Book Recs that will make you smarter, fun Personal Curriculum Tips
In this video, I am going full learning nerd mode to give you the best academic book recommendations. 🤓
If you want some books that are easy to dive into and get deep material from, this post is for you.
Make sure you watch the replay to get all the tips on how I have used these books and why they will be helpful.
Subjects & categories I shared examples from in the video:
- F1 racing stats and track info
- Engineering
- Photography
- Drawing
- Astronomy
- Psychology
- Word Origins and Word Phrase Histories
- Geography
- Nature Study and Nature Journaling
- World History
- United States History – specifically the 1st Ladies & places to visit
- History Timelines and Overviews
3 Tips for Fun Educational Reading:
#1 — Lead with curiosity and your current interests.
Personal curriculum learning is all about goals that you have set for yourself, gathering ideas for fun, and expanding your knowledge for your own personal growth.
Any personal learning you take the time for gets folded in and added to your experiences.
Have fun with it!
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#2 — You don’t have to read the whole book for your learning to “count”.
Give yourself the freedom to absorb a few pieces of information and then set the book down (or return it to the library). This is not about completing a high score on a test or having a totally comprehensive knowledge of everything. There are no strict teachers with red pens waiting to grade your work.
Each of the books that I shared are great to dabble in. Read the pages that grab your attention.
. . . . . .
#3 — Embrace rabbit holes and side tangents.
Enjoyable learning is often not linear or predictable. Spend time following an idea that connects to other topics.
Example: a nature journaling book where I was sketching clouds lead me to researching types of storm clouds which quickly shifted to local pollen count numbers and then learning more about my mesquite trees and when they pollenate in the spring.
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I write this in the margins of real life. If you’ve enjoyed it, would you please share it?
This kind of learning feels like a quiet resistance.
In a world that pushes constant input, fast answers, and surface-level knowledge, we can choose differently. These books feel slower, deeper, and more intentional.
If you’ve been wanting to learn something new, let this be your permission to begin.
You don’t need to master it or finish every book, just follow your curiosity, read a few pages, and trust that it’s enough.
I would love to hear from you!
What books have you enjoyed that impacted you?
Thank you for reading my Substack!
I appreciate each of you and what an encouraging community we are building.
🌵Have a great day!
