The Healing Power of Books: How Reading Nurtures the Soul

It may seem strange to write about having relationships with books, particularly novels, but I definitely do. It occurs at that time when I become so absorbed in the words, the story, the characters, that the book actually feels as though it is a significant part of my life and, the more I read it, the more I miss it when are apart. Sometimes, I read a book and it remains just that - a book that I have read, leaving me with fragments which, after a while, separate themselves from me, like that person you meet at an event, who you really get on well with, who you become excited about forming a long lasting friendship with, but then, one day, you stop thinking about them and cannot even remember their name. And this is why I had to include my reflections on books as part of my writing because, in an age of fleeting words on a screen, infiltrated by sound or images, comments and likes, books provide a constant, unchanging certainty, that relief of knowing that, despite the passages of time and the changes of opinions, the words in that book on the shelf remain as they were the day they were printed. There is nothing more comforting than knowing that a book that was written hundreds of years ago still has the same words on the same page whether I read it many times or never: the words and paragraphs on any page will always be on that page - they will not move, be shared, be altered: they remain on that tangible piece of paper, unadulterated - still. There is a satisfaction in reading words on a page and nothing else: no comments from other people, no emojis, no ability to scroll, no options to share, like or save - just static words.

Yet book reading is on the decline, with fewer readers, but, interestingly, studies show that, despite this trend, those of us who do read are doing more of it and, despite the demise of the high street, Waterstones is opening ten more stores a year and, indeed, in my home town of Croydon, Waterstones is one of very few shops remaining, with former stalwarts of the high street that sold clothing, jewellery and even coffee having long gone. And as much as it really saddens me that reading is not as popular as it once was, it does, weirdly, make me feel as though I belong to an exclusive club. I love it when I see someone reading a book on a train or bus; I feel as though we are all kindred spirits, members of a secret society, sending a little code to other members of their presence. I remember the day when this was the norm, when most people on the tube were reading something tangible, like a newspaper, magazine or book. But now, we are surrounded by smartphones and we not only see them, but we hear them. That is the great thing about books: the are silent. I can read one in public without the glare of its screen affecting another person's vision without the sound of conversation interrupting the peace, without the bleeps and the ringtones punctuating a journey.

I also realise that when I am reading a book, I am interrupted less. There is something about using a phone that signals to others that you are not really occupied in anything worthy enough to not be interrupted, but a book seems to suggest that I am absorbed in something - and I am. I am following a narrative or a line of thought and there is absolutely nothing else going on in that book but that - I cannot receive a call from it, or a message, notification or update. I can also read a book and take it out in public without the fear of it being snatched from my hands or stolen from my bag. I do not need to plug it in. I do not need to upgrade it. In our current society, the book seems unfashionable, but to me, each one is like a precious stone - unique and beautiful and providing me with so much. So when people talk about books being their friends, I understand it - each story does not change; the story is always the same no matter how many times it is read. Unlike people, they do not change - you know what you are going to get. If you are betrayed by it, there is no way that it is personal. And when people talk about books saving them, I understand that too because in books, we read about what it means to be human - the pain, the suffering, love, conflict, madness, sanity - everything is contained therein.

So, what prompted me to write about reading? Well, despite all what I have expressed here, I definitely do not read as much as I used to. In the past, I felt really uncomfortable if I knew I was going to travel somewhere without a book to read, to the point that I often went into book shops to purchase a book if I ever found myself out of the house without one; I even used to ensure that I had another book with me if I knew that my current book was about to end. And I have just completed a novel that I had a long, deep and meaningful relationship with, and it reignited my love of reading and I never want to be without a novel again.

I always read as a child. I remember in Infant school, sitting on the mat during reading time and being swept away by the tales of Rumpelstiltskin stamping his foot in a temper, Rapunzel letting down her hair and Hansel and Gretel walking in the woods. For me, this was like being in a fantasy world. Then, in my first years of primary school, sometimes we would all receive a leaflet from a book company and within what seemed to be a wealth of pages, were images of book covers with their summaries, all of which we could buy. I remember how excited we all were to receive these: we would spend our playtimes talking about the books we wanted. My fondest memory was wanting eleven books once and my mum agreeing that I could have them all, at the princely sum of nine pounds for all of them! At the time, this was a lot of money, especially for books, but it was money well spent and I read all of them more than once. At home, we used to have some of the Garden Gang series of books and these were my absolute favourite: they were anthropomorphic fruit and vegetables who lived every day lives, just like we did. they were also written and illustrated by Jayne Fisher, a nine year old girl, which made the books even more fascinating as she was not much older than me.

As I got older, my love of reading did not wane and, when he started university, my older brother used to buy me a book once every few weeks; they were always classics and I was introduced to the works of Jane Austen and the Brontës. Me, a black girl from Croydon, was transported to this other, old, very British world, which I should not have been able to relate to, but did - I shared the same insecurities as Jane Eyre and completely understood Cathy's desire for the rugged Heathcliff. I felt at one with the desolate, gothic landscapes and solitude of the moors and buildings: they seemed almost like a manifestation of my own early adolescent landscape. On paper, these works of literature should not have resonated so much with me and these novels I did not contain people like me, but I still loved them.

And now, I am still not sure if I do ever come across myself in the novels that I read. Despite it being the twenty first century, there is still a lack of positive black literature, especially black British, but that, perhaps is a topic for another blog. But, if I am being honest, perhaps I do not want to read about my world - I want to lear about other worlds that I could never and can still never inhabit. I have always had a hankering to escape.

As an ex-English teacher, I am always asked what my favourite novel is and, of course, i do not have one - that would be like asking a parent who their favourite child is. But I do hope to share the impact of my relationship with at least some of them at some point.

Reading novels has been proven to increase empathy and emotional intelligence, thus it is beneficial for both the head and the heart. Studies have also proven that reading novels stimulates the brain in ways that promote positive mental health and reduces stress - reading actually activates our parasympathetic nervous system, thereby lowering cortisol levels, so we are healing whist reading.

And this is really why I love reading - it provides me with healing and offers me the certainty of unchanging words on pages in an uncertain, ever changing world.

www.lisamasoncooper.com

I am Lisa Mason-Cooper, therapist and accredited life coach, whose services include hypnotherapy and counselling. I am passionate about all things relating to healing, mental health and wellbeing.