It’s Book Lover’s Day today!

To celebrate, the Loft team decided to ask Lofters about the latest book that they’ve read, what they liked about it, and their favorite quote.

Check out their recommendations below:

1. Be Happy Hungry by Coach Edwin Soriano

Recommended by: Erika Lopez (@erikaeydriyen)

Reason: I love this book because it’s like a follow through of my life coaching last 2019 with the author. It taught me about how to break through my limits while being humble at the same time. It also teaches about gratitude through activities within each chapter. To sum it up, it’s like life coaching in a book. Interestingly, I just learned that Hidilyn Diaz was coached by the author as well.

Favorite Quote: “You are not in control of anybody else. It’s their choice how they want to think or to behave. The person we are in full control of is ourselves!”

2. Being Comfortable Without Effort by Soo Hyun Kim, translated by Ma. Kristina Carla Rico and Kyung Min Base

Recommended by: Aesha Calado (@xoaesha)

Reason: The book is actually a Korean book translated to English. It’s an easy-to-read self-help book about finding a balance between your relationship with yourself and other people, trust and distrust, and boundaries and consent. I may not seem like it, but I often struggle with finding comfort in relationships – whether it’s with my family, friends, acquaintances, strangers, and even with myself. This book reminded me of the many things about life that I had to put aside while growing up, since I was too focused on building my future.

Favorite Quote: “Love is in a delicate domain and is never easy. I realized there is no perfect match for me, so my relationships improved without demanding others to change. What’s more important than finding someone to love is loving the one I found.”

3.   The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

Recommended by: Vic Acordon (@thevictorfactor)

Reason: The book tackles how our personal biases lead to poor decisions. Although it isn’t instructional, it clearly explains the root cause of these biases.

Favorite Quote: “Don’t accept free drinks.”

4. My Bright Abyss by Christian Wiman

Recommended by: Josephina Baui

Reason: Aside from being an avid poetry reader, I teach poetry as well. This book gives plenty of insights – not only on the creative aspect of writing poetry, but also its imagination from a Christian viewpoint.

Favorite Quote: “There is a constant interplay between divine and human love. Human love has an end, which is God, who makes it endless.”

5. IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles

Recommended by: Raelanie Loyola (@raelaciousness)

Reason: This book was given to me a Christmas gift, and I never knew that it would be an eye-opener for me. More than anything, this book helped me set standards on how I should live my life and offered a different perspective. Aside from sharing the culture of Japanese people and how they have mastered longevity, it included ways on how to live a simple, healthy and content lifestyle. Understanding simple ways to cope with stress and aging builds a foundation in the long run, and results in a large, positive impact.

Favorite Quote: “You stay in your time. You don’t go backward. I think if you relate to the time you’re in, you keep your eyes and ears open, read the paper, see what’s going on, stay curious about everything, you will automatically be in your time.”

6.   Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Recommended by: Chris Graham (@mr.chrisgraham)

Reason: I like it because it shows how to develop a culture within a group and why it’s important.

Favorite Quote: “Group performance depends on behavior that communicates one powerful overarching idea: We are safe and connected.”

7.   What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Recommended by: Josiah Eufemio (@josiaheufemio)

Reason: This was an easy read. It’s a memoir which makes it different from Murakami’s usual work (i.e. No Talking Cats), but you’d still recognize his writing style. He talks about how marathon training helps make him a better writer. You’ll enjoy this if you enjoy running and writing, or if you’re a Murakami fan. If you are neither, I still recommend for you to give this book a try. You might be able to pick up practical lessons on creativity, or maybe get inspired to run!

Favorite Quote: “I just run. I run in a void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void.”

8. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

Recommended by: Gianna Feliciano (@8feli_ig)

Reason: I think that this book is a good read for anyone interested in business – especially entrepreneurs – since it gives insights on how your company can improve and survive in the long run. It gives a fresh view on business and economy, and uses examples to justify the ideas that are presented as well.

Favorite Quote: “The most valuable businesses of coming decades will be built by entrepreneurs who seek to empower people rather than try to make them obsolete.”

9.   Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Recommended by: Bernice Buenafe (@bernicekiel)

Reason: I’m not much of a non-fiction reader, but surprisingly this book is up my alley. It’s the right mix of entertaining and enlightening. I love the introspection, humor, the tone and treatment, and the honesty of this book. What’s memorable are how long held notions and social standards on femininity (among other things) are raised and questioned; and how it’s okay (and liberating) to be your genuine self despite the world’s (rather traditional) expectations.

Favorite Quote: “This is hard. We can do hard things. And then I do them.”

10.   The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Recommended by: Candice Ryan

Reason: It is a really great and insightful book that will make you reflect on your own life. It talks about Eddie, a maintenance man who works at an amusement park, and how his life is interlaced with the lives of the people around him. This book tells us about his journey as he tries to make sense of his experiences leading up to his death.

Favorite Quote: “This is a story about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun. It might seem strange to start a story with an ending. But all endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.”

11.   First Things First by Stephen Covey

Recommended by: Paul Caneda

Reason:It is a self-help book that gives you a really good insight of how you really qualify what is truly important, especially when it comes to work and even in your personal life.

Favorite Quote: “When we start to look through a leadership instead of a management paradigm, we begin to see opportunities in places we never really thought of before.”

12. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau

Recommended by: Eve Sastre-Soto (@eve.s.soto)

Reason: As someone that has helped many businesses get started, I found this read to be very interesting, since it included stories about people’s passions or hobbies being built into side hustles. This book would be very useful for those who are thinking of starting their own business – especially during these times when other streams of income are needed and much appreciated.

Favorite Quote: “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”

Let us know if you’ve read any of these books, or if you’re feeling inspired to start reading one of them!

If you’re looking for a quiet place to read and to work in a safe environment away from home, you can book a desk at our coworking space here.