I love a good book, in fact my personal to read shelf has spilled over into mini doom piles and I just keep adding to them! It is such a pleasure to escape into a good book and spend time somewhere other than reality, it really helps my mental health on so many levels. The Wonder Bookshelf is going to become a resource that you, (and I) can tap into, to find recommendations on what to read.
Over time The Wonder Bookshelf will hopefully grow. There will be recommendations from The Wonderment team, myself and our guests, whether they are guest authors, interviewees or brands that we work with. At times it can be difficult to find anything to read, you might be distracted, have personal challenges going on or just be unmotivated and that is where a little inspiration can help.
Reading is great for our mental health and self-care, take a look at our article about how reading can be a benefit to you for more information. We even have a wonderful reading challenge in that article that you can take part in. Don’t worry if you miss the start date, this is a challenge you can begin anytime!
So why not sit back, relax and scroll, (eventually) through our library of curated books chosen to inspire, engage and excite you.
Don’t forget to let us know if you read one of our suggestions or would like to contribute, tag us over on our TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and Twitter. We’d love to know what you think of the books and how you got on when reading them.
Keep an eye on The Wonder Collection for other inspiration!
What our contributors said…
- Ciaran – Team Wonderment
The Wisdom of Anxiety, Sherly Paul
I read this book a few years ago when I was in a completely different place in life to where I am now, I was stuck in a never-ending maze which I believed to be inescapable and as such my vision was clouded so I couldn’t fully appreciate the wisdom and teachings that this book had to offer. It gives a unique perspective on anxiety that I haven’t previously seen and is centred around flipping the negative connotations surrounding anxiety into positives, viewing it as a blessing rather than a curse. Ultimately, I feel like this is a must read if you personally suffer from anxiety or if anyone you know does, as it will allow you to greater understand yourself and those you care about. - Erika – Team Wonderment
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
I first read this book when it was released, and since I must have read it at least once a year in the ten years since release. There are three other novels that are part of this series and I have to say they are incredible.
The books are so surprising, every time I read it again I find something new. Written spectacularly with a theme you are not expecting, The Bone Season is captivating on many levels. Engaging, fresh and exciting to read, it is one of my go to comfort reads. - Jennifer Balfour – Guest Author
Book I’m reading just now is Mindfulness Plain and Simple by Oli Doyle its so good and easy to read and just makes me think of ways can adapt this into Therapy also. My favourite part is ” As long as your lost in thought, you are not really living- you are a ghost ” Makes you realise how dark thoughts can be for people and knowing I can support them through NLP and Timeline is wonderful to make the world brighter. - Harriet Barcella – Guest Author
I love reading, when I was a child, I could spend hours curled up with a good book. Right now, I’m reading ‘How to Live When You Could be Dead’ by Dame Deborah James. It is a really inspiring book full of fabulous practical advice – an extraordinary legacy for an extraordinary lady and well worth a read. - Neil – Team Wonderment
Healing For No One But Me
It’s a poetry book that is written in a way that you can read it and you realise that you do it for yourself. It’s not healing for anyone else it’s about you as a person. It’s more of a feminist approach, but resonates with males too, it makes you remember that you are worth so much more than what you think in life. - Jackie – Earthy Nail Polish
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Ooh yes I do, in fact I was reading it just yesterday with my 7 year old as its one you can pick up and read just a couple of pages from any time. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy. - Dr Sona Kaur
The Whole Brain Child – Dr Daniel Siegel & Dr Tina Payne Bryson
One book that I find incredibly beneficial for understanding the brain and relationships is “The Whole-Brain Child” by Dr. Daniel Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson. It offers valuable insights on how to nurture emotional intelligence in children. - Hayley – Marvling Bros
James Herriot
Non fiction: “A Bird a Day” by Dominic Couzens – I’m not a bird watcher but this easy to read and fascinating book that takes you to another world.
Fiction: James Herriot’s Vet series. A humorous insight into life in Yorkshire pre WW2. It is a comment on people in general and very easy to read. - Nicola Rodriguez – Essex House Dolly
Drama Queen – Sarah Gibbs
I love classic garage music from the 90’s so I always have this playing on my Spotify album when I am working. My clients say they feel like they are in a rave if I have it on loud without my ears pods in! - Georgina Sturmer – Guest Author
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.
Effortless real-life storytelling with an important message about how to disconnect, reconnect, and regain control in our lives. - Elise Waters – Guest Author from Paguro Upcycle
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
A light reading, humorous, and entertaining book that has lots of quirk and character. - Karin Stephan – Guest Author from Earkick
Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown
It is beautifully written and remains a treasure chest for understanding and expressing emotions, connecting with ourselves and others in a meaningful way and navigating difficult situations in life. - Sarah Vaughan – Guest Author
Don’t Just Sit There by Biet Simkin
One of the best books I’ve read recently is “Don’t Just Sit There” by the brilliant spiritual teacher and breathwork guru, Biet Simkin. It is utterly life changing. - Tom Walters – Guest Author from TW Body Mechanic
Don’t sweat the small stuff’ by Richard Carlson
‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’ by Richard Carlson which really makes you think about what is important and to let stuff go you usually wouldn’t in order to live a happier life. - Laura – Lovendu
‘Good to Great’ by Tom Collins
I haven’t read anything that isn’t about business recently! If you want a good book about building a business, ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins has been something I’ve recently read. - Tracy Richardson – Guest Author
‘Healing is Voltage’ by Jerry Tennant
There are so many to chose from, but one of my favourites at present is Healing is Voltage by Dr. Jerry Tennant- if you are a believer in everything is frequency, then this helps to add the science to the spiritual with lots of practical advice. - Mark Morton – Journalise
Magician by Raymond E. Feist
I’d like to recommend Magician by Raymond E Feist. I’ve always been into Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and Lord of the Rings is a firm favourite since I was a child – I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it, and the films were a realisation of a life’s dream to see the books come to life!
I recommend Magician, if you enjoyed Lord of the Rings, but are looking for something else in the same genre to move onto. It’s not as ‘high’ fantasy as LoTR with no Elves and Dwarves etc, but weaves familiar reality through the cultures involved, alongside fantasy magic into a brilliant read- and when you’re done there are more in the series, including some from the perspective of the other protagonists. - Eimear Kindling Dating and Guest Author
The Universe Has Your Back Gabrielle Bernstein.
My main take away from this book was that in every moment we can choose to fear or love. This is such a powerful tool to keep you seeing the positive opportunities rather than the negative fear based decision that our mind will naturally tend toward. It’s so important in dating! - Gillian McMichael – Author ‘Coming Home’
The Four Agreements by Dom Miguel Ruiz.
I love the simplicity yet depth of this book. The book reveals the source of our limiting beliefs, that stops us from living a joyful and blissful life. The book shares Toltec wisdom and introduces you to Four Agreements – principles on how we should live our life. I have read this book over 8 times and will continue to delve back into it when having a wobble or a crisis of confidence. - Katie – KG Salon
Think and Grow Rich
I love all business books or anything that I can learn and improve from. One of my favorite books is Think and grow rich. - Kamalyn Kaur – How to Take Control of a Controlling Relationship
Heal Your Body by Louise Hay
“Heal Your Body” by Louise Hays and “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. Both of these books are phenomenal at helping you realise just HOW POWERFUL your mind actually is! - Harjit – Jewelled Buddha
I can Hear the Cuckoon by Karin Sidhu
I’m currently reading I Can Hear The Cuckoo: Life In the Wilds of Wales by a friend of mine I used to work with – Kiran Sidhu. It’s a heartwarming story of how Kiran who lost her mum, found peace, rebirth and a sense of community when she moves to the Welsh countryside. - Yen – Paguro Upcycle
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
“Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. This book has been more than a source of inspiration; it’s an affirmation of my journey from being an accountant to becoming the owner of a very niche business. In moments of doubt or when I’m on the brink of giving up, this book serves as a guiding light. It reminds me why I embarked on this path in the first place, rekindling my sense of purpose and aligning my objectives. - Dhilon – Story Locker
Atomic Habits – James Clear
One book that I’ve read a number of times is by James Clear, called Atomic Habits. It’s a book that helps you to break any bad behaviours you might have and adopt good ones in a few easy steps. It shows how small, incremental modifications to everyday routines can translate into hugely positive change over time. It’s helped me, not only in my working life but also personal life – making changes that have delivered huge benefits. It’s about getting better each day by 1% and being consistent with it. - Jonny – Eco Tortoise
10% Happier – Dan Harris
I’ve been getting more and more into reading recently, so I can actually recommend some. My all time fave is definitely Harry Potter, without a doubt.
However, one I’ve found so helpful recently is a book called 10% happier by Dan Harris. This is a book about how a busy working person, has incorporated meditation into his everyday life. Just 15 minutes a day, and how huge of an impact it has had on him. For me, it was kind of the introduction to meditation, which I find is another can’t-do-without thing for me in terms of mental health. You don’t need to be spiritual or religious to meditate. Meditation is about taking care of your mind. Practicing keeping it healthy.
The other is Mindfulness – a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. This one is kind of set out like a course. It sets it out in a way you can easily follow along and kind of make mindfulness and meditation an everyday habit. - Noah Goldhirsh – Author
“Love, Medicine & Miracles” by Bernie S. Siegel, M.D
This is one of the first healing books I read in 1984. An excellent and ground-breaking book, which changed the ways of healing in our world.
