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Celebrating National Book Lovers Day

Writer's picture: Southend YMCASouthend YMCA

Health and Wellbeing books


Mad Girl – By Bryony Gordon


Bryony Gordon has OCD. It's the snake in her brain that has told her ever since she was a teenager that her world is about to come crashing down: that her family might die if she doesn't repeat a phrase 5 times, or that she might have murdered someone and forgotten about it. It's caused alopecia, bulimia, and drug dependency. And Bryony is sick of it. Keeping silent about her illness has given it a cachet it simply does not deserve, so here she shares her story with trademark wit and dazzling honesty.


Themes:


Addiction, Bulimia, OCD, Domestic Violence, Writing, Partying, Family, Friendship.




Quotes:


“All people belong to a We except me,”


“I can’t help but wonder if I am who I think I am.”


“Everyone has degrees of madness in them, everyone has a story to tell.”


59 seconds – By Richard Wiseman


In "59 Seconds," psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman presents a fresh approach to change that helps people achieve their aims and ambitions in minutes, not months. From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, and resilience to relationships, Wiseman outlines the research supporting this new science of rapid change, and describes how these quick and quirky techniques can be incorporated into everyday life. Think a little, change a lot.


Themes:


Attraction, Relationships, Stress, Happiness Persuasion, Motivation, Creativity, Parenting, Personality, Decision Making.





Quotes:


“materialism takes root in early childhood, and is driven mainly by low self-esteem.”


“When it comes to happiness, remember, it is experiences that represent really good value for the money.”


“Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University and his colleagues undertook a series of studies in which they forced people to wear Barry Manilow T-shirts.”


Good Food for Bad Days – By Jack Monroe


Eating properly is one of the biggest hurdles when you're feeling low, so these recipes (dubbed 'depressipes' by Jack) give you everything you need in a dish; they are inexpensive, simple and filling so that cooking and eating a nutritious meal doesn't seem like an impossible task.


Themes:


Food First Aid Kit, Mugs, Fuelling your Reserve Tank, Breakfast & Brunch, 15 Minutes or Less, Finger Food, One Pan.







Quotes:


“I want this book to be a companion, rather than a misery memoir”


“Time is elastic – I frequently find myself wading through treacle, or spinning wildly out of kilter”


“It’s filling, punchy, and if you pack it with veggies, its almost good for you”


Blame My Brain – By Nicola Morgan


Contrary to popular (parental) opinion, teenagers are not the lazy, unpleasant louts they occasionally appear to be. During the teenage years the brain is undergoing its most radical and fundamental change since the age of two. Nicola Morgan's carefully researched, accessible and humorous examination of the ups and downs of the teenage brain has chapters dealing with powerful emotions, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks, the difference between genders and the reasons behind addiction or depression. The revised edition of this classic book contains important new research, including information on mirror neurons and their effect on the teenage brain.




Themes:


Sleep, Powerful Emotions, Risk Taking, Gender, Depression, Addiction, Self-Harm, Exploring Your Limits.


Quotes:


“Don’t blame me – blame my brain” Actually none of this is exactly an excuse, it’s an explanation.”


“If the human brain were simple enough to understand we’d be too simple to understand it. – Emmerson Pugh”


“You can blame your genes as well if you like… But it’s not nearly as interesting as looking inside your own head”


Maresi – By Maria Turtshaninoff and Howard Hughes


The setting is an island in an unspecified fantasy world inhabited by a community of women who live separate from men, dedicating themselves to the worship of the Triple Goddess. Maresi is a young novice, sent there by her family to escape famine, and still wracked by guilt over the death of her little sister. She loves her new life, the women live austere lives but there’s ample time for friendship and study. Their peace is threatened when another girl arrives, on the run from her violent father, and the reader quickly realises that he will never let his daughter escape. The tension before his arrival is palpable, and the violence he brings with him truly shocking. 





Themes:


Separatism, Friendship, Sisterhood, Guilt, Sexism, Learning, Liberation, Faith, Freedom, Independence


Quotes:


“She does not know how to feel safe.” As I said it, I knew it was true. “We will have to teach her how”


“The moment I become a burden they will do away with me. And I want to live.”


“A woman taller and stronger than them was not something they could tolerate.”


 

Our FYV Youth Commissioners are Emily Harris, Marion Simakungwe, Rachel Roach and Eugene Vlas


If you like the sound of any of the book recommendations from our FYV Youth Commissioners you can also enjoy many of these by listening to them on Audible.


If you would like to read our previous blog you can read them here:




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