The journaling about books part is a great idea; much better than lamenting in my pages every morning lol. When I think back to the books I’ve read in the past, I see that I read many self-help and memoir books during a tough time to remind myself there was still hope. To your point about narrative tales, I generally find memoirs to be more inspiring and educational than self-help books because it’s someone’s lived experience rather than a step-by-step method to work through a situation or become a better person (which tends to be a one-size fits all approach that doesn't always work for everyone). I especially like memoirs by actors since they go through so much rejection.