I admit it… I am a book nerd. I’ve at least become one in the last few years. Prior to that, I wanted to be a well read gentleman, but never got around to it. I read what I had to when I was young, but I always wanted to read more. I didn’t because of this bizarre notion I had that reading meant I had my head in the clouds. I was conflicted. On one hand I wanted to immerse myself in the imaginative world of my favorite authors, and on the other hand, I wanted to be able to say that I hadn’t read any books lately. Maybe it was that left over conflict in me from high school, so prevalent back in the ’80’s that said being smart was being dull and so not cool. Obviously I decided after high school to pursue education, and put behind me these notions, but the bad taste was left in my mouth and tinted my intellectual pursuits. Marriage and then kids put a new slant on things: time. I actually had little of it in my 30’s and early 40’s. I literally spent every evening running around the coffee table chasing my kids to some Disney soundtrack. Most likely the Lion King. Not a time for reading classics. Then as the kids aged, cub scouts, girl scouts, soccer, basketball, and the like sucked up time and I think most nights I just passed out with the fleeting thought of reading that just escaped as I nodded off. 

Then I discovered audio books. Well, actually during the COVID lock down, my wife discovered them in a new and amazing way. She literally read 100 books one year, and I wondered if I could actually read more if I listened to the books while I did things like drive, yardwork and working out. For the last two years, I’ve been able to read more than I ever thought I could by listening to the books! Basically for free, as we also discovered Libby, the app our library system uses for audio books. So exciting! I use an app to track my reading and look for new books (Goodreads). I also use Libro which is a independant book store based app. There are plenty of resources out there to use: even Apple has a audio book app (Books), which has a lot of free options. 

What have I been reading? Everything from The Theory of Everything, by Stephen Hawking to David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, both being 5/5 star books in my view. I just finished the Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Again, both 5/5 stars! 

What am I currently reading? I decided to try the fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan, and I am flying through The Eye of the World currently, which I love! Not only is the story compelling, but the book is hard to put down and you can’t wait to see what the next twist in the plot brings. I am also reading a kids book, called the Greenglass House by Kate Milford, recommended by my wife, which is a mystery. This is my fun read, that takes little effort but brings out the young adventurer in me. 

What I am reading next? The Emperor of All Maladies, by Siddhartha Mukherjee. I am a science geek… full disclosure. So, I loved his most recent book on the biology of the cell and am totally looking forward to reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book about cancer. Not only does the help me in my job as a primary care provider, but it feeds my curiosity about how things work, especially in the most complex world of human pathophysiology.  After that, I plan to read A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula LeGuin, for fun. I like to pick books from diferent genres, and tend to only read the top of the class. I don’t like the idea of starting a book and being disappointed halfway, and tossing it. I guess I am picky. My curated list to read includes the following:

• Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
• Solito, Javier Zamora
• The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder
• War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
• The Social Transformation of American Medicine, Paul Starr
• Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
• The Prince, Niccolo Macchiavelli

Why do I think reading is worthwhile? Check out my previous post The Grapes of Wrath for further discussion on the health benefits of reading. Basically it is so good for your brain! There doesn’t appear to be any difference in terms of benefit when you listen compared to when you read. There is developing evidence that the benefit is protecting your nervous system from the horrible process of dementia which is effecting more and more in our country. 

Grab a book and enjoy!