Summer is fast approaching, not that you would know it most days in Ireland with our wet weather, but as a nation, we remain eternally optimistic that we will be blessed with sunshine, if even for a weekend. However, for many of us, we just need to have that bit of guaranteed sun, and book our week or two abroad in more reliable summer climates. With that often comes the summer read. Personally speaking, I can’t pass the newsagents in Dublin Airport without having a gander at the best sellers…and usually end up buying the two for one option, ending up with a heavier bag than I would like to carry.
The summer read is for many, a priority for ticking that relaxation box, usually fun and not too complex, however this is not always the case. At Wealthwise, we thought it would be fun to take a look at what types of books we are gravitating to this Summer.
Andrea’s Book
I love reading, usually fiction for the escapism. But I remember days when I worked night shift at a call centre for an Airline Company, and with few calls coming in, I got through whatever crossed my desk…anything to pass the time. It was a real eye opener and some of the books I remember that stuck with me were Three Wild Swans, a true story about three generations of Chinese women, Wallis, about Wallis Simpson, the girlfriend of King Edward VIII, The Unforgettable Fire by Eamonn Dunphy, a Biography about U2, and a book about Fred and Rose West which I would rather forget! These days I like a good fictional thriller.
My summer read will be “Nomad” by James Swallow. The reason I have chosen this book is because apparently it is similar to “Pilgrim” by Terry Hayes, which is one of my all-time favourite books.
Brian’s Book
Brian chose “The Last Devil to Die” by Richard Osman which is the fourth book in the popular Thursday Murder Club series about a group of senior citizens who find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. A Fun, easy to read book, this is the quintessential holiday escape material. Of course we recommend you start with No. 1 of this mystery series, but who doesn’t love a good sequel. Currently there are four books in this series with a fifth planned for 2025.
Barry’s Book
Barry is giving us something a little more complex. Not a fan of fiction, he prefers to stick to real world topics, and has chosen “The Longevity Imperative” by Andrew J.Scott. This book deals with the impacts of medical advances and the achievement of longevity in an aging society (something that we as Financial Planners need to consider given that an older population means we need to consider longevity “risk” when it comes to pension planning). The books also looks at the science of living longer, healthier living, and the transformations needed for our health systems and economy to be able to sustain these changes. Not exactly relaxing, but that’s our MD!
Fun Fact: In 1990, there were only 95,000 people over 100 years old in the world. Today, there are more than half a million. In the UK in 1965, the most common age of death was in the first year of life. Today the most common age to die is 87 years old.
Cathal’s Book
Cathal has a good sense of humour. He chose “Money Laundering for Dummies”. Given our strict and water-tight regulation procedures when it comes to Anti Money Laundering for the Central Bank of Ireland, we know he is messing with us! Isn’t that right Cathal!!! (Please confirm!).
Amanda’s Book
Amanda’s books is “The Hike Life” by Roz Purcell. She has already started this book and is planning on continuing on with both reading it and using it as a guide to healthy summer fun. Amanda has 2 of the walks done and another lined up for June and decided to read this book as some of her best holidays were during covid when she and her family had to holiday at home and was reminded, like many of us, how beautiful Ireland is and how much of it we have yet to see. Amanda loves walking to get away from the stresses of life and have time to think or just not think for once! At the end of the walk there is no better reward than a meal with a well earned glass of wine! We like your style Amanda!
Nicole’s Book
Nicole has chosen something that she has already read and wants to re-read as a kickstart to being even more productive (we are not sure this is possible with Nicole as she is already a high achiever!) – the books is “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robinson.
Nicole says she is excited to dive back into this transformative read, and that it changed her mindset for the positive the first time she read it. Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule method is a game-changer for breaking through overthinking and hesitation. Counting down from five to one and taking action has the power to reshape your approach to tasks and kickstart positive change. Who doesn’t need to rewire their mindset every now and again!
Conor’s Book
Which should you do first? See the movie or read the book? Many would say read the book, but Conor is doing it the other way around and is planning to read John McGahern’s “That They May Face The Rising Sun” on the back of the film release of the same name. The book is a good summer read in that it is a relaxing and calm read which takes a look at the reality of Irish life in a rural community where memorable characters, gossip and local news play a big part of day to day life. Of course John McGaherns autobiography “Memoir” is based around Wealthwise’s founding county of Leitrim. Luckily for us times have changed and Leitrim is no longer the bleak place it was in his book, but a vibrant and dynamic county (you just have to visit to see for yourself!)
Emmet’s Book
Emmet is an avid film buff. He says “One of the earliest movies I remember watching when I was a kid was Jurassic Park. In 1993, Jurassic Park was a state-of-the-art movie and to this day, still holds up against modern CGI movies.” But it wasn’t puppetry or effects that caught his attention, it was the acting styles of one of the main leads – Sam Neill.
Sam Neill was cast as Dr. Alan Grant, a mild-mannered expert on dinosaur fossils. Sam Neill brought his unique acting methods to this role and has continued to play this role 3 more times over its 6-movie run. He has seen Sam Neill multiple times since in other productions such as The Omen, Event Horizon, and world-renowned Peaky Blinders to name but a few. Sam Neill has a wide range of acting talents and always brings a sense of charisma to the roles, but he is not only known for his acting. He has his winery and unfortunately, is currently battling cancer. Emmet is going down the audio-book route for his summer read, and is planning to listen to “Did I Ever Tell You This?” by Sam Neill. He is looking forward to hearing more about the man behind the silver screen in his own words.
Shaun’s Book
Not everyone reads for various reasons, and this is the case with our Financial Advisor apprentice Shaun, who is nearing his final exams for his BA degree in insurance practice. He is completing his thesis at the moment in the area of risk of outliving pensions in retirement, and will have plenty of research reading to do over the summer in the form of published studies, journal and newspaper articles, so unfortunately for Shaun, the relaxing summer read is out until 2025.
