Ok, summer is officially over in Mexico and with that I have a bit of time on my hands to write a post. Two years ago I started a challenge: to read one book per month. I kept the challenge going and I think my routine is paying off! reading has quickly become one of my favorite ways to pass the time and miles sanely.
Here’s the changing answer to “What are you reading this month?”
October 2014: Netherland by Joseph O’Neill (2008)
This is a beautiful novel about the pilgrimage of a Dutch banker toward his new life in New York with his wife and their son. There’s something beautiful and sweet about the pains of holding on to one’s true self while adapting to a new life.
November 2014: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (1929)
I read this in a couple of days and loved it. Letters about patience, love, solitude and growth.
December 2014: Años Luz by James Salter (1975, spanish version)
Read this novel last year. But I wanted to read the spanish version. Love it too… I am a romantic.
January 2015: Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr (2013)
Got this book at LAX before boarding a flight back to Brisbane and read it during weekends at home. Enjoyed the detailed descriptions of meals Julia Child and her friends cooked during their holidays in Provence, France. Probably my favorite read this year so far.
February 2015: From Unknown to Expert by Catriona Pollard (2014)
I am a frequent reader of Women’s Agenda blog, so I was thrilled and thankful to receive this as a gift. I recommend this useful guidebook to anyone wanting to get up to speed into what’s current in Social Media and PR online.
March 2015: Remote by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (2013)
Their first book ‘Rework’ is one of my all-time favorites and this one was a perfect follow-up. “Going remote allows the most talented people to produce the best work regardless of their location”. This is a great book, for both employees and employers.
April 2015: Good to Great by Jim Collins (2001)
I finally had the chance to read this amazing book. The main premise is “Good is the enemy of Great”. If you are ready to accept this idea, then you’ll enjoy this one completely.
May 2015: The Shape of Things to Come by Ian Parker (2015)
I loved this long article by The New Yorker and had to include it. I haven’t seen anyone changing the design industry so much as Jonathan Ive single-handedly is doing with his work at Apple. After reading this I felt super inspired.
June 2015: How to be Parisian wherever you are by Caroline De Maigret (2014)
Got this without clear expectations other than feeling peer-pressured from all the photos from my Instagram feed. A great blend of funny, interesting and charming stories with a bit of non-sense.
July 2015: Journey to the East by Le Corbusier (2007)
Ten years ago I was first introduced to Le Corbusier when I was a design postgraduate student in Barcelona by my flat-mates who were studying architecture. I loved this travel journal and his Parthenon sketches are visually stunning.
August 2015: We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (2014)
I have never read anything like this touching novel. If someone understands sibling love quite well is me, yet, I had to stop reading a few times to not cry over the pages. A very delightful surprise.
September 2015: Conscious Business by Fred Kofman (2013)
Added this to my reading list after Sheryl Sandberg mentioned it as a big influence in ‘Lean In’. “A conscious business fosters personal fulfillment in the individuals, mutual respect in the community, and success in the organization”, teaches Kofman. Currently reading this one.
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I enjoyed reading these and I have a few new books lined-up to read next.
But I’d love to know, do you have a favorite book this year? why not “tweet me” your suggestions?
