Leisure reading is a luxury. That’s something I have learned to appreciate this year. I never thought I would ever say this because as a child, I hated reading. I felt like I was forced to read, and I managed to do well in English without finishing any of the prescribed texts so I got away with not reading for a long time. The book that got me to love reading was Simon Singh’s book on a mathematics topic, called Fermat’s Last Theorem. I know, how nerdy! I read it in Year 12 and I loved it. Since then I’ve read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and as this year is coming to a close, I thought I’d share 5 of my favourite reads for 2018.
Kafka on the Shore
When I took annual leave in April, I found an old copy of Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, one of my favourite writers. I couldn’t remember the last time I had found the time to curl up with a good book – what bliss! I don’t read books for their plots. I read for the art. Some writers just have a gift for describing things in such an exquisite way that I stop and re-read their sentences to truly feel their magnificence. That’s how I feel towards Murakami’s writing.
I had read Kafka on the Shore several years ago, and could remember bits of it but not all of it, so I decided to pick it up again. Sometimes when you re-read a book, especially after a few years of extra life experience, you gain something different from the book. That’s how I felt when I read it again. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time, and I can’t wait to read Murakami’s latest, which I’ve already bought – Killing Commendatore.
If you haven’t read any of his books, I’d recommend starting with Norwegian Wood. It’s one of his shorter works, and you’ll get a good idea of what his writing style is about. Some of his themes are slightly perverted, but you’ll get a sense of what a magician he is with words. The book was made into a movie, but don’t watch it – it was absolutely terrible.
The Book Thief
I read the Book Thief by Markus Zusak straight after Murakami, which was probably a bit unfair because initially I didn’t like it. His writing seemed immature and rudimentary compared to Murakami’s… but once I got into the book, I really got into it. I love reading modern history books, and works of fiction based around the World Wars, so this was a book that had been recommended to me by multiple people. I finally read it this year, and I loved it. There are some really heartwarming moments in the book that made me melt.
I highly recommend it, and now my sister is reading my copy. I hope she will like it as much as I did. Apparently this book was also made into a film in 2013, but I have not watched it… I find that the movie is never as good as the book! More than a decade since the Book Thief, Markus Zusak has recently released his next book – Bridge of Clay. I can’t say that’s it’s immediately at the top of my “to read” list, but I do look forward to reading it at some point.
The Lovely Bones
It seems the first three books I’ve chosen have all been made into movies. Like the previous book, I have not seen the Lovely Bones’ film, although I have heard great things about it. I read the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold when I was at work, waiting to perform operations. The operating theatres at Hospital X were extremely inefficient, and I would often get bumped out of the queue for more “important” surgeries, or surgeries to be performed by people more important than me… so I got used to hanging around the hospital till late at night, just waiting and wondering when my turn would be, or whether my case would be cancelled yet again for me to deliver my well-rehearsed apology to the patient.
I decided that instead of feeling annoyed about waiting all the time, I would use the time to do some leisure reading, and so I started reading the Lovely Bones. It is a unique, moving, and beautifully written book. I’ve read a lot of hateful reviews of the book, so I guess it’s not for everyone… but I did think it was written from an interesting vantage point (the girl who was murdered), and it really did take you on a raw and emotional ride. I was fully invested in the characters and the outcome.. maybe because I have a strong sense of justice. It’s one of my core values. For others, it’s a book that may be too morbid and slow.
The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle has enhanced so many lives, including mine. I feel like this is a book that I will re-read every year. Tolle has a lot of practical advice on how to deal with the vicissitudes of life. It was extremely relevant to me at the time, and I even found myself taking notes in the last couple of chapters.
Life is hard. People are mean… but you can build strength and resilience to make it easier. I learned a lot of techniques from reading this book. During my yoga teacher training, I studied yoga philosophy, which is derived from Hinduism. There were a lot of elements in this book, which were congruent with yoga philosophy, so I found myself constantly agreeing with what Tolle was writing. It also helped me to consolidate the concepts I had learned as I was becoming a yoga teacher.
Eckhart Tolle is so well read. From Buddhism to Taoism to Christianity, he references many religious texts. I am not a religious person, and I feel that there are many universal teachings that many religions share, so I liked that he referenced his book from so many different sources. It made the book richer in content. I felt lighter after reading his book. I will need to keep going back to the book whenever life weighs me down, but after I read it, I felt liberated and equipped with so many tools to live life in a happier and more peaceful way.
The Happy Gut Guide
The Happy Gut Guide by Wendy Green was a gift from one of my dear friends and fellow book worm. This book was the final step I needed to take to understand the changes in my body that severe burnout put me through. It helped me piece things together and explained some of my symptoms. As a doctor, I like to have an explanation for why the body feels the way it does. Reading about the microbiome, how it gets affected by stress and sleep deprivation, and how it manifests itself as signs and symptoms really helped me. Knowledge is power. I really believe that.
Green writes in a way that is easily understood, and for those who are into recipes – she has a lot of them at the end of the book. I prefer to stick to my simple recipes (some of hers looked like too much effort for me), but they may be suitable for others who are willing to commit more time to making their own kefir, for example.
Gut health has had a lot of attention these past few years. If you want to learn more about it and feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there to digest (pun totally intended), this book is an easy read.
So, those were my top 5 for 2018! I’m reading a couple of books at the moment which I’m enjoying (yes, I am one of those people who reads more than one book at a time).. so I’m thinking that maybe in 2019 I’ll choose one book to review every couple of months.
Happy reading,
Miko xx
