Books are a great source of information for inmates and their families/friends.
Be sure to check with the correctional facility on how to send books! For example, where I was required each book to be submitted for approval, purchased from Barnes & Noble or Amazon, could not be delivered by a Prime driver (must be UPS/FedEx/USPS), and had to be paperback. Some facilities even allow outside supporters to send a magazine subscription in.
Book Choices
When I was incarcerated, I read books constantly. I always tried to have three books going at once. I would read a chapter or two in each and then rotate to the next book. The three books were (1) recovery-based, (2) non-fiction/learn something, and (3) fiction/fun. For the fiction/fun books I really got into books that were a series. For example, I read the Books 1-10 of the Wheel of Time series because it seemed like I read one huge book over the year I was in jail.
Shop our Bookshop
On July 1, 2022 we launched the Recovery Behind Bars Bookshop. Powered by bookshop.org, this site supports both Recovery Behind Bars with a 10% commission on all purchases as well as sources books from local bookstores. Most of our book suggestions are now available at our bookshop!
Amazon.com Book Links
- By clicking on the below books, you acknowledge that, should you purchase from Amazon within 24 hours, a portion of your purchase will support RecoveryBehindBars.com hosting and management fees.
- Many of these books are available as audio books on Audible.com.
Special RBB Offer: Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
Recovery Books:
- Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book
- Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text
- Sex Addicts Anonymous Basic Text
- Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous Basic Text
- Touchtones: Daily Meditations for Men (Hazelden)
- Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children (Larsen Hagerty)
- Recovery Coaching: A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions (Second Edition) (Melissa Killeen)
- A Gentle Path through the 12 Steps (Patrick Carnes)
- Voices of Recovery (SAA ISO)
- Healing the Shame that Binds You (John Bradshaw)
Nonfiction Books
- The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk)
- Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith (Anne Lamott)
- Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith (Anne Lamott)
- The Gifts of Imperfection (Brene Brown)
- The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)
- Easy Spanish Step by Step (Barbara Bregstein)
Fiction/Fun Books
- Wheel of Time Book 1: Eye of the World (Robert Jordan) and the rest of the series
- Stormdancer: The Lotus War Book One (Jay Kristoff)
- Kinslayer: The Lotus War Book Two (Jay Kristoff)
- Endsinger: The Lotus War Book Three (Jay Kristoff)
- All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
Send us your book suggestions using the form on the right or in the comments below!