It feels like ages since I’ve last sat down to write a blog post. Christmas has flown by and so have most of days. Yesterday I went for a walk, sorted out my wardrobe and had guests over but it feels like I have barely moved. I can’t wait for the mornings to get lighter so the I can go for my early-morning wanders again! Spring is one of the most interesting seasons. It’s when everyone is attempting their new years goals. A lot of us give up by summer but the initiative is still worth reward! It’s a bit late for a What I Got For Christmas post but I’m still going to share it with you. I’ll only be showing you the books I got for Christmas because otherwise this post would be dragging on for far too long! (besides, books are probably the things you read by blog for)

I didn’t actually get any novels this year for Christmas. They’re all non-fiction! I did ask for these books because I was really interested in the topics. Though I won’t speed through them, I thought it would be nice to have some educational books that I can read in anticipation of the new year (to make it one of the best years yet!)

Turning The Tide Against Plastics

I don’t share much of my plastic-free passion on this blog but I certainly will share more of that in upcoming content. This book really intrigued me because it is not covering sorely the new plastic revolution but also the protests of the past. The truth of what’s going on in the world around us is not pleasant. However I do feel like I should be educating myself on this topic because it determines my future! I have read a couple of pages already and really enjoyed it. It’s not too heavy yet it still has a lot of statistics and numbers in it.

Synopsis

Plastic flows into our lives from every direction and most of it is not recycled. Instead it is incinerated or ends up in landfill, where it will sit for hundreds of years, or enters the world’s seas where it fragments into tiny pieces to become microplastics – the environmental scourge of our times.

Many of us had assumed that governments, brands and waste authorities were dealing with plastic on our behalf. But the impact of shows such as Blue Planet along with national beach cleans and high-profile campaigns have resulted in a collective wake-up call. If there were plans and strategies, they have not worked as we imagined. It would be easy to feel despondent but instead we need to turn our anger and emotion into action, starting by making a big dent in our own enormous consumption.

Turning The Tide On Plastic is here just in time. Journalist, broadcaster and eco-lifestyle expert Lucy Siegle provides a powerful call to arms to end the plastic pandemic along with the tools we need to make decisive change. It is a clear-eyed, authoritative and accessible guide to help us to take decisive and effective personal action.

Because this matters. When it comes to single-use plastics, we are habitual users, reaching out for plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, plastic straws and carrier bags multiple times a day. If only 12 of us adopt Lucy’s ‘reduce, rethink, refill, refuse’ approach, we could potentially ditch 3,000-15,000 single items of plastic in a year. When we consider our power as influencers – whether at school, the hairdressers, at work or on the bus – we suddenly become part of something significant.

So now is the time to speak up, take action and demand the change you want to see in the ocean, in the supermarket aisles and on the streets. It’s time to turn the tide on plastic, and this book will show you how.

Lucy Siegle – Turning The Tide On Plastic

Quiet Power

This is a book I added to my TBR because of bookstagram. I’m not sure who’s account I saw it on but I was really interested in it. Putting labels on myself isn’t the best thing for my mental health, but being an introvert is certainly part of my identity. I do feel that the power of introverts is being better recognised now however there are still people who underestimate the power of quiet people! This book might be a boost for my self-esteem or it could turn me against all the loud people in the world 😂

Synopsis

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts–from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Susan Cain – Quiet Power

The Little Book Of Hygge

Early this year I really enjoyed reading The Little Book of Lykke. Lykke is my word of the year, as you will see in an upcoming post! As I really enjoyed Meik Wiking’s writing the first time I thought I might try reading another one of his books too. I enjoy the way he talks about the issues of the modern world without sounding too pessimistic. There is also a common theme of kindness in his books too!

Synopsis

Denmark is often said to be the happiest country in the world. That’s down to one thing: hygge

‘Hygge has been translated as everything from the art of creating intimacy to cosiness of the soul to taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things. My personal favourite is cocoa by candlelight…’

You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right.

Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress.

Meik Wiking – The Little Book Of Hygge

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Thank you so much to my parents for kindly getting me these books for Christmas! I always appreciate that you take notice when I say ‘I would like to read this’ or ‘I think I might ask for this for Christmas’. Christmas is not about the gifts though nothing beats when you give gifts to other people and they have a beaming smile on their face! I was really smiling when I received these presents on Christmas morning. Thank you so much.

I hope you all had an amazing day, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas!

Do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve? Whatever you’re doing, please stay safe!

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