In this belated edition of My Christmas Present to You, or Bridget’s Guide to Surviving Life & All It’s Bizarreness When You Are Temporarily Health Challenged, we explore feeding your brain.
You’re sick. Your brain is mush. You try reading the latest, hottest, most interesting book that everyone is talking about.
Then lose track of what’s going on half-way through and are tempted to throw it across the room pissing off librarians everywhere (and we all know the rule about not pissing off librarians).
Instead, save those thought-provoking, super twisty plotted books in a nice stack for when you’re feeling better. In the meantime, find a niche that is soothing to your mushy brain. Interesting enough to keep the pistons firing, but not so challenging that you lose track of what’s going on (special note: this is not a judgement on the quality of the book–what doesn’t work when you’re sick varies from person to person, only you can decide what’s right for you).
If the book comes in a series, it could be what you’re looking for. Reading in series can be incredibly helpful in the way only series can be–you get used to the world, you understand the rules, and you can spend your time enjoying the specialness of the particular story you’re reading without needing to get your feet under you. Even if the story has a twisty plot or intriguing relationships, it’s just a little bit easier following along if you’re up-to-speed on the setting and main characters.
Plus, reading series saves time book hunting. Once you find something you like, you can stock up on them for when they’re needed. Looking at certain award winners, especially in genre fiction, can sometimes point you in the right direction though you’ll need to look up each title to discover if they’re part of a series. The Lefty award is for humorous adult mysteries. You’ll find a list of other mystery awards here and romance awards here.
If you’re having trouble finding just the right series for when you’re in a health slump, ask your favorite librarian (who you did not piss off by throwing any books across the room) for help.
Hope you had a fab Solstice and Christmas!
Love to you all,
Bridget