Sometime late last year, I got a wild hair up my ass to read more often. Which is actually ridiculous because I read an insane amount. But I usually read in the quiet of my own home and have no one to discuss the books with. Plus, these new books had a few criteria:

• I wanted to read books that would help me grow as an athlete, a teammate, and a person.
• I wanted them to occasionally be about roller derby.
• I wanted applicable solutions to the stuff that I struggled with as an athlete, teammate, and person.

The birth of the Roller Derby Book Club came shortly after that.

Since the beginning of 2017, the #rollerderbybookclub has read 1 book a month on various subjects ranging from roller derby to mindset to lifting weights. Click on each title to get a fuller description of the book.

Here’s the list:

THE OBSTACLE IS THE WAY by Ryan Holiday

If you’ve never heard of Stoicism, this is a great introduction to it. It helps to change the way you perceive what happens to you and manage your emotions. For some people, that sounds a bit like turning into a soulless robot. But it’s not about that. This quote from Marcus Aurelius sums up what Stoicism (and reading this book) can help you realize: ‘You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to arouse anger, for they don’t care at all.’

 

THE NEW RULES OF LIFTING FOR WOMEN by Lou Schuler

Despite a rather cringe-worthy subtitle, this book provides a lot of great information about getting started with strength training and proper nutrition. It even comes with a meal plan AND a workout program to get you started. There’s a lot to be learned here about rest, recovery, training, cardio, and food.

 

PEAK by Anders Ericsson & Robert Pool

Anders Ericsson is the foremost expert on experts. He’s spent decades studying what makes people the best of the best, how they train to become that way, and if it really does just come down to luck and talent. (The answer is no.) He distils all that study down into THIS BOOK that gives you an actual idea of how to practice a skill if you want to excel.

 

MINDSET by Carol Dweck

It’s very rarely the physical aspects of skating that hold us back from getting better. It’s usually our brains. Yes, skating is hard. Yes, you have to learn how to use your physical body. But if you let fear or uncertainty or just the conviction that you can’t do it hold you back, you’ll be…held back. This book is a must for anyone that is ready to get their mind right.

 

ROLLER GIRL by Victoria Jamieson

The story we’ve all lived. If you need to get in touch with what it was like to be a freshie again, this book will give you all the #feelz. If you’re still struggling through the trials and tribulations of starting roller derby, this will remind you that you’re not alone.

 

YOU ARE A BADASS by Jen Sincero

Struggle with confidence? Need a verbal kick in the ass to start working on your mindset? Like to be entertained while also changing your life? This is the book for you.

 

GOING IN CIRCLES by Pamela Ribon

How do people find roller derby? What can it do for them? This book is a great story of how roller derby can find you (or you can find it) when you need it.

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Unfortunately, the #rollerderbybookclub is no longer running. But feel free to start your own!