53 Books & Recommendations 2019

My top reads for 2019 include a mix of science, smart thinking and some delightful stories.

Top 10

Parenting specific – Top 3

Key

audible 👂
read 📖
half read *

January – 5

Run Mummy Run: Inspiring Women to Be Fit, Healthy and Happy👂 – I love hearing of women building networks to transform lives. It was a nice read.
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece 👂 – Love ❤ Stephen fry. I always feel so much more educated listening to anything Stephen says. Every book, podcast my vocabulary increases.
Calm the F*ck Down: How to Control What You Can and Accept What You Can’t So You Can Stop Freaking Out and Get On With Your Life (A No F*cks Given Guide) 📖 – ❤ SARAH KNIGHT – its like eating a chocolate bar when reading her books (they are kind of getting a little repeative but still worth the read)
Make Time: How to Focus on what Matters Every Day * 📖 – Still need to finish but still worth a read. Written by two ex-google ventures designers on how to focus and get sh*t done.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It 📖 👂 – I have read this twice both the book and audible as I forgot I read it before opps. It is an interesting book about negotiation especially with specific words and methodologies to use.

February – 5

The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World 👂 – Preferred the first book the old silk road.
I Heart Me: The Science Of Self-Love👂 – Mixed up science of looking after your self – it was ok if your in the right mood for it but the science felt a bit weak and more opinionated.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World 👂 – Loved this book – great history world linking the world.
Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors 👂 – FAB FAB book – funny and shares delightful math stories. The one that sticks with me is the football picture on the brown road signs if it was turned 3D would be a donut shape and the author tried to get the UK government to change it but the politely said it was a waste of money.
Becoming by Michelle Obama👂 – GREAT BOOK ❤ – I am not normally a biography fan but this was an exception. This is Michelle Obama’s book of her life and really hit many honest notes of life and being honest to what aligns with you.

March – 3

Tribes – we need you to lead 👂 – meh someone wanted to write a book – don’t bother reading
Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves👂 – With the normalization of
The Signal and the Noise: The Art and Science of Prediction* 👂 – I know many people raves about this book but other data science/AI books inspired me more which I have read in previous years like superforecasting.

April – 3

Peas & Queues: The Minefield of Modern Manners👂 – Love this book by Sandi Toksvig – really wish I had read this when I was younger. FAB book
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory 👂 Loved ❤ this book – Its true that some jobs aren’t necessary and could be automated or are pointless. I think this book should be read by all especially the young where jobs maybe created but the value my not be verified as useful yet.
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World 👂 Love love love ❤this book. I was already on a road to digital minimalism but this push me a little further (I started from 7 days detoxing from Moment and then other minimalist books like goodbye things).

May – 5

Nines lies about work : A freethinking guide to the real world – So true points
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries – Great read
The three day effect 👂 – meh
Big little lies 👂 – meh
Trillion dollar coach * 👂 – meh
The hynopothist love story 👂 – meh

June – 4

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper 👂 – Quite fascinating stories
Invisible women : Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men 👂 – FABULOUS ❤❤ – everyone should read this book – the world needs to see that 50% of the popular are not being catered for or listened too – what a waste.
Range : How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World– 👂 Interesting thinking about learning a board range of things can benefit you more greatly than specializing. Parents should try encourage breath in there childrens learning as well as adults mixing it up and trying new things throughout life. I likely like trying new things and the list of activities I have tried of the years is pretty board from bell-ringing to improv comedy.
The Language of Kindness: A Nurse’s Story 📖 – Highly highly recommend ❤ – Loved this book a story of journey through the different departments in the NHS and 20 years experience and stories.

July – 3

How to Be a Productivity Ninja: Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do * 👂 📖 – Medium
Fry English delight 👂 – love Stephen
Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better 📖 – GREAT BOOK

August – 2

The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World👂 – Some interesting points.
Everything I know about love 📖 – Lovely read of the twenties and going into your thirties from millennial writer where stories align with living in London.

September – 5

Complete chronicles of Narnia* 👂 – A classic
The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken👂 – FAB but scary read but everyone should read this book and see how the legal process is in crisis.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know 👂 – quite scary and depressing at times
How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out: Your no-nonsense guide to pregnancy and birth 📖 – Nice overviews of activities to expect when pregnant
Pregnancy for Men: The whole nine months – 📖 Great book with some good advice but some of the experiences aren’t very positive so don’t give a balanced view from hynobirthing or positive births.

October – 6

Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine👂 – NICE book but I felt I had heard many of the stories before
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) – 👂 love love love this book – all new parents should read and re-read this
Sex money power by Sara Pascoe 👂 – Unfortunately not as good as her previous book “Animal”
What’s Your Type?: The Story of the Myers-Briggs, and How Personality Testing Took Over the World* 👂 – wasn’t worth finishing – I expected it to be more scientific but it was more a story.
Everything that remains 👂 – Not the best minimalist book
Dancing By The Light of The Moon: Over 250 poems to read, relish and recite * 📖 – Delightful book that you can dip in and out of.

November – 5

How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7👂 – Fab to listen to with a good PDF guide to come back to at a later point
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence 👂 – OK
The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store 👂 – Interesting story but very self specific
How the Pill Changes Everything: Your Brain on Birth Control 👂 MUST READ BY ALL as this effect everyone
Quiet: Silencing the brain chatter and believing that you’re good enough by Fearne Cotton 📖 – Bit of a repeat from her previous books Happy and Calm.

December – 7

Burnout: The Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle 👂 – Good
Forest Therapy: Seasonal Ways to Embrace Nature for a Happier You 📖 – Loved ❤this book the benefits of the environment is exceptional
Merry Midwinter* 📖 – Nice seasonal book with lovely stories and history
How to Give Up Plastic: Simple steps to living consciously on our blue planet 👂 – Some nice suggestions!
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool * 📖 Interesting but preferred other book “expecting better” as this one felt more american
The Little Book of Self-Care for New Mums 📖 – LOVE LOVE LOVE ❤ this book so glad to have read it
The courage to be disliked : How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness 👂 – OK