World Book Day was created by UNESCO in 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It is marked in more than 100 countries around the globe.
In 1997, the first World Book Day in the UK and Ireland took place to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading.
To acknowledge 25 years of World Book Day (3rd March 2022), some of the GRIT team shared what they’ve read recently and what they loved about those books:
Andrea Codato
Book
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck by Don Rosa.
Why did you choose this book?
I have a very old copy in Italian [Dre is Italian] from when it first came out, but this one is more complete and being in English, others can read it.
What do you love about it?
What’s not to love about it!?
What’s next on your list?
I’m currently reading Tombland, by C. J. Sansom, a historical mystery novel set mainly in Norwich.
Will Corner
Book
Exhalation by Ted Chaing
Why did you choose this book?
One of my friends recommended it to me ages ago over beers at a 40th birthday party.
What do you love about it?
Time-travelling riffs on ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, the rights of AI pets in an abandoned virtual world and a robot that dissects its own brain. Chaing, perhaps best-known for writing Arrival, is like a 21st Century Luis Borges. His short stories are intricate puzzles. While sometimes the concepts threaten to override the characters, the best of this collection explores time, consciousness and technology in ways which are grounded in relatable emotions and shared human experience.
What’s next on your list?
Mieko Kawakami’s dark, multi-layered exploration of modern society, Heaven, and the audiobook version of Cory Doctorow’s tech-savvy, surveillance-era thriller, Attack Surface. I bought a Kobo e-reader last year along with an audiobook subscription and the combination of reading and listening has helped me get through more books than usual.
Aisha Singleton
Book
How To Do The Work by Dr Nicole LePera
Why did you choose this book?
I listened to an interview with Dr Nicole LePera on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast and I found her really captivating and fascinating and I thought that the book sounded right up my street.
What do you love about it?
I found it really empowering. I loved that she broke down complex concepts into something much easier to digest and put into action. I vehemently believe that everyone should read books that open up new perspectives and support you in understanding yourself and those around you better.
What’s next on your list?
I wanted something a bit more lighthearted after How To Do The Work, but I couldn’t help myself and ended up with another heavy hitter called Slay In Your Lane. I have a huge backlog of books I want to read, there just aren’t enough hours in the day! I love the programme Between the Covers, it’s like a celebrity book club and they always talk so passionately about their favourite books.
Shaun Preston
Book
It’s All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels by Robert Penn
Why did you choose this book?
It’s the book that really got me into cycling. I’ve always cycled as a means of transport, especially when I used to live in London; it’s such a great way to see the city.
What do you love about it?
The social history of cycling and travelling all around the world to visit masters of their craft in search for the best components to build the best bike possible.
What’s next on your list?
Not too much at the moment. [Too busy cycling.]
Peter Whitmore
Book
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
Why did you choose this book?
I wanted to improve my workflow and efficiency and have read lots of books on the topic before. I’d heard about this book several times in recent years from various people who all highly recommended it.
What do you love about it?
I resonated with a lot of the observations it made. It felt like a bit of a therapy session, in that it validated a lot of the things I knew already, but presented them in a way that reinforced the benefits I could enjoy from change, and in a way that motivated me more than most books to bring about changes.
I’ve spent a lot of time reading and watching podcasts about neurobiology and psychology, including neuroplasticity and your dopamine reward system, and this book blends with that nicely, too. I highly really recommend it, not just in terms of your work life, but for anyone wanting to take control of their behaviour and habits as a whole to better their productivity but also general contentment and satisfaction in life.
What’s next on your list?
Either The Great Narrative (The Great Reset) by Thierry Malleret and Klaus Schwab, or The Telomere Effect by Dr Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr Elissa Epel.
William Yallop
Book
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Why did you choose this book?
I chose it solely because it was a highly recommended story about a dystopian future. There is something about these kinds of stories that captivates me. No matter how far fetched and absurd some aspects are, I feel like they give us a little glimpse on what could be.
What do you love about it?
Great world building and predictions. Our society as it stands is nothing like what this book portrays, however some of the technology predicted in this book (which was written in the 30s), is surprisingly close to what we have now, just on a lesser scale. Such as genetic engineering and antidepressants in the form of Soma in the book.
What’s next on your list?
I’m currently reading The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss… Beyond this I’m not sure.
Sonia Carnegie
Book
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.
Why did you choose this book?
My cousin got this book of poems as a gift for one of my birthdays.
What do you love about it?
I’m not really a reader as I prefer a good podcast, but I enjoy short stories and poems from time to time. I found Rupi’s words to be beautifully written, simple and elegant with line art illustrations that subtly encapsulates the message in each poem.
What’s next on your list?
I’m big on the horror genre. Ryu Murakami has a series of short horror/gore novels based in Tokyo, Japan. I became a fan after reading In the Miso Soup – I am now starting on another called Piercing (by the same author) – truly terrifying!
Benedict Brunsden
Book
You’re Coming With Me Lad: Tales of a Yorkshire Bobby by Mike Pannett.
Why did you choose this book?
I was recommended this book by a friend who is actually in the police force!
What do you love about it?
Being from a small town in the Yorkshire Dales and growing up I wanted to be a policeman, I loved this book and the series of them.
What’s next on your list?
I’m a massive Peep Show fan, so I can’t wait to read How Not To Be a Boy by Robert Webb.