The 12 Best Menopause Books: Expert guides and personal stories
Updated: Oct 26
Looking for the best books on menopause?
The best menopause books cover everything from symptoms and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to nutrition, brain health, exercise and the experiences of other women.
Some focus on the medical evidence while others offer practical lifestyle advice or challenge the way menopause is understood and treated.
I've brought together 12 books about menopause that explore different aspects so you can find the information and perspectives most relevant to you.
I selected each title based on clinical credibility, accessibility and whether it addressed the questions my clients ask the most.
(This page contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
Contents
Best Menopause Books for Medical Information and HRT
Best for: Understanding menopause symptoms, HRT and the latest developments in menopause care.
Dr Louise Newson is a GP and menopause specialist known for her work raising awareness of the impact of hormonal changes on women's health.
In The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause, she explains the symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause and explores the treatment options available.
The book covers a wide range of topics, including recognising symptoms, understanding hormone replacement therapy (HRT), managing treatment and making informed decisions about your care.
It also explores the potential effects of hormonal changes on longer-term health and discusses issues such as testosterone, brain health and neurodivergence.
Alongside the medical information, Newson addresses the wider challenges women face when seeking menopause support, helping readers prepare for conversations with healthcare professionals and advocate for their needs.
If you're looking for a comprehensive menopause book with a strong medical focus, this is a useful resource for understanding your options and becoming better informed about your care.
Best for: Understanding the wider impact of menopause on your health, from symptoms to long-term wellbeing.
In The New Menopause, American physician Dr Mary Claire Haver brings together medical information, research and practical guidance to help women understand the changes associated with menopause and make informed decisions about their health.
The book explores a broad range of topics, including sleep, mood, sexual health, changes in body composition, brain health and bone health. It also examines hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including its potential benefits and risks, alongside other approaches to managing symptoms.
Haver also encourages women to take an active role in their healthcare, offering guidance on preparing for medical appointments, asking questions and discussing their concerns with healthcare professionals.
If you're looking for a menopause book that takes a broad view of women's health, rather than focusing solely on individual symptoms, The New Menopause offers plenty to explore.
It's particularly relevant if you want to understand how the hormonal changes of menopause may affect both your current wellbeing and your longer-term health.
Best for: Exploring menopause treatment options and looking after your health in the years beyond menopause.
Dr Annice Mukherjee is an endocrinologist with extensive experience in hormone health.
Having experienced an early menopause following a breast cancer diagnosis at 41, she also brings a personal perspective to the subject.
In The Complete Guide to the Menopause, Mukherjee combines medical expertise with practical advice to help women understand their symptoms, explore treatment options and take a broader view of their long-term health.
The book covers a range of topics, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), alternatives to HRT, medically induced menopause, managing menopause at work and maintaining wellbeing in the decades after menopause. It also explores lifestyle approaches that may complement medical treatment.
Rather than suggesting that lifestyle changes alone are always enough, Mukherjee examines how self-management and appropriate medical care can work together, depending on an individual's needs.
If you're looking for a comprehensive menopause book that combines medical information with practical strategies for everyday life, this is a useful resource.
It's particularly relevant if you want to understand the available treatment options and think about your health beyond the immediate menopause transition.
Because of Dr Mukherjee's own menopause experience following cancer treatment, her book accounts for scenarios the standard perimenopause timeline simply does not cover, which is why I recommend it specifically when a client's situation falls outside the typical pattern.
Best Books about Perimenopause
Best for: Understanding menopause, exploring HRT and hearing real women's experiences.
Written by TV presenter Davina McCall and menopause specialist Dr Naomi Potter, Menopausing combines accessible explanations of the science of menopause with personal stories and practical advice.
The book explores common menopause symptoms, treatment options including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and the effects hormonal changes can have on relationships and everyday life. It also challenges the stigma and misinformation that have historically surrounded menopause.
A key strength of Menopausing is its emphasis on helping women feel informed enough to ask questions, explore their treatment options and have more confident conversations about their health.
If you're looking for a menopause book that combines expert insight with honest discussion of women's lived experiences, this is a useful place to start.
Best for: Understanding perimenopause and exploring practical approaches to managing symptoms.
Perimenopause can bring a wide range of physical and emotional changes, sometimes before women realise their hormones may be contributing to what they're experiencing.
In The Perimenopause Solution, Dr Shahzadi Harper, a doctor specialising in women's health, and registered nutritionist Emma Bardwell combine their expertise to explain this often misunderstood stage of life.
The book explores common perimenopause symptoms, including changes in sleep, mood, energy, sexual health and body composition. It also looks at the role of nutrition and other lifestyle factors, alongside practical advice for managing symptoms and understanding the treatment options available.
One of the book's strengths is its combination of medical and nutritional perspectives. It aims to help women understand what's happening during perimenopause and consider different ways to support their health and wellbeing.
If you're looking for a book specifically about perimenopause, rather than menopause more broadly, this is a useful starting point.
It's particularly relevant if you're in your thirties or forties and want to understand hormonal changes, explore your options and feel better prepared for conversations about your health.
Best Menopause Books for Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Best for: Exploring how nutrition can support your health and wellbeing during menopause.
Registered nutritionist Karen Newby takes a food-focused approach to perimenopause and menopause in The Natural Menopause Method.
The book explores how everyday eating habits can support general health and wellbeing during hormonal changes.
Newby covers topics including energy levels, sleep, mood, weight changes and hot flushes, alongside practical advice on nutrition, supplements and lifestyle habits.
She also discusses menopause treatments, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), helping readers explore how nutritional approaches fit alongside other options.
With an emphasis on achievable changes rather than complicated rules, the book offers ideas for building healthier eating habits and understanding the relationship between nutrition and wellbeing. It also includes guidance on sleep, stress management and other lifestyle factors.
If you're looking for a menopause book that puts nutrition at the centre, this is a useful resource for exploring how what you eat may support your health during perimenopause and beyond.
(Karen has also written the accompanying Natural Menopause Method Cookbook and her new book The Post-Menopause Method)
In my experience, food and nutrition strategies can deliver the quickest and most noticeable energy and mood results for my clients and I often recommend this book as a supporting resource.
Best for: Exploring healthy ageing, nutrition and practical ways to support your wellbeing in midlife and beyond.
Writer and wellbeing author Liz Earle takes a broad approach to health and ageing in A Better Second Half, drawing on research, personal experience and her longstanding interest in health and nutrition.
Although this isn't exclusively a menopause book, many of its themes are relevant to women experiencing hormonal changes and thinking about their long-term health. Earle explores topics including nutrition, gut health, strength training, sleep and lifestyle approaches to healthy ageing.
She also examines popular wellbeing trends, looking at areas such as low-carbohydrate diets, biohacking and emerging approaches to personal health. The aim is to help readers make more informed choices rather than feel overwhelmed by the volume of advice available.
If you're interested in looking beyond menopause symptoms and thinking about your health for the years ahead, this book offers a broader perspective on wellbeing.
It's a useful addition to this list for women who want to explore healthy ageing alongside their menopause reading.
Best for: Building an exercise routine and healthier habits during menopause.
Personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham takes a practical, positive approach to menopause in Owning Your Menopause, drawing on her own experiences and professional background in fitness.
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, the book encourages women to think about how movement, nutrition, mindfulness and everyday habits can support their wellbeing during menopause.
It includes fitness plans designed for different levels, alongside a 30-day programme featuring movement goals, menu suggestions and links to online exercise videos.
(One of my clients followed the 30-day plan during a particularly difficult stretch of perimenopause and told me it was the first time in two years she had felt genuinely like her old self)
Rowe-Ham also explores lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, sugar intake and self-care.
If you're looking for a menopause book that gives you practical ideas to put into action, this is a useful option. It's particularly suited to women who want to build strength, develop sustainable exercise habits and feel more confident about looking after their health.
Best Books for understanding Menopause and the Brain
Best for: Understanding how menopause may affect your brain, memory and cognitive health.
In The Menopause Brain, neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi explores the relationship between hormonal changes and brain health during perimenopause and menopause.
The book examines how changes in oestrogen levels may influence areas such as memory, concentration, mood, sleep and body temperature. It also explores why some women experience brain fog or changes in cognitive function during the menopause transition, drawing on research into the brain's response to hormonal changes.
Mosconi discusses the potential implications for longer-term brain health and considers how factors such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep and other lifestyle habits may support cognitive wellbeing. She also explores the science surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its relationship with brain health.
If you're experiencing brain fog or are curious about the connection between menopause and cognitive health, this is a particularly relevant book.
It offers a deeper look at the science behind symptoms that can be confusing or concerning, helping readers understand more about what may be happening in their brains during the menopause.
10.Menopause and ADHD by Dr Helen Wall
Best for: Understanding the relationship between hormonal changes and ADHD symptoms.
For women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perimenopause and menopause can raise additional questions about concentration, emotional regulation, sleep and everyday functioning.
In Menopause and ADHD, GP Dr Helen Wall explores the relationship between hormonal changes and ADHD, helping readers better understand their experiences.
The book looks at how changes in hormones may affect ADHD symptoms and discusses practical ways to manage everyday challenges. It also encourages readers to develop self-compassion, understand their individual needs and communicate more effectively with healthcare professionals, family and friends.
Another important theme is self-advocacy: recognising when you need support and feeling better equipped to explain your experiences when seeking it.
If you're looking for a book that specifically addresses the overlap between ADHD and menopause, this is a particularly relevant choice.
It's also worth considering if you suspect you may have ADHD and have noticed changes in your concentration, organisation or emotional wellbeing during perimenopause.
Best Menopause Books for Advocacy and Understanding
Best for: Understanding menopause beyond symptoms and learning how to advocate for better support.
Diane Danzebrink is a prominent menopause campaigner who has worked to improve menopause education, awareness and access to care. In Making Menopause Matter, she explores why menopause deserves greater attention from healthcare services, workplaces and society as a whole.
The book looks beyond physical symptoms to consider the potential effects of menopause on emotional wellbeing, relationships, family life, careers and finances. It also examines the challenges women can face when seeking appropriate information and support.
Combining practical guidance with personal insight and advocacy, Danzebrink encourages readers to understand their options, seek the help they need and recognise why better menopause education matters.
Her work has been critical in ensuring that menopause is now part of the RSE curriculum in schools in England, and to the way in which menopause is no longer seen as a shameful or trivial experience.
That policy outcome is the reason I rate this book above most advocacy titles: Danzebrink is one of the few authors in this space whose campaigning has produced a measurable, institutional result.
If you're looking for a menopause book that explores both personal experiences and the bigger picture of menopause care, this is a valuable addition to the list.
It's particularly relevant if you want to understand why access to information, treatment and support can make such a difference to women's lives.
Best for: Getting straightforward answers to menopause questions and challenging outdated attitudes towards women's health.
Journalist, documentary-maker and menopause campaigner Kate Muir takes an outspoken approach to menopause in Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (but were too afraid to ask).
Drawing on interviews with medical experts, scientific research and women's personal experiences, Muir explores the physical, psychological and sexual changes associated with perimenopause and menopause.
She tackles questions about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), libido, brain health and the treatment options available to women.
The book also examines the history of menopause stigma and the misinformation that has influenced public understanding of hormone therapy. Muir challenges readers to question outdated assumptions and calls for better information, more informed healthcare decisions and greater equality in women's health.
If you're looking for a menopause book that combines accessible explanations with a strong campaigning voice, this is an engaging option.
It's particularly suited to readers who want to understand the science while also questioning why menopause care and research have been overlooked for so long.
Which of these Menopause Books Is Right for You?
The best books about menopause offer different perspectives, from medical guidance on HRT and symptom management to nutrition, brain health and the experiences of other women.
If you're unsure where to start, think about the questions you most want answered. You might want to understand your symptoms, explore your treatment options, improve your diet or learn more about the connection between menopause and ADHD.
You don't need to read all 12 books. Start with the one that addresses your biggest concerns, and use it as a starting point for further questions and conversations with your healthcare professional.
More Support
Books are a brilliant place to start, but sometimes you need more than information. You need space to talk through what you're experiencing, understand your options and work out what might help you feel better.
As a Menopause Wellness Practitioner and Women's Health Coach, I offer personalised menopause support to help you make informed decisions about your health, wellbeing and next steps.
If you're struggling with symptoms, feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice or simply unsure where to start, we can focus on what's happening for you and what matters most to you.
Explore my Menopause Support sessions to find out how we can work together.
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