Becky's Bookshelf

10/31/2025

Especially if they're inconsecutive as well as different sizes!

10/23/2025

10/23/2025

Research shows that people who read regularly have brains that are structurally different from those who don’t. The areas of the brain responsible for turning written words into meaning particularly regions linked to language processing, comprehension, and imagination develop more densely over time in frequent readers.

When you read, your brain activates neural circuits that interpret symbols, connect ideas, visualize concepts, and process emotions. With consistent reading, these circuits are reinforced and expanded, much like muscles growing stronger through regular exercise. This leads to improved cognitive flexibility, deeper understanding, better memory retention, and enhanced ability to think critically and creatively.

Scientists have even found increased connectivity in the brain’s white matter among avid readers, which helps information travel faster and more efficiently between different brain regions. This neural growth not only boosts literacy and learning but may also help protect the brain from age-related decline, improving long-term cognitive resilience.

In simple terms: reading doesn’t just change what you know—it changes how your brain is built to think, feel, and understand the world.

01/03/2025

Beside a frost-kissed window, she read, her world warmed by the firelight and the words before her.

11/25/2024

11/15/2024

"She had always loved that time of year. The November evenings had a sweet taste of expectation, peace and silence.
And she loved most of all the quiet of her house when the rain fell softly outside.
She made her tea with orange spice, and reread with joy her book, which reminded her of her childhood."
"Little Women" - Louisa May Alcott