I have a bad habit of not sitting still.

This habit of mine makes the idea of sitting down to finish a good book more of an overambitious dream than a possibility.

And if by some miracle you do find the time, how do you know where to start?! 

Over the last year I have tried to set aside mini time slots of 15 minutes to sit down quietly and tuck into a good book, magazine or newspaper - and this way reading is actually doable!

My days can often consist of constant technology and its various screens. I will spend all day before a computer screen at work typing away and answering emails, return home to check my facebook, instagram, or pinterest, before setting up another episode of The Good Wife or my guilty pleasure, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, whilst prepping dinner in order to spend some time chit chatting with my beau before checking work emails on a laptop or phone and flopping to bed...exhausted. With this routine my eyes and ears are continually stimulated by noise and flashing visuals but my mind is lacking creative or imaginative stimulation. Our lives are now hyper-connected and with this kind of 24-7 stimulation it seems almost odd to try and sit quietly in a corner with no distraction and just read. Sometimes my mind does enjoy the mundane noise and mindless stimulation of reality TV programs but I am becoming more conscious of how I spend my time and wanting to really connect with what I do - and this type of routine doesn't seem the way to do it. 

Recently I've been trying to break the techno-cycle and use exercise, stretching, yoga or a simple 10 minute reading slot to take a cyber break. And it is really energising. I've never been a big reader but during the last few years I've found I really enjoy autobiographical or (to use a cringey and somehow insulting phrase) self-help books which are easy to pick up and work through.

With this in mind, I wanted to share some of my latest and greatest reads which might help those new to reading or inspire regular readers to try something new. It's a great feeling to have a good book lined up and sometimes it's hard to know which book to commit to when time is so limited.

Here are my current top 5 must-reads - if you've read them all or they don't tickle your fancy, the picture above is of our growing collection (colour coded for allure of course) and we would recommend each and every one of these!

Happy reading...

LEAN IN - SHERYL SANDBERG

From managing Facebook to managing a family, Sheryl shares her wisdom in an honest, practical and inspiring way to help you reflect on your life, career path and personal goals.

I read this book whilst travelling in Panama and it had me reading out passages to anyone who would listen. 

WORK HAPPY - JILL GEISLER

Written for those managing others or working in groups, this book inspires you to create a happy workplace to get the most from yourself and those around you. It's helpful for how to deal with tricky colleagues and difficult situations and I'd highly recommend it. Who doesn't want to work happy?!

CENTERED LEADERSHIP - JOANNA BARSH

I recently attended a lunch with 100 Women in Hedge Funds and Joanna gave a great presentation on her book and the ideals behind centered leadership. It's based on how to work to your strengths and how to get the most out of your work and home life. She is 4 foot nothing but fantasticness and I can't wait to read this.

THRIVE - ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

From the founder of the Huffington Post, this book seeks to simplify your life and get back to basics - good food, good sleep and exercise. It's well written and applies to anyone looking to get the most out of life and perfect their daily routine. 

Arianna gave a great TED talk back in 2010, check it out here to have a taste of what the book is like. 

HOW TO BE GREAT AT THE STUFF YOU HATE - NICK DAVIES

Appleby invited Nick to come to speak (for the second time) on how to improve your networking, selling and persuasion, and he convinced us! As a Mancunian based in Edinburgh, he was fun, witty and inspiring. Networking is so important in every career and with a life as an entrepreneur of almost everything, he truly has some great advice.  Really looking forward to reading this.