New Year, Same Great You Reads

Happy New Year! Like most of us, I’m a little wary of what 2025 will bring in terms of the wider world. But since I can only control what I do and how I react, I’m focusing on that. 

You may have noticed that I don’t read a lot of nonfiction. And when I do, I usually borrow books from the library, read a few chapters, skim the rest, and then decide whether to buy them or not—since nonfiction takes me much longer to finish than novels. PSA: I do the same with cookbooks, testing a few recipes before committing. It’s a great way to gauge whether a cookbook is worth the investment.

I don’t subscribe to the cult of constant self-improvement, but I do resonate with this quote from Sōtō Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki: “Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.” Mark Manson expands upon this quote here. 

So, if you’ve started the new year with an eye toward a little improvement (and no shade if you haven’t), here are a few books that might pique your interest. As I wrote about each one, I realized I’ll be rereading them all this year—because, as Shunryu Suzuki might say, I can still (always?) use a little improvement.

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor 
If I buy your BBC Maestro class after reading your book (which I did after reading Breath) you know your book has struck a chord. Anyone who’s tried yoga, meditation, or box breathing knows that all breathing is not equal. In Breath, Nestor goes down a rabbit hole of medical texts and pulmonology, biochemistry and other studies, as well as looking at the science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, to explore why we’ve lost the ability to breathe properly—and how we can reclaim this essential bodily function. I still practice some of the exercises from his book almost four years after I read it – try cross country skiing while breathing through your nose the whole time. It’s hard! – and when I reread this in 2025, I’ll be working on fine-tuning my breathing techniques. 

The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler 
When a book makes you cry in the first few chapters because you feel so seen, you know you’ve found the right book at the right time. And when you follow the author on social media after reading it, and everyone else shares the same sentiments, you know you’ve found your tribe. Schafler’s book is empowering because she doesn’t believe you need to “recover” from perfectionism; instead, she recommends embracing it. The goal is to become an adaptive perfectionist—optimistic, motivated, and energetic—rather than a maladaptive perfectionist who rarely feels satisfied and tries to avoid failure or shame. Not sure if you're a perfectionist? Take the quiz on Schafler’s site; you might be surprised. (Oh, and I’m mainly a Parisian Perfectionist, with equal smaller doses of Classic, Intense, and Procrastinator Perfectionist mixed in.)

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
I’m cautious about signing up for too many newsletters (thank you for subscribing to mine!), so if I sign up for an author’s newsletter just a few chapters into their book, you know they’ve got something valuable to say to. Starting with the premise that if we live to roughly eighty, we will live for four thousand weeks, in Four Thousand Weeks Burkeman challenges the idea that we can “have it all” or “be it all” or “hack” our way into doing everything. The key to living a meaningful and productive life is to focus on what truly matters to you. What stuck with me most is what he said about hobbies, which I’ll paraphrase as it’s okay to be bad at your hobby. Hobbies aren’t about being productive; they’re about joy and enjoyment, free from the pressure of results.  So, as you step into 2025, remember: you can do things simply because they’re fun—not because they serve a goal. I’m about to read his Meditations for Mortals, too, so I’ll report back! 

A few little something extras:

I’m starting the year with three little extras, two things to read and one to listen to:

Flow Magazine: Dutch magazine Flow stopped publishing their English edition during Covid, but it’s finally back! I just spotted it at Indigo. Flow is all about slowing down, tapping into creativity, and savouring the small joys and beauty of everyday life. Plus, they include lots of delightful paper goodies—like notepads, stickers, and wrapping paper—what’s not to love?

Oh Reader: A magazine about reading? Did they create this just for me? Why didn’t I launch this magazine? This was the perfect Christmas gift and is a must-read for anyone who loves reading about reading, which is not as meta as it sounds.

The Rest is Entertainment Podcast: A podcast from the creator of The Thursday Murder Club books and a current affairs and celebrity columnist for The Guardian, with insider insights on TV, film, journalism, and a definite UK slant? Yes, please! Whether they’re discussing the best flavours of Quality Street (the purple ones, obvs!), how to film TV shows in cemeteries, or how much it really cost to film Beast Games, it’s always a fun listen.