The Bookish Psychologist

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

CW: suicidal ideation, suicide In this episode, I review the first dark academia vampire book in the Immortal Dark series. This is my first episode where I don't recommend this book, but I do think it sparks an interesting conversation about mental health and suicide prevention. There was so much potential in the ideas for this book, which is what made it so disappointing when the execution wasn't there. If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact 988 or use their website [https://988lifeline.org/] to access a chat. National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention [https://theactionalliance.org/messaging/entertainment-messaging/national-recommendations] Carmichael, V. & Whitley, R. (2018) Suicide portrayal in the Canadian media: examining newspaper coverage of the popular Netflix series ‘13 Reasons Why.’ BMC Public Health, 18, 1086. Https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5987-3 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5987-3] Niederkrotenthaler, T., Kitchener, S., Till, B., Sinyor, M., Tran, U.S., Perkins, J., & Spittal, M.J. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analyses of suicidal outcomes following fictional portrayals of suicide and suicide attempt in entertainment media. EClinicalMedicine, 36. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100922 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100922] ⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ [https://drgracefowler.com/] ⁠⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_bookish_psychologist/]

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

CW: eating disorders, OCD, addiction In this episode, I review the 2022 memoir by former child star, Jennette McCurdy. It's a great read and I highly recommend it. McCurdy talks a lot about her mental health, so it makes for a launch pad for a conversation about these topics. I spend most of the episode discussing OCD and the myth that people living with OCD are just "neat freaks." International OCD Foundation [https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/] ⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ [https://drgracefowler.com/] ⁠⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_bookish_psychologist/]

Bonus: My 2025 in Books

Happy New Year! I took some time to reflect on all that I read in 2025 and present my best and worst reads of the year. Thankful for everyone who has listened and read along with me in the past year. Here's to many more reads and reviews in 2026! Anti-brain rot challenge by thestoryaintover [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHpHKM_EQxk] Website⁠⁠ [https://drgracefowler.com/] ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_bookish_psychologist/]

James by Percival Everett

CW: enslavement, sexual assault In this episode, I review the multi-award-winning novel, James by Percival Everett. This book is a loose retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but told from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved man owned by Huck Finn's guardian. James becomes a fully realized character in this novel, and there is a lot to discuss from a psychological perspective. I use Gestalt theory to explore James and his character development. ⁠Website⁠ [https://drgracefowler.com/] ⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_bookish_psychologist/]

Bonus: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein

First bonus episode! Bonus eps will be focused on book adaptations, so it's fitting that the first one is the newest version of Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. There are some great examples of defense mechanisms and unconscious drives from this movie. I really enjoyed it and hope you will enjoy my review as well! ⁠Website⁠ [https://drgracefowler.com/] ⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_bookish_psychologist/]