Person
Every book Suleika Jaouad recommended on podcasts
Suleika Jaouad is a memoirist and author whose podcast appearances, notably on The Book Review and People I (Mostly) Admire, center on themes of severe illness, survival, and the psychological dimensions of healing. Discussing her own experiences and creative philosophies, Jaouad has deeply engaged with works that reflect on health and mortality. She recommended Sarah Manguso's memoir The Two Kinds of Decay, praising its raw depiction of illness. Reflecting on her cancer treatment, Jaouad shared a profound connection to John Green's novel The Fault in Our Stars, noting how she read it multiple times for solace. Furthermore, she frequently referenced Susan Sontag's Illness as Metaphor and the broader concept of dual citizenship in the "kingdom of the well" and the "kingdom of the sick," which directly inspired the title of her own memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She also touched upon Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright-sided to critique the culture of toxic positivity.
Books recommended by Suleika Jaouad
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The Fault in Our Stars
John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel that follows two teenagers with terminal cancer who fall in love while navigating the profound realities of illness and mortality.
Discussed“It was during that time that I got my hands on a copy of The Faults and Our Stars. And I think I read it about half a dozen times. I loved it so much. The two young protagonists, both of whom have latestage terminal cancer diagnoses, came to feel like friends to me.”
Where to get it
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The two kinds of decay
The Two Kinds of Decay is a memoir by Sarah Manguso that explores the author's harrowing experience with a devastating autoimmune disease during her youth.
Recommended“the other book that I really loved was sarum anda's two kinds of decay”
Where to get it
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Between Two Kingdoms
Between Two Kingdoms is a powerful memoir by Suleika Jaouad that chronicles her harrowing battle with leukemia, her months in isolation, and the transformative cross-country road trip she undertook to figure out how to return to normal life.
Discussed“the title of my Memoir between two kingdoms is a reference to the brilliant Susan sag who wrote about how we all have du citizenship in the Kingdom of the sick and in the Kingdom of the well”
Where to get it
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Bright-sided
Discussed“Maybe the most insidious one was stay positive, which is a byproduct of our culture of toxic positivity that Barbara Aaron Reich has written so beautifully about this idea that if you allow any bit of quote unquote negativity in, you'll somehow make your cancer worse.”
Where to get it
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Illness as Metaphor
Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag is a brilliant critical essay that deconstructs the harmful moral and social myths surrounding serious diseases like tuberculosis and cancer, urging patients to strip away stigmatizing language.
Discussed“everyone who is born holds dual citizenship in the Kingdom of the well and in the Kingdom of the sick Susan sag wrote an illness as metaphor”
Where to get it
Books Suleika Jaouad wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms (Replay) | People I (Mostly) Admire | 2025-11-15 | 2 |
| Writing About Illness Without Platitudes | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |
| 132. Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms | People I (Mostly) Admire | 2024-05-25 | 2 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I had packed a suitcase full of books including War and Peace which was on my bedside table”
“I had packed a suitcase full of books including War and Peace which was on my bedside table”