Nyasa's Book Shelf

The Undermining Pleasure of Reading Books Together in Bed with Your Partner

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 07:38:00 +0000

Reading books by itself gives your mind a great pleasure. That’s why they say, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”. There is no great pleasure than reading your books together in bed at around 9pm when it’s quiet, save for the rustle of the leaves in the garden outside. Reading books together with your partner in bed before sleeping is the most precious moments that you should never miss out on.

Do You Love Quotes on Reading Books? Read one here.

Today, I am going to discuss about the undermining pleasure of reading books together in bed with your partner.

Imagine you are in bed with your partner side by side, each absorbed in a different world. One of you might be in a submarine beneath the arctic ice floe while the other is flitting through the salons of 18th century Paris. Often your toes momentarily touch each other but without raising notice. You may briefly stretch a hand to touch the nape of your partner’s neck while turning a page. You can hear your partner breathing very lightly. There is blessedly so much of feelings and emotions going on which need no description. And this goes on for what might seem to be an hour or more.

This my friend, is the modest, most comfortable and sweet pleasure which our present society is almost congenitally prone not to notice or respect.

However, let me tell you reading books together with your partner in bed is one of the bedtime activities you can do to help you grow in your relationship. When you are asked to picture what a relationship might be for us, often we imagine the typical colorful scenarios of having passionate sex up against a wall, heading for the airport for a mini-break, a celebration of a triumph at work or the mutual exploration of one another’s soul.

It is rarely that we understand that the true pleasure of long-term love in a far less dramatic, real and simple scenarios such as knowing sideways smile of your partner in the presence of a parent who has been tricky in the past, sitting on the floor together sorting socks after wash, watching a TV drama episode by episode and bantering about the plotlines and characters, chatting with each other after the friends who came for lunch or dinner have departed, and assembling a flat pack bookcase realizing that you both have got the instructions entirely wrong and laughing your heart out on the funny scene that it has now become.

It is within such a list of hidden pleasures that we find the joy of reading bed together. This represents a major psychological skill but there’s not really anyone else we could do this with. If the world were fairer, we would be seeking partners not just who can look hot in a bar and perform spectacular sexual antics, but those with whom we can turn pages in silence as well.

Reading books together in bed is a symbolic way of being able to share our true selves without shame, embarrassment or the need to perform. As we lie in bed together reading books with our partner, we are in the rest of life and feel simply accepted by each other.

We tend to be so much aware of the troubles in our relationship, that we sometimes take the peaceful moments for granted and fail to appreciate the underlying achievement. Though reading together in bed with our partner may lack glamour but being able to read with someone you love is a major milestone. The pleasure of reading books together in bed is a sign of deep affection and we may do well in our relationship than we think. Stay tuned to know the Benefits of Reading Bedtime Stories to Your Children which I’ll be covering in my upcoming posts.

Until then, this is Nyasa signing off.

Don’t forget to share your pleasure of reading books together in bed with your partner. 😉

Can Reading Books Improve Vocabulary?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 08:08:00 +0000

Being an avid reader, I obviously enjoy reading books as well as writing. Ever since I was little, I was quite gravitated towards the language classes especially English as compared to other subjects. It’s not uncommon for my friends to ask me to read over their essay’s and other writing assignments because they think I’m quite “good with words”. I will attribute my knowledge of English language and vocabulary to reading books, a lot of them every year. Although I prefer reading books for my personal enjoyment, I cannot deny the fact the I get to know more about different people and their cultures, which helps me to stay grounded and open up my understanding towards the bigger world surrounding me.

My habit of reading books has through the years helped me to decipher the words and pick up on contextual clues easily. However, is someone presented me with a math problem with a complexity transcending beyond simple addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, then I would be at a loss to find a solution. My struggle or inability to find out the solution to the math problem may possibly have nothing to do with my intelligence instead it could be because of less exposure to that type of material.

That is why I accredit my vocabulary to the habit of reading that I had from my childhood days. This habitual reading has helped me to improve my vocabulary as well as the cognitive reading skills such as reading, spelling, word recognition and critical thinking. No doubt, the number of years I was engrossed with reading books has helped me with my academic growth as well. To put it across in other words, the time spent on reading books and the level of my cognitive skills has a correlation.

There was a study conducted by Anne Cunningham and Keith Stanovich in the year 2001 which was designed to test whether or not reading novels have an impact on the advancement of a person’s vocabulary over time as well the type of medium in which children were exposed to most words. In this study, the first-grade students were asked to write how often they read every day in a journal. The scientists then followed up with the same group of students when they reached the eleventh grade and had them complete the tasks involving reading comprehension and vocabulary. The scores from those tasks were then compared to each of the students’ journal from first-grade to find a correlation between the number of hours each child documented when they were in first grade and the score of the tasks in current grade i.e. eleventh.

The results showed that being exposed to reading at an early age helps to predict those children who will be likely to read more over the years. Because the longer experience with reading books these children did show an increased vocabulary and cognitive reading skills. The scientists also proved that reading novels exposes children to more words than any other source such as magazines, television, conversations, etc.

So, this study proves my point accurately, that consistently reading books does improve vocabulary irrespective of inborn intelligence. However, the above study doesn’t mention about the difficulty level of the novels that lead to an increased vocabulary. Also, it doesn’t explain how these students learned the new words, I mean by using a dictionary for the definition, searching online, asking someone about the meaning of the word, or by using contextual evidence to make an inference. Also, does a formal or informal definition of a new word help a child to commit the word into their memory.

Did You Know?

An average American has a vocabulary in thousands. Whereas Indian children are rarely guided by their parents to form reading habits. I don’t want to underestimate anybody as we Indians have a lot of variety when it comes to reading books, I mean we have books being published in different languages other than English or even our official language Hindi.

So, without ranting about why few Indians are in to the habits of reading books, I’ll discuss below about how we can try to get into the habit of reading books.

1) Read books to your children or use your tablet to read books

This will be beneficial for both parents and children as it will improve your vocabulary. This winter, read bedtime stories snuggled under the covers. According to the professor of Childhood and Literacy Education at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at the New York University, Susan Neuman, “The words present the in most children’s books are usually beyond the realm of an adult’s daily life, which is why even parents can learn more words by simply reading it to their children.”

Reading books on your tablet or Kindle will provide you with an altogether different experience. Next time you are reading an e-book and come across a word you aren’t familiar with, try highlighting it with your finger and the built-in dictionary will come to your rescue. The best part is you won’t lose your place or have to switch between googling the meaning of the word and your novel.

2) Join a book club

Book clubs are a wonderful strategy to help you learn new words. It will not only force you to set aside time in your day to read, but it’s a good way to discover new books I mean new genre of books that you might not be normally drawn to which in turn will expose you to new words thereby improve your vocabulary.

3) Read, Read and Read

I can’t stress enough but try making a little time every day to read. According to Neuman, “Reading on a regular basis is tied to improved cognitive functioning throughout life because you are always learning.” Even if you stop looking up every single foreign word, chances are that you can simply improve your vocabulary by figuring out its meaning based on the context they are used in or by coming across them again down the line.

Share your thoughts and experience of book reading so far.

Until next post, this is Nyasa signing off.

Can Reading Books Make You Smarter?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 21:00:00 +0000

Ever since I started writing on my blog, I’ve been vouching on the importance of reading books and how it makes a difference in our lives. But can reading books make you smarter? Does reading a book keep the neurologist or Alzheimer’s away? Can readers say that they used books to increase their IQ level?

In this post, I’m going to discuss about how can reading books make you smarter, especially when it comes to fluid intelligence that is how you identify the patterns, crystallized intelligence that means what facts you know, brain connectivity and emotional intelligence or empathy.

History of IQ (Intelligent Quotient)

Intelligence is quite a tricky characteristic to define. IQ is the most common tool used to measure intelligence. It was developed by German psychologist William Stern in the early 1990’s. This system uses scored from an intelligence test along with age to determine where an individual fall in the intelligent spectrum compared to other people. So, intelligence is a combination of the abilities to gain new knowledge, solve problems and engage in abstract reasoning. Of course, IQ doesn’t measure the intellectual ability perfectly.

Education, culture, and other facets of a person’s history can alter how they respond to some questions in the IQ tests. That means people with same latent ability can potentially have different IQ’s and that the test has some measurement bias. When such differential questions are identified, they are removed from the test. But if the test creators have blind posts then those inevitably emerge in the test itself.

You May Check out Your IQ Score with Free IQ Test Now!

Achieving a high score in an IQ test also relies on an individual’s motivation and believe that this test matters. So, none of these really answers our topic: can reading book increases a person’s intelligence and make them smarter?

What Reading Books Does to Our Minds?

Reading books does alter our minds in myriad ways, not all of which emerges from the IQ scores.

1) Fluid Intelligence

This is more abstract as it involves our ability to detect patterns, solves problems and come to an overall understanding not connected with the crystallized intelligence. Reading books and fluid intelligence have a reciprocal relationship. Reading books trains our brain to be better at detecting more meaningful patters. As we are able to make these connections, we get more better to understand what we read.

2) Crystallized Intelligence

Reading books allows us to build crystallized intelligence which is all of the factual knowledge, data and figures that a person knows, also called as the “Book Smarts”. As we read more books, we tend to add more to our bank of information.

3) Brain Connectivity

The most fascinating facet of whether reading books can make your smarter is the way it increases our brain connectivity. Reading books not only engages the part of our brain handling language but it also creates activity in portions that handle our sensations and movements. When we read books, a part of our mind steps into the body of the characters in the story. This connection remains with us for a period even after we’ve completed reading.

Researchers involved in a study conducted by Robert Harris on the undergraduates being assigned to read the novel Pompeii found that the links between the left temporal cortex, the central sulcus which is the part of the brain handling our movements and physical feelings and the brain’s language center remained enhanced. It concluded that when we read our body feels more.

4) Emotional Intelligence

The emotional intelligence is our ability to make connections. In the year 2013, two psychologists, Emanuele Castano and David Comer Kidd published a paper which found that reading fiction improves an individual’s theory of mind- a measurement of a person’s empathy and ability to understand how others think and feel. As per this study, those who read fiction are significantly better at identifying other people’s emotions as the same psychological processes are used for navigating fiction and real relationships.

I am quoting author Derek Beres here, “Reading is a great way to practice being human.” And some of us could certainly use that practice.

Can Reading Books Make You Smarter?

Coming back to our topic today, reading books is useful not in terms of whether or not is improves our intelligence but rather how it changes the way our brain works. Reading books may not be able to alter our baseline abilities but it increases the number of facts we know, increases our empathy, allows us to be better at identifying the patterns and make our neurological connections more pervasive. Though reading may not be a magic pill to increase intelligence but it can and does make a difference in people who pick up a book.

Do you mind sharing your thoughts?

E-book Vs. Hardcover Vs. Paperback: What Do You Prefer?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Some of you may love to smell of the musty pages of a classic hardcover, fresh ink of a new paperback, the bumpy texture of a book jacket or run your finger along the crease in the spine to get a sense of nostalgia triggered by holding a book in your hands. However, avid readers can find it a bit traitorous to switch to a Kindle or other electronic reading device when faced with the collection of hardcover and paperback books lining the shelves of your living room.

E-book or Hardcover or Paperback: What do you prefer? This has been one of the trending topics among readers across the world except when you are willing to try all three versions. Yeah, why not try all and not debate on it instead let this topic rest at peace.

In this post, I’m going to discuss about the differences between E-book, Hardcover and Paperback and hope it will help you to choose your books according to your needs.

E-book

E-book is a lighter load compared to the traditional books- be it a hardcover or a paperback. If you are one of those people who walks out of the library or bookstore with book piles up to your chin, then Kindle is a whole lot easier to carry than to haul your books with you to the beach or coffee shop. Also, you won’t regret leaving one of your books at home because it was too thick, heavy or oversized to carry with you.

With eBook, you will never lose your place while reading a book on Kindle because no bookmarks are needed. Moreover, you can read what you want, where you want without being judged. Kindle is discreet and even has privacy settings to keep nosy family members out. You need not hide the book jacket out of embarrassment or to a controversial argument. eBooks make is easy to make your book choices on what you actually want to read instead of what you think others expect you to treat. So, break out the Superman or Spiderman comic books, without being ashamed.

The best part of preferring eBooks over the traditional books is the built-in dictionary and the font size. When reading a traditional book, I’m often lazy to get up and find the dictionary to look up a word I don’t know. But with a Kindle, it is easy to look up the words right on your device. You can increase the font size to make it easier to read without needing to look for a large print edition or make the font size smaller to fit more words on a single page.

Hardcover

It is a book bound with thick protective cover with usually a paper or leather dust jacket over the main cover. The aim of the hardcover is protection and durability. These types of books are mainly for long-term use and collector’s editions. They last far longer than the paperbacks and do not get damaged easily which makes them perfect for great literary works, reference guides, etc.

Additionally, the hardcover books have long-lasting acid-free type paper having a pH value of 7 (neutral) that makes it highly durable. Also, these papers are stitched and glued to the spine of the book. Hardcovers are prepared for commercial works, reference books, best sellers, etc. that should be long lasting. If the market value of the book in question is quite high, then publishers will print out the hardcover first before paperbacks, as it is more profitable for them as well as for the readers wanting the book to last long with no damage.

Paperback

It is prepared for non-commercial works and those books which don’t get much exposure. These books have covers made of thinner paper or cardboard with glue to stick to the leaves. As the cost of production for paperback is low, so they are produced in mass and usually released after the hardcover edition is published. Often, the paperback is meant for short term reads such as for people boarding planes, trains, etc.

There is another type of paperback edition known as trade paperback which is created with more durable paper than the mass market paperbacks.

The best-selling writers will often have their hard cover editions released first because it is an indication that their fans will collect the book. Whereas, most new writers will start off publishing their book as a paperback.

Wrap-Up

It is worth nothing for both hardcover and paperbacks you need no battery to recharge your Kindle as when you are traveling or reading away from home. Also, it is easy to borrow or give your book as a gift unlike with an e-book. Last but not the least, books are quite affordable compared to a Kindle device. Also, you don’t have to worry much about dropping the book in the bathtub or spilling coffee on the pages as with an electronic device. Except in case of rare editions and other exceptions, books are cheaper to replace than a Kindle.

Whereas, Kindle saves paper and eBooks are forever treasure that will neither be old nor get torn as with traditional books. To all the naysayers who insist you must hold a book, turn its smooth pages and smell that clean, new paper smell, I understand you with all my heart. Why not use Kindle for travel, and read books at home.

Whatever you choose from among these three different mediums the most important thing is reading well because “Reading is to the mind what is exercise to the body.”

Happy reading!

Reading a Book Vs. Listening to Audiobook: Which is Better?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 22:44:00 +0000

A love of reading shouldn’t have parameters as to what type of reading actually counts. Reading a physical book and listening to the audiobooks are two different paths leading to same destination. However, the experiences from both differ, which is why there is a long-haul debate still surrounding which is better- reading a book or listening to audiobook.

Personally, I have found immensely rewarding common ground in my reading life with reading a book in traditional way as well as with the audiobooks. It is more fun to love both ways of reading.

In this post, I’ll discuss the debate on which is better: reading a book versus listening to audiobooks. I really hope we can transit from the long debate and end up sitting in a comfy chair where your headphones sit along with books and everyone loves each other.

Reading a Book Vs. Audiobook

1) Comprehension

As both the methods differ so they create different experiences and memories in readers and listeners. However, neither is better or worse than the other. This is because different people have different choices and perspectives which is why some enjoy listening to audiobooks while others may still prefer the same old way of reading a book. There has been a fair amount of research on the subject of comprehension in reading a book versus audiobooks.

When you read something, you are looking at symbols on the page and your brain is busy filling in all the blanks such as the scene, the sounds of the voices, the plot, the deeper meaning, the inflection, etc. Whereas in case of audiobooks, you are much likely to do a better job of trying to extract the gist of what someone meant when you are hearing them than when you are reading. This is because we can’t go back and reread something while listening to audiobooks.

Audiobooks can be great for kids. Why? Don’t you remember we all start out by listening to stories that are read to us by our parents, teachers, librarians, etc. So, there’s no need to judge those who prefer audiobooks over the traditional books because as with reading that enhances our word-recognition ability, listening alone can expand our vocabulary as well.

2) Emotional Response

I’ve already mentioned in my previous post about how doctors recommend physically reading a book because that can bring a more personal experience. This is because your inner voice is responsible to create everything which is not on the page from only the words on the page. Most of us who love reading the books physically can’t even envision the story without our inner voice creating the imaginary world inside our heads.

Listening to audiobooks can sometimes elicit a more emotional response to the content especially in case of listening to comedy show with laughter. This is because it is more of a social experience as we hear the vocal nuances, sarcasm, etc. which comes from hearing another human speak. So, next time don’t fully dismiss the idea of listening to audiobooks before first trying it yourself.

3) Sharing

Sharing physical books is cool with a downside that your friend might not return the book burrowed from you. Yeah, I know that feeling! Sometimes, I note down the best lines from the book I read and share it with my friends.

Now pretty much all sharing of things take place over the social media and texting apps. You can share the short clips of audiobooks with apps like Audible to your friends and there’s no downside to it. Sharing is indeed caring.

4) Pronunciation

You know when you read a book and fall in love with the main character, you scour the internet for more content and find more about the author and go through their interviews. It’s then you realize that you’ve been saying the character’s name wrong in your head the whole time.

The same thing happens with audiobooks if only you find the perfect book with the perfect narrator. Otherwise when you know and love this character’s beautiful sounding name and go to social media to see who else is gushing over it but when you see it in print for the first time, you are more likely to shrug off like who’s that?

5) Public Versus Private

Audiobooks allow you to be anonymous while you are reading in public. You can listen to sci-fi, romantic, self-help, non-fiction books and the only judgement that comes would be from the older generations lamenting the fall of society to see you with headphone on in public.

Whereas in case of reading a physical book in public, you let the world know what you are reading. This public and prominent book display could be the ticket to find your newest book friend or maybe you’ll just feel the cold and clammy eyes of judgment sticking to the back of your head. If you are like me then simply ignore the judgmental gaze of people in public and get lost in the world of the books.

6) Multitasking

When it comes to multitasking, audiobooks are the clear-cut winner. We can totally operate machinery, do our household chores, and commute while listening to our books. They are best when the task we are doing doesn’t need much of our attention as in while staring out of the window on the train.

On the other hand, I don’t want to dismiss the pleasure of having a physical book with me at all times for trains, planes, waiting rooms, etc.

Conclusion: Which is Better?

I can’t imagine my reading life without an abundant mixture of both audiobooks and reading. So, brush away this topic to find which of the two is better. It is a personal choice for everyone. You’ll know which is better for you, as you become more versed in both the reading worlds.

I would love to know your thoughts about reading a book versus audiobooks.

Reading a Paper Book Vs. an E-book: Which is Better?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 20:00:00 +0000

With the advance of smartphones and tablets and they being quite affordable these days, e-books and e-readers have become quite a popular standard for reading. With dedicated e-reader, you can easily download and buy new titles. You can store thousands of books on a single SD card and read them in the dark without an external light. Still, there is something about the feelings you get while reading a book from the old-fashioned paper.

In this post, we’ll look at which is better- reading a paper book the old traditional way or an e-book.

Reading a Paper Book

1. Traditional Books or Paper Books are More Tactile

Clearly, the traditional books or paper books are more tactile in nature. They have a heft in the hand that feels entirely different compared to holding an e-reader. There’s a certain feeling that comes with smelling the paper in the books, turning pages, and seeing permanent words emblazoned on pages. Basically, the paper books feel good for those readers who enjoy physically collecting things or prefer a more sensory experience.

Paper books aren’t just tools that help you to access information, but they are also decorative objects. Who hasn’t been warmed by a home full of booklined shelves? If you are still curious about my blog, check out What is Nyasa's Book Shelf.

Being around your favorite volumes invite you to go grab them and browse through the pages. It is so easy to get lose in the world of book if they are all around you.

2. You Learn More Easily with the Printed Books

Retaining information can be quite easier with paper books. As per a Norwegian study that tested a group of readers on Amazon Kindle and another group that read the traditional paper-bound book, when both were quizzed post reading those who read the paper book fared better.

This is because there is a sort of feeling that comes while reading paper books which actually fire a different set of synapses in our brains. Moreover, we are so accustomed to skim-reading the digital media that it’s hard to read with the same focus while we read from the paper books.

3. Reading a Paper Back Wins Over E-Book When It Comes to Lighting

Another possible negative experience from reading from tablets or smartphones is linked to their lighting strength and power. Though they boast of strong backlights, this high level of screen luminosity sometimes convinces your eyes that it’s daylight outside which may keep you awake all through the night for unnecessary amounts of time. The artificial light exposure causes a lot of sleep scientists and doctors to recommend reading from regular paper books over digital books.

4. Some Readers Prefer the Feel and Utility of Paper Books

When it comes to reading experience, I personally think the weight and feel of a paper book is hard to beat most of the time. Most people are still used to read the traditional books are they are a total paper book lover. It’s so satisfying to curl up with a book, the smell of the pages and the heft of the book. Also, it allows us to see immediately how far we are really in a book. Whereas, in case of e-book it may still show that we have read 84% of the book when the book ended as the remaining 16% are excerpts from the author’s other books, his/her interview and a discussion guide.

5. Some Readers are Just Nostalgic Reading from Paper Books

I may be one of those weirdos that likes the smell of a paper in a traditional book. But not everyone thinks the same way. The feel of the book is an advantage for some readers as we have been used to read the paper books.

Reading an E-book

1) E-books are Great for Reading on The Go

A significant benefit of reading e-books is their small form factor along with their ability to store them without needing bookshelves. Whether you are a minimalist or a traveler, e-books are the ultimate portable way to enjoy reading. It needs not be filled in your suitcase as with a dozen heavy hardcovers. Simply slip your Kindle in your bag and you can have thousands of books on tap.

2) Search and Navigation is Simplified with E-books

With e-books search is super-simple, you can scroll the text with your finger to navigate easily through the texts. Eminently, e-books shareable; you can email an e-book to yourself or a friend easily. Not to mention storing e-book is a breeze.

With e-books you can perform a text search within every single book in your e-library. Try doing that with traditional books! You’d have to first have every page scanned and put into a database before being interpreted. The chances of that happening is quite slim unless you are at a high-end research facility or a University library.

3) E-books Have Visual Benefits

E-books can be awesome for people with poor eyesight and who are dyslexic. This is because of all the e-readers or tablets have the ability to change the size of the text that makes it easier to read. You also have the option to change the brightness levels which not only alleviates the problems of screens being too bright at nighttime but also allows for easy reading in bright environments.

4) E-books Have Audio Options

E-books can be easily synced to the audiobooks which allows you to enjoy your favorite stories and volumes in the care or while you walk back and forth to your work. I must say listening to audiobooks is an all-together different experience but can be quite valuable, especially when you are listening to them as a way to make use of the time spent commuting to work. In my next post, I’m going to discuss about Reading a Book Vs. Listening to an Audiobook: Which is Better? So, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog.

5) Easy to Publish E-books and are More Affordable Than Paper Book

Another important factor in the debate of e-book versus paper books concerns publishing. It is rudimentary and sometimes free to publish your book in the digital formats. This means you don’t need to find an agent to secure a book deal with a publisher.

Whereas, if you want to self-publish a traditional book it may not be particularly as cheap as publishing an e-book. This limits the release of information in traditional media to people with money and resources for such an undertaking.

Conclusion: Which is Better?

To wrap it up, there’s not really any need to choose which is better between reading a paper book and e-book these days. As we have already discussed about both the pros and cons with reading a paperbacks and digital form of books such as Kindle, deciding which is better will differ as per the reader’s choice. Not many people start reading e-books and turn their back completely on their beloved, dog-eared paper books.

It is better to consider both forms of reading have their own advantages and drawbacks, which is why can’t we just enjoy both of these forms.

So, read on and enjoy!

What do you prefer? Reading from a paperback or an e-book. Leave in your comments.

Can Reading Books Help You Become a Better Person?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:30:00 +0000

We already know that the more people read books, the better their verbal skills including their vocabulary. According to Professor Keith Oatley at the University of Toronto, “Literary fiction works best, especially fiction where the character is the center of what it’s all about.” Over a decade ago, graduate students in his lab started a series of experiments to explore whether reading fiction could help people understand each other. They found that fiction, especially the narrative fiction directly improves our social skills such as reducing the bias and improves our ability to understand other’s beliefs, intentions and desires. Later on, the brain scanning experiments supported those findings showing how stories and vivid imagery activate the hippocampus, a hub of our brain for emotion and memory.

Professor Oatley attributes that as we immerse ourselves in a story involving complex characters and unfamiliar circumstances, it is like working through a simulation, where we absorb and practice new emotions and perspective. We experience what it is like to be in someone else’s shoe. Reading literary fiction helps us understand the human rights of others by improving our empathy toward people in other parts of the world we may never visit, who seem quite different than ourselves. For example, in the Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner", we wade through the lives of Amir and Hassan’s childhood days in Afghanistan and Amir’s life in America with twisting experience of his return back to the Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Different types of fiction provide different social stimulations. Romances guide us through how a person picks a partner such as in "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes. On the other hand, mystery stories involve navigate the relations between oneself and the antagonist as in the work by thriller author Ruth Rendell or crime writer P. D. James.

Reading fiction is not just passing the time, it has societal implications about how we human beings live with each other and how we understand each other. Reading books can help you fall asleep, escape from reality, lower your stress through laughter or tears and also offer exposure to perspectives that are different from your own.

Let us now discuss about the other ways how reading books can make you a better person, according to science.

1. Reading Books Make You Feel Happier with Yourself and Your Life

In a survey conducted by Josie Billington at the University of Liverpool on 4,164 adults found many interesting differences between those who read regularly and those who don’t. Readers have reported being less depressed and less stressed and having higher level of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope up with challenges. When compared to the non-readers, they had stronger awareness of social issues and cultural diversity and scored higher in terms of feeling close to friends and their community.

2. It Raise Your Intelligence

As per the researchers at the University of Edinburgh and King's College London who tested 1,890 pairs of twins five times from the ages 7 to 16 for their IQ and reading ability, found that the kids with better reading ability compared to their twins had higher verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability. The authors speculate that while reading books help you to remember facts, it also helps them practice in abstract thinking through the process of imagining a book’s plot and putting yourself in place of the characters.

3. Reading Books Protect Your Memory

According to the study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the brain-stimulating activities like reading books help your brain as you age. They conducted tests on the memory and the thinking ability of 294 people every year for about six years before their deaths, which on an average occurred at age 89. Those who reported doing mentally stimulated activities like reading early and late in life had a slower rate of memory decline compared to those who hadn’t. The rate of decline was reduced by about 32 percent in people who were mentally active in their later years as compared to those with only average mental activity.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a big reader- because studies have also demonstrated an improved empathy after watching television shows. I’ll be discussing about Reading Books Vs. Watching Movies Based on Books: Which is Better? in my upcoming posts.

Now, some evidence suggests that reading literary fiction broadens our mind and also improves our ability to empathize with others. In words, reading books not only impacts our IQ (Intellectual Quotient) but EQ (Emotional Quotient) as well. To conclude, reading a good book can make you a better person.

Until then, this is Nyasa signing off.

I will highly appreciate sharing your love by leaving your thoughts below.

My Favorite Fantasy Novels and Books for Stress Relief

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 17:12:00 +0000

Is daily stress taking a toll on you? If yes, you might have searched on the internet about many ways to make times for yourself to help with stress relief. Reading books is one such way that can take your mind out of the real world for a short period of time by transporting you to another time or place. You need not be a voracious reader to reap the benefits of reading. All you need to do for reducing stress is to immerse yourself in a story for six minutes. So, start your week off in an entirely different universe before getting into the daily grind.

Research has shown that reading books especially fiction is more effective in stress relief than listening to music, talking a walk or sipping a tea. While your brain is engaged in the story from the book you are reading, your heart rate slows down and the muscle relaxes. This happens because while reading, your brain has so much work to do that it focuses your energy and improves your concentration. The act of reading a book with a strong narrative arc lasts beyond the time you are reading. Your brain will hold on the story to give you something for revisiting later.

Reading books is great for stress reduction as well as increases your emotional intelligence and empathy, as you get inside the heads and lives of the characters in the story. If stress is making you feel a little hostile towards people, reading books might actually help you to be nicer. I can’t stress on enough to start reading a new book on a Monday and you’ll have a whole new world to hang out for all the week.

Alright, before I reveal my favorite fantasy novels for stress relief, I’m going to tell you the best part about reading book is that there is no stress in choosing what and when to read. You are free to choose something that you enjoy and makes you feel calm and happy. Consult your local library, friends, or Nyasa's Book Shelf to get book recommendations for reading on Monday. Focus on what you are reading so that you can easily escape into your story and after reading, dedicate a few more minutes to let what you’ve read sink in.

My Favorite Fantasy Novels and Books to De-stress

In a forever moving world, it can be hard to carve out a moment of stillness. When the noise, rush and stress of our frantic lives leaves us frazzled, reading books can help you find the calm through the storm. Here’s presenting my favorite stress-busting books:

1. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*uck

In this generation-defining self-help book, Mark Manson, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” at all the times so that we can truly become happy and better person. Filled with ruthless humor, entertaining stories and profane, it is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead grounded and contended lives.

2. Silence

Erling Kagge, a Norwegian explorer had once spent fifty days walking solo across Antarctica with his broken radio. In this charming and quiet life-changing book which is now an international publishing phenomenon, he takes us on a journey to unlock the power of silence in the age of noise.

3. Write It Down, Let It Go

This inviting worry relief journal by Lindsay Kramer which is published by Chronicle Books encourages users to record and write down their worries on one page and then use the opposite page to reframe anxious thoughts into positive feelings or actions, i.e. to let it go. Basically, it based on a recognized therapeutic technique to relieve anxiety and stress.

4. Ikigai

Japanese people believe that everyone has an Ikigai- a reason to jump out of bed every morning. This book by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles will give you the life-changing tools to uncover your personal Ikigai. It is quite inspiring and comforting. It will show you how to leave urgency behind, discover your purpose, nurture your friendships and throw yourself into passions. Read Ikigai to bring meaning and joy to your everyday.

5. 100 Hugs

A collection of illustrated hugs from Chris Riddell, the former Waterstone’s Children Laureate cover every possible type of hug you can think of. But one thing is for certain that everyone will touch your heart.

6. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

The world moves fast, but this doesn’t mean that we too have to move fast. Written by author Haemin Sunim, this book provides insight and compassion drawn from a life full of change and succeeds at encouraging all of us to notice that when you slow down, the world slows down with us.

7. The Art of Stopping Time

The New York Times Bestselling author Pedram Shojai discloses what it takes, from understanding how and where we spend our time. He teaches us how to recapture the lost moments and reveals the connection between time, money and energy. He uncovers how harnessing the deepest secrets of time can help us take back the control of our life.

8. The Secret Life of Cows

This book by Rosamund Young comes with a lovely foreword by Alan Bennett. In this book cows are varied as people. Cows are considered as sacred symbol of life which should be protected and revered. They can be highly intelligent or slow to understand, considerate, vain, shy, proud or inventive. This book written without undue sentimentality, makes a strong case for the humane rights of livestock, highlighted by the absorbing anecdote and observation.

By writing this post, I have enjoyed relieving the memories these books gave me while I was reading them. Feel free to pick up any of the above listed books to relieve your stress.

Don’t forget to comment about your favorite fantasy novels and books for stress relief.

Share the Happiness!

Significance of Reading Books to Your Children

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 08:14:00 +0000

Reading books is like a journey- we meet other cultures and get to know their ways of life. It is as if we live many different lives. When we read books, we learn literary language, new words, enrich our own vocabulary and gain knowledge about our surroundings, nature, different people and their culture, history, etc. The knowledge we gain we reading books helps us to better our understanding of the world around us. Books open our minds by opening the windows to different views and lives. They give us the feeling of relaxation and peace and also inspire us. Books can be perfect friends when we feel our life is grey and boring, as they take us to another world and make us discover new things.

In 1920, a sociologist found that an average person spends a fifth of his/her waking time reading. However, during the last decades, the amount of time reading has shrunk drastically, especially among the adults who are now busier with their smartphones and laptops. Although we live in the “Computer Era”, the importance of reading books hasn’t shrunk. This is because the modern society still needs people who know how to read and understand what they have read so that they will be able to use all the information they get out of their reading habits.

Those who have interest for reading and are mastering the reading technique by making it a habit have nothing to lose but gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. Isn’t this enough to understand why it is important to choose the right approach for making your children love reading books. As an adult, it is our responsibility to be a role-model for our kids in terms of book reading. It solely depends on us whether we make our kids fall in love with books or hate them for the rest of their lives.

Importance of Reading Books to Your Children

Reading books can promote your child’s brain and emotional development. While any positive interaction between parent and child is helpful, reading books ensure to gain a positive foothold into children’s lives.

If parents consider reading as a pleasurable and satisfying hobby and are aware of the significance of book reading every day, they set an important example for their children to follow. Children start to show greater interest in reading books when they are motivated by their parent’s act of book reading. Children start considering the value of reading as they enjoy it and have a positive image of themselves as readers. Moreover, during school age, these children spend time reading voluntarily than their counterparts whose parents aren’t into reading.

The way children consider reading together their parents depend on the parents’ ability to create a warm and intimate feeling while reading to young children. The way parent’s present their own reading experiences to children, the way they are able to satisfy their kids curiosity and how they answer their children's questions and how you respond to their experiences, comprehension and images, all make up for their children’s future inclination towards book reading. Parents can interconnect the world of books and the world of the small reader only if the connection is derived from their children’s knowledge and his/her interests.

Nowadays scientists are stressing on the importance of right emotional atmosphere while reading books to young children. If your child feels warm and safe during reading session and wants to re-experience these moments, will start developing an interest in reading books. At first the reading interest will be together with family members and later this interest will be reading individually. Eventually, when parents are successful creating a warm and nice atmosphere of reading, children will improve their concentration skills.

All in all, as a parent you will be able to spend some quality time while reading books to your children. Reading various children’s literature encourages your children to develop a positive attitude towards reading books and language. Also, this will be the first step towards your child’s balanced development for his/her habits and lifestyle.

Decoding the Quote "You Become the Book You Read"

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:30:00 +0000

We have all heard the stories about how most of the people we admire attribute much of their success to the thirst of knowledge and their love of reading books. Even in our own lives, we have all had experiences which hit home the impact of reading.

Our favorite childhood story, an inspiring writer, that one novel. Still, I don’t think most of it internalize quite how much and how subtly what books we read determines who we become.

What We Input to the Brain Shapes Our Output!

Language is the primary tool of communication that builds and organize our knowledge and allows us to interact with each other. As it is English is the language that I use to convey my thought through Nyasa's Book Shelf.

Outside of the direct experience, it is also largely how we create our perception of the reality. The information absorbed by our senses through our surroundings combines to creating linguistic models in our mind and subconscious. It helps us understand how the world works and the helps in creating the best way to interact with it. One part of this occurs through verbal conversation, or listening to something but for most knowledge workers as well as an average person in developed countries, a larger part of it is directly the result of what they consume- reading books.

So, you become the book you read. The information that you take as an input to the brain informs your thinking pattern and shapes your output- or simply put it influences your decisions, the work you produce and the way you interact.

Isn’t this a huge incentive to prioritize a block of time to think about what and how you consume, I mean shouldn’t you be analyzing whether or not to read adequately in association with the progress you wish to make. Now this definitely gives us a good reason to pause and consider if we can do anything to purposefully shape our minds.

Here, input doesn’t necessarily mean quantity but the correlation between how much you read books or what you can or who you become to begin after a certain point. So, more isn’t always better. So, our discussion will focus not on the number of books you have read till now or intending to read in future but the quality of your predominant sources of input as their importance can’t be overstated.

You Don’t Have Time to Read Books?

I know most of us lead busy lives, with so many other commitments that there isn’t always time in the day left to read. But is it really so? Maybe this holds true for a very small minority of people. However, it is just an excuse for a majority of us. The reality is we haven’t analyzed how we spend our time and what we can do about it to incorporate reading books in our daily schedule. We can think about all the time we spend on social media and watching television, it points to the truth about “we don’t have time”. So, it is more like we don’t make time to read books.

In fact, it maybe you are reading my blog post while randomly surfing and killing time but at the same time feel that you don’t have enough hours in the read what you want. The point is that even when we are thinking that we don’t have enough time to read, we are still reading on the internet, while scrolling down our Facebook feed and clicking on an enticing title from a questionable news source.

The difference is that this kind of reading isn’t intentional as when we choose a book of a specific genre to read. So, this kind of reading can negatively warp our experience on how we see, think about and analyze the world around us. What I want to say is reading shouldn’t be something that happens to you but it should be something you are actively involved in with awareness. If you still don’t feel you have time to read book, then it’s time to think twice.

Read Books as Per Your Choice

As we have the power to choose the food we want to eat, so should we read books as per our choice. There is no dearth of books being published every year. We live in the age of information overload, and reading books can help us to build the ability to distinguish value from noise. Most of us don’t always pay attention to what our brain is processing and go along in whatever direction the world guides us. As we have already discussed about the effects of reading books, we now know that is not the way ahead.

At the end of the day, reading is an important skill in our life that affects how we think. It impacts everything from what you produce to how you see the world. This speaks volumes on the importance of choosing the book when it comes to consuming valuable input.

Again, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should cut out anything which is directly relevant to your life. We should reduce aimless browsing, social media feeds and pointless news.

Read some good fiction, add some classics and learn from people who think deeply. The quality of our mind depends on the books we read.

Choose wisely- aim for quality input for a better output.

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Until then, this is Nyasa signing off.

Reading Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 08:14:00 +0000

For both readers and writers, it’s hard to tell the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Basically, fiction refers to the plot, characters and settings that are created from imagination whereas non-fiction refers to factual stories that focuses on actual people and events. However, the difference between both these genres are sometimes blurred as the two often intersect.

In this post, we will take a closer look on reading fiction and non-fiction and examine what sets them apart.

Defining Fiction

When it comes to differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, the Associate Professor of Writing & Literature at the New School in New York City, Joseph Salvatore says that he teaches a course on the craft, theory and practice of fiction writing, this topic is discussed all the time. Though all the theories and ideas are challenged and disputed by both the writers and critics regarding what fiction is and its relation to other genres such as creative non-fiction, there are some basic components of fiction.

Fiction is fabricated and based on the imagination of the author. So, all the novels, short stories, legends, myths and fairy tales are considered as fiction. However, some writers use settings, characters and plot point in fiction based on real-life people or events so as to jump off points for their stories.

For instance, Stephen King sets most of his novels and stories in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Though Derry isn’t a real place, it’s based on his actual hometown of Bangor. Moreover, fantasy and science fiction books placed in imaginary worlds often take inspiration from the real work. Examples include "The Broken Earth Trilogy" by N. K. Jemisin, where she uses actual science and geological research to make her world believable and "Deception Point" by Dan Brown that mention’s NASA in the book.

Often fiction uses specific narrative techniques to heighten its impact. It uses rich, evocative sensory detail, the juxtaposition of summarized narrative and dramatized scenes, the different pacing tempos of dramatic and no-dramatic events, the temporary delay and withholding of story information for heightening the complicate plot and suspense in the books. Also, it uses the different point of views of narration including the deep subjective interiority and stark objective effacement, the stylized use of language to narrate events and render human consciousness.

All in all, Fiction refers to literature that is created from the imagination. The most common genres of fiction include science fiction, mysteries, romance, chick lit, fantasy and crime thrillers.

Few examples of classic fiction books include the following:

1) A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

2) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3) Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

4) 1984 by George Orwell

Defining Non-Fiction

Non-fiction is the broadest category of literature that are based on facts and reports on true events. The non-fiction books include many categories including histories, business, health and fitness, biographies, crafts, pets, languages, home improvements, essays, art and music, self-help, home decorating, religion, science, true crime, journalism and humor.

Usually, the non-fiction has a higher standard to uphold than fiction. This is because a few smatterings of fact in a work of fiction does not make it true whereas a few fabrications in a non-fiction book can force the story to lose all its credibility. An instance is when "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey was kicked out of Oprah's Book Club in 2006 when it came to light that he had fabricated most of his memoir.

Often non-fiction uses many techniques of fiction to make it more appealing such in Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" which is widely regarded as one of the best works of non-fiction in which his descriptions and detailing of events are so evocative and rich that it significantly blurred the lines between fiction and non-fiction. However, it has led to questions regarding the veracity of his account.

Now, this gave rise to a new trend called creative non-fiction that uses the techniques of fiction to report on true events. Creative non-fiction refers to using literary craft employing the techniques of fiction writers, poets and playwrights to present non-fiction that are factually accurate prose about real people and events in a vivid, compelling and dramatic manner. The goal of creative writing is making non-fiction stories read like fiction so that readers are enthralled by the facts as they are by fantasy.

Though it’s sometimes quite hard to tell the difference between fiction and non-fiction, especially in the hands of a skilled author, just go by this simple rule: If the book you are reading reports the truth- it's non-fiction and if it stretches the truth then it’s fiction.

What’s your favorite between reading fiction and non-fiction and why?

How Do I Develop the Skill of Book Reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Sat, 29 Sep 2018 10:32:00 +0000

Reading skills is needed not only to learn a language but to learn about new subjects. As avid lovers of literature, often teachers find themselves wanting to impart every bit of knowledge and information about a well-loved book to their students. Developing reading skills especially in English is an almost guaranteed way to help you retain content of the book. Unfortunately, the tendency to focus on the content of a book is the real enemy to the goal of developing reading skills. This is why students are asked to present reports on book reading so that they can be assessed effectively on how far they read the book and what information they were able to absorb by reading the book. In this way the teachers or instructors can help students to develop their book reading skills.

In this post, I am talking about a teacher and student scenario because that’s something we could all relate with in order to build our book reading skill. Here are few ideas you can incorporate book reading skills in your curriculum or daily life.

Teach Close Reading Skills

Guide students in annotation by directing them to do more than underlying or highlighting. Encourage students to have a conversation with the book by jotting down notes on the text while reading. This will keep them engaged with the book and also increase comprehension.

Annotations can include asking questions, defining new words, making personal connections to the text, citing current events, coding recurring words and themes, summarizing the paragraphs, categorizing information, highlighting heading and subheadings, chunking, drawing pictures and numbering and ordering. There is an endless list of possibilities to create annotations. The important point is to have students form their own process while approaching a text- because everyone has different approach and perspectives. As a teacher, don’t be afraid to give your students specific annotation guidelines such as “annotate the writer’s characterization techniques” or “find examples of so and so” to help them focus.

Annotations help the students to identify which strategies work best for them while trying to process and understand information. Watch this clip "Girls Read Comic" from “The Big Bang Theory” that has a great way to introduce the concept of reading closely and its significance.

Set Reading Goals

Although writing goals are used regularly in the classroom, students do not assess their personal reading skills on a regular basis. So, start the year by having your students to write a reader’s biography to gain insight into their reading habits, their struggles and successes. This will serve as a foundation for you to set reading goals for your students. Evaluating reading skills of students is important on a regular basis so that you can help them create new goals based on their needs and goals.

Appeal to the Senses

While reading book is the work of the mind, incorporating the senses provide extra reinforcement for students who are still developing their skills. Reading aloud and verbalizing questions you would mentally ask while reading books is beneficial to students. Therefore, a teacher modeling this skill of asking questions help the students to understand what type of questions to ask and the frequency of questions while book reading. It is worth mentioning to encourage students to read with a pen or pencil in hand.

Vary the Text Length

While approaching a particular difficult text, break it up and offer it in shorter segments, otherwise your students will become discouraged with lengthy texts which needs intense concentration. Give them smaller segments so that the students can digest chunks in pieces, acquire the academic vocabulary and build their book reading skills with confidence.

Assess Content and Skills

Students should be able to demonstrate their book reading skills in assessment, be it formal or informal, formative or summative. Comprehension questions are a good way to check for basic understanding but teachers should move to the harder level of asking how and why questions to their students. You can choose activities which require the students to dig deeper into the book such as writing a formal easy, facilitating a discussion, making a meme for a character, or presenting a timeline of a character in the form of an infographic, etc.

Offer Opportunities for Choice Reading

Put it in this way, the best way to improve book reading skill is to read books, and students are more likely to read it when they a choice in reading their favorite book. Introduce them with variety of choices between reading the fiction and non-fiction books by introducing them to what they can expect from these genres. Encourage students to take books for personal reading by asking them about their interests and providing your recommendations. Don’t make reading skill as a forced upon skillset development but for pleasure so that students start reading books by their own.

So, incorporating the above tactics will help you to develop your book reading skill development. Taking time to discuss about the book will not only make you gain in reading but also have an understanding to become better readers.

Now that you know how to develop book reading skills, I’ll discuss about the benefits of book reading in my upcoming posts. I hope with that you will have enough reasons to indulge yourself in the wonderland of books.

Until then, this is your book-nerdy friend Nyasa signing off.

Do’s and Don'ts of Reading Books with Children

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:18:00 +0000

Reading books is important because it helps to expand the mind and develop imagination. In today’s society, reading ability is one of the vital skills in being able to function well. So, it is undeniable that a child’s reading skills are important for their success in school, at work and in life. That is why reading books with children at a very early age ensures their success.

In this post, I’ll be discussing about the do’s and don’ts of reading books with children.

List of Do’s While Reading Books with Your Child

Start reading books to children as soon as possible.
Before you start reading a book, always say the name of the book, introduce the author and illustrator, no matter how many times you have to read the book.
Read and re-read books which are predictable and contain repetition.
Choose Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and songs which stimulate language and listening.
Set a time every day aside for book reading.
To encourage children’s involvement in book reading, have them turn the pages for you.
Use plenty of expressions while reading books, it helps to build imagination for your children.
Keep them involved as you read books by occasionally asking them about what they think is going to happen next?
Lead your child by example. Let them see you reading and they will soon start to copy us.
Regulate the amount of time spent watching television and using smartphones.
Read books to your child, like you mean it. Change your pitch and volume to show different characters or create a mood.
Reluctant readers often find it difficult to sit still, so try giving a pencil and paper to your children during the read-aloud experience to keep their hands busy.
Occasionally read books that are above your children’s intellectual levels. This is a great way to challenge their minds and expose them to new experiences.
Incorporate the following six simple and powerful early literacy practices into your everyday activities so that it helps your child to learn early literacy skills:

Reading: Reading books together is the most effective way that helps children to become proficient readers. Your child’s interest in reading is a significant predictor of later reading achievement.
Talking: Talking, telling stories and stretching conversations with children help them to learn new information, vocabulary and other early literary skills.
Counting: This is a great way to teach your child to reason logically, solve the problems and make connections between mathematics and everyday life.
Singing: It develops listening skills in children and help them to pay attention to the rhythm and rhyme. Singing helps children to learn new words, it adds to their general knowledge and is plain fun!
Writing: We already know that writing and reading go together. Both reading and writing are ways to represent spoken words and to communicate information.
Playing: It is one of the primary ways young children learn about how the world works and learn language. It helps children understand that written words stand for real objects and experiences.

List of Don'ts While Reading Books with Your Child

Don’t be fooled by awards. An award-winning book may not necessarily be a good read-aloud for your children.
Don’t read stories that you yourself don’t like as your dislike will show off.
Don’t get too comfortable while reading books to your children. A slouching or reclining position is the most apt way to bring on drowsiness. With less blood being pumped, less oxygen reaches the brain which causes drowsiness.
Never use the book as a threat such as “If you don’t clean your room then no story for you tonight!”. This will foster a negative attitude about book reading on your children. So, refrain from making the book reading experience a negative one for your children.
Don’t be unnerved by questions from very young children during the book reading session. Answer the question patiently if they pop up not for the purpose of distracting or postponing your bedtime. Though there is no time limit for reading a book however, understand that there is a time limit on a child’s inquisitiveness for it. So, foster your children’s curiosity with patient answers and then resume your reading.
Don’t stop reading aloud to your children once they start reading by themselves, because reading and listening skills don’t begin to converge until about 8th grade.

Now that we know about the do’s and don’ts of book reading with children, you can start with this activity to develop this skill at an early age. If you are still not convinced why you should start reading to your children then stay tuned to know the Significance of Reading Books to Your Children in my upcoming posts.
Let me know your thoughts on reading books with children in the comments below.

How Reading Books Help to Reduce Stress?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 14:16:00 +0000

Hello my dear friends, I hope you are all doing good today. In this post, I will be discussing about a great and interesting way to reduce stress quickly- reading books. Before beginning, I've few questions for you- Do you love books? Do you like to read? If the answer is yes then this post is meant for you.

Few months ago, I was stressed out with my academics and personal life. But then one day, a reading group of which I am a member of started with the reading books activity. During that session one of the members read her favorite book "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. And believe me, I enjoyed the reading session. After this session, I was longing to know what happened next in the story of this book. My mind got cleared of all the things that were stressing me out before this reading session. It was then that I realized how reading helps to reduce the stress levels. In fact, I now pledged to incorporate reading books in my daily routine, so that my mind can break off from its routine worries and wander in the wonderful world of books. So, reading books help me live through my life when its psychologically hard and stressful.

How Reading Books Reduces Stress?

We all know that reading is good for the brain. But does it help with relieving stress? Do you remember the study done by neuropsychologist David Lewis that I had mentioned in my previous post, wherein reading was found to be a powerful tool for stress relief in comparison to listening to music, taking a walk to relax or drinking tea? If not, let me remind you, it only takes six minutes of reading to reduce your stress levels by 68 percent. And I can’t agree more with the study done by Dr. David Lewis. Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation method, because reading can distract us from our everyday worries and anxiety and make us feel more relaxed.

How Do I Read Books to Truly Achieve Stress Relief?

Merely reading books, scanning through the pages won’t help to reduce stress level. This is why, I always find a quiet place to read books, because it is more enjoyable as well as relaxing. However, this is not always possible as in case of commuting when the bus is full of chatter and loud music.

Reading is an activity that recharges your mind and body. It helps us explore new imaginary world that are quite different from our ordinary life. Reading also helps us become more creative and energetic. Basically, it helps us to find new ways to enjoy our life. You can dream while reading books, you can laugh and this results in reducing our stressors. This is why reading I enjoy a lot while reading books and I am no more anxious or stressed while doing so.

For me, reading is dreaming and traveling to new realities, to live someone else’s life- the characters in the book. It helps me forget everything which is stressing me out and I can just live my life with new perspective. In some strange way, reading books is like a meditation to me. Because, while reading books, you usually only think and be in the reality that the book brings you to. Reading is a journey, a fun activity that I enjoy because it helps to release the stress even if it’s for a little while.

The best part about reading is that it increases our empathy so that we can understand others better. This can make our life easier because we are here for each other to build this world together. We can truly connect with each other and then there can’t be stress.

Can Reading Books Relieve Stress for Everyone?

Though reading books reduces stress, but it won’t work for everyone. This is because if you don’t like reading and you don’t enjoy this activity, then reading books won’t work for you to relieve your stress. So, if you are forced to read a book and you take it as a chore then you can’t enjoy it and believe me it will make you more stressed.

What Kind of Books You Should Read for Stress Relief?

This is a good question, but the answer is simple- it simply depends on you. You are free to choose what kind of books you enjoy reading- a novel of any genre that lets you laugh and forget about all your anxiety, worries and stress. Some people enjoy horror novels because it helps them relieve stress by engaging them in a different world with different rule which let them go off their tension.

For me, it is detective fiction novels, love stories and any books that could capture my imagination and interest in knowing what happens next in the book, that helps me forget about my stress and worries. It helps me escape my reality for a while and makes me feel relaxed. I’ll post about My Favorite Fantasy Novels and Books for Stress Relief in my future posts.

Outline

Now that you understand that reading is an important factor for our physical as well as mental well-being. I hope you will incorporate this habit in your daily life so that you can get rid of all your stress and worries.

Let me know about what book you are going to read next. And don’t forget to share this new information with your friends and family.

Until next time, this is Nyasa signing off.

Can Reading Books Make You More Productive?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 11:37:00 +0000

In the previous post, I've already mentioned how reading as a hobby is attributed to introverts. However, I also highlighted about the 9 Scientific Facts Related to Book Reading And its Impact on Improving Our Lives. I sincerely hope that it was a pitched with a pinch to convince some of you to start reading books. In this post, we will be discussing whether reading books can make you more productive. Let us now assess can reading books impact your productivity.

We all must have observed the changes brought by the technological advances with smartphones becoming a part of our lives. Nowadays, it is quite common to see people glued to their smartphones while commuting to the schools, colleges or offices. What is more surprising is that with easy accessibility and simplicity of games on smartphones, most of the users have become gamers. What a shame that nearly a decade ago, people who were commuting would be glued with a book or newspapers in their hands but now it has been replaced by smartphone gamers. Very few people now spend their time reading books which is why most of them are missing out the benefits of reading books.

Being an avid reader, I am biased on reading than gaming on smartphone devices. However, with this post, I'll try my best convincing you to read books. Besides an enjoyable pastime, reading books have positive impact on productivity, creativity, focus and emotional well-being.

Reading Books Increase Empathy

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University discovered that your imagination while reading is quite similar to an athlete's muscle memory while thinking about playing sports. While reading, your brain's reaction puts you in somebody else's shoes which is why it increases your empathy. In a 2013 study, it was concluded that when people reading fiction become emotionally invested in the story, their emotions are transported into what they are currently reading. Ultimately, they become empathetic. This is unique to reading fiction because it is easy for a person to relate to another individual character than a non-fictional statistic or analysis. In other words, people are more likely to respond to charitable donations when learning about the sufferings of an individual than a mass group of people needing help.

So, reading books is a great way to understand another point of view that you wouldn't otherwise have access to. By reading more books, you can put yourself in an entirely different world and take your imagination to places that you'd never experience otherwise. Though reading non-fiction is informative and educational, reading fiction creates a better understanding of other people. Stay tuned to learn more about Reading Fiction Vs, Non-Fiction in my upcoming posts.

Reading Books Improve Focus

With the easy availability and accessibility to so much online content- blogs, news, tweets, it is great to stay informed about the world and industry events. But when it comes to reading a novel, you get something extra- improved focus. This is because with no hyperlinks, emails, chats or other notifications competing for your attention, reading books need undivided focus. This uninterrupted way of reading is conducive to deep reading which means, slow, rich in sensory detail, immersive and emotional and moral complexity which is more than just decoding words on a page.

A completely immersive deep reading skill needs to be practiced, which is quite challenging while reading on the web. As per a 2006 study, most people read on screens do so in an "F" pattern- which means that they read the first sentence on the page in full but then read less and less of each of the subsequent sentence.

Reading books with no distractions or hyperlinks forces the reader to focus and read each and every line in full. This allows for great concentration with better reading comprehension. The focus you develop with deep reading is especially important to you if you do jobs requiring long periods of reading complicated texts. This is because it helps you to easily process what you are reading. So, the more books you read, the more you'll be able to improve your attention and focus and the better your reading comprehension.

Reading Books Reduce Stress

There are many ways to reduce stress such as drinking tea, listening to music or exercising. Though different activities work best for different people, reading may actually be better for relaxation than all those activities. According to 2009 study conducted by MindLab International at the University of Sussex, it was revealed that reading reduces stress by 68% as compared to listening to music and taking a walk at 61% and 42% respectively. As per cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis, who conducted this experiment, it really doesn't matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a completely engrossing book you can escape from all the worries and stress of everyday world. Reading is more than a mere distraction but an active engaging of the imagination. It doesn't just distract you from your stress but engages and absorbs your attention by putting your brain into a pleasurable trance such as a state quite similar to mediation. So, reading brings in the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm.

Moreover, reading a book before bed can make you sleep better. According to sleep experts, avoid bright lights before bed as it signals the brain that it's time to be awake. So, reading a book before bed is an alternative that relaxes you and the lack of light will allow your brain to prepare for sleep. To outline, you are in a win-win situation with reduced stress and a good night's sleep.

The next time you start feeling stressed or burnout at work, you just have to grab a book to read and lose yourself in a different world.

Reading Books Boost Creativity and Productivity

Reading books will not only help to improve your personal goals, but it is also good for your business. This is because empathy is a quality for a good leader and inspire your team to reach their full protentional. Also, empathy is necessary to connect with your customers- as the more understanding you are to their needs, the more they'll trust your brand.

Opening yourself up to new experiences and emotions through book reading helps you to come up with creative, unique business solutions. Reading books with different characters and points of views open your mind to new ideas as well. All in all, reading helps to boost your creativity and productivity which will be a good support to your career life.

I hope that I have given you some motivation to get off your couch binge watching TV and start reading. I am curious to hear your perspective and how reading books has impacted your life and career. Don't forget to share your thoughts.

9 Scientific Facts About Book Reading and How It Can Improve Your Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:23:00 +0000

Most people perceive reading books as an introverted hobby for the anti-social and feeble. However, you will be quite surprised to know that reading books has many positive effects on your emotional, intellectual and psychological state of mind.

In this post, I’m going to state the 9 scientific facts about book reading and how it can improve your life.

1) Reading Enhances Memory

Every time you read something new, your brain “makes room” for the new information to fit in. With these new spaces, you can take advantage of any new information that may arise from the books you read.

2) Reading Can Be Therapeutic

As per a behavioral researcher, Cristel Russel, reading can help with any stress or turmoil that occur in your life. If you are going through a break-up or want to simply relax then try reading a new book.

3) Reading Expands Your Vocabulary, So It Will Make You Sound Like A Genius

The more books you will read, the more words you will come across. And the more often you will read these words, the more likely you will understand them and use them while speaking and writing.

4) Being a Reader Means You’re Likely to Learn Something New Everyday

Anne E. Cunningham, an education professor who wrote a research paper had discovered that reading frequently actually does make you smarter. It not only helps you retain knowledge but also help you to remember the knowledge later on in life. Whether or not you realize it, but reading books stockpiles your brain with new information and you’ll never know when it may come handy.

5) Reading Helps to Prevent Alzheimer’s

As per a recent study, people who read are two and a half times less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease later on in life. Though this doesn’t mean that reading books will prevent the disease, but it proves a slight relationship between reading and prevention of Alzheimer’s.

6) People Who Read Books Are More Likely to Vote, Exercise and Be More Cultural

According to a study done by the National Endowment for the Arts, reading makes you more engaged throughout life. It helps you take advantage of any activities that may spring up during your life.

7) Reading Helps to Boost Your Analytical Thinking

Reading books help you to recognize various patterns which occur in writing. Reading plays a significant role if you are looking for career in medicine or law. So, get into the hobby of reading books.

8) People Who Read Books Are More Likely to Get Ahead in Their Career and Life in General

According to Honor Wilson-Fletcher, “reading opens doors and makes life easier”. To outline, it doesn’t matter what you read. Moreover, reading books can really make you feel good. To conclude, reading books is important if you want to live a successful life.

9) Reading Fiction Books Increases Your Ability to Empathize with Others

As per a study done by the University of Buffalo, access to possible realities and fictional story lines open you up to new feelings and emotions. It also helps you to empathize with others by understanding different cultures followed by people.

A Bonus Fact: Reading Books Actually Make You Seem Sexier, Especially to Women

According to a study, it was found that reading makes you seem intelligent which is looked upon favorably by women. So, the more you are into reading, the more appealing you will become!

So, what are you waiting for? Go grab any book and get lost in the joy of reading.

What is Nyasa's Book Shelf?

noreply@blogger.com (Nyasa Sharma) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:01:00 +0000

Nyasa's Book Shelf is a personal blog that is based on, of course you guessed it- Books. Reading books has always been a hobby for me. Being an avid reader, I have always indulged in the wonderland of books by many authors around the world. Also, I don't differentiate between different genre of books. This is because I firmly believe that my taste of book and food is interconnected, that is same as most of the Indians trying every other food variety we have throughout our country.

About Nyasa's Book Shelf

In this blog, I am basically trying to capture my feelings while reading the books and also providing my honest book review. My book review will be purely my opinion of an author's literary work and in no way provide publicity to a writer or an author. However, it will link a writer directly to an audience of avid book readers who are passionate about reading and literature and discovering to spread the news of a good book. So, if you’re a writer and wondering the best way to get your book in front of a group of avid readers, feel free to send in your books to get it reviewed by me!

As book reviewing takes time, it may make you feel anxious while waiting for your book to be reviewed. But once it gets reviewed within the allotted time that I had requested, this will ensure that your book gets the proper attention that it deserves. It is also worth noting that I'll be only providing an honest review; so not all books be given a five-star review. Being a book reviewer, I am obliged to my fellow readers and not the author. So, I expect practical thinking from you; not everyone will love your book.

The positive book reviews receiving an average and above ratings can find an increase in visibility of their books and their sales and an increased engagement on social media as well.

Embarking on My New Journey

I never thought that my reading habit could one day spark an idea to do book reviews. But I think this is the best time to start blogging about my passion of book reading. For they say, 'It is better to get started now than never.'

My new journey of blogging will initially focus on reviewing the books that I've read within a span of last five years. This blog will also focus on the importance and benefits of reading, why I like reading books, books and their impact on our lives, and everything that is related to the books.

This blog will be focused to provide my honest reviews and analysis on the books by different authors and writers from India and abroad. I am also open to your suggestions regarding any books you want to be reviewed. Also, writers may feel free to send me a sample of their book to get it reviewed.

Wish me good luck and join in to the magical land of books with me.

Until next time, this is Nyasa signing off.