On Books and Reading

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I admit it. I read too much.   I give myself permission because I think I’m old enough to be my own boss but the truth is I’ve always read too much.

Nancy Drew was my first best friend. She became my  alter-ego in all things mysterious and adventurous. Later, Agatha Christie and her master crime solver, Hercule Poirot, was there for me.  Louise Penney, with her tales of  Three Pines, a ficticious and charming little Canadian village full of good and not-so-good people, is my new idol.

It’s fun to follow a sleuth, get to know his or her manner of solving murders.  They become friends.  People you know you can trust to uncover the truth.  Good will always trump evil as long as they’re in charge.

Autobiographies usually hold my attention.  I marvel at the hurdles and  obstacles that people have conquered. Where did they find the strength, the tenacity, in the face of such strife and disadvantage?   I wonder, could I possibly have done that?

On the other hand, I’ve met my share of books that I don’t like and I’ve now given myself permission to simply stop reading them.

Recently, a friend sent me an article entitled: “Nerd alert: Reading is good for your health.”

It’s my new mantra.  The authors tell me that “fiction actually may be more powerful than self-help books.”   Yeah!  I just got a hall-pass to venture happily into other worlds, visit new places, meet new people, understand different relationships.

The authors say that “spending quality time with these characters is more than escapism. Reading these books may actually enhance my emotional intelligence.”  Who knew?

These researchers also tell me I might even be able to develop special neural networks that allow me to understand complex thought. Wowsers!

I’m pretty excited about all of this. Furthermore, I am now guilt-free as I curl up with a good book….and a cat, of course. Thank you for sharing this, Nancy.

And, FYI, here is the link to that article in case there’s anyone else out there who might enjoy it: “Nerd alert”.

So, enjoy your books and your reading, no matter your choice.

But feel free to quit, for goodness sakes, if you’re not having fun.  There’s always a new book ready to be enjoyed.