don't have to have it all figured out to be worthy. That you can rest in the process. That you can trust that you're becoming exactly who you were meant to be—even if you're not there yet.
- Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
- The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
- Human Design by Jenna Zoe
- I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't) by Brené Brown
- Slip by Mallary Tarplay
- Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons
Pick one. Pick all six. Just start reading. Because the more you fill your mind with truth, hope, and wisdom, the less room there is for the eating disorder's lies.
KEY QUOTE FROM THIS EPISODE💛 "I'm a huge believer in reading—not just consuming content on social media, but actually sitting down with a book and letting the words sink deep into your soul."
💛 "The more you fill your mind with truth, hope, and wisdom, the less room there is for the eating disorder's lies."
💛 "Recovery is about coming home to yourself. And this book? It's like a roadmap back."
💛 "Shame loses its power when we talk about it, when we share our stories, when we realize we're not alone."
💛 "You are already loved, already worthy, already enough—but you're also still becoming. Still growing. Still on the journey."
NEED MORE THAN BOOKS? WORK WITH ME IN 2026💛 THE RECOVERY COLLECTIVE
This is my group coaching community where women just like you come together to heal, support each other, and do the deep work of recovery. You'll have access to me, monthly coaching calls, and a sisterhood that gets it. That gets you.
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective
💛 1:1 PERSONALIZED COACHING
If you're ready for deep, transformational work, if you want someone in your corner who's going to hold you accountable and remind you who you are when the eating disorder tries to convince you otherwise—let's work together.
I'm taking applications right now.
👉 Head to www.herbestself.co and fill out a client application.
Let's make 2026 the year you invest in yourself—whether that's through these books, through coaching, or both.
Connect with Lindsey:🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.