Did you know fiction fuels critical thinking?
Ok hive mind, hit me with it — what are you reading right now? My TBR list always has room for more.
But please, no business books! I’m growing weary of hearing the same titles come up again and again… it makes me wonder if we’re slipping into groupthink.
Instead, tell me: what novel are you lost in, what new perspective is challenging your thinking, which autobiography has you gripped?
Here are the three books I’ve brought on holiday with me:
The House of Tides by Hannah Richell
A sweeping family saga spanning decades, secrets, and shifting tides (literally and metaphorically). If you love Kate Morton I reckon you’ll enjoy this too.
And if you think fiction is a waste of time? Think again.
A Princeton meta-analysis of 14 studies found that fiction readers scored higher on measures of social understanding and empathy than those who read nonfiction or nothing at all. Fiction effectively lets us “rehearse” perspective-taking by stepping into another person’s inner life.
Observational studies suggest that fiction exposure is positively linked with flexible, critical thinking, while low-fiction readers are more likely to fall into rigid or absolutist styles of thought. In contrast, fiction helps us tolerate ambiguity and see issues from multiple angles.
Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard
One of my favourite parenting books — so much so that I recommend it constantly and return to it again and again. It’s full of practical, wise advice on how to connect with teenagers, open conversations, and navigate that complex, beautiful stage of life.
Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis
A classic, and a difficult but necessary read. Davis traces the intertwined histories of abolition and women’s suffrage while exposing the racism and class prejudice embedded in much of white feminism.
For me, it’s a potent reminder that gender equality cannot be advanced in isolation; feminism has to be multifaceted, inclusive, and willing to confront uncomfortable truths if it’s to be transformative.
Not pictured: the stack of magazines I’ve also packed — The New Yorker, The Economist, Boardroom, and Harvard Business Review.
So, what about you? What’s on your bedside table, beach bag, or commute right now?