In celebration of world book day, here’s our top 5 book recommendations for your commute. Wake up. Get ready. Commute. Go to work. Commute. Enjoy your evening. Sleep. Repeat.
The average commuting time in the UK is 62 minutes, and rather than scrolling endlessly through social media, or watching your current series, we recommend reading.
It has been proven that just 30 minutes of reading a day reduces stress levels significantly. Whilst also broadening your vocabulary and even improving empathy.
What have you got to lose?
Here’s our top 5 book recommendations to make that commute fly by.
So, have a read, and take a moment away from the screen, and get lost in a book that makes the commute enjoyable.
Brief answers To The Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
Available in paperback, audiobook and Kindle.
Written across ten chapters, Hawking simplifies the complexity of science and astrophysics into to his predictions of space, time and future. Tacking questions such as ‘Is there a god?’, ‘What’s in a black hole?’, ‘Is there intelligent life?’ and ‘Is time-travel possible?’. Hawking also explores the state of humanity, the effect of rising technology and mankind's response to social issues.
Hawking simplifies topics that are intrinsically confusing, into passages understandable to the everyday person. A science-backed book for those who are intrigued by life's unknown answers.
'Effortlessly instructive, absorbing, up to the minute and - where it matters - witty' The Guardian
Atomic Habits By James Clear
Available in Paperback, Kindle and Audio book
A succinct, clear and practical book written to help you improve yourself by 1% every day. Clear advises how to create good habits and break bad ones. Providing a way to find inner motivation, believe in yourself and improve your environment to put his ideas into practice. Clear explores the importance of making small changes, to see drastic results. Demonstrating the importance of timekeeping, consistency and self-discipline. Providing not only the scientific theory of habits but offers practical guidance in improving oneself.
“A supremely practical and useful book. James Clear distils the most fundamental information about habit formation, so you can accomplish more by focusing on less.” - Mark Manson, New York times best seller. Nonsense: The power of
Not Knowing by Jamie Holmes
Available as hardcover and paperback.
A book that delves into the notion of confusing circumstances and innate human response. encouraging its reader to harness the power of the unknown. The concept of ambiguity is growing in an unpredictable and complex world.
In stressful circumstances human instinct calls for a sense of stability and to resolve internal conflicts quickly. However, Holmes discusses the limiting consequences of fast resolution, often searching for answers in the wrong places reducing the opportunity for growth. Holmes draws theories of social psychology and demonstrates, how we can use uncertainty to our advantage. Using numerous uplifting accounts to change the way we make decisions.
"Uncomfortable with ambiguity? Maybe you shouldn't be. In this energetic, tale-filled, fascinating tour of a broad horizon, Jamie Holmes shows that people often prosper when and because they are uncertain. A persuasive argument, but one thing is clear: You'll learn a lot from this book." - Cass R. Sunstein, professor, Harvard University, and co-author of Nudge.
The Distance Between Us by Maggie O’Farrell
Available as paperback, audio book and kindle.
An award-winning tale, somewhat haunting. O’Farrell captures the way family shapes our lives. With an intriguing plot and characters one can empathise with and to an extent care about. The distance between us is a page turning read, the burb is as follows.
“On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but instantly recognises. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realises that things are becoming dangerous.
They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.”
Grown Ups By Marian Keyes
Available as Hardcover, Audio book and Kindle.
A comedy read in which a character suffers concussion leading to the spilling of a life's worth of secrets leading us to question just how grown up are we? A Tale of 3 seemingly conventional families, the husbands of which are brothers. All of whom enjoy family celebrations and lead a happy and fulfilled life, or so it would seem. The day of a fateful injury the famillies secrets are begin to pour out, leaving the characters asking themselves when is it time to ‘Grow up’.
'Keyes at her best: capturing everyday voices with humour and empathy with writing that you'll devour in a weekend. Just pure and simple joy' - STYLIST
Whether you choose one book from our list or make your way through all of them let us know what you thought of them over on our twitter @KnomoLondon.
