10 Books To Consider Reading Now
Stuck at home for the foreseeable future? Already bored of Netflix?
The good news is there’s an alternative to binge-watching crappy TV shows.
It’s called reading.😉
With this in mind, we’ve picked 10 books that we think are worth your time.
Reading not only helps you to ‘escape’ your surroundings, but it’s also scientifically proven to boost your mental and physical health.
The below are a mix of genres from novels to non-fiction, sci-fi to autobiography.
1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
One of the best books we’ve read in the past two years. Zero fluff, clearly written (no pun intended) and highly practical. Now is as good a time as any to start some good habits and kick some old ones. You will not regret buying this book. Clear also has lots of great blog content available on his website.
2. The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing
Laing moved to New York City in her mid-thirties. She felt loneliness on a daily basis. Fascinated by this most intense of feelings, she began to explore the city by way of art. Discussing the works and lives of some of its most well-known artists, we join her on a journey to making peace with being alone in The Big Apple.
3. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
One of the 20th century’s most powerful novels. Set in India, Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. We follow him on his spiritual quest and learn many of life’s most important lessons along the way. If you’ve already read Siddhartha, you might enjoy one of his other books Steppenwolf.
4. Antifragile by Nicholas Nassim Taleb
This is one of the books from the author’s famed Incerto (the Latin word for ‘uncertainty’) series. Taleb not only predicted the 2008 global financial meltdown, but he was also one of the earliest figures on twitter to warn the world of the current pandemic. This book will help you to understand how much of the chaos that’s going on at the moment has come about. It will change the way you look at the world forever.
5. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
We love everything that Bill Bryson writes. He has a unique ability to inform and entertain at the same time. We’ve chosen this book because it’s the author at his best. Here, he sets off to hike the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuous footpath in the world, with his friend Stephen Katz. If you have a copy of any of his other books sitting unread on a shelf, we guarantee you’re still in for a pleasurable and laugh-out-loud experience.
6. The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday
The Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism helps us to look at difficult situations more objectively. At its core, it’s about distinguishing between what you can and can't control in life. Once you’ve worked this out, you can focus your energy on the things you can influence. Holiday's book is a great place to start. Also, check out Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and the writings of Epictetus.
7. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
It’s all too easy to get despondent about the state of the world when watching the news. It seems as if there are no places where things are not getting worse. Except, as this inspiring book sets out to prove, it’s quite the opposite. By many objective measures, the world is a distinctly better place than the media suggests. Rosling shares many of these through eye-opening graphs and statistics. For example, did you know that adult literacy (share of adults with basic skills to read and write) has risen from just 10% in 1800 to 86% in 2016? Or that in the same time period, the percentage of children dying before their 5th birthday has declined from 44% to just 4%?
8. Dune by Frank Herbert
Even if you’re not into Sci-Fi, you’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy this book. It’s a longer read than most of the other books recommended here but it’s excellent. Widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. Elon Musk is a big fan and a feature-length film adaptation is due to be released at the end of this year. We can’t wait.
9. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
You probably knew we’d recommend this one! A brilliant and humorous book about the ‘meaning’ of life. So many pieces of advice to take from this story. A tale you can read over and over again and works particularly well as an audiobook read by Stephen Fry. We wish Douglas Adams was still with us!
10. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Steve Martin was one of the world's most popular comics in the 80s and 90s. He appeared in numerous Hollywood blockbuster films and enjoyed enormous success as a stand-up comedian. His autobiography is full of wisdom from someone whose rise to the top was more challenging than most imagine. Inspiring stuff for those with big dreams. It’s also very funny which helps.
Bored of reading already? Then why not try one of our online courses and use this downtime to learn new skills and gain a certificate to add to your CV?
