The Reading List
Reparenting ourselves, the path of loss and ways to make positive changes in the world, our Spring reads offer much food for thought
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
ABBIE GREAVES
Every evening for the past seven years Mary heads to Ealing Broadway station with a sign that reads: ‘Come Home Jim.’ That is, until a call out of the blue turns her world on its head. In spite of all her efforts, Mary can no longer find the strength to hold herself together. She must finally face up to the truth and discover what really happened to Jim. An emotional tale of love and loss and finding something new.
THE AFTERGRIEF
HOPE EDELMAN
There’s a common misconception that grief should have some sort of time limit. Here, author Hope Edelman explores the idea that the death of a loved one isn’t something to get over, get past or move beyond. Instead, she argues, grief is in constant motion; it is tidal, easily and often reactivated by memories and sensory events. In this beautiful book, Edelman validates why we feel ‘stuck,’ why that’s normal, and how shifting our perception of grief can help us grow.
WORKING HARD, HARDLY WORKING
GRACE BEVERLEY
Entrepreneur and self-proclaimed ‘lazy workaholic’ Grace Beverley confronts the unrealistic balance of 24/7 work juggle with some form of self-care. Here, she offers a fresh take on how to navigate modern life without inducing a burnout, helping readers to create their own balance while also becoming more productive and feeling more fulfilled.
SENSEHACKING: HOW TO USE THE POWER OF YOUR SENSES FOR HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIVING
CHARLES SPENCE
How can furniture affect your wellbeing? What colour clothing will help you perform better? And what simple trick will calm you after a tense day at work? In this revelatory book, Oxford professor Charles Spence, dubbed the Marie Kondo of senses, explores how the senses are stimulated in nature, at home and in the workplace and how we can use them to rearrange and declutter our way to better living.
ON WANTING TO CHANGE
ADAM PHILLIPS
We are all surrounded by reminders to change or to become a ‘better version’ of ourselves, whether that’s through diet, fitness, politics or education. But how do these messages land on us as we age, grow and suffer life’s inevitable setbacks? In this book, psychoanalyst and author Adam Phillips explores the effect of the positive and not-so-positive changes we make throughout our lives.
THE CHILD IN YOU
STEPHANIE STAHL
As children we develop the self-confidence and sense of trust that will help us through life as adults. But the traumas that we experience in childhood also unconsciously shape and determine our approach to life as adults. Author and psychologist Stefanie Stahl shares advice on how to befriend our inner child by overwriting old memories, resolving conflicts and forming better relationships.
THE POWER OF BAD AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT
JOHN TIERNEY AND ROY F. BAUMEISTER
Have you ever wondered why a bad impression seems to linger longer than a good one? Or why negatives such as failure, losing money or a job affect us more than gaining success? It’s the ‘power of bad’, according to the authors of this interesting new book, who show that we are wired to react to bad over good. However, we can train our brains to get better at spotting our own negativity bias and use its power for good.
ENTITLED: HOW MALE PRIVILEGE HURTS WOMEN
KATE MANNE
An exploration of gender politics, this book takes a look at the many forms of male entitlement – from bodily autonomy, knowledge, power and sex. Philosopher Kate Manne looks at the culture of misogyny, from the Kavanaugh hearings to Harvey Weinstein, to explore how the idea that a privileged man is deemed to be owed something is a pervasive problem. She looks at how male entitlement can explain a wide array of phenomena and how we are all implicated.
THE WILD TRACK
MARGARET REYNOLDS
Single, in her mid-forties and having experienced a sudden early menopause, Peggy quietly decides to go through the intense process of adopting a child. This memoir explores what makes a mother, and a home, and our fundamental longings for place and identity, revealing how one’s own childhood might impact on the experience of parenting and a mother’s determination to love.
LIVING NATURE: CONTEMPORARY HOUSES IN THE NATURAL WORLD
PHAIDON
If living amongst the tranquility of nature, nested high up in a treetop or beside a burbling river sounds like your kind of heaven, this book, showcasing some awe-inspiring architect-designed houses in the natural world, might be just the pick-me-up you need. Each of the 50 homes is carefully chosen for its stunning location, designed to foster a connection with the essential elements of landscape.
