We’ve turned the pages of our calendars to a new year. It’s winter with more time inside and more time to read.
We all know that reading can be instructive and relaxing, but reading has more benefits than just filling time.
Various research studies have come to the following conclusions about reading:
1. According to a Yale University study, book readers live up to 20% longer than non-readers. Book readers have an advantage over magazine and newspaper readers, and fiction readers gain the most, suggesting that using one’s imagination might keep the mind active.
2. Reading may slow memory loss in older people. One study found that reading was a protective factor for older adults of all educational levels.
3. Reading can reduce stress and improve mental health. Reading fiction can have an immediate positive effect on mood and emotions. High schoolers who read stories were less stressed and anxious than non-readers.
4. Because it is low energy and relaxing, reading can help with sleep. Some studies show that people who read hard copy books sleep better than those who don’t read.
5. Reading boosts intelligence by exercising the brain.
Most American adults do not read enough. At least 23% of adult Americans read no books in over a twelve-month period. As with any new activity, start slowly; set a small, achievable reading goal. Reserve a time for reading just as you would reserve time to go to the gym. Find a comfortable spot to read or join a book club and make reading a social event. Finally, read something you like. Don’t make reading burdensome. You should look forward to your reading time.
Some suggestions for starting light are books by Daniel Silva or a classic like Up the Down Staircase. Many people like popular historical fiction, which combines lively storytelling with facts about an interesting person. Short stories are digestible and can usually be finished at one sitting. Even cookbooks like the ones by Joan Nathan make good reading.
In addition, look at what the young adult section has to offer. Even the children’s section has books that an adult will not find boring. Plotting in these books is strong; characters are well defined, and usually, the books are shorter than those in the adult section of the library. Don’t overlook the graphic novels, which have strong stories with great art.
Come into the library—public or synagogue—for suggestions. Librarians love to help readers find just the right book.
Here are some suggestions. Most can be found in our synagogue library; all are available at the public library.
Buchdahl, Angela. Heart of a Stranger is the autobiography of one of America’s most well-known rabbis.
Carner, Talia. The Boy with the Star Tattoo. Historical fiction, mystery, World War II, and a love story come together to make a quick read with a satisfying ending.
Finck, Liana. Let There Be Light; the real story of her creation. A new interpretation of Creation by a New Yorker cartoonist.
Geffen, Iddo. Mrs. Lilienblum’s Cloud Factory is a comic novel about a tech startup that turns sand into rain clouds.
Gidwitz, Adam. Max in the Land of Lies. A World War II fantasy adventure. Anything by this author is good and also makes a good family read.
Kreitner, Richard. Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the fight to end slavery. A serious but readable book.
Leegant, Joan. Displaced Persons: stories. The theme of these stories by an award-winning writer is displacement, home, and belonging.