Ella Berthoud

02/26/2022 Just now doing a little book dusting and rearranging, which is always a fine opportunity to leaf through books I have not yet read (hurry, hurry, WHEN?) and flipped to this:

READING AILMENT | Tome, put off by a
CURE | Cut it up

I remember one time when I gave my mother a book to read while she was visiting, a hefty tome. When it was time for her to return home, I told her she could take it home, she could have it. Later when we talked on the phone she had to guiltily confess that show more she had done something she had never done before: she had cut the book into parts so she could hold it while reading. I thought it was a brilliant idea! Why not?

And in this book, there it was, my mother's brilliant idea. They write "Far better a copy of A Suitable Boy existing in noncorporeal form inside your head than left intact but destined to spend its life propping open a door." That is the EXACT BOOK my mother split into pieces to read.

Aw, Mom. I miss you. show less

This book is arranged like a book of home remedies -- An A-Z listing of various ailments, each with a prescribed cure. Except that the "cures" are novels. Novels to read if you are depressed, if your back hurts, if you are looking for Mr/Ms Right or stuck with Mr/Ms Wrong. And, there are special sections on "reading ailment" such as buying books but not reading them, the inability to stop a book once you've started it, etc.

I loved it! I read the whole thing cover to cover -- something I'd show more never do with a book about non-book remedies. The writing is witty, often funny, insightful. The epilogue is great -- almost a short story in itself.

A wise investment: a complete guide to Bibliotherapy, and a charming discussion of many books. The one danger: I've added several titles to my wish list after reading about them -- titles that have nothing to do with any ailment I'm afflicted with, other than my love of reading. show less

How do I fix ME to be a better, more discerning and mindful, reader who can turn everything off and read with full concentration...and remember what I read? I want to get into the stories that I read, like I did back in my high school days, but I can’t. Every single little thing distracts me and breaks my concentration.

First, according to this author, I have to determine what kind of reader I am. Naturally, and of course, I don’t fit into one single category. I am both a Visual Reader show more and a Kinaesthetic Reader, but, apparently, I'm not an Auditory Reader. As a Visual Reader, I read the words aloud in my head. If the book is from a movie, then I read in the main characters voice, and I see him or her acting out all the parts. Example? I gave “Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout a 4-star even though it was a slow book about nothing. And even though I haven’t seen the mini-series on HBO, I know that Frances McDormand, who is one of my favorite actresses, plays the part of Olive, so I read in her voice and saw her in the book the whole time. I am a Kinaesthetic Reader when I read how-to or reference type books. I highlight, underline, and make notations all over the book. I’m totally involved with the book.

I am willing to try some new reading styles suggested in the book to see if I have other “talents”, like try reading while walking on the ARC Trainer. Or maybe try an audio book on an iPod while walking ALONE...I haven’t tried that yet. Getting my exercises in by doing a variety of yoga poses for 5 or 10 minutes a pop while reading. But, I will probably find I can’t do those things because I’m more of a Visual Reader...we’ll see.
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The following tips I found in Chapter 5 sound more like something I need to incorporate into my readings:

1. Write down a "Six-Word Memoir" about each book I read to grasp the “to-the-point” meaning of what the book was about. This is a good exercise for me because I am extremely long winded with my reviews. It could be a phrase or simply six words, not connected to each other in any way, that represents the story.

2. Combine a “personal/private” reading journal with a diary on paper, in a notebook, not on a screen. [Post only the short general reviews to Goodreads. Nobody has all day to read reviews.] This will become sort of your books read and review, as well as your personal diary. (p. 98-99)
- Title of book
- Author
- Date of publication and number of pages
- Date you finished
- Place you read the book & happenings around you while reading
- Thoughts on the book - narrator, narrator voice, plot, characters, any particular resonance with you as a reader
- Extra info about the author that might be interesting to know regarding the book
- Links to other books it reminds you of
- Reflections on the book
- Was it paperback, hardback, eBook read from phone or Kindle?
- If hard copy, how did the book feel, smell? Was the cover, the title appealing?

3. Create a cozy, quiet reading corner where I can retreat and hopefully fully use my brain and concentrate on the book of the moment WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS.

4. Expand your vocabulary. When you come across words you don't know, stop. Look the word up in a dictionary. Write it down in your reading journal. Try to use that word throughout your day. I do this with history books. It really does make the books more meaningful.

Your journal for book readings should be mixed with memories of what was happening in your life at the time, or even if it brought back memories about something that has happened in your past. This will make your journaling worthwhile.

When writing about the book, think mindfully about the book. Write about the feelings you experienced while reading the book. Sadness, joy, irritation with author, pity, compassion, nostalgic, or did you feel nothing at all for the characters?

The other solutions for mindful reading offered up in this book seem a bit out there. I’m probably not going to go around town, walking and reading a book at the same time. She claims she meets the most interesting people that way. Really? I kind of doubt that. I probably won’t climb into one of my huge live oak trees in the front yard with a pillow and blanket and snacks. The author even says to STOP reading. Focus on the leaves, the bark, the smell of the tree, allow your energy to enter the tree and the trees energy to enter into you. My neighbors driving by would think I’m plum crazy. I have tried reading out loud for a sentence or two while I’m here alone at the house, but just the act of talking too much wears me out. I probably will never re-read a book that I’ve already read. Life is just too short. I probably won’t throw a book in the dirt and get the pages dirty and rub grass on the cover. I find a lot of her ideas are just way out there, if you know what I mean.

The bottom line is spend more time with your book, and worry less about the number of books you read each year.
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I love the idea of a book doctor, one who prescribes fiction as an antidote for many of lives ills. This is a book about books, tells one what books to read if one is feeling a certain way or facing a certain challenge. Not only does it names the books but it describes why that particular book was picked. Many classics, many I never heard of and too many that I added to my TBR.

Well written, loved the layout of the book and how it is presented. This is a book I will probably buy as it is a show more great book to have as a resource and there is just too much in it to remember. Someone told me that there is actually such a thing as a real book doctor, who charges 30.00 per hour. I want that job. show less