Joyful Picks - July

Welcome to a new feature here on the blog - our team recommendations! Now that there’s a few of us at The Joyful Coach HQ, we’re going to try and share our current faves with you each month to spread a little joy.

Here are our joyful picks for July…

Books

Sophie’s pick: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? By Dr Julie Smith

We read this for our The Choose Joy Club book club this month - it was full of really practical tools and interesting info.

Sneaky extra: I also loved Idol by Louise O’Neill - a perfect book to pack for any summer holidays you’ve got coming up!

Katie’s pick: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

This was the first book for The Choose Joy Club book club, and I absolutely adored it.

Sneaky extra: I also recently read An Island Parish : A Summer on Scilly by Nigel Farrell which was a non fiction book which followed the people who live in the Scilly Isles for a whole year - sharing the joys, and the hardships, of living in such a rural place.

Lucy’s pick: Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

My book club have just finished Heaven by Mieko Kawakami, which was nominated as the english translation for the International Booker Prize in 2022. Definitely not one for squeamish or sensitive readers, this book journeys into the trials and tribulations of Japanese bullying culture through the eyes of a 14 year old.

Sneaky extra: My current read is called ‘Conversations about Love’ by Natasha Lunn, which so far is a great read for anyone looking to think more deeply about their relationships and how they connect with people.

Podcasts

Sophie’s pick: Book Recco - Between the Pages

I recently discovered Book Reccos: Between the Pages and have been devouring their back catalogue!

Katie’s pick: Out For Lunch - Jay Rayner

I love food podcasts and Jay Rayner’s Out For Lunch is a recent listen, where Jay goes out for lunch with different people and have a chat.

Lucy’s pick: Happy Place - Fearne Cotton

I’ve really been enjoying the Happy Place podcast Fearne Cotton! With such a variety of guests and topics, it’s great if you’re looking for a relatable listen.

Recipes

Sophie’s pick: Bean and halloumi stew - BBC Good Food

This bean and halloumi stew has been a regular at our dinner table recently!

Katie’s pick: Chicken Fajita’s - Antoni Porowski (ITV/Queer Eye)

Antoni from Queer Eye’s Chicken Fajita’s recipe is something I make almost weekly - it’s so easy, makes great leftovers, and most importantly is delicious.

Lucy’s pick: Spaghetti Bolognese - Weightwatchers

Spag bol is forever something that I batch cook and is one of my favourite meals ever! It’s quite a quick and easy recipe to make, for those of you like me who see a 20 ingredient-long list and immediately shut the book.