My Top 10 Books So Far This Year

I love to read; it literally fuels my soul. As a child, it was one of my favourite things to do with my dad. We would go to the library every Saturday morning after swimming and get my six books out. I would find an author I loved and read everything that they had written. I would lose myself in imaginary worlds, travel to faraway places and countries, and lose time entirely. I know something is off when I am not wanting to read; sometimes that can be eye strain or too much time on the computer. If that happens, I switch to Audible, pop on an eye mask, and allow myself to be transported off by some wonderfully melodic voice. Here are my top 10 books so far this year...

1. My Favourite Mistake*– Marian Keyes. I literally love her and anything she writes. I discovered her in Greece in 1999; someone (thank you, stranger) had left Rachel’s Holiday at a book swap in a youth hostel in Plaka. I feel like I know the characters so well. I wish she would write constantly, as I always feel a touch sad when I finish one of her books.

2. Rewire – Nicole Vignola. Stop what you are doing and go and buy this book immediately. It is a neuro toolkit to help you rewire and rewrite your story. This is money well spent, as you will understand how your brain works, why you do the things you do, and HOW you can change this!

3. What Every Body Should Know – Dr. Federica Amati. This was so easy to read, informative but colourful. I wish I had this book in my twenties and during pregnancy. Nutrition is something I need to constantly work on; this book has given me this motivation. I had no idea of the power of food on our well-being.

4. After– Dr. Bruce Greyson MD. This is an MD's account of what happens when you die based on empirical evidence and countless case studies. I found this moving and deeply comforting in terms of what could happen when you die.

5. Living Ayurveda – Claire Ragozzino. Just so beautiful. I was curious to understand more about this way of living. It reawakened my love of yoga and ensured I get outside every day.

6. Why We Sleep– Matthew Walker. This is such an informative book about your sleep cycle, benefits of sleep, what happens if it is disrupted, and my favourite part on dreams. As someone that dreams a lot, I found this fascinating. There are also some great tips for better sleep hygiene... I need to implement the reduction of caffeine.

7. Chasing Daylight – Eugene O’Kelly. This is a memoir of a former CEO at KPMG written in the 3.5 months before his death. It is a great reminder of living a meaningful life.

8. Hidden Potential – Adam Grant. I am a huge fangirl of Adam Grant’s work. His books are easy to digest, based in research, and peppered with case studies and stories of motivation and the characters that are developed. A great book for anyone working in education.

9. Revenge Club – Kathy Lette. Another author I found in the 1990s. Her style is pacy and funny and honestly a pretty good assessment of the challenges that women face in the workplace. She is leading the way in “I don’t give a sh** lit,” and I am all for it.

10. MILF – Paloma Faith. This was quite a confronting look at motherhood and womanhood. At times, it felt searingly honest and uncomfortable, but take that as a good sign if a book can do that to you.