Ever since I was a teen, I’ve loved reading (well then I would hope so considering school is my favourite pastime). Since we are still at home, I have been doing a-lot more reading than normal; whether that is with a book and a warm cup of tea or listening to audiobook on my bike rides. Either way, it is my other favourite pastime!
My favourite books to read are psychological thrillers. But honestly, I am a bit picky when it comes to these types of books because I tend to be able to predict exactly how it is going to end from the beginning, and when I can do that, I am not a fan. If I can read a book and have no earthly idea what is going to happen, I’m all in! I love when books are filled with so many twists and turns that you can’t possibly know what is going to happen next.
While I do love a good psychological thriller, recently I have been enjoying autobiographies or motivational books related to workplace. These tend to be my favourite to listen to, as they are easy to follow along and can be enjoyed while I do my physiotherapy or on my bike rides. Needless to say, I am a picky reader but love a variety!
So I rounded up some of my all time favourites with my most recent finds, to hopefully help you find your next book!
Resilience by Lisa Lisson
Hands down the best book I have read in a very long time. I laughed, I learned, I cried, I even emailed her to thank her; this book has it all! Truly an exceptional read. It jumps back and forth between chapters on how she went from assistant to the first female president of FedEx Canada to her journey through her husband’s tragedy. I have never read a book where I felt the need to contact the author until this one; it was so empowering and so moving I just couldn’t help myself. She is an incredibly strong and resilient woman, making the title this book absolutely perfect! After reading this, I felt so inspired to work on myself and my career. I took all of her advice and started researching companies, reformatting my resume, and deciding what I wanted out of my life and my career. She is a true inspiration and gives incredible advice for women entering the workplace and how to climb the ladder. I highly recommend it!
Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson
This is my favourite book of all time. Anytime someone asks for a recommendation, I ALWAYS give them this one. By far the best psychological thriller on the market, in my opinion. I am very good at predicting what is going to happen in any book but this one, had some incredible turns I never even thought of! Honestly, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen and by the end I remember screaming “WHAAT!??” It is really hard to explain what happens in this book without giving anything away, but what I will say is this: It is about a women who was in an accident and lost her ability to form new memories. So when she goes to sleep at night, she looses her memory and every morning she reads her diary to remind her of her life before. And I will leave it at that! There were so many twists and turns, definitely a MUST read!
Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown
Well this was hard to listen too. This woman is a warrior, true inspiration, an incredible role model for anyone who is a survivor of domestic violence. It hit a bit too close to home for me but nonetheless she is a pillar of strength. Remember, she picked this title for a reason, she does not hold back; whether she is discussing details of events that happened between her abusive husband to her drug overdose, not a single detail was missed. I had a constant battle with wanting to stop listening to wanting to finish because of how honest and raw she is in this book. Certain parts of the events in her life where she was unable to remember, she passed it along to someone who did; from the the events of her overdose where her friend who found her to her daughter who testified in her trial against her ex husband. She leaves no stone left unturned in this memoir. So, it is a difficult listen at times but what an incredible woman, incredibly empowering. I enjoyed her before I read this book, but I love her now. Her journey is still fresh and this book is very raw, but either way, I highly recommend it.
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
This was recommended to me by a friend to listen to as an audiobook and it was just perfect. Incredibly inspiring. My life has definitely taken me on a different path than what I thought, as I am sure you can all relate to at one point or another. So this was a great book to listen to, to overcome a-lot of the barriers that I have placed in front of me. She is great at calling you out on standing behind your fears, letting life pass you by, and letting others define who you are. At the same time, great at guiding you through learning what it is that makes your life full, what your goals are, and tips on how to build and navigate that road. Personally, I think there is a little something that we can all get out of this book but all I know is, when I finished, I immediately researched her upcoming events. Her matter of fact points and straight to the point views left me all fired up and ready to take on the world. Her tips are guided in a way that can be incorporated into anyone’s life, no matter the cause, and she helped me put my dreams and goals back into focus. I was so grateful for this recommendation so I hope you are too!
I Tried to Change So You Didn’t Have To by Loni Love
I really enjoyed listening to this book. I am a huge fan of The Real and Loni herself, so when she announced that she was releasing another book I knew I had to pick it up in some form. This memoir was light, funny, and full of that “Aunti Loni” advice for how to stay focused on your dreams, get ahead without bringing people down in the process, and finding your true love whether that is personal or professional. There are moments in this book where I literally burst out laughing. Her subtle humour and comedic remarks that you see on TV, are easily found in this memoir; bringing both humour and light to sometimes difficult topics (gosh…her tips at the end of chapter are the BEST)! If you are looking for a funny, energizing listen on your commute, look no further!
Whether it is physically reading a book or listening to audiobook, all of these are incredible reads that I think anyone would enjoy. So grab your favourite cup of tea or draw up a nice hot bath and enjoy!
