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Some old favourites and recent reads for #nonfictionnovember. I love a good novel, but reading nonfiction (memoir, essays, reportage, history, science) is a different but equally joyful thing for me. And as you can probably tell by how well-worn some of these are, I read nonfiction books almost like textbooks, underlining, marking and scribbling in the margins. Have you read any of these? Do you write in your books too? #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bookish #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #nonfiction #bibliophile #bookishlove #booksbooksbooks

I meant to post this on #worldmentalhealthday, but it’s always a good time to talk about mental health. If you’re looking for the latest scientific research into depression and anxiety, look no further than this eye-opening book. It will forever shift your perspective on mental health. Johann Hari’s book revolves around his own personal journey with depression, after having taken antidepressants for years and still feeling depressed. According to the answers he had been given about depression by his doctors, this shouldn’t have been happening. So he set out in pursuit of better answers. Essentially, Hari is critical of the dominant view that depression and anxiety are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and must be treated primarily with antidepressants. After combing through the scientific data (which is not nearly as robust as you’d think), he concludes that drugs do help some people and they helped him for a while too, but that they will not cure most of us. The facts suggest that there are biological factors that contribute to depression and anxiety, but – and here’s the point of his book – if we allow biology to be the whole picture, we are being grossly inaccurate and unjust to people who are suffering. Most of the factors that have been proven to cause depression and anxiety are not biological, they’re “factors in the way we live.” Like our biological needs, we all have natural social and psychological needs that must be met: to belong, to feel your life has meaning and purpose, that people see and value you. Our current (capitalist, consumerist) culture is not good at helping us meet these needs; in fact it makes it very difficult to be happy. Also crucial: Hari says you can’t solve depression by only making individual changes to your life. Because depression is a collective problem, the solutions must be collective too. “If you stay broken up and isolated, you will likely stay depressed and anxious. But if you band together, you can change your environment.” — “Your depression is not a malfunction, it’s a signal. It’s telling you something.” @johann.hari — #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #johannhari #mentalhealthawareness #books #bookish

Reading this book has made me so, so happy. I bought it to read to my writing students, but it’s filled my own heart with joy. — The idea of the book was ignited by a shared love and belief in the power of the written word by two women who get it. Maria Popova (of Brain Pickings @brainpicker) and children’s book publisher Claudia Bedrick reached out to writers, artists, scientists, philosophers, and ‘cultural heroes of various stripes,’ inviting each to write ‘a short letter to the young readers of today and tomorrow about how reading sculpted their character and their destiny.’ — The result is this beautiful book. It contains over a hundred letters from the likes of Neil Gaiman, Ursula Le Guin, Jane Goodall, Shonda Rhymes, Rebecca Solnit, Dani Shapiro, Marina Abramović, Anne Lamott, Judy Bloom, Yo-Yo Ma and so many others. Each letter is paired with an illustration by an artist ‘to bring its message to life visually.’ And if that wasn’t reason enough to love this book, all proceeds from its sales will go to the New York public library system. — Reading is magic, plain and simple, and a childhood spent with books shapes us in wonderful ways we can’t fully explain. In her forward, Maria Popova gives us perhaps one of the best descriptions of reading ever: she describes the notion of reading as an ‘intellectual, emotional and spiritual surrender to a cohesive thread of thought composed by another human being, through which your own interior world can undergo a symphonic transformation.’ WOW! — #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #childrensbooks #mariapopova #mariapopovabrainpickings #books #readersofinstagram #amreading #reading #bibliophile #bookish #lovebooks #igreads #booksbooksbooks #booksandcoffee #readersofig #readerslife #readinglife

Lahore transforms when it rains. Reading about depressing stuff (air pollution) but this view is helping me feel better. Working from @comomuseum again today 😍 — #rainylahore #workhardanywhere #work #rainyday #rain #lahore #comomuseum

Introducing our latest: a comprehensive 6-week creative writing course for ages 8-11! 🌈✏️We will cover fictional stories and personal narratives, description and dialogue, point or view and plot. In each class, we will read, discuss, analyse and write. We will stretch our imaginations and build critical thinking skills in an encouraging and supportive environment where fun and learning go hand in hand.⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Every Saturday 2-3pm — Class is limited to 10 students — Workshop Fee: Rs. 12,000 — Venue: Hali Road, Gulberg, Lahore — To register, DM me with your child’s name+age and a parent’s name+number and I’ll get back to you with details on making the payment to confirm your child’s place. I am looking forward to hearing from you! — #creativewriting #creativewritingworkshop #lahore #kidswriting #storytellingforkids #creativewritingforkids #adventuresincreativewriting #joyofwriting #youngwriters #youngreaders #lovewriting

We’re back! Our new workshop is a chance for your little ones to dive headfirst into the magical world of books! ⭐️💕📚 — Every week, we’ll read a new book together: we’ll meet new characters🧙🏻‍♀️🧝🏽‍♂️, discover new worlds 🌈(and new words), and learn the building blocks of critical thinking💭. Every week, we’ll practice what we’ve learned by writing.✏️ ✏️✏️ — There are so many benefits (both academic and otherwise) of cultivating a love of reading in young children. This workshop is designed to do just that. — We only have room for 10 children so please register now! DM me with your child’s name/age, and parent’s name/phone number and I’ll get back to you with instructions on payment details. The workshop fee is Rs. 8,000/month. The venue is our office on Hali Road, Gulberg, Lahore. — #creativewriting #creativewritingworkshop #childrensbooks #kidswriting #youngwriters #lahore #kidswhowrite #writingcommunity #writinglove #joyofreading

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