August 9, 2019
National Book Lovers Day. OpenGenius team share our favourite books
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of diving nose-deep into a good book and getting absorbed in a captivating story. To celebrate National Book Lovers Day, we asked the OpenGenius team to share their favourite book and why they chose it – so you can get some inspiration for your next read!
Jon, Customer Service
Favourite book: The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
“My favourite book is The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I’ve always had a lively imagination so the ability to escape to another place in a book is attractive to me and great for creative thinking.”
Caragh, PR
Favourite book: Good Morning, Midnight – Jean Rhys
“As both an indecisive person and English Literature graduate, this is a nearly impossible task – but (with much mental exertion) I have managed to whittle my list down to one. Honourable mentions include Mrs Dalloway, Lolita and The Accidental. But, seeing as this book is often overlooked despite being an indisputable gem, I’m going to pick Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys; it’s a beautiful, literary amble through Paris full of absinthe – what’s not to love?”
Rachel, Marketing
Favourite book: Follow You Home – Mark Edwards
“As much as I would always put Harry Potter at the very top of my list, I decided to choose Follow You Home by Mark Edwards. His novels are always focused on such relatable characters, and I think I read Follow You Home in just a couple of days. Other favourite books include I Let You Go (if you love a great twist!), What Alice Forgot (a lovely novel which gets you thinking about the type of person you want to be in 10 years time – and it’s from the same author as Big Little Lies, so need I say more?) and Doctor Sleep.
Caitlin, Customer Service
Favourite book: The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
“When I was 15, my father gave me a pile of books that I absolutely had to read before I was 16, on top of this pile was The Wasp Factory. It is difficult to put into words why I have such a love for this book without sounding a little bit sadistic. This is not a typical coming of age story, it’s an unflinching tale of 16-year-old Frank, making sense of his world through violence, ritual and sacrifice. Franks actions are horrifying, but his own calm, rationale behind the actions is far more disturbing. It’s not hyperbole to say, this is the sort of book that changes people.”
Krystian, Creative Media
Favourite book: Imajica – Clive Barker
“Why is it so painful to decide on a favourite book? It feels too personal. DFW once described the reading of a book as a kind of relationship with its author, ‘an exchange between consciousnesses, a way for human beings to talk to each other about stuff we can’t normally talk about’. So, in a sense, it’s like we’re choosing one friend over the other.
The fantasy genre isn’t one I regularly indulge in. With Barker though, you get the sense he could write anything. Beautifully erudite prose that rivals any literary writers; characters that are alive, living long-after the closing pages of the book; his ability to weave worlds (get it?) that are so firm and realised, you’d be forgiven to think you might be able to set foot on them – through whichever Caroll-esque point of entry he’s designed.
Sorry, Don DeLillo’s White Noise, Will Self’s Umbrella, J.G Ballard’s The Atrocity Exhibition and too many more to mention. Can we still be buds?”
Peder, Development
Favourite book: The Dig – Alan Dean Foster
“As a person who doesn’t really enjoy reading books, this is one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It’s possible this is connected to the fact it’s based off an adventure game by the same name I also very much enjoyed.”
Chris, CEO
Favourite book: The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
“My favourite book is one of the best business books ever written – yet it is rarely read by people in business. It was published in 1943 and sold over 140m copies worldwide. It’s a children’s book, but the underlying message is about adults and how we lose our ability to use our imagination as we age. It’s definitely a book some corporate dinosaurs could do with giving a read.”
Here at OpenGenius, we truly believe in the power of creativity and the benefits that creative thinking can have on our productivity and ability to be innovative. Reading is a fantastic way to exercise your brain, by getting you to think differently and lighting up your imagination.
Reading and creative thinking can be viewed almost like a mental workout – and just like our physical exercise, if we fall out of the habit of working these muscles, they begin to lose their strength. Picking up a good book every now and then is a sure way to keep your creative brain engaged and inspired.
In today’s fast-paced world of gadgets, online streaming services and gaming, taking the time to truly switch off with a good book actually leads to better concentration – which ultimately leads to clearer thinking. Stepping away from your devices and clearing your mind through the imaginative thinking that comes with reading, actually allows you to return to your daily routine and tasks with a fresh perspective. And this is a much-needed approach when trying to expand your thinking and come up with innovative solutions to your everyday challenges.
Interested in boosting your creative thinking even further? Our CEO Chris Grifffith’s latest book The Creative Thinking Handbook provides an insightful look at what makes creative thinking so powerful, with practical tips and advice you can use in your own life to make creativity a seamless part of your working process.
What are some of your favourite books that you just can’t put down? Let us know in the comments below!