Top Ten Must-Read Books for Today's Seniors
Looking for some great books that are sure to be on any senior's must-read list? There are many that may fit the bill. Regardless if it is comedy, drama, mystery, or poetry, there are plenty of books just waiting to be opened.
Why is Reading Books a Great Activity for Seniors?
Good for Memory
Many seniors enjoy reading. It's not just a way to transport you to another place or time, but reading also offers some great health benefits. It can slow down cognitive decline by exercising your memory. It also helps strengthen the brain's neural network and makes the mind more receptive to learning and memory retention.
Helps with Decision-Making
Reading can help keep decision-making skills sharp and improves your reasoning skills. It may not make choosing what you are having for dinner any easier. However, it can make it easier to carry on a conversation about it.
Reduces Stress and Helps You Sleep Better
Reading a book is the best way to get your mind off of anything that makes you anxious or stressed and helps you to relax and even sleep better. Making reading a ritual before closing your eyes at night, signals the body that it is time to sleep. After all, who hasn't fallen asleep with a good book?
Done Anywhere
Reading is one activity that can be done indoors or out, sitting or lying in bed, during any season or time of day. Most books offer large print. So it becomes easier to enjoy for those who have difficulty reading smaller types.
What are the Best Books for Seniors?
Of course, seniors, just like any age group, have a genre that they are most comfortable with. Or one that gives them the most enjoyment. It is not a bad idea to try new subjects or categories. But you might not want to make the leap from romance to horror genres right away.
Easy Reading
I'm Too Young To Be Seventy by Judith Viorst. Seniors who aren't feeling their age will love this wonderful collection of witty, wise, and touching poems. Viorst is the author of similar works of witty poetry on aging at thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty. It is a fun read that looks at aging and will make any reader read the passages and smile with recognition.
Has it been a while since you picked up a book? Maybe start with a series to get you warmed up. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling is a great place to start. It is a mixture of fantasy and drama. Though it may be listed as young adult fiction, most adults agree that this series is a great page-turner.
Historical
Many seniors enjoy reading historical fiction and non-fiction. They love looking back in time and remembering or learning about the past. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a World War II novel featuring a couple of sisters living in France during the Nazi invasion. It is a story of choices and consequences that combines history with fiction, prompting the reader to eagerly turn pages to see what will happen next.
A great historical non-fiction read that is perfect for seniors, is House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a Twentieth-Century Jewish Family by Hadley Freeman. This piece follows Hadley finding her grandmother's secret shoebox and tracing its contents to find an interesting and remarkable unraveling of her family history.
Non-Fiction
Jenny Odell wrote How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy to show us how we can all win back our lives by choosing how we use and spend our attention. She offers an action plan for thinking outside the box when it comes to efficiency and technology.
Another non-fiction selection for seniors is Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Stage. Jo Ann Jenkins, who is the CEO for AARP, writes about changing the conversation regarding aging. She focuses on health, wealth, and self. Writing to inspire people of all ages to live their best and fullest life.
Classics
Even if you have already read this one before, The Old Man and the Sea is worth a re-read. This classic by Ernest Hemingway is about an old Cuban fisherman and his relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin. Hemingway, as only he could, takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss. And transforms them so that everyone can enjoy and identify with it.
- Citadel by A.J. Cronin was originally published in 1937 and tells the story of a doctor who journeys through life, struggling with morals, fortune, and fame. This was also turned into a film and TV adaption, earning an Oscar nomination. Even if you have seen the movie, give this one a read.
Fiction
Any senior who enjoys drama will be thoroughly entertained by Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. A twisted tale of a mother and daughter, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out the twists and turns of this complex tale.
Seniors will also enjoy Prime of Life by P.D. Bekendam where a janitor in a retirement home hides his past life: when he was a cardiothoracic surgeon. He enjoys the simple life that he has now and deals privately with his past, all while building relationships with the residents at his workplace.
Reading is the perfect pastime. If you are sitting by the pool, relaxing in the recliner, or getting ready to turn out the light, reading offers you relaxation, education, and entertainment. George R.R. Martin said it best: "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."