Written by Craig Landale in Books on the 12th May 2020

Whilst some of us, yes just some of us, have a little extra time on our hands during self-isolation we’re finding ourselves reaching for the bookshelf more than ever before. I have two young toddlers so I certainly don’t have any spare time to relax in my favourite chair, wrapped up in a blanket with a nice coffee, whilst I lose myself in a great book. But for those of you who can here’s a little recommended reading from our blogger friends.

“I am currently reading The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard which is helping to keep me positive and focused during lockdown. The book is a pulsing, articulate, ferocious call to claim our personal power, revealing that the main motive of humankind is the pursuit of greater personal freedom. Only two enemies stand in our way: an external enemy, defined as the social oppression of who we are by the mediocre masses, and an internal enemy, caused by our own doubt and fear. This is a manifesto – a call to make a serious commitment to finding a focused purpose and pursuing the things you love.” - Remi Akande, remiakande.com

"I've just finished reading Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang. I really enjoyed reading it because it is so alive with intelligence, humour and attention which made me feel more awake to the world. Chang shows the challenge of trying to raise issues about racism and takes up themes across immigration, love, and sacrifice so gracefully." - Mike Quyen, @qmike

"I've spent lockdown getting enthused about vintage denim and reading lots of books on the topic. Linked to that I'm also thinking about the sustainability of fashion - how the use of cotton is, if not done sensitively, so damaging to our environment. This led me to the book The Garden Jungle by Dave Goulson. This is one of those life changing books with a simple theme. It's about insects and invertebrates without which we wouldn't survive, and how we can so easily care for them in our gardens and environments, to our mutual benefit." - David Evans, greyfoxblog.com

“I’ve just finished The Last Stone by Mark Bowden who is also the author of Black Hawk Down and Killing Pablo, both of which I highly recommend. Heralded as a masterpiece in criminal interrogation the book follows a 2013 cold case investigation concerning the disappearance of two young girls in a Washington shopping mall in 1975. It's not the lightest of reading material but if you're interested in the criminal mind and the way police investigations work, then it's an incredible piece of writing that you won't be able to put down.” – Neil Summers, propermag.com 

 

“I would recommend reading Widow Basquiat by Jennifer Clement – A memoir surrounding artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life. You don’t need to be a fan of his work to read this book. It‘s a poetic yet tragic story of a love life in the art industry, from the viewpoint of one of Basquiat’s muse and love, Suzanne.” - Dan Bartle, ablokeseyeview.co.uk

"I’m currently reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, for the third time. It’s a book I read a few years ago which really changed my perspective of time and also where I focus my attention. It seemed really relevant to dig it out once again, as during these times it’s natural to dwell on the past or feel uncertainty around the future. But reading this book once again reminds me of the importance of staying present." - Paul McGregor, pmcgregor.com

“I’m currently reading Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. I’ve just finished book one and getting stuck into book two. It’s about a man born at the stroke of midnight in 1947 when the British partitioned India and it gained independence. It’s about his background, family and all the religions, superstitions, random characters and noise that makes up India. It’s like a history lesson of modern India through one man’s life.” - Marcus Jaye, thechicgeek.co.uk

”I'm currently reading They Walk Among Us at the moment. It’s a book of new true crime cases from the number one Podcast of the same name. It's ultimately a chilling casebook of horrifying hometown crimes, which is just what's needed to make the Coronavirus pandemic look less intimidating!” - Dan Sinnott, highstreetgent.com

"I’m reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, creator of Nike - the perfect example of the power of start ups. From a $50 loan from his Father, Knight turned Nike into the $30bn revenue game changer we all know today." - Chris Beastall, apetogentleman.com

“I've just started reading Daemon Voices: Essays On Stories and Storytelling by Philip Pullman. Here at Ernest, we're essentially storytellers, and I'm using this lockdown time to reassess and hone my craft as a storyteller. The first essay in the book talks about writers' responsibility, and how ‘we should always try to use language to illuminate, reveal and clarify rather than obscure, mislead and conceal.’ I found this passage particularly striking.” – Abigail Whyte, ernestjournal.co.uk

“I'm reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. The book tells the fascinating story of how Nike founder Phil Knight created one of the most iconic brands in history. Its deep, raw, honest and shocking. A must read for determined entrepreneurs.” – Stephen Foster, @ste.forster  

“I’m currently reading The New Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now is a great time to focus on the things you love and want to improve on. For me, nutrition and weightlifting is something that I’m really keen to learn more about, and this book is the perfect place to start." - John Wharff, misterwharff.com

“I would recommend Ikigai - the Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Ikigai is the reason we get up on a morning. Amongst other aspects, it focuses on how we can stay busy, avoid retirement and focus on tasks to achieve flow. I’ve always had an interest in Japanese culture and how we can apply aspects of their culture to our way of life.” – Simon Holbert, offthecuffldn.co.uk

"I have been re-reading Football Manager Stole My Life by Iain Macintosh. I am not a fan of fiction, and this is a great book which any fan of the game Championship Manager would love to read. It has interviews from the game's creators, and stories from fans of the game, which bring back memories of playing it as I grew up. It is a really easy and relaxing read with tons of nostalgia, definitely something we need for times like now." - Michael Adams, michael84.co.uk

"I am reading This is Marketing by Seth Godin. Seth provides a simple template to help you with your marketing needs. Nowhere does it say that you are selling a product or a service (well it does say product but you can replace a product with objective, service, team, charity, organisation or any other change you wish to see in the world). Seth provides a marketing reading list for anyone who is interested in developing more knowledge of marketing." - Sug Sean, sugsean.com

We feature books recommended by Remi Akande, Neil Summers, Dan Bartle, Marcus Jaye, Dan Sinnott, Stephen Foster, and Abigail Whyte in this guide to the Books Bloggers are Reading During Lockdown.