Books

Throughout my childhood I lived in a world of books - reading them, writing books of short stories" for clubs I made with my friends and listening to taped books. As an adult with a young family for years I somehow forgot about the pleasure I got from reading and always felt that I was "too busy" to read. When thinking about how my time was spent, during a particularly difficult period juggling being taxi driver for my children's various lessons and activities and generally trying to keep on top of housework I realised how much time I wasted waiting outside school or music lessons and realised that I could easily reclaim and hour plus a day to read in the quiet of my car!

Reading should be a priority. It has many health benefits including creating cognitive engagement which improves thinking skills, vocabulary and concentration. Reading can help our social perception and emotional intelligence, creating empathy, which helps to make the world a better place. As well as expanding our general knowledge, reading can help us to relax.

I have been fortunate to read so many books and have had some really excellent recommendations from all sorts of people; not only friends and family but also "random people" I have met in all walks of life including people I engaged in conversation with on the ferry or met once via mutual friends. Over time I hope to add some of the books I have previously read and recommend here and will post each new book I read here and related thoughts too.