My book recommendations

I may aspire to be a Pinterest worthy minimalist but books? You got me there, I’m a hoarder! I have books everywhere, I’m continuously reading at least 4 books simultaneously and if they’ve impacted me, I hold onto them and revisit them time and time again. Just the sight of them jogs my memory about what I took from that book (and I enthusiastically post-it note as I read which makes re-visiting a book briefly, very doable). My ‘to-read’ list of books I have saved on my phone is incredibly long, and I doubt I will ever get through it, as I’m continuously adding to it but at least people will always know what to get me as a gift, right? Speaking of book gifting, I hope some of the recommendations I give in this blog post end up on your ‘to-read’ list, but can I make a plea that you don’t order from amazon (or any other online shop) or worse, a supermarket (!), because visiting a bookshop is one of life’s pleasures and each and every town deserves to have a book shop, lets keep the High Street alive! If I get time alone, I love to visit a small independent book shop, I choose a few titles to explore and sit myself in a corner to read the beginning of each, because I always know if the book is for me by the end of chapter 1.

A little life hack I want to share with you, to help you get more reading into your days:

Have ‘categories’ of books dotted around your home, that way you can always pick up a book and read a page or two, if you have a spare moment. For example, I have some unschooling/parenting books in our main living space, so if I find the girls involved with a game, I can pick up a book and have a little read, whilst still being close to them. In my kitchen I have the obvious cookbooks, but also other health/food books such as; foraging, fasting, juicing and sprouting. I have a regular pile beside each of our toilets (it stops with the mindless toilet scrolling we are all guilty of), a pile in my bedroom, one always in my bag…you get the idea. So whether I’m waiting in line at the bakery or waiting for the kettle to boil, I have some reading material ready, because my days of reading for long stretches of time on the sofa are long gone, I get pages in whenever I can.

Narrowing down books to recommend was challenging, keeping this blog post a reasonable length and not going off giving you a whole review for each was even more challenging. In most categories I’ve given 3 titles that stick out to me as worthy of owning/reading. In a future post, I may delve deeper into specific titles, but for this post, a sentence of two has been provided where needed.

I’ve split this list into sections so it isn’t so overwhelming, so head to the section that best interests you.

Infant books:

Pippa & Pelle series by Daniela Drescher; it’s been a firm favourite with both girls, they’re nourishing, nature based, seasonal books that bring comfort and joy to the mundane.
10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury; I first read this in a bookstore in Canada when I wasn’t even pregnant, I loved it and the title stuck with me, I then bought it when Willow was born. It’s an interactive book and inclusive of different races and cultures.
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson; another interactive book that explores the magical cycle of the apple tree.
One Love by Cedella Marley; an upbeat, feel good board book to the lyrics of Bob Marleys, one love. Everyone will end up singing along.
That’s not my… series; a sensory delight enjoyed by all babies and toddlers.

Children’s books:

Song of the River by Joy Cowley; aah I love this so much. The words are poetic, it makes you fall in love with the streams, rivers and oceans more each and every time. Cam, is a little boy who lives on a mountain and longs to see the sea, the river talks to him and you follow along on the adventure down the mountain.
The Kiss by Linda Sunderland; by far the most requested book. Edwyns grandma leaves and he blows her a kiss, which she puts in her pocket. This simple act has made its way into our families lives and really brings comfort to our girls if they have to say goodbye to either of us.
Spin a Scarf of Sunshine by Dawn Casey; gorgeous illustrations, featuring a sweet family who sheer their own wool, spin and dye the yarn, and then knit a scar. When it’s been loved and used, it ends up in the compost pile in the garden. If you’re passionate about natural fibres, this is a great introduction to explain the cycle of garments to your children and the impact they leave (or don’t, in this case).
Peters Tree by Bernadette Watts; ok maybe this is my favourite (so hard to choose!). The illustrations in this are just exquisite. The story reflects a loving family home, where birthdays are simple but love-filled events, where cakes are baked, drawings made and baby trees given…a gift that keeps on giving even when the children are adults themselves, in this case, a winter flowering cherry tree. Although this is a childrens story, this will tug on your heart as the books final page explains how all the children now live far away, but the cherry tree, still remains and even after all this time, is the most beautiful tree they’ve ever seen.
Little Fairy series by Daniela Drescher; these books add a little make-believe magic in your life. We all deserve to believe in fairies.

Pregnancy/mothering:

Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin; the bible of pregnancy books. I read this continuously during both pregnancies, reaffirming to me how natural and gentle birth can and should be. Ina May Gaskin is a remarkable woman who has and continues to change the narrative around birth.
Mamma: Love, Motherhood and Revolution by Antonella Gambotto-Burke; I have read this book 3 times, and even Rich (whose more of an audio kind of guy) read it. It’s an anthology of essays and interviews exploring motherhood and its place in our society. This impacted me more than I could’ve anticipated. It started me on a trajectory to proudly own motherhood and how it’s changing me, and the world around me. Buy a pregnant friend this!
Kind Mamma by Alicia Silverstone; yeah, for those 90s kids reading this, the author is indeed the lead character in Clueless! She is an advocate for an organic, chemical-free, cruelty-free lifestyle and offers plenty of advice and ideas in preparing you for pregnancy, birth and post-partum, including recipes.

Health:

Blue Zones by Dan Beutner; Ok, so a running joke with Rich is how long can I be chatting to someone before I bring up the blue zones, but its true, I tell everyone about this fascinating book. A national geographic study found there are 5 blue zones (an area that has a high concentration of centenarian). They set out to explore the secret to longevity, and it isn’t in a superfood or a supplement, these Blue Zones regular consume foods we’ve been led to demonize such as wine, coffee and carbs… If you want to live a long (and healthy) life, start creating your own Blue Zone.
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell Ph.D; a more academic book, it’s featured in the documentary ‘Forks over Knives’, so dip your toes in there first and see if you want to learn more.
Proteinaholic by Dr Garth Davis; debunks all protein myths marketed to us.

Unschooling:

Moving a Puddle by Sandra Dodd; essays on learning in a home without school, on living respectfully with children and of creating a nest in which learning flourishes.
Unschooling Unmanual by Jan Hunt; featuring 11 essays by 8 writers, through engaging personal stories, examples and essays the writers offer inspiration and encourgament to unschool your family.
‘How Children Learn’ and How Children Fail by John Holt; goes a little deeper into the academia of schools, written by an ex-school teacher and pioneer of the Unschool movement.

Sexuality/feminine empowerment

Woman Code by Alissa Vitti; a digestible introduction to all things hormones; cycles, fertility, libido, menopause…stuff we should, but sadly do not know about our own bodies.
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski; exploring female desire and what can go wrong (and right). Nagoski is an expert in her field (sex educator and researcher) and is featured on many podcasts so give her a listen first if you’re curious to learn more.
Pussy, a reclamation by Gegena Thomashauer; a bit more out there and maybe not one you’d feel comfortable reading in public (it would certainly raise a few eyebrows) but required reading for every woman who longs to step into her power and live with pleasure and purpose.

Novels (no description as it’s simpler for you to have a read of the synopsis on Goodreads):

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Life changers:

Lifes Operating Manual by Tom Shadyac; The man behind the documentary film ‘I am’. I got this book after being so inspired by his movie. The book came to Rich and I at a pivotal time in our lives and hugely influenced our change in direction.
‘Ishmale’ and ‘Story of B’ by Daniel Quinn; I think Tom Shadyac suggested these titles, and he features in the documentary film too. Fascinating and urgent reads to anyone wanting to create a new future.
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson; a life-long ‘sufferer’ of anxiety, Sarah has learnt to appreciate her mental health challenges and even use them as a superpower. Reading this changed my whole narrative around my relationship with anxiety.

Toilet reads:

Rumi Day by Day; who doesn’t need some inspiring Rumi quotes to start their day?!
Ikigai (we also have Hygge and Lagom); great books to dip in and out of.
She Speaks; Greatest female speeches throughout history, always time for a spot of feminism and history.
The Book of Awakening; Calendar style dated to give you daily insights into the wisdom of Mark Nepo.