Why reading is good for us

Is reading a book a pleasure to you or a bore?  Do you want to read more books but never quite manage to get past the first chapter?  Or do you always have a book on the go, either in your hand or on the kindle?  From our school days, we are encouraged to read books but for some people this habit has got lost in the world of social media, Netflix and WhatsApp.  In fact, we only read ten books per year on average with women reading 12 books and men typically reading 8 books.  So were our school teachers right and is reading books actually good for us?  Here are five compelling reasons for you to ponder.

1. Reading builds your vocabulary

As you read books, new words emerge and your understanding of them increases as you are learning what they mean in context.  Your spoken and written vocabulary increases as a result.  Even spelling improves too.

2. Reading lets us escape from reality

Books can bring us to another country or another situation which is very different to our present lives.  That’s not saying there is anything wrong with our lives but a good book can broaden our horizons and let us see things from another person’s perspective.  Reading also develops our imagination and allows us to dream about places and situations that we have never been to before.  A good book can transport us from our living room to a faraway land which may not even exist – remember travelling to Narnia in CS Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”.

I like books that aren’t just lovely but that have memories in themselves. Just like playing a song, picking up a book again that has memories can take you back to another place or another time.

Emma Watson

3. Reading improves concentration and memory

To follow the thread of the story requires concentration as well as challenging our memories eg who exactly was a particular character who popped up on page 7 and now here they are again on page 69.  So we have to concentrate on the small details as well as grasping the thread of the story.

According to the National Institute on Aging, reading books is one way of keeping your mind engaged and this is even more important as we get older.  Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s, studies show that seniors who read and solve maths problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.

4. Reading entertains us

Reading can entertain us when we are feeling bored or just having a down day.  Some books are so absorbing that we struggle to put them down and will read until the small hours as the plot thickens.  Other books will make you laugh or cry just like a film will and can help to give you that very needed pick-me-up.

5. Reading reduces stress

Everyone has a certain level of stress in their lives and picking up a book can help to reduce our stress levels.  A book is the ideal way to relax and calm stress.  It’s also a good way to unwind before we fall asleep.  By listening to calming music as we read, even more destressing occurs.

In fact, a recent study found that a mere six minutes of reading was shown to reduce muscle tension, and slowed down the heart rates of readers as well.  Overall, it reduced stress levels by an impressive 68%.  

Hopefully you are now convinced to kickstart your reading habit but the question now is what are you going to read?

Which books could you read?

There are millions of different books available both factual and fiction so you are spoiled for choice.  There are many different genres of books from crime, sci-fi, fantasy, romance to personal development so if you discover a type of book you like, you can be sure there are many others to choose from.  If I have enjoyed a book from a particular author, I will look out for other books from the same author as the chances are, I will like them too.  Or maybe you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try a slightly different type of book for a change. 

The Top 10 bestselling books of 2021

Here are some ideas for you from Neilsen Bookscan. The top ten bestselling books of 2021 were: 

1. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Penguin £8.99)
2. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (Ebury £16.99)
3. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Canongate £8.99)
4. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Penguin £18.99)
5. Pinch of Nom: Quick and Easy by Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson (Pan Macmillan £20)
6. Guinness World Records 2022 (Guinness World Records £20)
7. And Away … by Bob Mortimer (Simon & Schuster £20)
8. Megamonster by David Walliams (HarperCollins £14.99)
9. Windswept and Interesting by Billy Connolly (John Murray Press £25)
10. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Little, Brown £8.99)

How to get started?

Books are available in book stores such as Waterstones or online sites such as Ebay or Amazon. Charity shops usually have a good selection too and watch out for book swap shelves in your local supermarket. A Kindle is another option if you prefer to read electronically. Remember your local library too where you can also order books that aren’t on the shelves,

If you are like me and enjoy a little challenge, then download the Goodreads app to your phone.  Here you can log the books you have read and connect it to your Kindle if you prefer to read that way.  You can set yourself a reading challenge (eg to read 12 books per year) and this is a great way to monitor your reading progress. Last year, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I read 37 books in the 2021 Reading Challenge.  

Also consider joining a Book Club.  While you may feel reluctant to join a face-to-face book club, there are online book clubs available.  Libraries NI have an online book club which meets on Zoom to discuss the book of the month.

There are Facebook groups for readers too.  For example, the Good Housekeeping magazine has a Good Housekeeping Book Room with over 34,000 members and it is full of suggestions of different books to read. 

Whether you prefer Roald Dahl’s “Matilda”, Rachel Joyce’s “Miss Benson’s Beetle” or Richard Osman’s “The Thursday Murder Club”, there is no doubt that reading is good for you.  Perhaps we should be brave and follow Roald Dahl’s advice to throw our TVs away.  Or at least, use the off button a little more and get your book out instead of watching another film on Netflix.

So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.

Roald Dahl