Favourite Things… Books/Podcasts!
This is the second in a series of blogs all about my favourite things. You can check out the first blog here, all about my favourite apps.
This blog is almost certainly the trickiest of the lot because it’s about books — my most favourite of all things! Also podcasts, but mainly books.
I am, I confess, a reading addict. I purposely don’t own a TV and so I spend many happy hours reading instead. Some books I read to learn from, some to inspire me and some to help me relax and escape. Whatever the mood, books are my sanctuary.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C.S. Lewis
To prevent this blog being an online novel in its own right, I’ve focussed on a few firm favourites and I’ve tried to mix up a few different categories. I have no doubt that the never-ending topic of my recommended reads will be making an inevitable reappearance on this blog!
Currently reading: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
“TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL.
Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person”
Wikipedia describes this as a philosophical novel that “examines the hidden cultural biases driving modern civilisation and explores themes of ethics, sustainability, and global catastrophe”. Make of that what you will — I’m currently totally engrossed in this book and although I haven’t yet finished it, I feel confident adding it to this list in advance!
From books I’ve already read, here’s what’s making this list…
You may, perhaps, be thinking this is a children’s book and therefore consider it a frivolous book to start with. However, I’m afraid you’d be wrong. I’ve given away more copies of this book than any other to my favourite humans. It is, in fact, a manual on how to deal with life — cunningly disguised as a children’s book with some lovely illustrations. I’m not kidding one bit. It’s the first book I pick up when I hit a life slump and it never fails to help. Poignant, simple, essential.
2. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
I wish I’d found this book sooner. By the time I came across this book, I’d already made some huge life decisions and decided to try and carve a less traditional path for myself. Reading this book authenticated many of those less conventional decisions, gave me some perspective and inspired me to carry on with the carving, armed with a bit of extra knowledge! A fascinating overview of human history with long-lasting implications for how we live going forwards.
**Shameless plug alert** I loved this book so much, I quoted it in my own ;)
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
There isn’t a Neil Gaiman book I wouldn’t recommend, but I had to pick one for this list, so here we are! They’re all brilliant but this book contains a favourite quote of mine that I keep nearby for when I need an extra dose of courage: ‘If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.’ Neil’s writing is a beautiful way to escape into another world for a few hours.
4. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of Junior Doctor by Adam Kay
One of the few books I’ve read that genuinely had me laughing out loud as I read it. I’m not talking about a small, understated snigger at a few pages — I’m talking about the type of laughter that causes a few happy tears from the strain of laughing so hard. This book is absolutely hilarious. Worth it for the comedy alone but it also manages to be a touching behind the scenes look at the underpaid and under-appreciated heroes of the health industry.
5. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
Perhaps the best thing about this book is it inspires you to start — start right now, wherever you are with whatever you have. It also gave me one of my favourite decision making models — Either “Hell Yeah” or “No. Learning to say no was a game changer for me; it’s so important to value your time. Time I’ve since put to good use working on things that light me up — hell yeah! Liberating, simple, brilliant.
I actually have notes from this book written on a A3 piece of paper that I tacked to the wall near my laptop as an ongoing reminder. Full of gems and vital reading for anyone thinking about taking the leap to start their own project. This book will motivate and reassure you — and help to keep you focussed on what really matters along the way.
6. The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
This book will change your life! Designed to be a 12 week course to help you rediscover your creative self and unleash your inner artist. In a bit of a rut? Read this book. Don’t think you have an inner artist or any creative talent? Read this book ASAP.
7. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Elizabeth Gilbert is perhaps best known for Eat Pray Love (also great) and she also got a mention in last week’s blog about favourite apps. This book is one to dip into when you need a reassuring and inspiring nudge. Similar to the book above, this is centred around making space for the things that light up your life . Somewhere, under layers of adulting, creativity tends to get buried — this book is an important reminder that we were put here for so much more than to just work/pay the bills! Plenty of tough love in these pages, too. Get to work!
8. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
Another children’s book that I think every adult should know. It’s beautiful and profound!
With this book being all about long distance and self-propelled suffering — naturally, I love it. Inspiring in it’s own right but the reason I’ve included it here is this was one of the first books to help me realise that it was not only possible, but potentially beneficial, to adopt a vegan diet as an endurance athlete. Another book I wished I’d found sooner! I turned vegetarian aged 8 and I first turned vegan aged 18. However, I somewhat reluctantly reintroduced animal products on an intermittent basis 10 years later when I started dabbling in endurance sports; partly because I was worried about vegan food accessibility in some of the more remote places I went to, but also because I thought I needed the fat/the protein/insert other popular “vegans are dangerously deficient and feeble” myth here. This book was the start of my realisation that it was 100% possible to thrive on a plant based diet and making the switch back to being totally vegan again a couple of years ago was, without any doubt, the best decision I’ve made (/remade) — on several levels. My own experience echoes Scott’s in this book (better performance, quicker recovery amongst other benefits) and there are some great recipes, too!
10. Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
Chris Hadfield is famous for his zero-G rendition of Space Oddity aboard the ISS, which is utterly delightful in its own right (see below). This book details what it takes to not only be a successful astronaut but also — and arguably more importantly — is full of advice on living a productive, purposeful and balanced life. Not only does Chris emphasise the vital importance of hard work, but he also reminds us all to take time to appreciate the view. It’s a fascinating and inspiring insight into a remarkable career — relevant to everyone.
Podcasts
I love listening to podcasts in the morning when I need a little pick me up. They’re perfect for long train/car journeys (not that I’m doing many of those at the moment…!), gentle walks and they also keep me sane during extended training sessions. Again, a tricky list to narrow down so I’ve focussed on the ones I listen to most regularly:
- The Rich Roll Podcast.
I came across Rich Roll’s podcast before his excellent book, Finding Ultra. (Wait, did I just sneak another book onto this list? You bet I did!) Rich’s approach to life really resonates with me in general and I love Rich’s approach to interviewing his guests. He dives into a fascinating spectrum of topics, from nutrition to mindset. Perfect for inspiring you through a tough training session!
Recommended episode: #508: Zach Bush M.D. on a pandemic of possibility
2. The Tim Ferriss Show.
I know, I know — such an obvious choice, but Tim’s podcast is great. He invites a huge range of guests on there from various different industries, which keeps things interesting and he has a real knack for diving into the specifics when asking questions. This is a firm favourite! (While we’re here I should mention that Tools of Titans is also an excellent book. Sorry/not sorry.)
Recommended episode: #409 with Brené Brown on Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More
P.S. I would REALLY recommend her books, too. And her TED Talk! OH and she now has her own podcast — how great is that?! (SO great!)
P.P.S. Elizabeth Gilbert & Neil Gaiman, mentioned above, are both on Tim’s podcast and those episodes are also brilliant! Just sayin’…
3. Feel Better Live More by Dr Chatterjee.
As the title might suggest, a strong focus on health here — expect to see topics such as diet, sleep and stress management, with plenty of mindset thrown in! There are some amazing guests on this show and plenty of resources to be found within the episodes.
Recommended Episode: #56 Becoming Stress Proof with Dr Mithu Storoni
4. The Tough Girl Podcast by Sarah Williams
You’ll have to forgive me for including a podcast for which I’ve actually been a guest on a couple of times, but Sarah works so hard to showcase inspiring women that it just wouldn’t feel right to miss this off the list! Coverage of women in sports still has a long way to go and this podcast is a brilliant beacon that highlights some incredible women. Expect plenty of motivation!
Recommended Episode: with Sarah Outen. (Naturally, I would also recommend you read Sarah’s books, too. Oops, I did it again!)
— —
