Mindfulness: Reading (a lot)

As I mentioned a week or so ago, I’ve been really struggling with increased depression and anxiety, thanks to my parent’s divorce and the breakdown of my relationship with my father. That, combined with an intense work life, has meant an increased need to recentre myself and practice mindfulness wherever possible.

This year I’ve found reading to be absolutely crucial to staying mindful despite in the chaos. Sometimes I find my mind racing at night and really struggle to get to sleep – and so I’ve turned to reading as a nightly ritual. I get all snug in my bed and allow myself at least half an hour to turn off my phone and get stuck into another world.

It’s really hard to switch off entirely, and that’s precisely what reading requires you to do. You have to stop thinking about your own life, your own problems or even your own social media feed, and just concentrate on something entirely other. For me, it really helps, and sends me off to a nice, peaceful sleep.

Since I mentioned my 2017 Goal to average a book a week, I had plenty of requests to share my reading list. So here you have it – all my books for 2017 so far!

• Think Like A Freak – Stephen J. Dubner & Steven D. Levitt

From the guys who wrote Freakonomics, this takes you through how to challenge the status quo and look for hidden connections in the seemingly meaningless.

• You Are A Badass – Jen Sincero 

The absolute pick-me-up I needed in January when I found myself jobless and on crutches – one of the standouts so far.

• Running Man – Charlie Engle

The autobiography of ultra runner Charlie Engle, from his adventure racing exploits to his wrongful imprisonment for tax fraud.

• Born A Crime – Trevor Noah

Hilarious, poignant and thought-provoking autobiography of Trevor Noah, on growing up in post-apartheid South Africa.

• The Alchemist – Paulo Coehlo

An inspiring work of fiction about the importance of finding your destiny in life. A bit sentimental, but beautifully written.

• Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A fictional tale of love, betrayal and identity, set against Nigeria’s 1967-60 Civil War.

• Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The story of love and identity, following Ifemelu; of a Nigerian student who emigrates to the US.

• Growth Hacker Marketing – Ryan Holiday

A good insight into the start-up way of doing business and getting quick results by learning to fail and fail again.

• Present Over Perfect – Brenée Brown

A great mix of self-help and memoir, this is a great guide to becoming more present in life, and letting go of perfectionism.

• I Know What I’m Doing, and Other Lies I Tell Myself – Jen Kirkman

Comical memoir of a 30-something comedian who doesn’t have her shit together any more than the rest of us.

• The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin

An account of 12 months of goal-driven happiness, including concrete, actionable ideas on how to cultivate happiness in your life.

• The Suffragettes – Penguin

A short Penguin guide to the Suffragette movement in Western countries, including the female-led anti-suffrage movement.

• Beauty and Attention – Liz Rosenberg

A lazy beach read- a story of love in adverse circumstances.

• Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman

A hilarious and charming retelling of Norse myth and legend, brought to life in a wickedly clever way.

• Trump and Me – Mark Singer

A genuinely terrifying profile of Donald Trump by one journalist who has keenly followed the demon’s rise to fame.

• Occupy – Noam Chomsky

Fascinating insight into the Occupy movement, including the recent historical context of the 2008 Financial Crash.

• The Beauty Myth – Naomi Wolf

An abridged version of the feminist classic, covering the way beauty standards are used to keep women “in their place”.

• Sleeping Giants – Sylvian Neuvel 

A modern sci-fi classic – an ancient civilisation is discovered on earth. The rest is a mystery…

• Waking Gods – Sylvian Neuvel

The second Sleeping Giants book – it continues!

• Veronika Decides to Die – Paulo Coehlo

Another life-affirming classic from Paulo Coehlo; the premise is about a girl who wakes up from her suicide attempt, but discovers she only has a few days to live.

• The Buddha in the Attic – Julie Otsuka

A collective memoir or the experience of Japanese women brought to the US as brides in the 1930s and 40s.

• Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It – Daniel Klein

A collection of the authors favourite and most thought-provoking philosophic quotes, along with a brief essay on why they captured his imagination.

• The Opposite of Loneliness – Marina Keegan

A collection of essays and short stories written by a talented young Harvard student, and published after her tragic death only a few years ago.

• Your Pace or Mine? – Lisa Jackson

An autobiographical account of everything running can teach you about life.

• Eat the Frog – Brian Tracy

A productivity guide that preaches doing the most difficult and most dreaded task first.

• The Girls – Emma Cline

A poignant and gorgeously-written tale of an out of place teenage girl who yearns for a place to belong.

• Oryx and Crake – Margret Atwood

An imagined but entirely possible future in which genetic engineering has gotten out of control, and which there remain only a handful of “real” humans left.

• Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari

A fascinating historical and anthropological look at humankind’s evolution through the ages, from the Stone Age to the modern day.

• Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge

A memoir / non-fiction work on the issue of race, in the context (mainly) of 21st Century Britan. This work certainly highlights the lack of cultural education received in the UK – specifically to do with the injustices and atrocities committed by the British Empire, and the legacy this has left.

• The Angry Chef: Bad Science and the Truth About Healthy Eating – Anthony Warner

A no-bullshit guide to everything that’s wrong with clean eating, fasts, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the logical tricks that leave us buying into them.

• Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi 

The premise: one Ghanian sister sold into slavery, the other married off to a British slaver; we follow the atrocities and legacies of slavery as they trickle down through the generations.

• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying – Marie Kondo

A soothing, cosy book on the magic of getting your shit together, your house in order, and your life how you want it.

• Stay With Me – Ayobami Adebayo

A tale of a married couple’s struggle to have children – beautifully told, and set against the background of political unrest in 1980’s Nigeria.

• If I Stay – Gayle Forman 

A heartbreaking work about a girl caught in a state of limbo after a life-threatening car accident – great if you need a good cry.

• Today, We Die a Little: Emil Zátopek, Olympic Legend to Cold War Hero – Richard Askwith

The true story of Olympic Legend, eccentric and all round gentleman Emil Zátopek, struggling with his role in post-war Czechoslovakia. A truly inspiring read.

• Blowback: How the West F*cked Up the Middle East – Michel Luders

A concise but thorough account of how Western foreign policy (specifically British and American) has screwed over the Middle East and created a breeding ground for extremism.

• Homo Deus, A Brief Future of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari

The continuation of Homo Sapiens, this work takes a look at humankind as we embark on our voyage into the world of amortality, artificial intelligence and genetic engineering.

In case you weren’t counting, I’m on 36 to date, which makes me approximately two weeks behind. But fear not, I’m catching up!

In the meantime, please send me your recommendations! I’m always looking for new reads to get my nose into! 

Lots of love,

 

Pippa