On The Page: LMPR’s Favourite Books to Start the Year

With 2013 already streaming by, the LMPR team used January to take stock of their reading habits and ambitions for the year ahead. We present our suggested books to begin a new calendar, from books we’ve always wanted to read, to topics that will encourage self-improvement and development. Some of the team may even use these books as part of HarperCollins’ 50 Book Pledge, which the online book community is already excited about.

Laura Murray – The Secret Daughter, by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

I made a pact with myself, or a New Year’s resolution, to set aside time in my schedule to read a more diverse selection of books on a more consistent basis. I realize it sounds like an easily achievable task, but I must admit that when it comes to selecting my next book, I habitually gravitate towards the fiction aisle. Having recently returned from my first holiday since the company launched, 19 months ago, I perused my beach reads – The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya, Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian, and Left Neglect by Lisa Genova – all of which I highly recommend.

Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly no shame in devouring fiction, but I feel the need to diversify. So during a recent replenishing venture at my local bookstore, I recommitted to my resolution and picked up my first nonfiction read of 2013. The Startup Playbook by David S. Kidder shares the collective trade secrets, insights, successes, and comebacks of some of the fastest-growing startups from their founding entrepreneurs.

Brian Paterson – The Beginning Runner’s Handbook, by SportMed BC

I've always been a dedicated hiker, ready to hit the trail for a ten-hour day at the drop of a hat, but for some reason, running never held much allure for me.

Then, like many others I'm sure, I read Christopher McDougall's excellent book Born to Run and got a little bit of an itch. A New Years Resolution later and I'm following the solid advice offered by Ian McNeill and Sports Medicine Council BC in The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The book offers a 13-week program for individuals looking to train for a 10-km run (originally intended to train Vancouverites for our city's famous Sun Run).

Zoe Grams – The Making of Modern Liberalism, by Alan Ryan

Ah, how easy it is in January to bulk up on junk! It’s the same for both food and literature: it feels more comfortable to reach for the remote control than a book of substance and nutrition.

That, then, is my resolution of 2013: to read more challenging yet intriguing works that help to question, and understand, our society.

Ryan is a highly respected political philosopher, whose work explores some of the most important themes in political thinking. What is the nature of freedom? How does property affect our concepts in liberal thinking? The Making of Modern Liberalism is a detailed, provoking discussion grappling with these questions.

Angela Poon – Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller

Subtitled “Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality,” Blue Like Jazz is a collection of personal essays about one man’s discovery and understanding of his Christian faith. My first book of 2013, I jumped on this New York Times-bestselling bandwagon about a decade too late (it published in 2003).

Nevertheless, it was the perfect launching point for my new year where I intend to pursue my own faith with a renewed sense of dedication and wonder. A genuine and articulate portrayal of what it means to live out one’s faith, this book was refreshing, thought provoking, and inspiring.

Categories: MPMG