FIVE books I loved this month, and you might too
Hi ,
Well, what a funny fortnight here in Naarm (Melbourne). Snap lockdown, cancelled events and touch-and-go other plans. It's a good thing we're so resilient and adaptable here.
I've been enjoying reading a few more books this month, after focusing on A Promised Land in January. It's been nice to get into some different ideas and bounce through a few books. Keep scrolling for more on what I've read this month.
Whilst there's still clearly a lot of uncertainty, and we're not out of the woods yet, I've let myself plan a reading week for a couple of months time. It will likely be more of a 'reading few days' than a full week, but it feels like such a treat to exercise the muscles of imagining and planning a break. I've even started buying books to take on said reading-excursion, including this one that I've seen so many people raving about:
(psst, support your local bookshops)
It's a fiction, so not my typical read, but I like to try something different when I have the luxury of reading time. The book follows the lives of 12 characters, mostly women, black and British, in the UK over the course of several decades. I'm hoping that it's an example of the type of fiction that can transport you into someone else's life and perspectives, something I enjoyed in Honeybee at the end of last year.
What are you reading right now? And have you dabbled in trip planning for this year?
To going places (literal and literary),
Steph
PS. To borrow from Austin Kleon (and everyone else who borrows this from Austin Kleon), this newsletter and the podcast are 'free but not cheap'. You can support their creation by purchasing your next book through my affiliate stores with Book Depository (global) or Bookshop (US), buying me a coffee or leaving a podcast review on the website. Thanks!
February round up: What I've read this month
It's been a cracking month for books, no stinkers at all! Here's what I've read this month...
Think Again by Adam Grant
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rating so far, I'm 55% of the way through so should easily be finished by 28th Feb)
I'm thoroughly enjoying this brand new book by Adam Grant. I'll admit, I found it a little slow and repetitive to start but I'm over half way through and learning so much new information about how, and why, we find it so hard to change our minds. I've taken several hints and tips away that I'll be using when I next need to debate an idea, and I've unlearned a few things that I have previously thought were good ways of helping people think from other perspectives, but it turns out, they're not!
Non Violent Communication by Marshall B Rosenberg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone should read this book. And if everyone read this book (maybe alongside Think Again) we would likely be a happier, more civil and less divided world. Marshall Rosenberg shows you how to have better hard conversations (at home, at work, with friends), provides language to help you express your needs (or help others express theirs) and overcome the obstacles that may have been in the way in your relationships for decades. It's quite nuanced and requires a more in-depth read, but it's powerful stuff.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On a lighter note(!), my Austin Kleon trilogy is now complete with the addition of Show Your Work (2014). Similar to Steal Like an Artist (2012) and Think Again (2019), the book is punchy, fun, gut-wrenchingly true and has the perfect level of non-nauseating inspiration. As I'm building my graphic design business/services, it gave me a much-needed kick in the bum about showing more of my work and the behind the scenes stuff. If you are creating anything (a book, a business, some art) and struggle to 'put it out there', this short and enjoyable read will be a couple of hours well-invested.
Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm a big fan of Derek's work and philosophies. Including the fact that he thinks books should just contain the key ideas, without all the fluff, so that people actually finish them. True to his word, this book could easily be read in 90 mins. Following on from his previous book, Anything You Want, which was more focused on building a business in an unconventional way, Hell Yeah or No contains perspective-challenging life lessons. Worth reading and re-thinking a few habits or rules for living.
Just My Type by Simon Garfield
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Note: I started this book in January but put it on hold whilst I read A Promised Land, I finished it earlier this month. It's a super-nerdy, in-depth and funny book about the history of typefaces. The people behind them, the evolution, trends, tribulations and technology that has brought us to where we are today - with more typefaces you can shake a stick at. It's not something I'd recommend to everyone as a general read, but if you're into design and want to get deeper into typefaces, this would be a good place to start.
PS. if you'd like to take better book notes this year, you can enjoy a 15% discount on your very own copy of the Archley's Book of Books book journal, here^.
Ear food
Brené Brown with Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay - I mentioned last fortnight how much I enjoy Debbie Millman's podcast, Design Matters. So, I was delighted to see Debbie and her writer wife, Roxane Gay, being interviewed by Brené on Unlocking Us. It's a warm, real and very joyful conversation. Perfect to offset a day of doomscrolling or following anything in the news. (Spotify / web)
The Moth - I've recently got back into listening to The Moth podcast. It's a storytelling platform, where speakers at Moth story slam live events have ~15 minutes to tell a story. The stories span the full range of emotion and experience (sometimes all in one go) and are a reminder of why we need each other and what it is to be human. (Spotify / Apple)
Meanwhile, on the bookshelf
Recent Steph's Business Bookshelf podcast episodes, in case you missed them...
Company of One by Paul Jarvis
(Listen)
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
(Listen)