I'm back!
I can't say the last 6 months of my life have been easy, which is why I decided to take a step back from blogging for a while. But with the new year comes the inevitable desire to change things up a bit and as part of that, I've made a vow to myself that I'll dedicate more time to my blog in 2018. It's something I've really enjoyed doing in the past and I'm hoping that I can make it a more constant part of my life; I've always loved writing and blogging seems to be a natural thing for me to do, even if I'm the only one reading my posts!
I wanted to start off the year by talking about one of my favourite hobbies in the world: reading. I've been an avid reader since I was a child; there's not much I love more than getting stuck into a good book and losing myself in it for two or three hours at a time. As I've gotten older, reading non-fiction books has begun to interest me more and more and I've compiled a hefty looking list of ones I want to read. Here are 10 non-fiction books I'd like to read this year...
Last year I binge watched the Netflix Original series #Girlboss, based on how Sophia Amoruso came to set up Nasty Gal. I loved the series and subsequently realised that I actually had the book sitting on my shelf already. I think it's about time I get round to reading it; I have high hopes and I'm not entirely sure why I neglected reading it for so long!
Next up on the list is Ice Cream for Breakfast by Laura Jane Williams. After a less than average (read: pretty awful) 2017, I'm determined to make the coming year a good one. I saw some quotes from this book on Instagram the other day and instantly loved the positive message it puts across, so I ordered it immediately and can't wait to get stuck into it.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most organised person in the world when it comes to my personal space. Although I feel like I've taken more of a responsibility to tidy my space in the past few years, I want to take it a step further and learn exactly how to maintain this, because as they say, tidy house, tidy mind... enter The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. Sounds great, I know?! My mum actually bought this for me as a bit of a joke a few years ago, which shows exactly how renowned my untidiness is. I've heard lots of good things about it, so here's hoping it'll turn me into some sort of domestic goddess overnight!
As well as being tidier, another of my goals this year is to take care of myself better, whether that's by eating a more balanced diet or exercising more often. I've always loved the idea of being able to go running, not only as a way of getting fitter but also to unleash any stress or anxiety. A few people have recommended Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley to me and I'm hoping that reading it will give me the motivation I need to finally start!
When Breath Becomes Air tells the story of Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Sadly, Kalanithi passed away while working on this book, but I'm interested to see how he dealt with switching roles from doctor to patient. I'm expecting this one to be incredibly emotional and moving and I have no doubt that I'll need a box of tissues at my side while reading it.
Another book that I've had on my shelf for god knows how long (do you see a running theme here?) is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Note to self: in 2018, I must buy fewer books and actually read the ones I already have. This book gets mixed reviews, but I'm eager to read it for myself and see what I think, as its self-discovery theme really intrigues me.
Happiness: the elusive feeling that everybody craves but not everybody finds. Happy by Fearne Cotton is a book about 'finding joy in every day and letting go of perfect', which sounds absolutely great to me. Although I'm a huge fan of Fearne, it was the title of the book and its premise that gained my attention initially. I'm looking forward to reading this and seeing if I can implement any of the tips in the book in my daily life in an attempt to be a little bit happier in myself.
Finally, I'd like to talk about three mental health related books that I'd like to read this year. As someone who suffers from mental health issues, this is a topic that is very close to my heart. I think books about mental health are such an important help in the fight against stigmatisation. When you're struggling, it's sometimes difficult to imagine that anyone could possibly understand what you're going through; you feel trapped and it's sometimes difficult to talk about your feelings in case people react badly. I'd say that the stigma surrounding mental health issues is decreasing, but there's still a long way to go and I'm always worried that I'll open up to the wrong person. But the more people learn about mental health, the more likely they are to understand it and the more people learn that there are other people suffering similarly to themselves, the less likely these people are to feel alone.
My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel is a book that I started reading a while ago and whilst I really enjoyed it, I was going through a rough patch at the time and found the subject matter to be a bit too heavy. From what I remember, though, this book is a really insight into how anxiety manifests; Stossel combines his own experiences of suffering with anxiety with the fascinating science behind it. I'd love to be able to finish this book soon in the hope that it'll give me a further understanding of the way that anxiety works.
I'd be surprised if you haven't at least heard of Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig, as I think it's such an important book to read, whether or not you suffer from mental health issues yourself. Nobody is untouchable when it comes to these issues, as anxiety and depression do not discriminate. Since I bought this book about 18 months ago, I've enjoyed flicking through it whenever I've needed a bit of motivation or reassurance that I'm not alone in my struggles. It's an emotive, open and honest book and I think it's about time that I sit down and read the whole thing.
Last but certainly not least is Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon. I think that books like Gordon's are great in that they remind you that you're not alone in your struggles and that there are other people - even famous people - who suffer in similar ways to you; Mad Girl is all about Gordon's own struggle with OCD and depression. I'm a huge fan of her pieces in The Telegraph and I'm hoping that her humour and wit come through in this book.
Will you be reading any of these books this year? Are there any other non-fiction books that you'd like to read? Leave me a comment below - I'm always looking for recommendations! X
No comments :
Post a Comment