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| A sign sponsored by a bookstore in Waterloo ON |
Anyone with a smartphone or tablet deals with some level of addictive behaviour. I use my phone throughout the day to look things up, to pay for my groceries, take pictures, do word games, send messages, wayfinding, and often fill moments of waiting with mindless scrolling through Substack. I get annoyed with my dependence on this handheld device. I have been trying to stay off my phone for the first hour of the day, except for taking calls from family or work. I also resolved to spend at least one hour a day reading a book. The benefits of reading are well researched, benefits that are not realized when scrolling through short bytes of information. They include,
- stress relief and relaxation that reduces heart rate and blood pressure
- improved short-term and long-term memory as we focus on storylines and plots
- improved focus and attention as it requires prolonged concentration
- improvement of vocabulary and deeper thought
- enhancing empathy and imagination as we see how others think and act
- the slowing of cognitive decline (!)
I own a lot of books, many of which I have not read for decades. I always have books on hold at the library and read ebooks on my Kobo and Kindle devices. I ended up reading five books in January and will briefly review three of them here.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (2025) (purchased ebook)
John Green, who also wrote The Fault in Our Stars, chronicles how tuberculosis has shaped our world, historically, socially and economically. In 2019, the author met Henry, a young man from Sierra Leone who suffered from tuberculosis since childhood. Henry's story is woven throughout the book as Green describes the ongoing economic and social barriers to treatment in third-world countries. The book was factual and current, but the human element in Henry's story elevated it above a textbook study. Tuberculosis has become drug-resistant, is endemic worldwide, and is heavily concentrated in parts of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. It has never gone away in Canada, with First Nations people having a much higher rate of infection than the general population. I have had several patients with TB infections in the past few years, mainly people who were infected in other parts of the world. I found the book very interesting from a healthcare and historical perspective.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (2002) (library loan)
I stopped reading American "Christian fiction" a few years ago and threw out many of the books with formulaic, preachy plots. This book is spiritual, mystical, lyrical and was a beautiful read. The writing style and themes reminded me of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005), in its exploration of generational heritage and faith. In Enger's book, set in rural Minnesota in the 1960s, a poor, white single father with three children faces adversity on several fronts. Life is challenging as the father and two younger children set out in a trailer toward the Badlands in North Dakota in search of the older son, aged 16, who escaped jail before his murder trial. The ending is not tidy and happy, but there is a bridge of hope and love into the future. I would re-read this book.
The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton (1955 edition from my personal library)
These books have not aged well in a society that has changed greatly in my lifetime. In fact, later editions of the stories have been edited to remove racial stereotypes and outdated words and expressions. The sullen, scary black servant, Jo-Jo, who was a criminal, was replaced in modern editions by Joe, a de-racialized man. The stereotypical roles of men and women also stood out, but were normal in my experience when I read these books in the 1960s.
The stories remain well-written with interesting plots and engaging characters, but I won't be reading this edition to my grandchildren.
Now it is time to get back to my February reading.
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