What’s so great about reading kids’ books as an adult? What’s a must-read for nature lovers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Libby can tell you. Based near Manchester, England, she manages Shortform’s social media. We interviewed her recently to learn a bit about her relationship with books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
During our interview with Libby, we learned about a book that made her re-evaluate how she thinks about happiness, how the 2020 lockdowns impacted her reading preferences, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I run Shortform’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages\u2014and also do some blogging work occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wuthering Heights<\/em> is an old favorite of mine and probably always will be. I think it’s just because the story is so powerful and timeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than that, The Beach<\/em> by Alex Garland is another favorite book. I’ve always romanticized the idea of living off the grid, but this book made me question that a bit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most recent book I\u2019ve read is a poetry book called The Pleasures of the Damned<\/em> by Charles Bukowski. It can be a bit strange in places, but it was a good read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the minute I\u2019m reading 12 Rules for Life<\/a><\/em> by Jordan Peterson, which has some really interesting lessons. I\u2019m also reading Limitless<\/a><\/em> by Jim Kwik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next on my list is The Unbearable Lightness of Being<\/em>. A friend bought it for me a while ago, and I really need to get around to reading it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first would be Sylvia Plath. I just think she\u2019d be such an interesting person to speak to. I\u2019d have a lot of questions to ask her about her experiences and her thoughts about books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charlotte Bront\u00eb is one of my favorite authors, so she would be my second choice. I\u2019d just love to find out more about how she lived and the experiences that led to her writing Jane Eyre<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Probably a bit of a clich\u00e9, but Oscar Wilde would make a great dinner party guest. I think he\u2019d be really entertaining and fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tend to like something quite dark with a good twist at the end, so something like Fight Club<\/em> or Shutter Island<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t tend to read those easy-reading, romance-type books, but it\u2019s not due to any particular dislike. Then again, I love some romance classics like Redeeming Love<\/em> and Wuthering Heights<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve not actually tried audiobooks and Kindle, so I\u2019d have to say a physical copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite time to read a book is when it\u2019s raining or cold outside. I love feeling cozy while I\u2019m reading. And I always read with a cup of tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m actually not sure if I think there are any books that absolutely everyone should read because everyone is so different. For example, The Great Gatsby<\/em> is one of my favorite books, but I know a lot of people who probably wouldn\u2019t enjoy it or get anything from it. I think the main thing is to read books about people who have different backgrounds and experiences than yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really love Alain de Botton, as I think he has such a compassionate take on life and happiness. I also really enjoy Eckhart Tolle\u2019s books, because he simplifies mindfulness<\/a> in a great way, explaining how to be present<\/a> in every moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Up until I graduated, I only really liked fiction books\u2014mostly classics! During all the lockdowns in 2020, I started listening to a lot of podcasts, which got me into non-fiction authors like Malcolm Gladwell, Tim Ferriss, and Johann Hari. So, since then I\u2019ve been reading a lot more non-fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I realized pretty young that I loved reading, and I think it started when my grandparents bought me some fairy tale magazines, with each one telling a different tale. From what I remember, there were hundreds of them. Some were recognizable\u2014like “Snow White”\u2014and others were less well-known. I couldn\u2019t get enough of all the different stories!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think for non-fiction it was probably the Horrible Histories<\/em> series. My local library was selling basically the whole series for 10p each, so I was kept entertained by those for a while, reading one every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s a guilty pleasure<\/a>, but I still like reading kids’ books! Books like Winnie-the-Pooh<\/em> and The Wind in the Willows<\/em> are so wholesome, and I love reading them. They always cheer me up and remind me what\u2019s really important in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read Shortform\u2019s guide of Outliers<\/a><\/em> recently and learned about the external factors that contribute to success beyond natural talent and working hard\u2014like background, parenting style, and even birth date. It was especially interesting to read about a man called Christopher Langan<\/a>, who has one of the world\u2019s highest IQs at 195. Despite this, he just didn\u2019t get a break in life and never had the opportunity to succeed as you might expect him to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/a><\/em> made me re-evaluate how I think about happiness. In the book, it says that we often judge our overall happiness based on how we\u2019re feeling in the moment. So sometimes it\u2019s easy to think you\u2019re unhappy when really you\u2019re just in a bad mood. Now that I know this, I\u2019ve found it easier to stay more objective about things like happiness, which usually feels very subjective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite adaptation of all time is the Netflix show The Durrells<\/em>. I\u2019ve watched it a few times now. I just love the family dynamics and how funny it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love most adaptations of classic books like Jane Eyre<\/em>, Wuthering Heights<\/em>, North and South<\/em>, and Little Women<\/em>. There\u2019s something really lovely about seeing all your favorite characters brought to life on the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m a bit basic when it comes to choosing books and usually go with something fairly popular or well-liked. That said, The Outrun<\/em> by Amy Liptrot isn\u2019t too well-known\u2014and it\u2019s such a brilliant book. If you\u2019re a nature lover, I\u2019d definitely recommend reading that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I\u2019m writing a blog post about a non-fiction book I don’t agree with, I\u2019ll usually make it clear that the opinions in the post are the author\u2019s and not my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had this when I was working on No More Mr. Nice Guy<\/a><\/em>, as there are some ideas in that book that I really don\u2019t agree with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were a few books about investments and economics that I thought might be a bit boring, but I actually ended up learning a lot. Since then I\u2019ve noticed I\u2019ve been able to contribute to conversations I wouldn\u2019t have been able to before, so I think it\u2019s pretty good to read books outside your area of interest sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s hard to choose, but I think Man\u2019s Search for Meaning<\/a><\/em> is probably my favorite, as it really makes you think about your own relationship with meaning. With non-fiction, rather than having a favorite book, I tend to have favorite lessons and pieces of advice instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are you reading these days?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
If you could have a dinner party with any three authors\u2014dead or alive\u2014who would they be and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite genre? Why does it intrigue you?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any book genres or tropes that you dislike or refuse to read?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s your favorite way to read a book?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What book do you think everyone should read in their lifetime?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Who are your favorite authors?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
How have your reading tastes changed over the years?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Was there a specific book that sparked your love of reading?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any guilty-pleasure books?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What’s an interesting fact that you learned from a book recently?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Have any books you\u2019ve read caused you to make any life changes or to develop any habits?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite book adaptations and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any lesser-known books that you\u2019ve read that you want others to know exist?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
At Shortform, how do you go about working on a book that has viewpoints you don\u2019t agree with?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Are there any books you had to read for Shortform that you thought you wouldn\u2019t like and ended up loving?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
What are your favorite books in the Shortform library and why?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Libby’s Recommended Reading List<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About the Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n