Your friend is a ‘bibliobibuli’*? Don’t worry - these 3 books are wonderful cures
Stay true to your shelf…
The joy of gifting books 📚
Hello, fellow reading rats! 🤓 How are you feeling this morning? Many of you keep telling me how much they enjoy all the book reviews and recommendations that I have been sharing, and as a bibliomaniac, this makes my heart jump! 💖 Thank you for your encouragement, and your lovely feedback - and if you wish for more book reviews, so you shall receive. #yeahyeahyeah
Say “I love you” with a book.
The next couple of months ahead are the perfect time for serious reading, with hours and hours of rain, feeble afternoon light that looks more like evening, and a bed so comfortable one never wants to leave it (expect to sleep-walk to the coffee machine and back)… Yup, the rainy season is AMAZING. 🤗 So be the best friend / son / daughter / partner / mother / father / human being one can be and surprise your loved one(s) with a new book!
I have compiled three entertaining and share-worthy reads that are not only wonderful additions to every bookshelf, but will make someone’s day for sure. Enjoy!
1. For the friends who fell down the abyss: “Poems for a world gone to sh*t” (PFAWGTS)
Upset about the world, and not even a comfort-meal (burger, pizza, ice cream, cake) can soothe your pain? Say no more: The 62 poems over 140 pages in PFAWGTS will give you instant bibliotherapeutic relief - a pudina hara for your sore soul, so to say - and the reassurance that we all are sitting in the same boat.
Verdict: ‘Prose before hoes!’ The ancient Greeks already knew that reading verses which describe our inner emotional storms can offer great solace. But one shouldn’t expect the world from it either: PFAWGTS’s selection of poems is surely good enough for an inspiring browse, but doesn’t overwhelm the skilled connoisseur with refreshing range or mind-boggling complexity. Thus, the book is a great novelty gift for poetry newbies that, thanks to its on-point cover design, will spark many interesting conversations. Expert tip: Place it in your bathroom, and surprise your visitors with a quick read! 🤗
2. For the friend who has completely lost their mind: “Raising Unicorns - Your Step-by-Step Guide to Starting and Running a Successful - and Magical! - Unicorn Farm” by Jessica S. Marquis
“Raising Unicorns” is nothing but the most ‘corny’ business plan of all times! It decodes the ‘stable’ economy of setting up a unicorn farm in 12 interactive chapters and over 170 pages for all of us who are keen on breeding magic. Take a quiz about “which type of unicorn farmer you may be”, or browse through the typical daily schedule of your beloved creatures. It has rainbows in it, too! 🦄🌈
Verdict: Spiked with real-life case studies, such as “Peggy and the Whispers of Failure”, relevant ‘unicornomics principles’, and worst-case action plans (“How to prevent a unicorn uprising”), in her book, author Jessica S. Marquis showcases her fundamental knowledge about the subject with a perfect mix of humour and sarcasm. Expert Tip: To spice up your routine, simply read “Raising unicorns” whenever you plan to be in public next, and wait for the opportunity to introduce yourself as professional ‘unicornomicist’. Entertainment guaranteed! 😅
3. For the friend who never keeps a deadline: “Don’t buy this book! The Art of Procrastination” by John Perry
A hilariously entertaining love letter to the art of procrastination in less than 100 pages, and all the achievements we would never have managed if we’d actually written the book /started the band / getting in shape … (fill in the blanks yourself).😜
Verdict: A fantastic read in ten short chapters for a Sunday afternoon, when the shadows of Monday already start to cloud the joyful weekend mood, and carry along with them thoughts of To-Do lists, full email-inboxes, and other things we dread. Now, if you expect serious input or psychological insights that help you deal with procrastination, then follow the title, and “Don’t buy this book!” But, if you allow John Perry, a retired Stanford professor and a fantastic essayist, to spend some time with you, he will do the almost impossible: make you feel good about not having done the things you were supposed to do. #yeahyeahyeah
Don’t forget: Gifting books is gifting love - at least in my little universe. 💖
What are your favourite reads these days?
With love from Goa,
Isabelle 🌿
P.S.: You can order all of them on Amazon, but if you really want to make a difference, then order them from your bookstore of choice. During COVID times, they need support, too!
*(Noun, plural.) People who read too much.
