The first chapter….

 

 

I have always been a book worm. When I was younger I would devour in one sitting my weekly haul from our local library, more recently I started a book group. So I have always toyed with the idea of writing, enjoying the process of emptying my head onto the page. A few years ago a lot of my friends were starting blogs. At the time I was temping for a finance company, nine to five data inputting. Whilst I was waiting for the new data I spent my time reading my friends blogs and writing lists of all the things I wanted to do before I died! I decided to try this blogging malarkey, and set up my first blog. As I recall I wrote half a blog entry on being excited to finish work that same day and go and catch a train, moving stuff I can assure you! I deleted it straight away and felt dejected that I hadn’t just started my first masterpiece!

Looking back I can see my expectations were too high, I wanted to write what I knew but my writing was reflecting how bored I was with my job and frustrated that I wasn’t doing something that suited me better. I didn’t have a clear idea about why I was blogging or who it was for. I was worried people would read the blog and make judgements about me, not that I could blame them it was pretty boring!!

So ‘Sunshine and Stories’ is a new beginning, a space to hopefully inspire myself to be more creative this year, to make myself stick to my resolutions and record the journey.

One of my resolutions for this year is to read more of a variety of books. I love my fiction and won’t be giving that up any time soon. However I would love to challenge myself and read more non-fiction, particularly life affirming and inspirational books. I have sometimes struggled with non-fiction, finding books hard to finish on topics I felt I should be interested in but in truth found quite boring. I have been reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin (more on that to follow) and one of her rules of happiness is to be yourself. Let Nicole be Nicole! So I am trying to make a list not based on what I feel I should read but books that suit my very own quirky geekiness! For example there is a book on tidying that I have been wanting to read for ages, not everyone’s go to for feel good inspiration but I have a feeling I am going to love it! So here is my list so far, a book for every month of the year, plus a couple extra! What would your list look like? Have you read and enjoyed any of these books? What was your best read of 2015?

 

 

1) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever by Marie Kondo

2) How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish

3) Big Magic: Creative Living beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

4) Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

5) A life without limits by Chrissie Wellington

6) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

7) Running like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

8) The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz

9) The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller

10) The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris

11) The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam S. McHugh

12) No greater Love by Mother Teresa

13) Run, Ride, Sink or Swim: A year in the exhilarating and addictive world of women’s triathlon by Lucy Fry

14) An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling