How to become a better reader (plus some of my fave books)

My Dad used to tell us kids that TV rotted your brains. So, we didn’t have a television. 

My older brother and I used to go next door to watch their television.

Except, we didn’t go through their front door. No, no, no. Too easy.

Instead, we climbed onto the roof of our house. Taking a few deep breaths, and a few steps backwards, we’d start sprinting. We’d build up enough speed and momentum and taking a leap of faith we’d run –  flying through the air – and land on the roof of our neighbours house. 

We’d crawl across the roof, as stealth as you could be as a six and seven year old, and we’d watch the television through their skylight.

Understandably, this method of watching TV didn’t last long. 

So what did we do without TV?

I explored the bush, I played down the beach, I sang badly, I went surfing, I explored rockpools, I went running, and I read. 

And when I look at photos of me as a kid, I always have a book either in my hands or in close proximity. 

So I’m a reader.

I love reading. I find it’s an escape to another world, it gives an insight into different perspectives, and sometimes it’s just entertaining. 

And it’s something I’m trying to pass onto my kids. We go to our local library every week. Sometimes my boys are interested, sometimes they spend the whole time playing Lego. Annnd sometimes they play up and wrestle and we leave after ten minutes. 

Maybe you’re a reader. Maybe you’re not.
And if you’re not, but you’d like to be, can I give you some tips? 

I shared them on an episode of my podcast.

You can listen right here.

Oh! And if you want some book suggestions?

Here’s some of my recent faves:

Gone Girl — Gillian Flynn
Scrublands — Chris Hammer
School for Good Mothers — Jessamine Chan
Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owens
Big Little Lies — Liane Moriarty
The Vanishing Half — Brit Bennett
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Little Fires Everywhere — Celeste Ng
Lessons in Chemistry — Bonnie Garmus
The Bluest Eye — Toni Morrison
Educated — Tara Westover
The Guest List — Lucy Foley
All the Light we Cannot See — Anthony Doerr
The Paper Palace — Miranda Cowley Heller
A Little Life — Hanya Yanagihara
The Dry — Jane Harper
Hamnet — Maggie O’Farrell
Too Much Lip — Melissa Lucashenko
The Great Alone — Kristin Hannah
The Alice Network — Kate Quinn
Breadfruit — Celestine Vaite (one of my Mum’s books!)