I’ll be honest, I’d sooner flick through shows on Netflix than flick through a page of a book. I have a short attention span, and being a visual person, reading blocks of words is like a natural sleep inducer. I mean, me holding a novel is a novelty in itself… pun intended. My eyelids get heavy, my vision blurs, and before I know it, my mind is in La La Land.
It doesn’t help that we live in a world of constant distraction, be it social media, live streams, online shopping or gaming. We digest information in the form of tweets, have our sentences finished for us (no) thanks to predictive text and emojis.
Even the dexterity of our vocabulary has reduced to shorthand messages “…talking like dis IRL all the time. Y’know wat I mean? LOL.” It’s no wonder why I fear slipping into a cognitive decline. Whatever we blame for our lack of interest in literature, picking up a book has many benefits including stress reduction, memory improvement, vocabulary expansion, and a quick escape from our daily grind.
So, if reading a book causes you mental exhaustion, and you need things to come in Twitter-length captions and engaging visuals, then here are 12 books that might pique your interest in reading again. I have scoured the dusty shelves of the web to curate a list of visually engaging, bite-sized, digestible books you can have delivered to your doorstep. It’s all about feeding your mind, even if it’s one illustration at a time.
#1 For plant lovers Botanical Art by Anna Laurent
From plant to paper, this book captures the beauty and essence of the plant world. Take your imagination on a walk through stunning gardens in this lush book of botanicals!
Learn about different variants of plants, herbs, and florilegia from different regions and habitats through sketches and paintings. Chronicling botanicals from the renaissance herbaria to the 19th century, browsing through this visual book is like going on an expedition into nature from the comfort of your couch!
#2 For knowledge seekers The 30-Second Series by Various Authors
A lot can happen in 30 seconds, especially in ‘The 30-Second’ series – a collection by expert authors covering cities, science, philosophy, and history. Learn about all sorts of things from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Theory and Whiskey to London city in just half a minute.
No matter where your interest lies, there’s a topic for everyone! Each book contains 50 30-second theories, along with seven chapter glossaries and seven potted biographies of relevant key thinkers and pioneers. These bite-sized morsels of information comes with creative collages, illustrations, and captions, making it easy for anyone to learn something new every day.
#3 For entrepreneurs In the Company Of Women by Grace Bonney
They say you are the company you keep, so why not be in the company of 100 inspiring women? Read short interviews with young media titans, mother-daughter fashion houses, stylish hoteliers, and crafty ceramists, just to name a few.
These captains of industries are from all ages, races, and professions – their stories told through beautiful photographs and a snapshot into their work space. Together, they share empowering advice for future aspiring entrepreneurs. Whether you’re ambitious or just want to gain some insight into what it means to stay true to yourself and overcome life obstacles, take a pause from Facebook and take a seat with this book.
#4 For journallers Great Diaries: The world’s most remarkable diaries, journals, notebooks, and letters by Kate Williams
Time travel through notebooks of great musicians, artists, scientists, and poets like Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, and Anne Frank. This large coffee table book provides a rare glimpse and intimate insight into some of the greatest minds of our time spanning over two millennia!
Each personality is mapped out through the history of time, accompanied by interesting facts and gloriously abundant images from their journals and sketchbooks. You never know, it might inspire you to start journalling and keep a diary!
