Source: Unsplash by Claudia Wolff
Reading can be intimidating. I used to hate the thought of it. I also know that I am not alone; loads of people hate reading! It takes far less effort and commitment to scroll through Instagram or watch someone sampling Parisian bakeries on YouTube.
That said, reading actual books is a wholesome, eye-opening, and really enjoyable activity, that is known to induce the following benefits:
- reduced stress
- improved sleep
- increased vocabulary
- better focus
- better concentration
- soothed depression
For those who have stuck with the article this far and are keen to get into reading, I’d like to suggest 5 brilliant reads to introduce you to the world of books: some fiction and some non-fiction; all are easy to read and hard to put down.
5 – FEISTA: THE SUN ALSO RISES
– Ernest Hemingway
No list of books is worth its salt without Hemingway. No introduction is needed for the author; this warm story of friends, drinking and bull fighting from the early 20th century is both pleasing and inspiring, set a time long before Snapchat and facemasks.
4 – SAPIENS: A BREIF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND
-Yuval Noah Harari
A brilliant introduction to the beginning of mankind and our evolutionary journey. This will get the juices flowing of anyone with an interest in the timeline of humanity. Written in a way that is incredibly easy to digest, Harari breaks down the major checkpoints of the Human race, from the cognitive revolution to capitalism.
3 – AT HOME
– Bill Bryson
One of my favourite authors. This incredibly entertaining book dissects the space we call our home. Everything from why houses look like houses to why our dining forks have 4 prongs. Full of witty anecdotes and fascinating insights, this is a bible of knowledge for everything in your house.
2 – THE BODY
– Bill Bryson
Another piece of gold from the relaxed yet informative style of Bill Bryson. The body offers the complete newbie a comprehensive and easily understandable journal of the human body. Again, packed full of stories and digression, you’ll read amazing accounts on every aspect of the human body, from bones to brain.
1 – 1984
– George Orwell
A classic; and for good reason. Even people who have never read a book in their life have heard of it. This dystopian, political masterpiece sits firmly at the top of my list. A story of a miserable man in a miserable world full of grit, emotion and terror. It’s iconic and so easy to read. If you read nothing else, READ THIS.
There you have it. 5 books that will no doubt give you an appetite for the written word. All these books are more than readable and offer a balance of fiction and non-fiction; you could do much worse than to explore all these authors further.
Happy reading!