The Menopause Reading List

5 minute read

I had to read a number of books on hormones and the menopause for a big work project recently. I am the most knowledgeable of all your friends when it comes to navigating perimenopause and menopause now. So much so, that I’m diagnosing myself and everyone I meet.

At a drinks party in a friend’s garden recently (everyone needs a pal who built a bar in their garden during lockdown – it’s such a civilised night out), I fielded questions about brittle hair, brain fog, hairy chins and a lot more. It was as if they had their very own gin-fuelled endocrinologist at their table – don’t worry, I directed everyone to speak to their GP if there was an actual issue.

Knowledge is power and though some of the symptoms I read about filled me slightly with dread, I’m glad I know what I do now. Dr Mary Ryan, menopause specialist and consultant endocrinologist says that her work in educating both her fellow doctors and the general public about hormones and menopause stems from her wish for women to feel empowered about their own healthcare.

She’s right.

Women are their own best advocates, but we’re often afraid to speak up and ask questions. We know our symptoms but are often hesitant to push back when we don’t get the answers we hope for. This is why, having read approximately 1800 pages on the subject, I suggest you buy a book on menopause and get all the details. Of all the books I read, I have four stand-out favourites that I now recommend.

Cracking the Menopause
by Mariella Frostrup and Alice Smellie

This one is up first because it’s my favourite. One of the leading non-medical voices on menopause, Mariella’s BBC1 documentary The Truth About the Menopause was a groundbreaking look at what happens to women at a time of huge change. The book carries on her work and in it she tells her story with great warmth and wit. There’s the truth about what happens to women in work and society as we age, very detailed explanations of symptoms and lots of input from doctors, specialists and other well-known women.

It feels like a conversation, not a guide, and its humour really helps to get you through any fears or worries you may have. Chapters include HRT Love Song, Hormonious Relationships and Hot Sex so you know you’re in for a good read! There are laugh-out-loud moments, which let’s face it we all need, and they run side by side with sensible advice and practical tips. If my word isn’t good enough for you, it has endorsements from Helen Fielding, Marian Keyes, Claudia Winkleman and Susannah Constantine – quite the list of fabulous women.

Buy it here

Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause
by Dr Louise Newson

This is the book I’ll keep in my bedside drawer. Shorter than the first one, it is a no-nonsense look at everything that will happen to you when your oestrogen levels start to leave the party. Dr Louise Newson is a leading UK menopause specialist, and this book is a straightforward, sensible look at the perimenopause and menopause years. It’s evidence-based, practical and rather like speaking to your own really sensible doctor. She doesn’t shy away from any topic and even includes a specific chapter on the taboo ones. Her writing style means that even the scariest of symptoms sound completely manageable and you feel reassured and confident in your future years. Definitely one I’ll dip in and out of for years to come.

Buy it here

Our Hormones Our Health: How to Understand Your Hormones and Transform Your Life by Dr Susanne Esche-Belke and Dr Suzann Kirschner-Brouns

After reading all about menopause for a couple of weeks I decided to take a deeper dive into hormonal health. This book, by two esteemed German doctors (it’s translated, don’t worry) is a fascinating and informative look at how our hormones control, well, everything basically. It includes chapters on perimenopause and menopause, but it also looks at the role of the gut, the importance of our thyroid, stress, exhaustion and much more.

This is the type of book I wish I’d read much sooner just so that I could understand the important role of rest in a healthy life. There’s a lovely final chapter on self-care which is vital to hormone health and is a must-read in and of itself. I really like a book that boosts my self-esteem, and this does just that!

Buy it here

Perimenopause Power by maisie hill

The author of this one may already be familiar to you. Maisie Hill wrote the hugely successful book Period Power and is the founder of The Flow Collective. This book is less medical and slightly more alternative than the others, but that’s no bad thing and it’s good to read about every available option. Maisie wants to improve women’s experience of perimenopause and I’m all for that, after all, Gwyneth Paltrow did say it needs a rebrand and Gwynnie is always right!

I like this one for an introduction to perimenopause and would recommend it to friends in their early 40s who need to be armed with the information but not yet terrified about what’s to come. Maisie is cool and the book has a lovely positive vibe, which is what you need when you’re dipping your toe into the hormonal sea. Maisie is what you would describe as a menopause coach and you do get the feeling of being supported through the book. Definitely one to read when you’re trying to get your head around it all.