Books – Lady Lavish

Book haul

I haven’t read a book for ages – not since Christmas. It seems the only time I get to do so now is on holiday, and I’m probably in a minority here, but I just don’t enjoy reading so much on my Kindle.

On my way to my Mum’s just before Easter I arrived early at Paddington so went to kill some time mooching around the bookshop. 10 minutes and £60 later, I’d bagged a haul of interesting new books to read.

I started with this biography of ‘Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin’, which I really enjoyed. I read it pretty quickly and it stayed with me for days after, in the way that a really well-told life story can. There was so much in here that explained the complex character of the brilliant designer – drugs, abuse and sensitivity, his complex relationships and the successes of his spectacular shows. I took to YouTube to find footage of the catwalk shows referenced and I’ve now become even more of a fan of the work. The story is so sad because all the way through reading it, I already knew how it ended, and that made it more powerful in a way. Definitely recommend.

I thought I’d try something lighter next, so have started the new Jenny Éclair novel, ‘Moving’. I’ve read the first part so far, and while it was okay, it’s not really grabbed me. I found the story of ‘Edwina’ too melancholy, maybe a story about a woman on her own following some apparent tragedy (I haven’t found out what it is yet) was not the right choice after the McQueen biog. I think I was expecting the book to be funny, which was a wrong assumption to make. I’ll stick with it, hopefully it will pick up a bit.

I also started a more work-related tome, with ‘HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Teams’. I am pretty fascinated by teams – what makes them work (or not) how to improve them, the psychology and emotions of them, and how create the conditions for successful teams. This is a key part of my work, something that is essential to my role but also something I have a great interest in developing my skills in. I’m hoping this book will be good insight. The book is a collection of 10 articles previously published in the Harvard Business Review, which is perfect length for a train journey to work, and much more productive than scrolling through tweets for an hour! I’m 2 articles in and so far really enjoying it – especially as I can dip in and out easily.

Lastly, I also bought ‘F**k It – Do What You Love’ and ‘Mindfulness’. I pretty much already do a job that I love, and have a life that I love, so I’m not looking for an earth-shattering revelations in this book, but I thought there might be some interesting ideas in here. And ‘Mindfulness’, well, I’m programmed to always think in the future with my mind on the next thing – my job is entirely dependent on it and I’ve operated that way forever, so it probably wouldn’t hurt to learn some techniques to slow down a bit. Apparently I’m in for ‘ideas, tips and techniques to help you enjoy a more mindful approach to life, you’ll learn how to:

Adopt more positive ways of thinking and behaving
Become calmer and more confident
Break free from unhelpful thoughts and thinking patterns
Bring about positive changes in your relationships
Achieve a new level of self-awareness and understanding

That can’t be a bad thing, right? 🙂

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2nd April 2016

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What I’m reading

I’ve got two books on the go at the moment, along with about three magazines and endless bookmarked links of things to read. Lots of these are to do with work, but because I love my work and the industry I’m in, they mostly don’t feel like a chore to read. I tend to dip in and out of things, and I’m sure that my concentration span is getting shorter and shorter. A sign of getting older or a brain that’s now used to bite-sized information (140 characters!) and short updates?

I’m no book reviewer, but I thought I’d share my current reading:

1) Guy Martin – My autobiography

Lots of people will know Guy Martin from the TV show ‘Speed’, where he set out to break a series of speed records. But I’ve known of Guy for longer than that – as an international road racing legend, star of ‘Closer to the Edge’ and maverick never-winner of the Isle of Man TT.

It’s a really good book. There’s quite a bit of technical building-bikes stuff, which can be a bit hard going, but mostly it’s a pretty riveting read and a pretty good insight into the head of someone who regularly stares death in the face. It’s written completely in Guy’s ‘voice’ and you can almost imagine him saying it. It clearly appeals to motorbike racing fans, but would be a great read for anyone who likes a good autobiography, or who has seen the TV shows and wants to find out more about the man!

2) Creativity Inc

“When faced with a challenge, get smarter.”

Probably the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read.

Written by Ed Catmull, who alongside Steve Jobs and John Lasseter created Pixar, this is a book about creativity in business but also a manual for anyone who strives for originality.

I’m only half way through and I know the minute I finish this book I will want to start it all over again. It’s taking all my self reserve not to read it with a set of post-it notes and a pen, making notes, like revising for an exam. Ed Catmull really unlocks the secrets of Pixar, how they created an amazing environment and culture to pursue innovation and imagination, and most interestingly, how they empower their leaders to accomplish it. Inspiring.

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a brilliant team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something better.”

3) Bonkers: My life in laughs

Ok, so technically I’ve finished this, and technically I didn’t actually read it, but I reckon audiobooks count. This is Jennifer Saunders autobiography – and I’m so glad I listened to her read it to me. Listening to her recount the funny stories, the memories and her experience with breast cancer was so much enhanced by hearing it told in her own voice. Funny, warm and charming. Loved it.

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11th September 2014