We are always curious to see what our district has been reading and without further ado, we have the most borrowed books of 2023! This year we have the most borrowed books for our patrons and also the most borrowed books by our librarians, in fiction and non-fiction.
Most Borrowed Fiction - by Patrons
#1 - Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley
Spanning a lifetime of love and loss, crossing borders and oceans. 1928, Paris. A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn't dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is. As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one's safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come where he must flee once more. 2008, the Aegean. The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly. To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today.
#2 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin Evans (well, she stole his beakers.) The only man who ever treated her-and her ideas-as equal, Calvin is already a legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. But as events are never as predictable as chemical reactions, three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother (did we mention it's the early 60s??) and the star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's singular approach to cooking ('take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride') and independent example are proving revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching women how to cook, she's teaching them how to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.
#3 - The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley
The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident. But the local police cannot rule out foul play and the case prompts the return of high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter to the force. As Jazz begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish’s tragic death, events are soon to take another troubling turn. Charlie is exposed as an arrogant bully, and those around him had both motive and opportunity to switch the drugs he took daily to control his epilepsy. As staff at the school close ranks, the disappearance of young pupil Rory Millar and the death of an elderly classics master provide Jazz with important leads, but are destined to complicate the investigation further. Then, a particularly grim discovery at the school makes this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. Because Fleat House hides secrets darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined.
Gerrardsville, Colorado. One tragic event. Two witnesses. Two conflicting accounts. One witness sees a woman throw herself in front of a bus - clearly suicide. The other witness is Jack Reacher. And he sees what really happened - a man in grey hoodie and jeans, swift and silent as a shadow, pushing the victim to her death, before grabbing her bag and sauntering away. Reacher follows the killer, not knowing that this was no random act of violence. It is part of something much bigger ... a sinister, secret conspiracy, with powerful people on the take, enmeshed in an elaborate plot that leaves no room for error. If any step is compromised, the threat will have to be quickly and permanently removed. Because when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B .
#5 - Wish You Were Here by Karly Lane
As a kid brought up on a cattle property in the New England Tablelands, Reggie Macleod vows she is going to swap the country for city life as soon as she can. And she's followed her dream. Everything is going to plan. Until one phone call rocks her world entirely. Reggie's parents have been badly injured in a car accident and they need her help to run the farm while her brother builds up their recently launched farmstay business. It was only going to be for a couple of months... but that was almost three years ago. When Tim Warbois checks in to one of their cabins and extends his booking several times, all he seems to want is peace and quiet. But what is really going on under the surface? Is this new hope and purpose he's discovered going to last? Will Reggie and Tim manage to overcome the wounds of their pasts and build a new future?
#6 - The Seven Sisters: Maia's Story by Lucinda Riley
Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, 'Atlantis' - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage - a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began.
#7 - It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most. Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up--she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn't hurt. Lily can't get him out of her head. But Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his 'no dating' rule, she can't help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan--her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
#8 - Still Life by Sarah Winman
Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amongst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses's life for the next four decades. As Ulysses returns home to London, reimmersing himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parrot - a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics - he carries his time in Italy with him. And when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate, and returns to the Tuscan hills.
#9 - The Shadow Sister: Star's Story by Lucinda Riley
Star D'Apliese is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father - the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star - the most enigmatic of the sisters - is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world... A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter, when machinations outside her control lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society's most notorious players, Alice Keppel. Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a game - the rules of which are only known to others, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life... As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.
#10 - Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances. Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes? Nisha Cantor and Sam Kemp are two very different women. Nisha, 45, lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband inexplicably cuts her off entirely. She doesn't even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in. That's because Sam--47, middle-aged, struggling to keep herself and her family afloat--has accidentally taken Nisha's gym bag. Now Nisha's got nothing. And Sam's walking tall with shoes that catch eyes--and give her a career an unexpected boost. Except Nisha wants her life back--and she'll start with her shoes.
Most Borrowed Non-Fiction - by Patrons
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
#2 - Atomic Habits by James Clear
Atomic habit, noun. Definition: A small habit with big results. People say when you want to change your life, you need to think big: swap job, move house, change partner. But they're wrong. World-renowned life coach James Clear has discovered a completely different way to revolutionise your behaviour. He knows that lasting change comes from hundreds of tiny decisions - doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call. He calls these atomic habits. Clear delves deep into cutting-edge psychology to explain why your brain is able to amplify such small changes into such big outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, or the unexpected power of the Two-Minute Rule), to show how you too can grow tiny shifts into life-transforming changes in behaviour. And he reveals a simple four-stage method that will let you build atomic habits into your day-to-day life, starting now. These nuclear changes will have an explosive effect on your career, your relationships and your life.
#3 - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a **** by Mark Manson
Everything we've been told about how to improve our lives is wrong. Now superstar blogger Mark Manson tells us what we need to do to get it right.
Lonely Planet's Experience Japan is your guide to unforgettable experiences and local surprises. Discover Hokkaido's ski slopes and snow festivals, explore Himeji-jo, and sample Japanese delicacies in Kyoto - all guided by local experts with fresh perspectives. Uncover Japan's best experiences and get away from the everyday!
#5 - The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need by Scott Pape
This is the only money guide you'll ever need That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? Well, you won't be overwhelmed with a bunch of 'tips' or a strict budget (that you won't follow). You'll get a step-by-step formula: open this account, then do this; call this person, and say this; invest money here, and not there. All with a glass of wine in your hand. This book will show you how to create an entire financial plan that is so simple you can sketch it on the back of a serviette and you'll be able to manage your money in 10 minutes a week. You'll also get the skinny on: Saving up a six-figure house deposit in 20 months Doubling your income using the 'Trapeze Strategy' Saving $78,173 on your mortgage and wiping out 7 years of payments Finding a financial advisor who won't rip you off Handing your kids (or grandkids) a $140,000 cheque on their 21st birthday Why you don't need $1 million to retire with the 'Donald Bradman Retirement Strategy' Sound too good to be true? It's not. This book is full of stories from everyday Aussies - single people, young families, empty nesters, retirees - who have applied the simple steps in this book and achieved amazing, life-changing results. And you're next.
#6 - Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself, learning enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her quest for knowledge would transform her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Tara Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes, and the will to change it.
Quick and easy meals are even simpler when you cook with just one pot, pan or tray. And with each recipe using eight ingredients or fewer, requiring minimal prep (and washing up), they offer maximum convenience. One is packed with budget-friendly dishes you can rustle up any time: delicious work from home lunches, quick dinners the whole family will love, meals to get novice cooks started. With over 100 recipes that'll teach you simple one-pan techniques - chapters include Veggie Delights, Celebrating Chicken, Frying Pan Pasta, Batch Cooking and Puds & Cakes - there are plenty of no-fuss, tasty recipes that make this a must-have for every kitchen.
Your step-by-step guide to financial independence-from the creator of the #1 investing education podcast, Girls That Invest. Ever wondered how on earth the stock market works, but felt too intimidated to ask "those" questions? This is the book for you! In this guide to investing in stocks (aka shares), Simran Kaur teaches the essential principles you can apply to any market, anywhere in the world.
#9 - The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
Just days after Raynor learns that her husband of 32 years, Moth, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset. The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.
#10 - OTK: Extra Good Things by Noor Murad
The superteam of chefs behind the New York Times bestseller Shelf Love delivers maximum-flavor recipes with make-ahead condiments, sauces, and more toppings that transform any dish into an Ottolenghi favorite Extra Good Things is all about the secret culinary weapons-condiments, sauces, dressings, and more make-ahead items-that can make a good meal spectacular. The abundant, vegetable-forward recipes in this collection give you a delicious, hearty dish, plus that special takeaway-a sauce, a sprinkle, a pickle!-that you can repurpose time and time again in other recipes throughout the week, with limitless opportunity. These extras help you stock your fridges and pantries the Ottolenghi way, so you can effortlessly accessorize plates with pops of texture and color, acidity and heat, and all the magical flavor bombs that keep you coming back for more. And this is where the fun really begins, with extras like feta marinated with spices and herbs, featured in a dish of oven-braised chickpeas that's used again for a flavorful salad or swirled into soup. Za'atar-spiked burst tomatoes top a polenta pizza for dinner, then reappear on the best-ever bruschetta or as the easiest weeknight sauce for pasta. Or a crispy, crunchy panko topping full of ginger, shallots, and sesame that you first meet on soba noodles but you'll want to put on...well, just about everything. Whether it's a tart, sassy punch of pickled chile or an herbaceous salsa to lighten and brighten, Extra Good Things shows you how to fill your kitchen with adaptable, homemade ingredients that will make any dish undeniably "Ottolenghi."
Most Borrowed Fiction - by Librarians
#1 - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
It is 1985, in an Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, faces into his busiest season. As he does the rounds, he feels the past rising up to meet him - and encounters the complicit silences of a people controlled by the Church. The long-awaited new work from the author of Foster, Small Things Like These is an unforgettable story of hope, quiet heroism and tenderness. '[Claire Keegan] creates luminous effects with spare material, so every line seems to be a lesson in the perfect deployment of both style and emotion.' -- Hilary Mantel.
#2 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin Evans (well, she stole his beakers.) The only man who ever treated her-and her ideas-as equal, Calvin is already a legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. But as events are never as predictable as chemical reactions, three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother (did we mention it's the early 60s??) and the star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's singular approach to cooking ('take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride') and independent example are proving revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching women how to cook, she's teaching them how to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist
#3 - What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
Sayuri Komachi is no ordinary librarian. Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it. In this uplifting book, we meet five of Sayuri's customers, each at a different crossroads - the restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills - the mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave - the conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store - the gifted young manga artist in search of motivation - the recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose. Can she help them find what they are looking for?
A small girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm in rural Ireland, without knowing when she will return home. In the strangers' house, she finds a warmth and affection she has not known before and slowly begins to blossom in their care. And then a secret is revealed and suddenly, she realizes how fragile her idyll is. Winner of the Davy Byrnes Memorial Prize, Foster is now published in a revised and expanded version. Beautiful, sad and eerie, it is a story of astonishing emotional depth, showcasing Claire Keegan's great accomplishment and talent.
#5 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead: a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Demon befriends us on this, his journey through the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities. Inspired by the unflinching truth-telling of David Copperfield, Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead gives voice to a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.
#6 - Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and longtime friend, William. For the next several months, it's just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea. They will not emerge unscathed.
#7 - The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer
East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer and servant, has lived peacefully for more than four decades in her beloved Cleftwater. Everyone in the village knows Martha, but no one has ever heard her speak. One bright morning, Martha becomes a silent witness to a witch hunt, led by sinister new arrival Silas Makepeace. As a trusted member of the community, she is enlisted to search the bodies of the accused women for evidence. But whilst she wants to help her friends, she also harbours a dark secret that could cost her own freedom. In desperation, Martha revives a wax witching doll that she inherited from her mother, in the hope that it will bring protection. But the doll's true powers are unknowable, the tide is turning, and time is running out.
#8 - When Things are Alive they Hum by Hannah Bent
Marlowe and Harper share a bond deeper than most sisters, shaped by the loss of their mother in childhood. For Harper, living with what she calls the Up syndrome and gifted with an endless capacity for wonder, Marlowe and she are connected by an invisible thread, like the hum that connects all things. For Marlowe, they are bound by her fierce determination to keep Harper, born with a congenital heart disorder, alive. Now 25, Marlowe is finally living her own life abroad, pursuing her studies of a rare species of butterfly secure in the knowledge Harper's happiness is complete, having found love with boyfriend, Louis. But then she receives the devastating call that Harper's heart is failing. She needs a heart transplant but is denied one by the medical establishment because she is living with a disability. Marlowe rushes to her childhood home in Hong Kong to be by Harper's side and soon has to answer the question -- what lengths would you go to save your sister? When Things Are Alive They Hum poses profound questions about the nature of love and existence, the ways grief changes us, and how we confront the hand fate has dealt us. Intensely moving, exquisitely written and literally humming with wonder, it is a novel that celebrates life in all its guises, and what comes after.
#9 - All My Mothers by Joanna Glen
Meet Eva Martinez-Green, an only child full of questions about her beginnings. Between her emotionally absent mother and her physically absent father, there is nobody to answer them. Eva is convinced that all is not as it seems. Why are there no baby pictures of her? Why do her parents avoid all questions about her early years? When her parents’ relationship crumbles, Eva begins a journey to find these answers for herself. Her desire to discover where she belongs leads Eva on a journey spanning decades and continents – and, along the way, she meets women who challenge her idea of what a mother should be, and who will change her life forever.
Greta lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. The house, built in 1737, is unrenovated, uninsulated, and full of bees. Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who calls himself Om. She becomes infatuated with his newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss, since she's tall, stoic, and originally from Switzerland. Greta is fascinated by Big Swiss's refreshing attitude toward trauma. They both have dark histories, but Big Swiss chooses to remain unattached to her suffering while Greta continues to be tortured by her past. One day, Greta recognizes Big Swiss's voice at the dog park. In a panic, she introduces herself with a fake name and they quickly become enmeshed. Although Big Swiss is unaware of Greta's true identity, Greta has never been more herself with anyone. Her attraction to Big Swiss overrides her guilt, and she'll do anything to sustain the relationship.
Most Borrowed Non-Fiction - by Librarians
#1 - Creative Mending: Beautiful darning, patching and stitching techniques by Hikaru Noguchi
Mend, rethink, transform, recreate! Mending your favorite fabric items-from jeans to sweaters to sofa covers-becomes a true art form in Stylish Mending. In this book, mending guru Hikaru Noguchi shows you her entire range of valuable techniques--from embroidery and patching to darning and felting--that are just challenging enough for experienced menders. Noguchi's basic rules of mending are that the repair should suit the fabric and its user, and that there are lots of creative ways to create beautifully customized repairs-some subtle, others making a statement. She provides thirteen techniques that show you how.
Your step-by-step guide to financial independence-from the creator of the #1 investing education podcast, Girls That Invest. Ever wondered how on earth the stock market works, but felt too intimidated to ask "those" questions? This is the book for you! In this guide to investing in stocks (aka shares), Simran Kaur teaches the essential principles you can apply to any market, anywhere in the world.
#3 - Between: A guide for parents of eight- to thirteen-year-olds by Sarah Ockwell-Smith
BETWEEN is a modern guide for parents of 8-13 year-olds -- also known as 'tweenagers'. Parenting expert and mother of four Sarah Ockwell-Smith will consider all the issues faced by parents and tweens today, with a focus on the biology, neurology, psychology and sociology of adolescence as well as plenty of practical parenting advice for common everyday situations.
#4 - The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need by Scott Pape
This is the only money guide you'll ever need That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? Well, you won't be overwhelmed with a bunch of 'tips' or a strict budget (that you won't follow). You'll get a step-by-step formula: open this account, then do this; call this person, and say this; invest money here, and not there. All with a glass of wine in your hand. This book will show you how to create an entire financial plan that is so simple you can sketch it on the back of a serviette and you'll be able to manage your money in 10 minutes a week. You'll also get the skinny on: Saving up a six-figure house deposit in 20 months Doubling your income using the 'Trapeze Strategy' Saving $78,173 on your mortgage and wiping out 7 years of payments Finding a financial advisor who won't rip you off Handing your kids (or grandkids) a $140,000 cheque on their 21st birthday Why you don't need $1 million to retire with the 'Donald Bradman Retirement Strategy' Sound too good to be true? It's not. This book is full of stories from everyday Aussies - single people, young families, empty nesters, retirees - who have applied the simple steps in this book and achieved amazing, life-changing results. And you're next.
This manifesto focuses on the critical school years when parents must allow their children to experience the disappointment and frustration that occur from life's inevitable problems so that they can grow up to be successful, resilient, and self-reliant adults. Modern parenting is defined by an unprecedented level of overprotectiveness: parents who rush to school at the whim of a phone call to deliver forgotten assignments, who challenge teachers on report card disappointments, mastermind children's friendships, and interfere on the playing field. As teacher and writer Jessica Lahey explains, even though these parents see themselves as being highly responsive to their children's well-being, they aren't giving them the chance to experience failure -- or the opportunity to learn to solve their own problems. Overparenting has the potential to ruin a child's confidence and undermine their education. Teachers don't just teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. They teach responsibility, organization, manners, restraint, and foresight -- important life skills children carry with them long after they leave the classroom. Lahey lays out a blueprint with advice for handling homework, report cards, social dynamics, and sports. Most importantly, she sets forth a plan to help parents learn to step back and embrace their children's failures.
The teen and tween years are rife with social landmines in school, sports, and other activities--and instances of teasing, bullying, and exclusion are unfortunately all too common. Social media has only made this behavior easier and more insidious. But when kids learn to respond effectively, manage their emotions in the situation, and recognize their self-worth, they can reclaim a sense of their own power, and develop skills for life. Kim John Payne, an education consultant, and parenting expert, offers guidance in tandem with ten inspirational stories by young adults who have navigated bullying and social exclusion--and triumphed. It gives teens the tools to address the problem themselves, giving them mastery over the situation--rather than having parents step in and try to "fix" things. Parents, teens, and educator learn critical anti-bullying skills and strategies, including: How to figure out why you are being teased; How to handle rumors; How to deal with physical bullying; How to break out of feeling everybody hates you; How to develop an empowered attitude when dealing with a bully; How to deal with overbearing or bullying brothers or sisters; How to differentiate tattletaling from truth-telling; How to stand up for others without making it worse for yourself; How to make real friends; and much more. Payne says, "You can't control what comes at you in life, but you absolutely can control where and how you meet it," and this book helps kids understand that while they can't necessarily make a bully stop, they can absolutely stand their ground and take their power back. They can strongly influence the whole situation rather than feel they have to passively accept what is happening. This is essential reading for anyone with teens in their life, to help them experience their own power, find their own voices, learn how to problem-solve, and navigate their way out of challenging situations.
#7 - Just One Thing: How simple changes can transform your life by Michael Mosley
Based on the popular BBC programme Just One Thing, Dr Michael Mosley shows how changing one small thing in your daily routine can significantly benefit your health. We all want quick and easy ways to improve our health, but when it comes to diet, fitness and wellbeing it can be hard to know where to turn for accurate information. Harder still is finding things that fit into your day. So what if you were told that standing on one leg can have huge health benefits, a hot shower before bed can help lower your blood pressure, and eating chocolate is good for your heart? These simple things might surprise you - but they really can work. Dr Mosley explains all of this, and presents many more surprising scientifically proven facts. He's talked to experts and road-tested all his tips to help you find that one small thing that could make a real difference to how you feel every day and, importantly, long into the future.
#8 - Raising Girls who like Themselves by Kasey Edwards
When you raise a girl who likes herself everything else follows. She will strive for excellence because she has faith in their ability to achieve it and the confidence to pick herself up. She will nurture her physical and mental health because it's natural to care for that which you love. She will insist on healthy relationships because she believes she deserves nothing less. She will be joyful and secure, knowing that her greatest friend and most capable ally is herself. Raising Girls Who Like Themselves details the seven qualities that enable girls to thrive and arm themselves against a world that tells them they are flawed. Packed with practical, evidence-based advice, it is the indispensable guide to raising a girl who likes herself. Free of parental guilt and grounded in research, Raising Girls Who Like Themselves is imbued with the warmth and wit of a mum and dad who are in the same parenting trenches as you, fighting for their daughters' futures.
Learn to make every moment a once-in-a-lifetime experience with this definitive guide to the Japanese art of ichigo ichie (pronounced itchy-GO itchy-A), from the bestselling authors of Ikigai. Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever--an idea captured by the Japanese phrase ichigo ichie. Often spoken in Japan when greeting someone or saying goodbye, to convey that the encounter is unique and special, it is a tenet of Zen Buddhism and is attributed to a sixteenth-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony, or 'ceremony of attention,' whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment. From this age-old concept comes a new kind of mindfulness.
#10 - The Light we Carry: Overcoming in uncertain times by Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles--the earned wisdom that helps her continue to 'become.