Most of us make New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps, try a
new diet, or join a gym, pick up on a new habit. Maybe this new habit is
reading.
Reading is an excellent exercise for our brains. Our mind is a muscle, and like a muscle, it needs training. Exercising these muscles helps develop the brain. Reading is also suitable for developing listening skills, vital communication art.
Here’s a list of some inspiring best-selling must-reads to start (or continue) your reading journey.
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who longs to travel in search of the most magnificent treasure in the world. From his home in Spain, he departs for the markets of Tangier, and across the Egyptian desert to a fated encounter with The Alchemist. The story of the treasures that Santiago finds along his journey teaches us about the wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the signs that appear along the way, and, above all, to follow our dreams.
Rising Strong – Brené Brown
We know a lot of beautiful stories about overcoming. Still, there is always a kind of gap in them: it goes straight from misfortune to victory – and the painful process that takes us from point to point is not even mentioned. In Rising Strong, researcher Brené Brown, Ph.D., shares her findings on personality traits, emotional patterns, and mental habits that enable us to transcend life’s disasters and be reborn. Not completely unharmed but fuller and more fulfilling, living with more purpose and meaning.
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Written in 1985, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has become one of the world’s most talked-about books recently. Once again, topping the bestseller lists in many countries, it inspired the homonymous series produced by and streamed on Hulu. Atwood’s fiction, set in a theocratic and totalitarian state, women are the preferred victims of oppression. They become government property, and fundamentalism strengthens as a political force. The Handmaid’s Tale returns to the shelves with a new cover, signed by artist Laurindo Feliciano.
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
An editorial phenomenon with over 2 million copies sold, Where the Crawdads Sing has been on the U.S. bestseller book list since its first release in August 2018. The plot: for years, rumors of “Marsh Girl” haunt Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. Then, in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, residents suspect Kya Clark to be a “Marsh Girl.” But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she survived for years alone in the swamp she calls home, finding friends on seagulls and lessons in the sand. Then comes the time when she wants to be touched and loved. When two city youths are intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens to a new life – until the unthinkable happens. Through Kya’s story, Delia Owens recalls that we are forever shaped by the children we have been, and we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Start Now! – Chelsea Clinton
This book, packed with facts, stories, and tips on how to change the world, is targeted to the young activists among us. With information on large and small issues, author Chelsea Clinton, shares the concepts of health, hunger, climate change, endangered species, and bullying. Readers learn how to understand the world around them and how they can make a difference, not only in their lives, as well as in their communities and in the world at large. Start Now! is the perfect introduction for young activists who want to make the world a better place.
Why is reading important? Because it’s how we discover
new things. It develops imagination. With reading, you can travel anywhere in
the world…or even out of it! You can be a king, or an adventurer, or a
princess. The options are endless.
