The Reading List #44
It's that time again and I've been reading SO much recently I feel like these posts might be popping up more and more often.
The Reading List series is a collection of posts that collate mini reviews on the things I've been reading recently, which is usually a complete mixture of fiction and non-fiction and different styles and genres.
Here's the latest collection:
Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins
Where do I begin? I've heard of Tony Robbins many times, but hadn't picked up any of his books until this particular one was recommended by my personal trainer a couple of months ago. Awaken the Giant Within is about recognising your potential and taking action. It's about the fact that you can make whatever you want to of your life, you just need to set goals and work towards achieving them.
This book is so practical, regularly making you stop to make lists and complete other tasks. These tasks range from examining your deepest desires to analysing your emotions to making actionable to-do lists. It would be difficult to read this book and not step away feeling inspired, motivated and ready to take the next step in whatever you may be doing. Well worth a read, and a book I know I will return to.
The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins
I've got a bit of a habit of shying away from the 'book of the moment' at any one time. For that reason, it took me a while to get around to actually reading The Girl on the Train, but I can finally add my own thoughts on the book to the many others floating around the internet! Rachel catches the same commuter train every day and builds up her own stories about the lives of the people she views from the train window. When a crime happens, she believes she may have spotted clues that will help discover what happened.
I'll hand it to Paula Hawkins: this is a very good thriller. It had me completely gripped and kept me guessing until the very end. It's written in multiple voices which is a style I personally really enjoy, and I loved the themes of reality vs perception and the way we view other people's lives with a glossy finish. I also thought the monotony of a daily commute was described to perfection, and I often felt myself nodding along to a lot of Rachel's observations.
White Lies, Ellie Holmes
* This was kindly sent to me by a PR to be considered for review purposes.
Sam takes a lot of comfort in rules and routines, and is going through a period of strain in her marriage as husband Neil doesn't live by those same rules. One night, one pivotal event and a white lie suddenly brings everything to a head and threatens to have awful consequences for all involved.
The blurb of this novel intrigued me right away, and the first couple of pages throw you right into the action. It moves at a fast pace and there's a lot of story to get your teeth into. Alongside that, though, there's room for real moments of truth and reflection. I think too often novels with a fast, exciting story like this one end up getting so carried away with the story, that's all there is. This, however, managed to combine a pacy page-turner with a study of human behaviour in a really raw way. The relationship between Sam and Neil was beautifully written and added a completely different dimension to what could otherwise have been just another good story.
How to be a Grown Up, Daisy Buchanan
From the moment this book was announced, I knew I needed to read it. I've followed Daisy's writing for a long time and the topic sounded like a lot of fun, while also offering potential to hand out a lot of good advice. Daisy shares her own stories of 'growing up' and some of the life lessons she has learned.
Daisy reminds us that 'adulthood isn't a quest where you complete a series of tasks, acquire a collection of items and are then granted the magical title'. This book is a refreshingly humorous take on the fact that there's no one size fits all, nobody has it all figured out, and we're all capable of looking after ourselves and achieving the things we want to. It's a no-nonsense guide to 'being a grown up' and feels like you're being spoken to by a friend.
So there we have it: my latest four recommendations, and a very positive final impression of all four!
The next instalment will be on the way very soon...
The Reading List series is a collection of posts that collate mini reviews on the things I've been reading recently, which is usually a complete mixture of fiction and non-fiction and different styles and genres.
Here's the latest collection:
Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins
Where do I begin? I've heard of Tony Robbins many times, but hadn't picked up any of his books until this particular one was recommended by my personal trainer a couple of months ago. Awaken the Giant Within is about recognising your potential and taking action. It's about the fact that you can make whatever you want to of your life, you just need to set goals and work towards achieving them.
This book is so practical, regularly making you stop to make lists and complete other tasks. These tasks range from examining your deepest desires to analysing your emotions to making actionable to-do lists. It would be difficult to read this book and not step away feeling inspired, motivated and ready to take the next step in whatever you may be doing. Well worth a read, and a book I know I will return to.
The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins
I've got a bit of a habit of shying away from the 'book of the moment' at any one time. For that reason, it took me a while to get around to actually reading The Girl on the Train, but I can finally add my own thoughts on the book to the many others floating around the internet! Rachel catches the same commuter train every day and builds up her own stories about the lives of the people she views from the train window. When a crime happens, she believes she may have spotted clues that will help discover what happened.
I'll hand it to Paula Hawkins: this is a very good thriller. It had me completely gripped and kept me guessing until the very end. It's written in multiple voices which is a style I personally really enjoy, and I loved the themes of reality vs perception and the way we view other people's lives with a glossy finish. I also thought the monotony of a daily commute was described to perfection, and I often felt myself nodding along to a lot of Rachel's observations.
White Lies, Ellie Holmes
* This was kindly sent to me by a PR to be considered for review purposes.
Sam takes a lot of comfort in rules and routines, and is going through a period of strain in her marriage as husband Neil doesn't live by those same rules. One night, one pivotal event and a white lie suddenly brings everything to a head and threatens to have awful consequences for all involved.
The blurb of this novel intrigued me right away, and the first couple of pages throw you right into the action. It moves at a fast pace and there's a lot of story to get your teeth into. Alongside that, though, there's room for real moments of truth and reflection. I think too often novels with a fast, exciting story like this one end up getting so carried away with the story, that's all there is. This, however, managed to combine a pacy page-turner with a study of human behaviour in a really raw way. The relationship between Sam and Neil was beautifully written and added a completely different dimension to what could otherwise have been just another good story.
How to be a Grown Up, Daisy Buchanan
From the moment this book was announced, I knew I needed to read it. I've followed Daisy's writing for a long time and the topic sounded like a lot of fun, while also offering potential to hand out a lot of good advice. Daisy shares her own stories of 'growing up' and some of the life lessons she has learned.
Daisy reminds us that 'adulthood isn't a quest where you complete a series of tasks, acquire a collection of items and are then granted the magical title'. This book is a refreshingly humorous take on the fact that there's no one size fits all, nobody has it all figured out, and we're all capable of looking after ourselves and achieving the things we want to. It's a no-nonsense guide to 'being a grown up' and feels like you're being spoken to by a friend.
So there we have it: my latest four recommendations, and a very positive final impression of all four!
The next instalment will be on the way very soon...
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