Vindicated. Finally!

Reading Twilight, Harry Potter (take that Harold Bloom), Hunger Games, and Watchmen, for that matter, will improve your brain.

Don't believe me? Let's ask the experts.
ABC News is reporting that scientists are using some of their most sophisticated tools to peer inside the human brain to see what happens when we engage in the process of reading, and they are finding a number of surprises:
-- Reading is a very complex task that requires several different regions of the brain to work together.

-- But surprisingly, we don't use the same neural circuits to read as we grow from infants to adults. So our brains are constantly changing throughout our lives.

-- It appears possible that reading can improve the "connectivity" between the various brain circuits that are essential to understanding the written word.

-- And there is recent evidence that simply reading a good novel can keep that enhanced "connectivity" working for days, and possibly longer, after we have finished the book.
What? Read a novel and enhance your brain function?  Yup, that's what they're saying. "Reading is not just one of the talents we were born with, like seeing and hearing. It is a 'recent cultural invention,' as one researcher put it. Just a few thousand years ago, some creative human probably carved the first symbol in the wall of a cave, launching his followers on a rich, new adventure -- reading."

Over at Emory University scientists put 21 students through an MRI for 30 minutes a day for 19 days while they were reading. "The scanner revealed a sharp spike in two neural networks after the first chapter, and that continued throughout the rest of the experiment, including the five days after the reading was over."  So the students' brains kept functioning on "high" even days after they finished the reading.

I bet many of you already knew this . . . What was the last novel you read?

Comments

  1. I do not remember the last time I have read an entire novel. I always start on books or say I am going to start but never seem to completely finish an actual novel. I have realized that the only time I make the time to read is if it is school related. Other wise, it would be rare for me to make time to read novels. After reading this blog and learning how much reading can positively effect the human brain, it motivates me to really wanna better myself with reading. I should probably start looking up good novels and start on them as leisure instead of watching T.V. and what not. I want a better state of mind so maybe by reading, I can make this happen!

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  2. I knew that reading a book was very helpful to improve our reading skills, but I didn't know that reading a novel can enhancer the "connectivity" in our brains. I can see how this happens though. When I read a novel I tend to imagine in my head how the characters look, how the setting looks based on the description of the author and start making predictions. All of these things make my brain start going on with my imagination. The last novel that I read was Brave New World. At first I was really confused in it but then I started to comprehend how their world functioned and understood the story. I feel like this novel just like others that I have read have made my brain function in "high" mode because it gets my imagination going.

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  3. I definitely agree with the studies done about reading. Growing up with a parent that's a teacher, I always valued the importance of reading. Especially recently I have found myself loving to read more often. The way I get into books, and how my mind grasp the concept pushes me to read frequently. Although school has required a lot of reading I still find time to enjoy a book or two of choice. I would back this study up first hand from the personal experience I have. Reading is amazing and truly has positive long term effects.

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  4. I love reading books on my free time. I've always tried to read more and more because even though I don't read as often, it really relaxes me and keeps me thinking. Every time I'm going to read a new book, I try to tell myself to read a challenging book because I always find myself looking for books that involve love and mystery and it's better to start reading out of my comfort zone which I don't do very often. I've noticed that when I read, I always wonder how the character or the setting looks and if my picture matches the characters picture. After reading this blog, it motivated me to want to keep reading more and more. The last time I read a book was over the summer. I actually read about four books in total and I finished all of them before school started, which is an accomplishment for me!

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  5. This is amazing! I use to always read as a little girl, series like The Clique I would have never know that it helped my brain. I haven't read in a long time I wonder if my brain is still working the same now, I know for sure now I'm going to start back reading, I'm going to even try to convince my grandparents to start reading as well it could probably help my grandfather with his mild Alzheimer.

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  6. I went ten years without reading an actual book. I was more inclined to read the "People" Magazine that would come in the mail every two weeks. Working full time didn't help to direct me towards reading novels or books either. When I was about 10 years old I loved reading the series of books called "Sweet Valley Twins" and "Sweet Valley High" Of course after reading the whole series and then after growing up and becoming an adult, those books were no longer considered appropriate for my age and it would seem silly if I were to read a book meant for a young girl. Within the last year I picked up a novel and enjoyed reading it so much that I decided to read the second novel that the same author wrote. "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" have inspired me to read more and actually enjoy the reading. These two books bring out emotions and tears since the author's writing is very figurative and the stories so sad. I will continue to read the third novel that this author wrote but I don't know what to read after that because I am sort of picky when it comes to reading and have experienced many dry and dull tales.

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  7. This is a very interesting article but it does raise some questions. First, the article is talking about fiction while the Emory study does not specify if the books used were fiction. Second, the sample size of the study is extremely small, only 21 students. This is a problem because it makes an anomaly. For example, 21 students could have consumed a product or been thinking of something unrelated to the reading. Thirdly, this whole article is based on the assumption that because one event follows another that the first event was the cause of next event. For example, one could say that the high experienced in the days after the reading were caused by the association of the environment with a mentally stimulating environment. Therefore, the study could also say that the MRI caused the increased brain activity through association.

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  8. I completely agree with the studies on the mind when reading. Einstein's late teachings tell us that once the human brain thinks of a thought, that thought will thus expand into many thoughts. When one chooses to read, the mind is stimulated with many thoughts witch forces the mind to expand on those thoughts. This process of expansion is healthy for our brain and creates a clearer more focused thought process for other tasks that come to that we face that are not necessarily reading. Not to mention the fact that the more we read, depending on the study, weather it be recreational or educational, the more we learn

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  9. It is great to read about how important reading is for the brain and how it gets the circuits of the brain moving. I personally don't take to reading much at all. I start several different books, but never seem to finish them and never seem to pick up the book again. I read when I absolutely must which would be for university . Reading was used as a punishment as I grew up. If anyone is into psychology this is a bad things. I've virtually been trained to dislike reading deeply since it was used negatively rather than positively. I don't intend to let this keep me from reading an interesting novel, but still, it seems difficult and fulfilling to pick up a book and finish . I have had a wonderful teacher in university that has inspired me and I intend to take that with me wherever I land from here and into my future-

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  10. Thanks to your credible statement, I would persuade my roommate to read a novel. He is thinking that the reading a novel is wasteful because there is no facts and scientific ground in the novel. He likes reading treatise and books about economy, politics, science etc... since he can believe just things which is corroborated realistically. But finally, because you show me the scientific evidence about advantage of reading the novel, I can argue that reading the novel is definitely meaningful and variable. I would say to him, "Read at least one novel, and you will improve your brain.

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  11. It was not surprising to me that reading more enhanced the functioning of your brain. I have noticed greater critical thinking in my own brain since I started to read more. The last novel I read was called "altar ego", by Craig Groschel. He is a pastor at a life-way church and has written other books such as, "weird", and "Your inner Monologue". I didn't only learn how to deal with how other people and I see myself. I would recommend this book to anyone who is having self esteem issues or are insecure.

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  12. The last novel I read was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I didn't want to read it at first because it was an assignment for my GS class but after finishing the book I didn't regret reading it. I agree that reading any novel can improve the functioning of the brain. The study at Emory University was very interesting because it shows that after reading one chapter in a book the brain is already working it's magic. I found it interesting that even after you finish reading the book, the brain is still working on that "high" function. I noticed that after I finish reading, it stays in my brain and I continue to think about the novel for a long period of time. Should the ending have gone differently? Is it worth to reread the book? Can I take the suspense until the next book comes out? It goes to show how reading can improve the brain in the simplest way.

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  13. The last novel that I read was The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks as well, but that isn't the last novel I want to talk about. The last novel that I read that I want to talk about is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This was a required reading at my high school for my senior year of high school. I had lost my faith in required reading for high school. The last novel I read in high school that I actually enjoyed was To Kill a Mockingbird, and that was my freshman year. I was not excited to read things fall apart at all. But once I forced myself to read it I was hooked. The whole format of the novel, the way it was written and the way story inside the novel was intoxicating to me. I read it and was completely engrossed. I finished reading it a whole month before I was supposed to. I loved that part of my Senior English class, the section, the papers, and activities that came along with it.

    As I was reading, I realized that I understood the book. My problem with reading is that I don't always understand what I'm reading, at least when I was younger I didn't. It really deterred me from reading. And I noticed that after I had read twilight and other silly vampire books my reading skills grew immensely. I think just practicing and seeing new words helps so much. It can make your vocabulary and speech improve. Even if the writing style is so-so.

    I definitely am a firm believer that reading of any type is an improvement and can make you become more knowledgeable.

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  14. it is a good thing to read novels, because it develops your vocabulary skills, it makes you knowledgeable....
    The last novel i read in high school was the tempest by William Shakespeare. As i was reading, i realized that i understood the book, it got to a point, that the book started becoming boring to me, so i decided to stop reading the book for a while, i went back to the part of the book that was boring to me, i re read it again and it became interesting to me. i was engrossed with the book, i read the book all over again, my vocabulary skills improved a lot. i decided to write a summary of the book on my own without any assistance, i wanted to know if i fully understood what i read. I did the summary and sent it to my professor. He was impressed with the summary although there a lot grammatical errors.
    i definitely know that reading some types of books, gives you knowledge, builds your vocabulary and passes an information.

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  15. Reading certainly enhances intellectual strides. It does make connections throughout the brain. It does indeed improve a persons vocabulary. Reading is like anything I suppose, the more you do it, the better you get at it. I believe a lot of people struggle with reading and it deviates them away from reading even if the book is fantastic. It creates "Reading Anxiety". When a person struggles with anxiety, it takes over everything and makes it almost impossible to achieve very much at all. So the goal is to stay positive and to remember everyone struggles with this in one way or another.And there is nothing wrong with trying over and over. It can only benefit a person and make them smarter.

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  16. Growing up teachers always told me reading is good for my brain. It's understandable considering you have to read, comprehend, analyze, and recollect a ton of information. I've also found that reading has improved my spelling skills. I'm sorry to say, but sadly my sister is absolutely horrible at spelling. She can blame her mother all she wants for not pushing her in school, however, I believe it's because she didn't read enough books when she was a kid.

    As far as remembering the last book I read, I can't. It's been so long because I've been busy with school and work. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy reading books, but it's hard to find "enough" time to read one. By "enough" time, I mean when I love a book, I get sucked into the whole story and I can't stop reading! My life ends out revolving around that book and I get nothing done. But I can definitely recall some outstanding novels I have appreciated in my lifetime. There's actually a few stories that I've read multiple times because they was so good. Reading provides entertainment to many people and allows me to use my imagination. It's good to know there are other benefits to it as well.

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  17. The last book I read.... I honestly cant even remember. I hate reading with a passion, I can read an entire book and not recall a single sentence. I know that to improve my reading skills, I have to read and practice more, but I cant get my self to pick up a book, especially not for "fun." It makes my dad really upset, because he loves to read, he says I get my laziness from my mom. I just think reading is boring. I'd much rather watch the movies! I understand books give you knowledge, improve your vocabulary, and you writing skills, all of which I need. I guess I'll have to some what deal, because they weren't lying when they said college was a lot of reading!

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  18. The last book I read for pleasure was the final book in the Divergent Series: Allegiant; the last for academic purposes: Plato's The Republic. I love reading and it truly saddens me that my free time has seriously diminished so I cannot read as much. I did not really start reading for fun until about 6th grade but in doing so I started to get better in my creative, analytical, and critical thinking. I became more insightful as to cause and effect of mechanics and personal lives. I could understand people better in doing so. I would say 5th grade was my most socially awkward year and I never read for my own enjoyment. Progressively when I started reading I became more social and more comfortable with talking to people. I have also recognized the increase in grades. In my sophomore year of high school I did not read as much and my grades dropped significantly. I have also noticed the increase in intelligence especially with my AP English Literature's teacher's children. She pushes them to read for fun and they do. Her eight year old daughter is so significantly smarter than I was at that age and she has read the Hunger Games and the entire Harry Potter Series. She is only eight and she has read books that are directed at more of my level. Even my younger sister started to read for fun earlier than I did and she is a straight A student and so much smarter than I was at her age. Overall, reading strengthens you creative and analytical thinking and allows you to succeed in social situations as well as academic.

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  19. I definitely agree with the studies shown about reading. Reading is an extremely useful tool that so many of us take for granted. Because of the past classes that some have taken and been forced to read it changed the perception many have on reading. Little do people know that there is really a book for everyone. Personally I don't read fictional books often. I am always reading books that are based on teaching something new. Whether it is about religion, health or money. I find myself not only stimulating nerves in my brain but also teaching myself something valuable to help myself. The last few books I read were Secrets to Success by Eric Thomas and Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. The type of books I read help me to understand my beliefs better as well as teaching me to walk in the way I should. Reading will forever be key to help our brains and I am in strong agreement with the studies that are being done.

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  20. When I was little I read so much that my mom had to take away my books from me because I was reading instead of doing my homework. I wish I could actually read as much as I used to but recently I've been trying to read more, once again. I've recently picked up "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. I've been putting off reading this book since it has had a lot of hype and also there is a movie coming out in June about it. However, I completely see why it has so much hype, I haven't been able to put it down. But then again it's finals time and I have to do other things other than read for hours throughout the day. But I will say this, when I do read for fun, for myself and not for school. I find that I am a lot happier and willing to read, I am able to come up with ideas and finish certain homework with a clearer mind. I agree with the article completely it makes me feel good about my decision to read more and spend less time on the internet. Obviously, that is a good idea but it's also reassuring to read on top of that. Reading something before I go to sleep instead of spend a few more minutes on tumblr or youtube. I've found that not only does this help with how my brain is functioning but also it helps with how I am sleeping. I've been able to fall asleep a lot quicker and stay asleep a lot longer, which is extremely nice.

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  21. The last novel I read was Divorce Islamic style and was about how to deal with people who don't come from the same cultural background as you. The author talks about the may things that people from America have to do to be comfortable around Islamic believing people, but what most people don't know that the author talks about are the things that those people have to face when coming to America.

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  22. I agree with the studies. Reading is such an awesome thing for many reasons. When you read you have the opportunity to check out for a little bit. It makes perfect sense that your brain would work harder while reading. It takes effort to concentrate and focus while reading. You need to be able to use your imagination, and creativity. The last book i read was "Watchmen". The pictures in comics are just as important to the story as the written text is. You have to be able to see the whole picture try to understand what the author is trying to illustrate.

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  23. The most recent novel I have read was Alan Moore's Watchmen, which to my surprise has been referenced in the beginning of this article. As for what ABC news has mentioned in the multiple studies in brain activity, I have come to learn how reading and appreciating literature can benefit the reader with a number of positive effects in mental processing, saying those who read tend to think better and faster. I would have to say I do not share any relations to their conclusion. After finishing Watchmen, I believe there was little change in how any thoughts were processed.

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  24. It’s hard for me to find the time to read mostly because I’m always reading for school. When it comes to reading just for fun I will usually start a book but rarely will I finish it. However the last book I read, which was a while ago was called “One Day” by David Nicholls, the book goes through about twenty year of the lives of a man and a woman, but only what happens every year on the anniversary of this one day, which is the day they met. I thought it was really well written because in this one day (one Chapter) you learn so much about what is going on in the characters’ lives without actually reading it happen. I knew reading was good for you I just didn’t know this is what it did; I think reading improves connectivity and exercises all these different regions of the brain because it makes you use your mind to create the characters and settings.

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  25. I cannot remember the last book I read from start to finish. I find myself reading mostly non fiction and looking to reading more for fact finding and task oriented. After reading this article, I am encouraged to give reading a try to improve my brain. The logic makes perfect sense, as you move through the book you must keep all the story lines in order and retain the information to continue to build the story. My mom reads to relax, a concept I never agreed with, but I will try reading in my spare time to exercise my brain.

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  26. I never thought that reading a book to the end had such an impact on how our brain works. I never knew that so many sections of the brain are being used at one specific time. It makes sense though because while reading a paragraph with a lot of description, I image the scenery as vividly as I can. The last book that I read was Divergent by Veronica Roth. Pretty good book with lots of character development and strongly driven plot, definitely worth the read. Next I want to start reading the Game of Thrones books, even though they will take a while to finish.

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  27. The last major reading session I had was when I was reading the Hunger Games books. I read them one after another and forgot how good it felt to be completely absorbed into a book and the world that it is in. When the last book ended, it was like I didn't know what to do anymore. The book would just play back in my head and I would dread that it was over. I definitely think that this study makes sense because our brains are active when reading because we are trying to imagine how things are happening as we read. We are also constantly trying to connect characters and try to predict what is going to happen next. Even when we're not reading, we're still thinking about it. I think reading can help your brain from deteriorating as fast and loss of memory. It's a good exercise for the brain.

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  28. its no longer news that reading is very essential and helpful in todays world. the more we read, the more smarter we get, the more we build our vocabulary. reading has a lot of impacts on the brain, reading helps the brain recover from deteriorating and loss of memory it is very necessary that we try to exercise our brain

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  29. I think this article is very interesting because reading can benefit our brains very much. I used to read a lot more when I was younger, but now I do not. You think in college you would read a lot, but in reality you don’t. I was surprised to find out that reading triggers not only one part of the brain, but multiple parts. I guess that makes sense because reading is more complicated compared to other tasks and human have to learn to read. “Connectivity” as the article explains between the various brain circuits is always changing. The connectivity can be made stronger through reading because it strengthens your brain and makes it work. I like the example they gave about sticking students in MRI’s and observing their brain activity over thirty minute periods. It was even more surprising that “brains keep functioning on high levels even after they finished reading.” This article has changed my mind about picking up a book because I truly do want to read more often because it would benefit my brain and I have not read in a very long time. I always say I want to read, but I never have time for it and it gets forgotten about. Reading is an enjoyable task and my goal is to find more time to read so my brain can function on “high” levels. There is no down side to reading, so why am I not reading right now?

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  30. I honestly cannot remember that last book ive read that wasn't school related except the first harry potter book that was made. Reading this has opened up my eyes to the good in reading and not just telling me "because you should". If everyone knew this im pretty sure the amount of people reading would no only increase but so would the selling and productions of books. I think it might be time to open a book and get this brain moving!

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  31. It's really interesting how much reading can enhance brain function. Reading is honestly one of my favorite things to do during my free time. I love the way it expands my imagination and how it's basically a movie in your head. Currently, I am majoring in Art, focusing on graphic design. Art requires a lot of imagination and creativity and I think that reading helps that part of my brain. With reading books, you create many different worlds and characters that you've never visited or met before in your life. By creating these worlds and characters, it really enhances my imagination and creativity, which helps me in my major. Reading is great, it helps your brain, gives you entertainment, and it actually helped me figure out what I might want to do with my major, design book covers! The last book that I read was called the Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno. It was about a girl who suffered dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personality disorder. It was a great read, very interesting reading from that point of view, and also very suspenseful.

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  32. The last novel I read was Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. I am currently reading H.G Well’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, and it is awesome. I did not like to read while I was growing up because it bored me almost immediately. The only book I remember reading as a kid was Captain Underpants, and I only read it because half of the book is made up of cartoons. As I got older, I began to realize that I was coming into a world which has a canon of classic literature, and if I want to succeed in academia, the least I can do is read the canon. I began by reading Flowers For Algernon and continued reading other high school literature I skipped out on, and by today I have maybe read 80 books in the past four years, and plan to read way more as an English literature major. Reading is the best, and I advise anyone to at least read the back of a cereal box because that can lead into engaging with literature you won’t believe has been ignored for so long.

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  33. To tell you the truth I was not really a big reader. Of course I read the articles and book assigned by my teachers for homework, but I never really just pick up a book to read just for fun. In high school I never really read books for fun on my free time. But the last novels I did read for fun were the Twilight books. They were so good and full of descriptions, which I thought were way better than the movies. I was such a twilight fan that I found myself reading the books all the time.This all started when I went to go see the very first movie that came out in the theaters with a group of friends. Three of my friends love reading, and when the movie was over they said that they liked the book way better than the actual movie. So this was what triggered me to want to read the novels. The books were kind of thick in my opinion but they were so interesting and the second book I finished in about two weeks! Ever since then I have learned that reading is not so bad and that it is a way to escape into a different world! I enjoy reading now during my free time, I love to read magazines or just go to the library and pick up a good book!

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  34. I actually did not know how much went on in your brain while you were reading. Of course I knew that it took a certain part of your brain to read but to find out that you use different areas to read in your childhood than when you do in your adulthood was interesting to say the least. The last novel I read was “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, my boyfriend had to read this book for class in growing up and I did not have the pleasure of doing so. I also wanted to see the movie so I decide to read the book beforehand, which was a huge mistake because the book was way better than the movie. (As usual) I have recently reread “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E L James and “Insurgent” by Veronica Roth. When I see advertisements or movie trailers on books I have previously read it makes me want to revisit that magical journey the author leads you through. Now to the current novel I am reading, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini which is yet another book my boyfriend recommended for me to read, but this author has some vivid heart stopping moments in his writing, that make you realize how lucky we truly have it in America, making it hard to read at points.

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  35. Actually, I did just recently finished reading a novel. Hunger Games was so popular I couldn't help myself and watched the first movie before I read two continuing books. I'm the type of person who is very bad at getting started, but once I am there, there's no stopping me. I took me a while to actually start reading the novels after I bought them. It wasn't until I saw that the second movie was coming out already that I thought okay I seriously have to read it before I watch it. I think that out of every types of books there is novels are one of my favorites. I'm not going to lie and say I read a lot, but like I mentioned when I do... well I do.

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  36. This blog definitely confirms it for me because I have heard in the past that reading is healthy for you and it seems to have been proven true in this blog. I believe that it does better our brains and I even heard it helps improve our vocabulary. I've read many novels in the past but not as many as I would like to read. If I had more time I would probably read more often and hopefully one day I will make a habit of it. Over summer is when I normally read the most since I don't take summer school courses I still like being educated in one way or another, Sometimes there are books where I can't set it down and will spend a whole day ready a 500 page book. I wish to read more to help improve my brain activity.

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  37. This blog definitely confirms it for me because I have heard in the past that reading is healthy for you and it seems to have been proven true in this blog. I believe that it does better our brains and I even heard it helps improve our vocabulary. I've read many novels in the past but not as many as I would like to read. If I had more time I would probably read more often and hopefully one day I will make a habit of it. Over summer is when I normally read the most since I don't take summer school courses I still like being educated in one way or another, Sometimes there are books where I can't set it down and will spend a whole day ready a 500 page book. I wish to read more to help improve my brain activity.

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  38. I was taught to read very early in my life by my great grandma and from them on I was always ahead of my classes. Getting through the early grades in school was so easy and it was all because I started reading at an early age. My brain development was far beyond my peers and to be honest is made the teachers quite angry. They would give me assignments and I would breeze through it in minutes, take out whatever book I had in my backpack and start reading. I can never read enough, especially since all genres interest me, I can never and will never stop reading. It is the thing that no one can take away from me. The intelligence level I have today is acredited to the vast amount of books I have read. The only downside to this would be the tons of money I have spent on books. I canot be a library kind of person. I am a very selfless person in general but with my books those are mine and I cherish each and every one I have. I also feel that I have a much cleaner though process when I read instead of watching TV and either way I would much rather read a book then watch a movie

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  39. This pretty much confirms what I was taught all my life, reading is good for the brain. What I didn’t realize was that there is some genuine science to the claim. If reading can enhance the neurons for that long, just by reading for only 30 minutes a day, makes you think about how much neuron activity is going on to readers who read novels on a daily basis. Like what if someone was reading 200 pages or more a week, is it possible that because they are stimulating their neurons so much that it can affect their everyday lives, making them understand studies better than others or can it lead to a negative effect to them like daily headaches due to so much activity. Sorry, the scientist in me got really excited about this new information.

    Anyway, I can definitely see why. In grade school, I always had the lowest reading comprehension skills until 5th grade. When they school tested me, they thought that I had somehow cheated because my scores were dramatically higher. But I didn’t, during the summer; I read and reread the children’s edition of Tom Sawyer. Reading that book about 100 times helped improve my comprehension skills 100 fold.

    The last novel I read was The Martian during winter break. I enjoyed that book too much and ended up reading it all in one sitting.

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  40. This is very interesting, I had always knew reading books was good for your brain and practiced reading in the summer as a child but I never knew that it could stimulate your brain this much. It's interesting to find out that after reading a book your brain functions on high for days after. My question is Does it have to be a novel? Everyday I read thousands of posts on social media. Does this stimulate my brain just as well as a novel would? I would like to see a study on this, perhaps comparing those who read novels daily to those who read post and news articles daily. The outcome would defenitly be interesting.

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  41. I have always heard from parents and teachers that reading is good for the brain and although I am not a big reader, I do believe in the the statement that reading is good. The majority of the books I have read in my lifetime were assigned to me by teachers and most of the time I just couldn't get into the book as it wasn't interesting to me. But this does not mean that I hated all novels. The last novels I have read was in Sophomore of high school and i put novels because I read two books which is the Hunger Games and the Maze runner. I like both of these book very much probably due to the fact that both books are about teens trying to survive in a world that differs from ours. When I started reading these books, I was hooked in instantly by the books story and I finish reading, I would continue on the the 2nd and then the last. Now with movies come out for both books, I could have fun watching it and comparing it to what I have imagined in my mind.

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  42. The last novel I read was the last book in the Divergent series, Allegiant. I've always loved reading and can see how it is good for the brain. I love movies, and reading a good novel is like a movie in your head. There are often so many details that your mind starts to picture the scenes unfolding in your head! That is what I love about books. Also, I've learned a lot of words from reading in my free time. I used to have a Nook and it was really helpful when I didn't know a word because I was able to highlight words and define them right there on the page. Even when reading from paper, I will stop reading and look up words on my dictionary app if I don't know the meaning. I would rather take a few extra seconds to look up a word than not fully understand what I'm reading. Along with using our brains to imagine the story and broaden our vocabulary, we also make a lot of connections and use our memory while reading. Not only do we make connections between characters and moments in the book, but we can also make connections between the book and real life. Sometimes things happen or we meet people that remind us of a book we read. We use our memories when it comes to remembering characters throughout a novel and even after when we look back or reflect on a book to make connections. It's clear that reading gets the brain working harder and its amazing how the brain works! I think everyone should read a book once in a while, whether its for pleasure or to get their brain function up again.

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  43. The last novel I read was Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.I love reading, I haven't read in a while, college keeps you busy!My dad started my love for reading,"reading is good for you, LEARN MORE WORDS!",is something my dad would always say.It made me feel smarter, my vocabulary grows everytime I pick up a novel.It is a way of living another persons life without leaving yours.You see the world through the characters eyes.Nabokov does a swell job delivering a beautiful story with his novel,Lolita. Lolita is about a man, an older man falling for a younger girl, really younger girl.What was so intriguing about this novel, was that his love for her was not a gross pedophile lust,he loved her deeply.I could not stop reading the book.I read this novel twice, and I am currently planning to read it over winter break!

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  44. The last novel I completely read, all the way through was back in high school, during sophomore year. It was called "Speak", about a girl who was in hiding because she was terrified and mortified her school would find out that she was raped. This was the first time I enjoyed reading a novel and understood the whole book. I hate reading, but if I have to read a book I prefer to listen to it on audio (books on tape) because I can follow the book better that way. I have always been encouraged by my family, teachers, and friends to READ MORE! It is good for you, I wish I wanted to read when I was told to. I always find it hard to "enjoy reading", but after reading this blog post, I feel encouraged to read more because I want to make my brain function and work harder and have my brain become more advanced.

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  45. The last novel I have ever read was in my junior year in high school, and I believe was Lord of The Flies. I remember it was about a bunch kids who were stranded on an island, and they had to find a way to survive, but they ended up becoming seperated and began to fight and argue like most boys today. That was the last novel I have read, and I am in college. Although I rarely read, I do believe that reading does help strengthen the brain. Reading does so much for people, because it helps them function, focus, and gain more knowledge. I am more of a person who would rather watch the movie than read the book. I believe the reason why my brain is not getting any bigger or stronger is because I probably don't read that much. Reading may be boring but many people I know who read a lot are more wiser and smarter than the ones who don't. I am not saying if you do not read then you are not smart. I am saying that reading does help you gain knowledge and allows you to focus more.

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  47. Before reading this article, I never knew how much positive impact you could get from reading. It does require much concentration to be able to finish the chapters in a novel. Some people may find it hard to read while listening to music; watching tv is impossible. The fact that reading improves connectivity does makes a lot of sense for me. Especially with the evidence shown about the students who love to read, being put through MRI, I believe in the statement that reading does enhance brain functioning. This is probably why a lot of excellent students in class who make it to top three ranks usually love to read.
    The last novel I read was Jojo Moyes’ “Me Before You”. I found myself imagining the things written in the book even better than the movie. I realized that reading does not only make you smarter, it also boosts your creativity. Every time I start reading something, I would try my best to be alone because having people around might distract me. Ever since I began reading, I was able to focus more on one thing at a time.

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  48. Of course we have all been told throughout our lives how beneficial reading can be. However, I never knew specifically how or why. I found it specifically interesting how even after we finish a book, the book is still cognitively present in our minds. Although I do love to read, unfortunately, while I am in school, recreational reading is not a priority (even though I should make it one). The last book I read was a historical fiction book based in Russia post Cold War. It is exciting to know that reading is not only enjoyable, but extremely beneficial as well.

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