Within our library collection, we have a varied selection of 'reading for pleasure' books including fiction, sport biographies and books to support wellbeing. These are available for all students and staff to borrow. Why not check Heritage Online to see if we have any of your favourites in our catalogue?
If you don't have a library account, just come to the desk between 9am and 5pm weekdays with your staff ID and we can set one up for you.
The National Literacy Trust (2006) define reading for pleasure as; "Reading we do of our own free will, anticipating the satisfaction we will get from the act of reading."
Clark, C. & Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for pleasure: A research overview. National Literacy Trust.
Image CC0 PD, from Piaxbay
Reading is the foundation of all studies and the bedrock of communication and critical thinking skills. Those who develop the habit of reading have a greater likelihood of success in their immediate and long-term future. College-aged students are also at the point in their lives when reading can open up worlds – can indeed motivate and inspire them for the future.
Dewan, P. (2013). Reading Matters in the Academic Library: Taking the lead from public libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly,52(4).309-319. https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=lib_pub
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Seuss. (1978). I can read with my eyes shut! Random House Children’s Books.
When his wife Brie vanishes from their home one night, never to be seen again, people assume Andy got away with murder. The police can’t build a case against him, but still his friends and neighbours abandon him.
Six years later, Andy’s life is back on track, and he’s settled with a new girlfriend. And when he hears his old house has been bulldozed and rebuilt, he’s not bothered. Things are good.
But then one day, a woman who looks like Brie shows up at their old address, screaming ‘Where’s my house? What happened to my house?’ before vanishing as quickly as she appeared.
And as dark suspicions resurface, Andy’s future depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick is staying alive long enough to find out…
Two women. Twenty years of secrets. And a man who doesn't remember anything.
Or does he?
Lily has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night, she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one.
Alice finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement, she invites him into her home.
But who is he, and how can she trust a man who has lost his memory?
Gabriela is a senior negotiator in the Foreign Office. When she returns to her young family after a seven-month stint in Moscow, something doesn’t seem right.
Isobel is a journalist on the local paper in Camden. After witnessing a violent attack, she starts to investigate. But someone saw her watching, and is making themselves known in increasingly frightening ways.
As Gabriela’s life begins to unravel, Isobel gets closer to the truth, and the two women’s lives converge in this deeply chilling examination of deceit.
This wise and eloquent book illuminates the power of self-compassion and offers creative, scientifically grounded strategies for putting it into action.
29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author’s life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving. Many of Walker’s gifts were simple—a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker’s health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. 29 Gifts shows how a simple, daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.
How do some people bounce back with vigor from daily setbacks, professional crises, or even intense personal trauma?
This book reveals the key traits of those who emerge stronger from challenges, helps you train your brain to withstand the stresses of daily life, and presents an approach to an effective career reboot.
This book helps you understand what empathy is, why it’s important, how to surmount the hurdles that make you less empathetic-and when too much empathy is just too much.