January can feel like a long, dark and dreary month. For some, it’s a recipe for the blues. But it’s also the start of a new year that could be filled with exciting beginnings and adventures.
It all depends on your perspective.
If you want to feel uplifted and motivated for the year ahead, read on to discover five books that have been written to make you smile. From heart-warming fiction to motivating self-help books, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
1. The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt
This is a delightful and insightful read that explores how we can train our brains to be more optimistic and overcome obstacles that we put in our own paths to happiness.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt uses modern science to test wisdom spanning centuries and civilisations. He draws on sources as diverse as Buddha and Shakespeare to extract lessons that can be applied to 21st-century lives.
At just 320 pages long, this is a relatively short read, and Haidt’s accessible style makes even the most in-depth philosophical and scientific theories easy to grasp. You could tear through this in a couple of sittings.
And yet, this book addresses some of the biggest topics in life (love, happiness, self) and it does so in an interesting and thought-provoking way. So, you might want to linger a little and take the time for self-reflection between chapters.
Each chapter covers a different theme such as, “The divided self”, “Changing your mind” and “The uses of adversity”, ideal for you to delve into one “lesson” at a time and consider how this could deepen your understanding of yourself.
This uplifting read is a fantastic book to keep at hand, so you can dip into favourite sections whenever you need a happiness boost.
2. The Reading List, Sara Nisha Adams
This debut novel was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction in 2023. It’s a heart-warming and joyful book about the power of reading to bring people together.
Adams tells the story of two strangers, Mukesh and Aleisha, who meet in the local library where Aleisha works.
They gradually work their way through a curious reading list, and as they do so, their loneliness dissipates and a magical friendship forms.
The Reading List offers a perfect escape for book lovers. It might tug at your heartstrings in places, but overall, this is a beautifully powerful and life-affirming novel.
3. Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, Arnold Schwarzenegger
You might know Arnold Schwarzenegger as a champion bodybuilder and a blockbuster movie star. But he’s also a powerful businessman, former politician, and filmmaker.
It’s hard to fit Arnie in a single box. Except perhaps the “success” box. And there’s a reason for his stratospheric success across diverse industries.
Schwarzenegger has developed a unique toolkit for creating a meaningful life. One that includes achieving your dreams, continually developing as a person, and feeling content.
Be Useful engages from the first pages by cleverly interweaving compelling personal stories with life lessons that you can apply to achieve your goals.
4. The Wishing Game, Meg Shaffer
Shaffer’s bestselling novel tells the story of a reclusive children’s author, Jack Masterson, who quit writing under mysterious circumstances after achieving astonishing levels of success and attention.
Out of the blue, Masterson announces that he’s written a new book, which he’s launching with a contest at his home. Four lucky contestants will compete to win the one and only copy.
Contestant Lucy Hart grew up loving Masterson’s books and she’s relying on winning the competition to secure her own future and that of a young, orphaned boy she desperately longs to adopt.
And so, the stage is set for a stunningly original tale that combines magical realism with powerfully emotive writing. This hope-instilling story and incredibly imaginative story will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime.
5. Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, Clare Pooley
Pooley’s follow up to her bestselling novel, The Authenticity Project, offers a unique premise that you’ll immediately be able to identify with.
Every day advice columnist Iona Iverson endures her London train commute in silence, accompanied by her dog, Lulu. Seasoned commuters do not interact, and Iona is no different.
But that’s all about to change.
When a fellow commuter suddenly starts to choke, Iona and a group of strangers are flung together, forced to engage with one another for the first time. This interaction triggers a chain reaction that changes the lives of this eclectic group forever.
Pooley has a wickedly funny and clever voice and Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting manages to be both thought-provoking and easy to read. Her delightful story of friendship in a disconnected world is a perfect winter read.
Get in touch
If you’d like to feel more positive about your finances, we can help you kick start your financial planning for the year. Please contact us by email at hello@intelligentpensions.com or call 0800 077 8807 to see how we can help you.
