Atlas Of The Heart By Brené Brown

READING DIFFERENTLY

I have always been a one book at a time kinda gal. In fact, when Chaya and I started speaking about all things bookish at the lunch where we first met, I remember my shock when she casually mentioned that she was quite capable of having two, three, maybe more books on the go at any given time. Who was this girl and how on Earth was she able do that, I thought to myself.

Atlas of the Heart, though, has changed things for me. Because it’s a book that I know that I’ll want — make that, need — to dip into regularly. 

Firstly, it is beautiful enough to sit on the fanciest of coffee tables (mine’s a state but hey, what can you do) but secondly and more importantly, you’ll want to keep reminding yourself of @brenebrown’s pearls of wisdom whenever you have a feeling that you think you need to give some extra thought. And, let’s face it, that could happen at any time. 

In Atlas of the Heart, Brown groups together emotions — 87 of them — and analyses them in the most accessible of ways. You will see yourself in most, if not all, of these pages in some capacity. Her words give me so much understanding of what lies behind the language of my own emotions and in turn, how best we can manage those feelings that we all have at different moments. I found her thoughts on perfectionism and stress versus overwhelm absolutely brilliant — and I know I’ll want to turn to them again and again. And again.

An important and visually stunning publication, I’d recommend this book to anybody. Buy it for somebody as a gift, or better yet, treat yourself. Because it’s one that you’ll want to keep on reading, even if you have something else on the go, too.

~ Sophie