Tag Archives: #Reading

6 books that will change how you see the world

August 4, 2016Non-fiction, Uncategorized#Nonfiction, #Reading, #readingtipsTeam Booko

Consider what words of advice, experiences or books you have read that have made a lasting impact on your life. The best thing about reading when you are going through a challenging time or even just a period of change, is that someone who has been there before can help, if only in a small way. Here are our recommendations of books that have changed our lives for the better, or tipped our perspective on its head for a moment in time.

The Invisible Gorilla and Other Ways our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons

The funny thing is, we feel like we have a reasonable understanding of how our mind works. The authors of ‘The Invisible Gorilla’ challenge this when they show just how our mind plays tricks on us and why people succumb to everyday illusions. The Invisible Gorilla shows how our intuition deceives us and how we can ‘train our brain’ to withstand it’s effects.

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert argues that our ability to remember past happiness is flawed. Added to this is that our ability to predict what will make us happy is not well developed. The net result is that our human minds are working against our own happiness. This book explores how we can best challenge ourselves to seek happiness.

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

The premise of this book is that every day you go to work to trade the hours of your life for money. If you spend that money on things you don’t need, you are essentially trading your life for material possessions that don’t add value to your life. This is a classic financial self-help book that offers a nine-step program for how to live a more meaningful life, showing readers how to get out of debt, save money, reorder priorities, and convert problems into opportunities.

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.” A classic book that has helped thousands for over a century, “As a Man Thinketh” is based on the premise of ‘you are your thoughts’ and provides a guide on how to use your thoughts to the betterment of your life.

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

This book explores the thinking that the internet, for all its instantaneous information, is making us stupid. We are losing the ability to think deeply due to the ease with which we can easily source the answers to just about any question we can think of. “The Net’s interactivity gives us powerful new tools for finding information, expressing ourselves, and conversing with others. It also turns us into lab rats constantly pressing levers to get tiny pellets of social or intellectual nourishment.”

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicolas Taleb

From the author of international bestseller The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness is the bestselling account of the hidden role of chance in life and the markets.Everyone wants to succeed in life. But what causes some of us to be more successful than others? Is it really down to skill and strategy – or something altogether more unpredictable? This book is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world.

How reading makes you more creative

August 1, 2016Blog, Top Tips#Reading, #readingtipsTeam Booko

Our lives are fast flowing and are becoming increasingly so. In this digital age of capturing virtual Pokemons, streaming TV, social media, apps and games, it’s worthwhile considering the impact all of this has on our reading levels. Unsurprisingly, we do seem to be reading less: children under 13 still enjoy the act of reading a book but studies are showing a decline in reading after the onset of puberty.

So what are we missing out on? The standard benefits of enjoying a book are relaxation, improvements in our literacy as well as its soporific effects. But what if I told you it could help improve your creativity? Creativity for Life recommends reading books (as opposed to blogs, short stories or small passages of writing) as a way of ‘turning on’ your brain.

Experiencing different genres

20 minutes set aside each day to read different genres will gradually enable your mind to think differently and as such, your creativity will be released. If you are a fan of a particular writing style, challenge yourself with another.

Building our concentration levels

There are so many channels that we have access to (mobile/social media/television etc) that we don’t truly concentrate on a single thing at any given point in time. We are becoming the kings and queens of multi-tasking – but at what expense? Books have a way of truly absorbing our concentration like other channels can’t. The benefits of this are that, like any muscle, constant use will increase our concentration levels, which improves our creative abilities.

Improving our vocabulary

I was a prolific reader during Primary school in particular. I also featured in the top end of town when it came to spelling tests. The reason? I discovered words I had never been taught in the classroom just from reading books. This improved my spelling abilities as I came across and then unpicked these new words. Reading improves our vocabulary like few channels can. Constantly challenging ourselves by reading more complex texts and different genres will compound this effect. That’s something you can’t get from Facebook.

Increasing brain functionality

Research that came out of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, has discovered that reading books increases connections in the brain which makes permanent neurological changes (like a muscle memory).

So there are a number of great reasons to pick up a book instead of your smartphone. Here are our recommended reads that celebrate the art of reading:

So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson

A self-described ‘readaholic’, Nelson’s memoir highlights the interplay between our lives and the books we read. “How do you choose your books?’ my friends had asked. Less than a week into my project, I can now tell them the beginning of the truth. I don’t always choose the books, I’ll say. Sometimes the books choose me.”

Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books by Lynn Sharon Schwartz

The author explores the role of books and literature in our lives, interweaving the story of her own Brooklyn childhood with memories of special books and thoughts on how books have shaped her world. “Like the bodies of dancers or athletes, the minds of readers are genuinely happy and self-possessed only when cavorting around, doing their stretches and leaps and jumps to the tune of words.”

How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen

Quindlen provides her thoughts on the role that books and reading have played in her life. She also discusses the importance of reading broadly with reference to some of the favourite books she has read. “Books became the greatest purveyors of truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs

In recent years, cultural commentators have sounded the alarm about the dire state of reading in America. Americans are not reading enough, they say, or reading the right books, in the right way. In this book, Alan Jacobs argues that, contrary to the doomsayers, reading is alive and well in America. There are millions of devoted readers supporting hundreds of enormous bookstores and online booksellers.

For further reading on books as brain food, visit our Pinterest page.

Take 5: Favourite Children’s Books

July 27, 2016Children, Fiction, Uncategorized#Childrensbooks, #ChildrensLiterature, #Fiction, #ReadingKaren Seligman

What are your favourite children’s books? This is the sort of question that leads to passionate debate – because childhood favourites can leave such strong impressions on young, uncrowded minds; they may even inspire or shape the young reader’s identity. Here are five critically acclaimed and hugely popular books that may already be part of your Favourites List; they certainly deserve to be the catalysts that trigger a lifelong love of reading:

Matilda by Roald Dahl

It’s hard to single out just one Roald Dahl book, but as a booklover-turned-librarian, I have a soft spot for Matilda. Matilda is a story that celebrates intelligence and the transformative power of reading; there is sympathetic portrayal of libraries and librarians (the best ones are always welcoming and non-judgmental), and there is a good-versus-evil battle that makes you want to shout and cheer! The success of the recent musical adaptation has renewed awareness for this well-known and well-loved book. What better way to relive the show than to revisit the original book, in this theatre tie-in edition?

The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

The Jolly Postman has everything that will delight little children – rollicking rhymes, fairytale mashups, cute drawings, things to spot in the detailed illustrations, and little cards, letters and a mini-book to take out of dainty envelopes! On one busy day, this Jolly Postman rides his red bicycle delivering mail to villagers including Goldilocks, a Giant and the Big Bad Wolf. Can he avoid being eaten and get home in time for dinner? Books by the Ahlbergs feature regularly in “Best of” Lists, and The Jolly Postman is a classic example of their affectionate and whimsical style. There’s lots of laugh-out-loud humour for both adults and children too.

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Mirror is a brilliant picture book for all ages, because it is not only beautifully crafted, but inspiring and thought-provoking as well. It has a creative dual-book format that shows the stories of two families – one in Australia, one in Morocco – unfolding simultaneously. The visually stunning spreads, in Jeannie Baker’s distinctive, meticulous collage, show that despite external differences such as landscape and clothing, the two families are essentially the same, in their need for connection and belonging. Winner of awards in both Australia and the UK for its technical excellence and humanitarian message, Mirror is worth revisiting now, when foreignness is creating much fear and doubt.

The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth may be better known in the US than in the UK and Australia; but with fans including Maurice Sendak and Philip Pullman, think of it as the choice of Those in the Know. The Phantom Tollbooth is about Milo, a bored boy who goes on a fantastical quest after driving through a magical tollbooth. Norton Juster has huge fun with words in the Phantom Tollbooth, where much of the action is linked to wordplay (for example, Milo’s watchdog companion is half-dog, half-watch; to reach an island called Conclusions, they have to jump). This annotated edition celebrates the incredible richness in Norton Juster’s language, which references mathematics, philosophy, and science besides the extensive wordplay. The Phantom Tollbooth reminds us of the power of learning, and has been described as a modern-day Alice in Wonderland.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

With over 450 million copies sold, the Harry Potter series is probably the most popular children’s books of all time. Although the original books and films concluded years ago, Potter mania shows no sign of waning – with a thriving fandom developing its own traditions including a Quidditch World Cup (which recently attracted 21 teams from countries worldwide). The story of the Boy Wizard has classic themes of friendship, adventure quest and personal growth that doubtless will continue to engage and resonate with readers. In anticipation of the soon-to-come Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, relive the original story with this beautiful full-colour illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

How to set up a reading space for kids

July 25, 2016Children, Uncategorized#Children, #Childrensbooks, #ChildrensLiterature, #Reading, #readingtipsTeam Booko

There’s nothing like having a comfy, quiet space to enjoy reading a good book. In order to spark an interest and engagement in reading with our kids, the same idea applies. When it comes to teaching your child to read, finding a special reading space promotes quiet and calm and is particularly good for children who struggle to concentrate.

A reading nook doesn’t need to cost hundreds of dollars or follow the latest design trends, but we’ve looked into some of the recommendations from My Little Bookcase and Creatingalearningenvironment.com to firm up our ideas. Here are our tips on setting up a reading space for kids:

Light – Set up a space in a light-filled room. Use lamps when required to create a warm, ambient glow. There should be enough light to be able to read the books easily but also create a lovely atmosphere.

Enclose a space – Children love the idea of a ‘cubby’ or a secret space just for them. It’s also nice to enclose a space within a larger room, so their reading nook is easy to identify. Different ways to do this are to set up a tent over a few floor cushions. Other ideas are to take the doors off a cupboard and deck out the shelves with books, adding seating into the bottom. We love this version by Playtivities.com

Make it cosy – By adding floor cushions, soft toys and throw rugs, the reading nook will become a favourite place to ‘chill out’ and relax after a day at daycare or school. Adding comfy elements will also allow the child to ‘make it their own’.

Add some books – Make sure that books are at your child’s eye level. Find different ways of storing the books, such as in baskets and bins. Mix up the books so that a selection of their book collection are sitting in the reading nook. A great idea is to ask your child to select which books are brought into the reading nook at a time and when they should be swapped for new ones. This promotes ownership of the space. Other ways to store books is to create a reading bench, such as that featured in Creatingalearningenvironment.com. A simple idea of turning a bookshelf on it’s side, adding a padded top and filling it with books creates a beautiful and cost effective DIY reading bench. We love this!

So that’s it! A reading nook doesn’t need to be over-engineered, it just needs a few basic elements to become part of your child’s learning journey.

Looking through the ideas on Pinterest there are amazing and intricate reading nooks and spaces that clever people have created for their children. Here are some of our favourites.

Famous authors who don’t reveal their true names

May 25, 2016Blog, Fiction, Writing#Fiction, #pseudonyms, #ReadingKaren Seligman

The use of pen names or pseudonyms is a time-honoured tradition in writing; many famous authors, including J.K. Rowling, Dr Seuss and Stephen King from last week’s blog post, have used one. Sometimes pseudonyms are used to obscure gender (such as for J.K. Rowling); sometimes it allows established writers to experiment with different genres; sometimes they are used simply to maintain privacy. Here are some celebrated literary pseudonyms, past and present:

The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante

Book one: My Brilliant Friend

The true identity of Elena Ferrante, author of the Neapolitan Novels (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child), is the biggest literary mystery around. We know that she really is female and Italian, but Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym and she has never made a public appearance. The mystery adds enigmatic glamour to this saga about the intense friendship and rivalry between Elena and Lila, which spans 60 years through much personal and social turmoil. The Neapolitan Novels have been widely praised for their complex and visceral depiction of female friendship and experiences.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler)

Book 1: The Bad Beginning

Lemony Snicket is not just a pseudonym, but a character in the darkly funny A Series of Unfortunate Events. Author Daniel Handler writes as Lemony Snicket, a hapless writer who documents the misfortunes of the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus and Sunny – after their parents die in a house fire. Throughout the 13-part series, the children try to foil their evil guardian Count Olaf – who wants to steal their inheritance – while unravelling the mystery surrounding their parents’ death. The absurdist gothic grimness of these stories makes them popular with kids and adults alike, and reflect Daniel Handler’s love of Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey.

The Bride Stripped Bare by Anonymous (aka Nikki Gemmell)

Years before 50 Shades of Grey, there was The Bride Stripped Bare. The Bride Stripped Bare was published anonymously, and purported to be a diary documenting the secret sex-life of a seemingly-contented young wife. Praised for its subversive role-reversals and uncompromising portrayal of female sexuality, it became a publishing sensation, bringing respectability and literary kudos to erotic fiction. The anonymous author was quickly outed as established-author Nikki Gemmell, who said anonymity during the writing process was liberating, enabling her to tell a much franker, more honest story.

Unfinished Portrait by Mary Westmacott (aka Agatha Christie)

Agatha Christie, Queen of Crime, also used a pseudonym to escape her established reputation. Over a period of 30 years, she wrote six “psychological romances” under the name of Mary Westmacott. These bitter-sweet stories explored love and relationships in all of their destructive, obsessive glory. Unfinished Portrait is the story of Celia, a young writer in the midst of divorce and contemplating suicide. She meets Larraby, a successful painter, who manages to dissuade her, and discovers her life story in the process. Unfinished Portrait is semi-autobiographical and offers fascinating glimpses into the otherwise very private life of Agatha Christie.

They’re a Weird Mob by Nino Culotta (aka John O’Grady)

A somewhat-forgotten classic now reissued with a great cover. Written and set in the ‘50s, They’re a Weird Mob documents the (mis)adventures of Nino Culotta, an Italian journalist recently arrived in Australia. Nino is on assignment, to learn and describe the Australian lifestyle to readers back home. Knowing only proper English (from textbooks), Nino is bewildered by Aussie slang and customs, resulting in many hilarious encounters. They’re a Weird Mob has been hugely successful, with readers loving the way it pokes affectionate fun at Australian society. It may not be politically correct by modern standards (Nino Culotta is really John O’Grady, who is Irish) but it perfectly captures the beginnings of multicultural Australia.

The Modern Book Club

February 29, 2016Uncategorized#bookclub, #ReadingTeam Booko

Book clubs offer a great opportunity to read widely, challenge ideas and develop your critical thinking. It’s also a great way to increase connection with others that is sometimes lost in our busy lives. You can either start one yourself or join an existing one (be it real or virtual). We’ve explored some celebrity book clubs and have some tips for starting one yourself.

Our Shared Shelf – Emma Watson

In case you haven’t heard, Emma Watson has started a feminist book club. Called ‘Our Shared Shelf’, it’s open to anyone who wants to join and meetings are conducted through a group on Goodreads. To become a member, you just need to register for an account and join on the group’s page. The actress explained the reason for starting the book club: “As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on,” she wrote. “There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering!” The first book that the group is exploring is Gloria Steinem’s ‘My Life on the Road’.

The Book Club – Jennifer Byrne

The Book Club features on ABC TV on the first Sunday of every month. Hosted by Jennifer Byrne and with regular panelists Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger, The Book Club is a monthly forum for literary discussion. One new release and one classic are discussed in each episode. Now in it’s 9^th season, ‘The Book Club’ is a great vehicle for gathering together book lovers from all around Australia on a monthly basis. Books are selected ahead of time so that there is adequate time to read them before the monthly show is broadcast. Often full of passionate debate and discussion, The Book Club has a large following. The Book Club hasn’t yet started back after summer holidays, so here’s their 5 top reads for 2015:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover

Facebook’s A Year of Books

In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg’s New Year’s Resolution was to read a significant book every 2 weeks. This kicked of ‘A Year of Books’ on Facebook. Books were selected based on their ability to “emphasise learning about new cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies”. Fans of the page were encouraged to post their thoughts on the titles the Facebook page created for the club. While the group has finished, you can still access the titles and comments on the Facebook page. The last book featured for 2015 was ‘The Beginning of Infinity‘ by David Deutsch.

Starting your own book club:

There are some great online management tools for book clubs, so regardless of whether you want to meet face to face or online, sites such as: http://www.my-bookclub.com can be used to manage your book selections, invite members, create discussions or help you meet other book lovers who live near you. The beauty of this site is that you can join a bookclub whose members live all over the world. It also has a search function so you can search for existing book clubs that might suit you.

Booko’s book club:

Sharing our love of books is at the heart of Booko. As such, Booko’s very first book club will begin this month. We’re really excited to be able to connect with book lovers in this way. We’ll let you know how to join and keep you informed of our progress.

How to encourage your child to read more?

October 19, 2015Children, Uncategorized#Children, #ReadingKaren Seligman

Most people would agree that reading is a good thing, and that it is critical to language and literacy development. But not everyone is a natural bookworm – so here are some tips on how to help your child develop a love of reading.

Tip 1: Reading should be fun

Your first goal is to convince your child that reading is a pleasurable activity that they will want to do again and again. Focus on making reading a fun experience.

Tip 2: Target their interests

Choose books that reflect your child’s interests – whether it be trucks/ princesses/ food/ shoes. There are books on just about every topic – the right one can get the reader hooked on reading for life.

Tip 3: Create a reading-friendly lifestyle

Create a comfortable space for reading – it can be a couch, or beanbag, or cushions, or in bed – and stock up on a variety of books or other reading materials, such as magazines or newspapers.

Incorporate reading into your weekly routine, for example by visiting your local library regularly, or by setting aside some “reading time” at bedtime or on weekends.

Tip 4: Model good reading habits

Let your child see you read. Show that you enjoy reading, want to do it regularly, and that you feel confident about reading. You can also explain why you love reading, such as “reading helps me make sense of things”, or “reading makes me laugh”.

If you want to improve your own confidence in reading, there are community resources to support you. Contact your local library or adult education organisation to see how they can help.

Tip 5: Try different formats

Reading isn’t just about novels. Some children prefer non-fiction (information books), particularly illustrated titles. Don’t forget that newspapers, magazines, even recipes and instruction manuals, can offer good reading opportunities – whatever interests the child.

If your child prefers pictures to words, then why not try picture books or graphic novels? There are many sophisticated picture books aimed at older readers (such as The Arrival by Shaun Tan) , and the graphic novel format has been used on a range of topics including literary classics (for example Nikki Greenberg’s adaptation of Hamlet) . Children who like to listen to stories can try to read and listen at the same time – play an audiobook and encourage them to follow the story on a printed copy.

Tip 6: Make it a family activity

Some children may find reading more appealing if it is done as a family activity. It could be reading aloud to each other; or reading silently side by side; or listening to an audiobook together during a car trip. It can even be watching a film adaptation together (and discussing how it differs from the original book). Be creative, and choose something that all of you can enjoy.

Tip 7: Talk to the experts

Teachers, school librarians, local librarians and children’s booksellers all have professional knowledge and experience in engaging reluctant readers. Talk to them and ask for useful strategies and/or book recommendations. Beloved author Paul Jennings, who is also a teacher and speech pathologist, has written a guide called “The Reading Bug and how to help your child catch it”.

Final tip: Relax

Remember Tip 1: Reading should be fun? Encouraging children to read should not be stressful for parents either.
Don’t worry if they don’t read everyday – this is understandable, especially at the beginning. Be gentle but persistent with your encouragement.
Don’t worry if they don’t choose “good” literature, or if they only read about a single topic or character; sooner or later they will branch out.
Don’t worry if they choose something that is too hard or too easy; gently offer a more appropriate alternative, but also respect their choice.
Finally, try not to feel disappointed if your child shows no interest in reading your own childhood favourites. Encourage them to read widely, and one day they may give your favourite books another chance!

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