Pawing the Pages

One of the few benefits of this protracted period of Covid-19 induced lockdown has been the opportunity to sit quietly and read. As a former endurance commuter, (that being 6 hours a day, on a good day), I did have the chance to read regularly. So reading is something I did intermittently as a way to help pass the time but during this period of isolation the volume has increased dramatically. So, I decided to count the number of books that I have absorbed in the last 65 days and was astounded to see it was 27.

This provoked a thought as to the health benefits, if any, of reading and I was pleased to note that a quick internet research identified that there are 9 known benefits to pawing over printed matter. Not only is it proven that the benefits are physical as well as mental, but they can last a lifetime too.

There is a growing body of research indicating that reading literally changes your mind. Researchers have noted that reading involves a network of circuits and signals in the brain that get stronger and more sophisticated the more that your reading ability increases. Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.

The known reading benefits are:
Strengthens the brain
Increases your vocabulary and comprehension
Increases empathy
Prevents cognitive decline
Reduces stress
Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
Alleviates depression
Lengthens lifespan
Aids sleep readiness

My lockdown reading list to date: (However; The sun is shining and restrictions are beginning to be lifted – this could all be about to slow down)

Afternoon with the Blinds Drawn – Brett Anderson
All of my Yesterday – Steve Howe
Another Planet. A teenager in Suburbia – Tracey Thorn
Chasing the Sun – Linda Geddes
Dark Skies – Tiffany Francis
Deviate – Beau Lotto
Enlightenment Now – Steven Pinker
Everything is Fucked – Mark Manson
Head Shot – Victoria Nixon
House of Glass – Hadley Freeman
How Does it Feel – Mark Kermode
Lab Rats – Dan Lyons
Mega Weird – Nicholas Megalis
Notes from Walnut Tree Farm – Roger Deakin
Novacene – James Lovelock
Sex Power Money – Sara Pascoe
Spiritual Place – Sarah Baxter
Stoned – Jo Wood
Tall Tales and Wee Stories – Billy Connolly
The Art of Rest – Claudia Hammond
The Battle for Home. The Memoir of a Syrian Architect – Marwa Al-Sabouni
The Death of Truth – Michiko Kakutani
The New Silk Roads – Peter Frankopan
The Undercover Economist – Tim Harford
There is no Planet B – Mike Berners-Lee
Wheres My Guitar – Bernie Marsden
Year of the Monkey – Patti Smith