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Quick answer: If you loved Tiny Beautiful Things, read Cheryl Strayed's Wild and Brave Enough, then Bird by Bird, Big Magic, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and The Gifts of Imperfection. All offer wise, honest, human advice on love, grief and living with courage.
Cheryl Strayed's 2012 book collects her Dear Sugar advice columns, where she answers readers' letters with warmth, bluntness and stories from her own life. It is emotional, funny and deeply kind. The books below share its direct voice, personal stories and practical wisdom.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | more Strayed |
| Brave Enough | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | quotes and wisdom |
| Torch | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | grief novel |
| Bird by Bird | Anne Lamott | Adult | writing and life |
| Big Magic | Elizabeth Gilbert | Adult | creative living |
| Maybe You Should Talk to Someone | Lori Gottlieb | Adult | therapy memoir |
| The Gifts of Imperfection | Brene Brown | Adult | self-acceptance |
| Option B | Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant | Adult | resilience after loss |
| The Year of Magical Thinking | Joan Didion | Adult | grief memoir |
| Letters to a Young Poet | Rainer Maria Rilke | Adult | classic advice |
| Daring Greatly | Brene Brown | Adult | courage and vulnerability |
| Crying in H Mart | Michelle Zauner | Adult | grief and food |
| Untamed | Glennon Doyle | Adult | honest memoir |
| How to Be a Person in the World | Heather Havrilesky | Adult | advice column collection |
| Hunger | Roxane Gay | Adult | memoir of the body |
1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Strayed hikes the Pacific Crest Trail to recover from grief. Honest, funny and moving.
Best for: more Strayed.
2. Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed
A small book of advice taken from her writing. Short and quotable.
Best for: quotes and wisdom.
3. Torch by Cheryl Strayed
A family copes with the death of its mother. Quiet, raw and beautiful.
Best for: grief novel.
4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Lamott offers funny, practical advice on writing. Beloved and warm.
Best for: writing and life.
5. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert encourages creative curiosity over fear. Light, kind and motivating.
Best for: creative living.
6. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
A therapist becomes a patient. Warm, funny and wise.
Best for: therapy memoir.
7. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
Brown explains how to let go of perfectionism. Clear and compassionate.
Best for: self-acceptance.
8. Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
Sandberg writes about grief with research on resilience. Practical and moving.
Best for: resilience after loss.
9. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Didion writes about the sudden death of her husband. Precise and devastating.
Best for: grief memoir.
10. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters of encouragement to a young writer. Short and lasting.
Best for: classic advice.
11. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Brown explores why vulnerability matters at work and at home. Thoughtful and widely recommended.
Best for: courage and vulnerability.
12. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
A musician writes about her Korean mother and food. Touching and honest.
Best for: grief and food.
13. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Doyle writes about trusting your own voice. Warm, funny and popular.
Best for: honest memoir.
14. How to Be a Person in the World by Heather Havrilesky
Havrilesky's Ask Polly letters give blunt, funny, heartfelt advice. A close match in tone.
Best for: advice column collection.
15. Hunger by Roxane Gay
Gay writes honestly about trauma and body image. Fierce and tender.
Best for: memoir of the body.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Tiny Beautiful Things: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more Strayed begin with Wild. For writing and creativity choose Bird by Bird or Big Magic. For emotional healing pick Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, The Gifts of Imperfection or Option B. For advice in letter form try How to Be a Person in the World or Letters to a Young Poet. Tiny Beautiful Things is meant to be dipped into, so read one letter at a time. Strayed's columns were published anonymously under the name Sugar before she revealed her identity, and the book includes many of her most popular responses. If you want more advice written as letters, look for collected columns and essays. If you want a hug in book form, Brave Enough is short enough to keep by the bed. If you want deeper reading on grief, The Year of Magical Thinking and Option B are good partners. Audiobooks of Strayed's work are warmly narrated, and her voice carries well on audio.
Related: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Things They Carried Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tiny Beautiful Things about?
A collection of advice columns written by Cheryl Strayed as Dear Sugar.
Who wrote it?
Cheryl Strayed.
When was it published?
2012.
Is there a play or TV version?
Yes, there is a stage play and a television series. Check current listings.
Is it only about relationships?
No, it covers grief, family, identity and more.
Is it sad?
It has sad moments, but it is warm and uplifting.
Is it a good gift?
Yes, especially for anyone going through a hard time.
What should I read next?
Try Wild or Bird by Bird.
Who is Dear Sugar?
The pen name Cheryl Strayed used for her advice column on The Rumpus.
Is Wild a good follow-up?
Yes. It tells her own story, which gives context for many of the letters.