Nadia's Reading List Email for August 2021
What a hectic summer it was… So much has changed in my life, most importantly, I’ve moved from Kraków to London, all my usual habits have been disrupted, and it’s been harder than usual to find long uninterrupted periods of time for thoughtful reading. True, when you are overwhelmed by visual and intellectual stimuli, reading becomes more of a challenge, and the kinds of books you can process change as well...
Still, I read some great books during these months, some of which will probably have a lasting influence on me, and perhaps on you as well.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
What a masterpiece! If you have time to read just one novel by Dickens, I think this is the best one. You get all that Dickens is famous for: child labor, unfairness, romance, robbery and murder, crushing poverty and unimaginable cruelty… It is a difficult book to read, and so much of the pain and misery is hidden behind Dickens’s trademark sarcasm and irony, but my heart quite literally hurt for little Oliver when I was reading this story. The plot is, well, as with many Dickens’ novels, complex, but also easy to guess from some point, and I sometimes found myself rolling my eyes at yet another weird “coincidence” that happened in the book. I wonder whether this is the issue with the book or rather with me: after thousands of hours of movies and series I’ve watched, I’m probably more cynical and jaded than Dickens’ contemporaries who used to clamor for each chapter of Oliver Twist. Still, a definite must-read and a perfect example of what a great novel should be like.
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
My new manager mentioned this book as one that has made an impression on him, and I got curious. I’m glad I did. The book resonated with me on so many levels and also made me question some of the ways I approach work and cooperation with others. The author talks about the importance of preparation, sweating the small details, preparing for the worst, and always treating your job with the utmost seriousness, as if your life depended on how prepared you were (as is the case with astronauts). I bookmarked many of the tips given in the book, most notably, the idea of being a zero in a new work environment (i.e. being reasonably competent but not trying to show off and prove your superiority). This is hands down one of the best career (and relationships) books I’ve read, and it is also a space book, which I guess is an added bonus.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Here is a weird story. I was staying at an airbnb that had a decent library. While I was browsing the books and thinking of which one to pick up, I was for some reason compelled to pick up this book by an author who I wasn’t familiar with. Oh man, the next few days were a blur… I was so lost in the story that I was impatient to get through an apartment viewing so that I could get back on the tube and continue reading. With a book like this no commute seems too long, and you are completely immersed in the story. It is a brutally honest book, and utterly politically incorrect. It is unapologetic about Islam and particularly its treatment of women. It wasn’t exactly news to me, but awful things like that still shake you to the core.
The story in the book wraps up around 2003, when Taliban had been mostly subdued by Americans, with the main characters looking into the future of Afghanistan with hope. We all know how this hope was crushed. A few days after I finished the book, Taliban took control of Afghanistan…
I also picked up The Kite Runner, which was an equally strong read. Very impressed by Hosseini’s storytelling. Who else writes like him? Let me know in the comments.
Life in the Fasting Lane: The Essential Guide to Making Intermittent Fasting Simple, Sustainable, and Enjoyable by Jason Fung
I got on the fasting lane almost three months ago, and the lifestyle change has been transforming. I lost a lot of weight without much effort, I gained more mental clarity, got rid of mood swings, and also, it seems like I’ve massively increased my immunity. I would recommend this book to anyone who’d like to learn more about fasting, its benefits and also the correct way to do it. Since fasting and low carb diets go hand in hand, I also recommend Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet by Jimmy Moore. Jimmy is a legend in this space, and I’ve learned a lot about low carb from this book and also from his podcast.
I started fasting without any preparation, and this made the whole thing unnecessarily difficult. If I was starting over, I would probably read a few books to make the process easier on my body and my mental health. Then again, if I started reading books, I might have never taken the plunge and stopped stuffing myself. Who knows?
As always, I hope you will enjoy some of the books I have recommended, but most importantly, I hope you continue reading anything that spikes your interest. Building up a reading habit is truly one of the best things you can do for yourself and your future.
And, if you are in London and would love to meet up, let me know by replying to this email.
Happy reading,
Nadia.