Belong | Reading Room | Review 1

January 2025 Reads

Dear neurokin,

Dedicating a section of Belong…we are neurokin to books.

In my mission to reframe deep winter as a time for gentleness, stillness and deep rest, aligned to the season, I wanted to change where I choose to give my attention and the information I choose to consume - less news, social media and more information that makes me stop to contemplate and consider new angles.

This is something I want to carry through with me in every season; what and how I consume information and where I choose to give my attention.

I removed news and social media apps from my phone and pledged to replace the increasing time I’d been spending there to picking up books, being on Substack or listening to a podcast instead.

As I write this we’re now in March 2025. So how has it been going with me spending less time on social media?

In all honesty I still get drawn into it, but I do feel my relationship with it has changed.

I can step away from my phone more easily.

I can feel the physical effects of the stress and hyper vigilance of the high stakes, violence and drama that is being played out on the world stage and I can stop giving this my undivided attention.

Introducing Belong Reading Room

Naming this section Belong Reading Room has been inspired by a beautiful newly restored place on Brighton Seafront @readingroombrighton serving up amazing food with beautiful views.

The reading room in Brighton was once a tranquil retreat for residents of Lewes Crescent in Brighton, offering 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵.

That’s exactly what I want to offer you as you explore what your neurodivergence means for you.

That’s why I think our Reading Room deserves a section of its own within Belong…we are neurokin!

I invite you to share what books are helping you to learn about your neurodivergence too.

When I shared what I’d been reading in January the most joyous aspect of it was that neurokin shared back your thoughts on the books I shared and what you are reading too.

Not all of the recommendations were explicitly books that focused on neurodivergence. Titles by Virgina Woolf were referenced as books that other neurokin used to help them in their own understanding of themselves.

Reading Room Review 1

Here are two books I’ve been reading, enjoying and being inspired by.

• Nine Minds; Inner lives on the Spectrum by Daniel Tammet

  • presents the nuance of autistic people. It gently illuminates the richness of autism, the talents it helps to cultivate and how a variety of people have found ways to adapt to contribute great things

  • I love the way that Daniel is bringing the rich tapestry of autistic life’s to the surface, weaving the loneliness, isolation and difficulty that can be experienced alongside their brilliant contributions made in the work they do, the places they live, the challenges they experience and how they experience the world.

  • The nine mind’s explored are diverse in age, culture and their experiences. Their personalities shine through, alongside their stories of joy, difficulty, families, ambitions and natural talent.

  • I’ve now completed the entire book. I understand that the author was using the words from interviews provided by the lived experience the person. I found some of the stories didn’t flow so well in the mix of the authors words and that of the first hand account of the person. Sometimes that made the story feel incomplete or jagged.

  • The stories that have stayed with me are that of the Detective Inspector Warren, the Surgeon Warren and Lana, the autist who has deeply researched loneliness in autistic humans and share’s her own story of loneliness and how it affects the Japanese people in this book.

• How to Thrive with Adult ADHD, Dr James Kustow

  • sharing his wealth of knowledge on ADHD from lived experience and professional research and practice as a consultant psychiatrist, this book illuminates so much more than deficit.

  • It shows us the breadth of lived traits and their effect on mind and body; the very real challenges of impulsivity, reward deficiency and, without judgement, addiction; both substance and behavioural/process, for those seeking solace from the debilitating outcomes that ADHD can present, if left unsupported.

  • It sets out ADHD in a clear and visual way; the foundations, seven pillars and moving forward; from adverse to adaptive outcomes. It also highlights the impact of emotional dysregulation - which is excluded from ADHD diagnosis but forms a huge part of the challenges experienced for those with ADHD.

  • His writing style is engaging and informative, so it’s easy to read and gets my mind abuzz with loads of thoughts and ideas.

  • I see parts of myself reflected back in his pages and I know with my autism in the mix it’s not my whole story.

I’d love your input in the Belong | neurokin reading room.

• Have you read either of these books?

  • What did you think of them?

• What else are your reading that is informing and inspiring you about neurodiversity?

• What books are helping you to learn more about your neurodivergent self