At the Araminta Marketing HQ, we are always sharing book ideas and, with Book Lovers' Day, a bank holiday, and two whole social media holidays dedicated to relaxation, August seems like the perfect month to dust off those bookshelves and curl up with a great read.
As we work alongside some pretty inspiring human beings; we have reached out to a few clients, co-workers and friends to share their favourite books with you too. There’s something for everyone in this month’s reading list and a few delightfully unexpected answers!
Jennifer Ball, Corporate Communications Manager at Ballymore
Invisible Women: exposing data bias in a world designed for men. By Caroline Criado Perez.
Every chapter has me ready to start a revolution. Must read for anyone able to make an impact on how we design the world, and all its parts and systems.
Daniel Horner, Co-Founder of Chimera Recruitment
I’m a bit of a sucker for crime thrillers and over the past three months, I’ve been reading books by the Author Katerina Diamond. I wouldn’t say there’s a specific line that resonates with me, however the storylines from the six books she has written are incredibly tense, enthralling, and test your morals to the point where you find yourself rooting for what could be perceived as an unjust character. It’s a constant battle between right and wrong decisions with the ramifications of both having a great effect on the outcome of the plot - something I enjoy reading, testing the stability of the mind along with your morals being pushed to the edge of no return.
Camilla Pascucci, Secretary at COPRA
I’m currently on holiday and am immensely enjoying this epic book Washington Black...historical, emotional, devastating and uplifting...
Book of the summer 📚 ❤️❤️
Tash Clifford, Account Manager at Araminta Marketing
I'm currently reading Dark Skies: A Journey Into The Wild Night by Tiffany Francis, which explores human's relationship with the night sky, from geography and physics to art and folklore. Such a fascinating read on the stories that shaped us, and have been told and retold everywhere there are humans.
Amandeep Panglin, Founder of Alchemy Oils
I love reading anything by Nora Ephron, screenplays, books, she’s always funny and full of wisdom. But most importantly, funny. This quote, I mean, it’s self-explanatory:
“Never marry a man you wouldn’t want to be divorced from.”
― Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck
Florence Midwood, Founder of Culsans Gap Year Travel
Shantaram. It's the perfect adventure travel story, painting a vivid picture of the many faces of India while inspiring others to get out there and create their own stories. It takes a story to inspire one!
Emma Inwood, Account Manager at Araminta Marketing
Food of The Gods by Terence McKenna
A fresh perspective on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens. Ethnobiologist McKenna studies the interactions of substances and world cultures (past and present), and how the two have influenced each other.
The Body Keeps Score by Michael Van Der Kolk.
Fascinating but not for the faint hearted Van Der Kolk discusses the effect of trauma on the body, with really interesting perspectives from neuroscience, developmental psychopathology and neurobiology.
Ryan Cerenko, Co-Founder of Chimera Recruitment
I have two great books that I have read recently –
If A Pirate I Must Be – Richard Sanders
A gritty adventure story of the true side of 18th Century Piracy. Forget all the hocus pocus of Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean, this is an almost unbelievable tale of a humble born Welshman’s rise to dominance on the high seas, complete with barnacles and all.
Dead Man’s Blues – Ray Celestin
Celestin writes about music in a way that you can almost hear the cacophony resonating from the page. The story is so steeped in 1920’s Art Deco that you are transported and submerged in a frighteningly beautiful Chicago underworld.
Debbie Trumper, Founder of Debbie Trumper Consulting
My favourite book is Celestine Prophecy.
I love it! The book is inspirational and uplifting, it makes you think!!
Pamala Callas, Marketing Director of Atlantic Technologies
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney from Dublin, born 1991 (very young writer)
A quintessential 21st-century read and how handling relationships and relationships themselves have changed so much since the 80/90's.
An intricately woven relationship between 4 characters: Nick and Melissa (married), Frances and Bobbi (lesbian relationship) Frances has an affair with Nick. In this excerpt, Frances is writing to Bobbi in order to get back together with her.
"When there were 4 of us I always thought in terms of couples anyway, which threatened me since all the possible couples that didn't involve me seemed so much more interesting than the ones that did. you and nick, you and melissa, even nick and melissa in their own way. But now I see that nothing consists of two people, or even three. my relationship with you is also produced by your relationship with melissa, and with nick, and with your childhood self, etc. etc."
Araminta Sheridan, Founder and Director at Araminta Marketing
My favourite story book is The Secret History by Donna Tarte. It was one of the first books that truly gripped me. Haunting, exciting and unexpected, I loved her writing style and I could not put it down.
For business, I am currently reading The Million Dollar Consultant. It has been a valuable resource for me over the last few months.
The book I will return to over and over again is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It has a different meaning to me every time I read it. Each time it is equally is important. Thoughtfully written, you feel a connection with Coelho’s soul.