Everyone loves a good list, right?
So here is one for you – some of the best books I’ve read in 2019.
It’s an aptly timed list because it’s almost Christmas (How??! This year is going by faster than Hakavai trying to get to the bag of snakes* I stupidly left in full view on the kitchen bench), and I don’t know about you, but I love gifting books.
Not just because I’m a big reader and want more people to discuss my favourite books with, but also because I think books are the perfect gift for lazy shoppers!
If that’s you, take this list and be merry!
One more thing:
Because I am in a good mood (see: bag of snakes) I’ve decided to give you free shipping on all of my books too!
So, if you’ve been thinking about gifting one of my books to a loved one these holidays (you are so thoughtful, and beautiful, and I like your hair like that), now is the time! Just click here and use code ELF to get free shipping.**
OK, here we go, some of the best books I read this year:
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen Hawking
A classic. Mind boggling, thought provoking and a tad confusing (I gave up on theoretical physics in Year 5) but, ultimately, I really loved this book. Hawking is great at distilling super complex ideas (hello, quantum physics) into an easy-for-punters-to-understand format. Not a book you can devour cover to cover, I’d read a chapter and then mull on it for the rest of the day.
The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler
Again, not a book you can devour cover to cover. It’s on my desk and whenever I’m struggling to make a decision (or procrastinating) I’ll pick up this book and flick through the models. As an engineer, I really appreciate a diagram or a graph. I wish more people got off on them the way I do. The page I keep returning to is the cognitive dissonance model. I have a tendency to think I’m always right (and look, I usually am ?) but this model helps me understand that, sometimes, I’m not.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This one was a page turner. Typically I don’t gravitate towards books about the Holocaust. I’m quite an emotional person and after I read certain books (like A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which I also recommend) they stay with me for months and really affect me. But this book was different. Of course, it was still hectic and full on but it retained such a positive vibe. I really loved it.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I love, love, love, love, LOVED this book. I stayed up until 3 am one night to read it (was quite handy really, as I was already awake when Hakavai’s dummy would fall out /he was hungry /he was cold /he needed a cuddle etc etc). What did I love about it? Well, we see the protagonist grow up, and, if it’s not too gauche to admit, I saw a lot of myself in her. She was gritty and tough, but like everyone, she still needed love. Highly recommend.
The Barefoot Investor for Families by Scott Pape
I read the first Barefoot book, and I devoured this one in a matter of hours too. Money is important. It gives us opportunity and it gives us the luxury of saying no. But we don’t learn about money at school. Or high school. Or even really university. I finished uni with a 15k credit card debt. Why the hell would a bank give a 19 year old a credit card with a limit of 15k? I think teaching your kids the value of money is so important. This is a great place to start.
Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
I don’t really know what more to say about this book beyond the fact that I simply adored it. It’s become a point of reference between my whole team. Interesting and powerful insights into resilience. I love it.
I hope these make you the best Christmas gifter in your household!
Want more?
OK, here’s a mini-guide to my books:
Something for kids and teens
Both Good Selfie and the Young Readers edition of Unmasked are good (if I say so myself).
I’ve popped them into one handy bundle for you here.
@bookwormtina said this about Good Selfie: “Love this book! Stunning illustrations. Relatable, down to earth advice for teens. Loved the TL;DR sections! Great gift for my niece.” Thanks Tina!
More of my story
Unmasked is a follow up memoir I released in 2017. It’s an honest look at my journey so far, my relationships, what motivates me and the strategies I’ve used to overcome all my challenges.
Caitlin said “If you only read 1 book this year – make it this one.”
My first memoir
Everything To Live For is the first book I published. It covers my story, right from the beginning.
Amy said “An absolute must read, I couldn’t put it down. Literally from page 1, I was hooked.”
Did you love that self-promotion? I did! ??
Free shipping will be available for the next week. Just use the code ELF and then tick the free shipping box! Easy.
Enjoy my friend, happy reading and happy gifting!
Turia xx
Oh look, some fine print!
*If you’re not Australian, and you’re confused about me keeping a bag of snakes in my kitchen, they’re of the lolly/candy variety not the hissy/bitey variety.
**Also for my non-Aussies – unfortunately I can only ship my books within Australia. I’m sorry! Hopefully you’ll still keep me on your nice list??
