I have always been ‘a reader’. As a child I would visit the school library most afternoons and select a book to read that evening. More often that not I would devour it in one sitter. These weren’t high brow, literary classics, think along the lines of Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High. But I loved nothing more than getting home, curling up and getting lost in the story.
In my days of commuting I would work my way through several books a week, everything from modern classics to personal development to chick lit. I wasn’t overly fussy about the book if it helped to while away a boring train journey.
There was a lull in my reading when my kids were very young. A combination of tiredness and not getting more than five minutes of uninterupted time slowed down my reading but even still I probably read more than most mothers of young children.
2017 really saw the return of my voracious reading habits. I thought you might find it useful to see my reading list for the year and see if there are any that you would like to add to your own wish list for 2018.
I’ve only listed out the non-fiction/personal development type books. I did read a handful of fiction books, mainly when I was on holiday. I’m a bit out of date on what’s happening in world of fiction so if you have any top tips please leave a comment and let me know what you would recommend.
Real Books
I love a real book and it is by far my favourite way of consuming content. I know they take up space and I am an ardent ‘declutterer’ but for me nothing compares to the written word on a page and being able to look at and feel the book that I am reading.
I’ve got a feeling that I’ve missed some of this list, I’ll be sure to come back and add to it if any more spring to mind.
- Curation by Michael Bhaskar
- Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl
- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
- Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Light is the New Black by Rebecca Campbell
- She Means Business by Carrie Green
- I Could do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher
- Self Compassion by Kristin Neff
- Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat
- Happy by Fearne Cotton
- Mindfulness by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
- Ultimate Confidence by Marisa Peer
- Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- The Space Within by Michael Neill
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown
- Sane by Emma Young
- Buddhism by Steve Hagan
- The 100 Year Life by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott
- Frazzled by Ruby Wax
- Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
Kindle
I don’t have a Kindle but I do use the Kindle app on my phone. I tend not to buy books on Kindle unless there is any other way of purchasing them.
I love that I can store so much reading material on something that I carry around every day but I do miss holding and feeling a ‘real book’.
- Diary of a Misfit Entrepreneur by Kate Toon
- Your Biz, Your Way by Judith Morgan
- The Art of Contribution by Ann Skinner
- Freedom Seeker by Beth Kempton
- Your Business Sweetspot by Racheal Cook
Audible
2017 was the year that I discovered the joy of audiobooks. I trained for a walking marathon in the Spring and a combination of audiobooks and podcasts kept me company on the many hours of training walks.
I’m doing #Challenge1000 in 2018 (walking 1000 miles over the course of the year) so I suspect I will be enjoying even more Audible books this year.
- Playing Big by Tara Mohr
- Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
- The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
- You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
- The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
- On Fire by John O’Leary
- The Universe Has Your Back by Gaby Bernstein
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Eight days into 2018 I have already read The Little Book of Self Care by Mel Noakes and I am currently reading Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford and listening to Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance by Angela Cuckworth.
I would love to find some way of capturing my thoughts and what I have learned from the books that I read. Back in the Nancy Drew/Sweet Valley High days I would fill in a one page book review template to keep in my reading record at school. Maybe I should create something similar?
I had thought about reviewing each book and publishing on this blog but then wondered if that might become a chore.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you enjoy reading book reviews? Have you found a way of capturing what you have learned from the books that you have read? And finally, any good recommendations for the next book I should read?
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