Books

Books have been a lifelong joy for me. It all began when my lovely Dad taught me to read when I was three and I remember being a child who could not get enough of books. I've been reading literally every day since! Libraries were my haven! Whether entertaining holiday reads, gritty psychological thrillers, classic literature or inspiring texts to help me cope with inevitable challenges and live a joyful life, books are essential to me. I still sometimes buy paper copies but having limited storage means a Kindle has, for many years, been one of my most valued possessions and goes with me everywhere. It has seen me through many flights, train rides and unexpected delays to appointments etc!

So, books..... lots of books! (Click on the titles which are active links to take you to where copies can be seen and purchased) 
I'll begin with this one....

Why Kindness Is Good For You by David R Hamilton PhD  

Most people have at some time experienced the feel-good effects of kindness and now scientific evidence has proven that kindness has positive impacts on the brain, the heart and the immune system and can be an antidote for depression. Developing a kind attitude, becoming a kind person, carrying out little acts of kindness on a regular basis contributes positively to our own health and well-being, as well as having a positive effect of the recipients of our kindness. And kindness has a ripple effect too because those who receive an act of kindness are very likely to 'pass it on' to others.

You can read an article, written by David Hamilton PhD, author of this book, giving a detailed summary of it here and you can watch a video of him talking about the positive effects of kindness here

Ikigai by Hector Garcia & Frances Miralles

This is a little gem of a book!

On the Japanese island of Okinawa people live longer and have fewer diseases than anywhere else in the world. Longevity studies strongly suggest that these 'super centenarians' have a few significant things in common. The famously healthy Japanese diet and daily practice of gentle exercise, mostly tai chi and yoga, throughout life play an important part. A strong sense of community and active involvement in it, combined with a clear awareness of purpose, or ikigai, are also identified as significant factors that these Okinawans have in common.

I really identify with this idea of ikigai and am grateful that I found mine when in my 20s, albeit through struggling greatly with life and my mental health. My ikigai became my career and a life-long passion which still gets me out of bed in the morning even though I 'retired' years ago. My ikigai turned out to be making a positive difference to those struggling with their own mental health, in my career as a counsellor, life coach, trainer and educational adviser on mental health support for students and, in my private life, as a mother, friend, neighbour. I may not earn my living that way anymore but, like the elder Okinawans, I live out my ikigai every day, by contributing whenever I can, making a difference, often in very small ways, as a volunteer, a friend, a neighbour. And I still do a bit of life coaching too. I loved my work so much I always said I would do it even if I wasn't paid - so now I do! What I know, from personal experience and from a career in mental health and well-being, is that both our mental and physical health depend on it! And this book demonstrates that with scientific evidence to back it up.

This little book has given me information and inspiration to continue to stay active despite being retired from payed work; to remain actively engaged with family, friends and in my community for as long as I can; to pursue my purpose, my ikigai, even as the years knotch up; to cherish and continue to take the best care I can of my mental and physical health. In fact, the evidence is that doing each of these things will help me to live a long, healthy and contented life. 

If you haven't found it already, find what you love, what gives you satisfaction and pleasure, what fills you with joy and gets you out of bed every day, and do that! Whether it be some form of volunteering, gardening, being out in nature, painting or creating something with your hands, contributing in some way to your community, being a good neighbour - the possibilities are endless. And its never too late to live your purpose! 

I have already shared some more of my favourite 'well-being' books on my other pages here 

So, let's look at some more great reads! 

I still enjoy re-reading classics from my childhood and am very glad that most of them are available for free on Kindle. Many greats including Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Bronte, etc etc are listed here . And they're all available free from local libraries of course.

Amongst the hundreds of books I have read in recent years a few really stand out. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

The Kite Runner tells the story of two young boys growing up together in Kabul, Amir in the beautiful house his father built with its marble, gold, tapestries and mosaics and Hassan in the modest mud hut in the servants quarters.

The two are inseparable and when Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament his loyal friend promises to help him. But neither boy can predict what will happen that afternoon nor how it will change their lives forever.

A beautifully written, very poignant book.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes   

When I first saw it, years ago now, I was a bit daunted by the sheer size of this very thick book, with its 705 pages! However, it took very little effort to read because its a can't-put-it-down page turner! Thrilling and at times heart-stoppingly difficult to read, this is an edge-of-the-seat, sometimes too realistic for comfort book, copies of which are still being passed around my family, friends and their friends years after I first read it!

Definitely not for the faint-hearted but a brilliant roller-coaster ride with more twists and turns than a Big Dipper! 

So, what's the story? Well, without giving away too many spoilers, Pilgrim is the code name for a man who does't officially exist. He once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found face down in a bath of acid, her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone. It is a textbook perfect murder - and Pilgrim wrote the book!

What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. Pilgrim will have to make a journey from a public beheading in Mecca to a deserted ruins on the Turkish coast via a Nazi death camp and the barren wilderness of the Hindu Kush in search of the faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder if not stopped.

Thrilling, spine-chilling stuff!

I will keep adding to this page as time allows so come back for updates!

Meanwhile keep reading - and dancing along with life, of course!

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