The Books To Read To Get Your Butt Into Gear

I love a good read, if you couldn’t already tell by my colour-coordinated hoard of books in the front room. Whilst I divulge in fiction from time to time, unless I’m holiday you can pretty much guarantee that something from the non-fiction world – and usually covering minimalism, fitness, women in business, fashion or beauty – is perched on my bedside table. In fact I love nothing more than a meaty motivational text that gives me the kick up the rear that I need. Here are five that I’ve been enjoying recently…

The All-Encompassing Fitness Book – ‘Strong’ by Zanna Van Dijk. Zanna has hit the ‘ultimate guide to working out, wellness, healthy recipe, how to start going to the gym‘ guide on the head. There’s a snappier way of putting that, but if you are looking to start working out and want to overhaul your eating habits – this is a great place to start. Zanna has broken the whole thing down from busting myths about weightlifting to mindset shifting when it comes to food. If you haven’t got the urge to workout and eat a wholesome meal by the end of it then I’ll eat a banana (and I hate bananas).

The Nod-Along-As-You-Read Book – ‘The New Garconne: How To Be a Modern Gentlewoman’ by Navaz Batliwalla. You know sometimes you read a book and find yourself nodding along in agreement without even noticing? I found myself agreeing away with this, whilst also writing down notes from the shopping pages. It’s a bit of a everything from the lovely Navaz, from DisneyRollerGirl; there are profiles on women who embody the ‘Garconne’ vibe to a history of feminism and androgyny through the ages and the aforementioned ‘Where to Shop’ guides which will make you want to do a re-haul of your wardrobe basics immediately.

The ‘OMG I Have So Much Clutter – HELP’ Book – ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie Kondo. I’m pretty sure that I don’t need to go over this one again, but for those of you who have previously missed my many ravings about this book, I’ll humour you. If you’re a hoarder, a proud owner of a floor-drobe or just someone who generally feels a bit cluttered mentally and psychically but don’t know where to start – this is the book for you. It takes you through the process of clearing out your home in a methodical way that means that you never have to tidy again, kinda.

The Business Owner’s ‘Knowledge Bomb’ Book – ‘How To Style Your Brand’ by Fiona Humblestone. This is a must-read for all small business owners, anyone who is thinking of starting their own soon or those who just full-on geek-out about branding. It’s one of those books that makes me think ‘DAMN, why didn’t I read this seven years ago?‘. There’s plenty of practical tips in there and even helpful ones who those who have already birthed their business babies. I particularly found the chapters on colour psychology and business cards really interesting (note to self: make business cards).

The ‘Get Your Creative Juices Flowing’ Book – ‘Capture Your Style’ by Aimee Song. This book is geared towards those wishing to take their Instagram to the next level, but personally I found it to inspire me way beyond the phot0-sharing platform. Sure, it deals with Aimee’s outfit photo taking tips and advice on flat-lays, but actually it’s just mega-packed with photography help that can be applied to everything from blog pictures to YouTube thumbnails. It’s not a long read, but it’s well worth curling up on the sofa one afternoon and taking notes. You’ll be styling out your dinner that night for a picture, I’m sure.

Photos by Lauren Shipley

OTHER BOOKS ON MY WISHLIST