Welcome to Litsy!

First pick of the month! I listened to the audio but this would be a good book to own to revisit. I especially appreciated the section How to be Sane on the Internet. #NonFictionNovember #10BeforeTheEnd

"We often find ourselves wishing for more hours in the day, but that wouldn't help anything. The problem, clearly, isn't that we have a shortage of time. It's more that we have an overload of everything else."
-Matt Haig

🧡 Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
💚 The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
💛 Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

@BookmarkTavern
#SundayFunday

🎧 This was a good listen. I kind of wish I had a paper copy to go back and spend more time with some sections. He makes great points about how this fast paced world sets some of us up to be frazzled or worse. He doesn‘t shy away from his mental health issues and presents them in a way that helps others understand what happens to those with mental illnesses.

This book was very insightful and really changed my view on some things developed in today‘s world. It made me ask questions to myself about new technology, and if it‘s really helping us. I generally don‘t read self-help books often, however as I am starting to explore the nonfiction genre, this book came up several times. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading slightly philosophical books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

When you work on a psych unit there‘s lots to read on the overnights.

We can think about anything. And so it makes sense that we end up sometimes thinking about everything. We might have to, sometimes, be brave enough to switch the screens off in order to switch ourselves back on. To disconnect in order to reconnect.

"The thing with mental turmoil is that so many things that make you feel better in the short term make you feel worse in the long term. You distract yourself, when what you really need is to know yourself."

#Library #BeginsWith
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I was shocked to learn, after finishing this, that this is the same author of The Midnight Library. I throughly enjoyed his fiction book, and found this less than enjoyable. There wasn‘t much new information here about the life, technology, and anxiety mix impact. It also didn‘t have much of an intersectional take on that mix.

I like this book but have a big caveat. If you‘ve read Haig‘s excellent Reasons to Stay Alive, then you only need to read the first third/half of NOANP as the latter half-ish just recaps a lot of Reasons. The first part though, really spoke to me and is pretty insightful. His views on how technology and social media are giving us all anxiety are even more timely today (this was written per-covid era.) Time to unplug. #putdownyourphone

I think overall this is probably a very worthwhile read for most people. For me personally there were bits of it that I found a bit pop-psychologyesque, but that probably wouldn't be an issue if you didn't waste £70k studying Psychology. This is much cheaper and has some good observations in it, it just wasn't for me.

I quite enjoyed the fiction I have read by Matt Haig, so I wasn‘t sure what to expect from this. I was pleasantly surprised. Some solid points about our society and culture with some quirky humour.

This book is a really quick read, and I feel it's a must read for anyone who has struggled with depression, anxiety, mental illness, etc. The chapters are short which also makes for quick reading. There were whole lines and passages I wanted to highlight or underline. I would definitely recommend this book and I think when I'm having a bad day it's a book I can turn to to help me refocus on what's important, and what isn't.

On reading

Enjoying this book a lot
I think I need Reasons To Stay Alive now

Just reading with one of my cats 🐾

Love it. Lots of things to take away from it

#bookmail
Got my familiar green package today!
Notes On a Nervous Planet, Matt Haig
When The Heart Waits, Sue Monk Kidd
Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer

♥️

'Mental health problems are not:
A bandwagon.
Fashionable.
A fad.
A celebrity trend.
A result of a growing awareness of mental health problems.
Always easy to talk about.
The same as they always were.'

This book has some beautiful, powerful, important messages that sometimes you just really need to hear. This isn't a book to read all at once, and I'm glad I took my time over a few weeks. No doubt I'll return to it again!
#TBRChallenge #ABookThats

Haig collected observations, taking a look at how the various social, commercial and technological "advancements" that have created the world we now live in can actually hinder our happiness. Sounds like a worthy read, said the #socialmedia post
#boundtogetherjune @OriginalCyn620 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Weird review... this was definitely a PICK but it's not the kind of book I can read start to finish as a library loan. I'd like this on my coffee table for occasional reassurance. I expected more scientific research and it's mainly Haig's experience and habits relating to anxiety caused by constant connectivity.

I feel like this is more appropriate now than it's been in the past. It's hard to want to be in the present when things seem so dismal but it's important to just slow your brain down.

I want you to know that you are seen. Regardless of the degree of your mental illness or what type of mental health you're suffering with, I see you. I stand by you and I'm there too. You shouldn't be told that a gunshot to the leg doesn't hurt because you didn't die. 💜

A quote from this book came up on my Instagram feed and I was curious. Hopefully this will help take the edge off!!! #quarantinereads #QuarantineWeek10

Engaging and easy to digest, a great collection of thought and advice that are more relevent now than ever!

“Non potete essere simpatici a tutti. Meglio risultare antipatici perché siete voi stessi, piuttosto che risultare simpatici perché siete qualcun altro. La vita non è un‘opera teatrale. Non continuate a provare la parte di voi stessi. Siate voi stessi.”

Just FYI: It is super hard to be anxious while covered in blankets and dogs. I recommend sleepy dog piles to EVERYONE.
#Stella
#Suzie
#Pibble
#DogsofLitsy

This was between a pick and a so-so for me. I think he had some good advice, but some of it didn‘t really apply to me. Like all the social media stuff. Do I like/use social media? Absolutely. But I don‘t check it as often as some people and I‘m not the type to be influenced by people. Overall it was a decent read and a nice reminder we‘re in control of how we feel

#TBRread #wintergames

@Clwojick @StayCurious @BarkingMadRun

I enjoyed this little book. I love Matt‘s writing style (I‘m sure we would totally be best mates in really life 😌) and he‘s perspective on depression and anxiety are refreshing. There‘s a lot in here that we already know but it was still a good read. 👍 Thanks to the lovely @TrishB 😉 #nfnov

There is nothing particularly new in this, it just reminds us of the stresses and strains of modern society and offers some personal tips on how to approach these.
I found it helpful and informative.

“Having access to information gives you one kind of freedom at the expense of another”. Thoughtful sound bites like these are what make up the essence of Haig‘s Notes on a Nervous Planet. It‘s a mix of personal introspection due to Haig‘s struggles with depression and anxiety, as well as a commentary on societal implications that fuel such depression and anxiety. It‘s the suggestions themselves that seem pedestrian and kept me from loving this.

Venturing back into #litsyatoz territory with my next read. #lettern

This book felt like a healing hug. It‘s one of those books that I just know I‘ll be recommending to a lot of people! Insightful, poetic, poignant, uplifting and philosophical. At points, it felt like it was speaking directly to my soul (seriously, one part made me cry!). A beautiful book, highly recommended for any human trying to navigate this crazy modern world!

❤️🙌❤️

This resonates with me so much! Sometimes (quite often), I would rather just avoid the news and focus on more positive things. It‘s trying to strike that balance between staying optimistic and happy, yet still being informed about what‘s going on in this crazy world that we live in! That‘s my Monday musings done 😂

#SoulSeptember @Eggs
#LastNerve

A truly beautiful book! Matt Haig opens up about his own personal struggles in a relatable way, the use of listing, quotes and shorter chapters breaks the book up and makes for very easy reading. This is the first real book I had ever read and I couldn‘t be happier about! 10/10⭐️

#Selfhelp #Nonfiction

“Everything we need is here, if we give up thinking we need everything.” I feel like this book is speaking directly to my soul right now.

Excellent book! " The paradox of modern life is this: we have never been more connected, and we have never been more alone." ?

Every person that is suffering with any anxiety problems should definitely read this book. Honestly, all people should read this book. Absolutely amazing and full of hope.
Well done Matt Haig!

Thought provoking and, oddly, calming me by calling to our shared non-consumable humanity.

This book is a beautiful love letter to humanity, in a way, especially to all of us who struggle with anxiety and overwhelm. It‘s very poetic but also very practical. I‘ll definitely be buying this one for friends. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another important, honest, and open work from Haig. How has society, technology, social media, culture changed, and how have those changes impacted our daily lives? This may be the only book I finish in June, but it was a good one. Lots to highlight and reflect upon.

Very generic (‘keep yearning‘ and ‘love will save us‘). I also feel he implied his experiences were universal unhelpfully. I have anxiety and lots of his descriptions didn‘t ring true. I get ppl differ, but he didn‘t leave much wiggle room for valid different experiences. Authors he quoted who I know I felt he badly mischaracterised, and he was VERY into Sapiens which is 😐. I wanted more than ‘marketing is, like, damaging, guys‘ as the message