Proof that reading romance makes you nicer

The supermarket I frequent always puts the prettiest, most expensive, most...specific ...magazines next to the checkout counter, which is why I own a slim, glossy tome devoted solely to how to organize your kitchen cupboards (little baskets! cunning little dividers!), and one that confusingly seems to contain primarily recipes for meatballs. (I was seduced by the gleaming coils of pasta on the cover.) The other day, the line was slow (someone ahead of me had grabbed a bag of cat food with no price on it, and a battery of employees had been dispatched to find it while the sheepish shopper waited and held the rest of us up), so I reached for Psychology Today instead, and this is what I learned: a study at the Journal of Research in Personality (talk about a specific Journal! There's a journal for everything! Or one day there will be), frequent readers of narrative fiction (like mysteries and romances) scored higher on tests of empathy and social acumen than readers of expository nonfiction. In short: readers of romances and mysteries are just plain nicer to be around. The reason, apparently, is that stories force us to empathize with characters who are quite different from us, which helps us better understand the many kinds of people we come across in the real world.

I also learned that there's a field called "bibliotherapy," which was founded on the potential of books to help people work through their problems. For instance, a divorce lawyer in North Carolina would recommend Anna Karenina to her clients who couldn't see past their current crises, because it's "a big messy book with a meaningful ending." Psychologist Victor Nell says that a good book "completely envelopes us in a trancelike state" resembling "flow," an immersion so deep and satisfying we don't notice the hours flying by. (This is often what happens to me when I'm writing a book, too.)

So there you have it: books are therapeutic, and they make you nicer. I mean, we already knew that, but it was fun to read about it in Psychology Today, regardless. And the next time you wonder whether you should drop a few dollars on a book, or the next time someone bugs you about burying your nose in one, you can just quote this article. :)

In other news, I saw Borat, and I practically had to tape my ribs afterwards from laughing so hard. It's hysterical and wildly offensive. I was a little worn out by the end, though. And the cover for THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION is up on Amazon, if you'd like to see it. Very pretty!!

Here's hoping you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving, kittens (and if you're in Canada, raise a glass to us, eh?), and that it holds none of the drama of Anna Karenina. And if it does, maybe you can use a little bibliotherapy to recover from it. :)

Comments

[Kathy K]

Definitely I will raise a glass to you all south of the border as you celebrate Thanksgiving...and I will thankfully be celebrating that I've already celebrated giving thanks!! [How's that for 8:30 in the morning?] LoL.

I am quite impressed that they're [you know, "they"] are finally finding out that:

1. Reading is good for you

2. Fiction is healthy; who knew? ~ and I'm MUCH fonder of fiction than non-fiction for the most part ~ entertainment, ya know.

And that the findings are that it makes people nicer because they empathize with characters unlike the reader, that's just neat! I know too many people that think non-fiction is the only kind of "good" reading ~ maybe they find it too difficult to empathize with others? Truly I find that very interesting and thought-provoking.

I also think that it's telling that there's a therapy called 'bibliotherapy' and that it is a recognized means of dealing with troubles ~ I've always turned to books; beats many of the alternatives! {I suffered from untreated depression from the time I was 10 to about 30; books probably saved my sanity many times over the years. They're still a form of therapy for me, along with my medication.}

I also love the quote ~ "a big messy book with a meaningful ending." Many of those Russian novels are very like that, but they do tend to make one appreciate the simpler messes our lives may be in. Personally my favourite was 'Crime and Punishment'.

What a great topic!
And while you're all enjoying turkey, or whatever form the Thanksgiving meal takes, I'll be sure to send good wishes ~ along with the desire for someone else's cooked turkey!

Kathy ^.^

[Diana]

Julie, thanks for sharing the news about books from Psychology Today. It's definitely interesting, good news.

I saw Borat last weekend with two friends. One of my friends was disappointed that it wasn't funnier, and I don't think the other one liked it too much, but I enjoyed it. One of the parts that I laughed the hardest was when Borat entered a church for "saving." I'm such a heathen. :P

I like the cover for The Secret to Seduction. Love the contrast of the black fan and white gown.

[Julie Anne Long]

Hi girls! Yeah, you know Kathy K., ever since I've learned to read I can't go to sleep without reading at least a few sentences of a book. Even if I'm staggeringly, dead tired. Reading is sort of my mind's signal that's it time to shut out everyday cares, and in a way it's sort of a gateway to the dream world...a way for my mind to exit reality and get ready for sleep. I guess we instinctively know it's good for us. I'm glad books helped you through your depression. Raising a glass or two to us Yanks is therapeutic, too, I hear. LOL. Hope you indulge in a lot of bibliotherapy this weekend!!

And Diana...you know, there's been so much hype about Borat I figured there was no way it could live up to it. But I did enjoy it. It's a cultural phenomenon. It was fun to listen to the audience, because it was clear that different people found different things funny, and me and the friend I went with were laughing at different things. I can't even describe my favorite part. LOL. When he was shopping for a car, though...Oh, I was dying. It did get kind of long. And I could *really* have done without the wrestling scene. OMG!! I was struck, however, by how *patient* and nice people were to this big crazy doof. LOL.

Glad you like the TSTS cover. :) It's very girly. Hope you like the insides, too. :)

Have a fab Thanksgiving!!

[Ranurgis]

Groovy cover on TSTS. Is she dressing or undressing here? Or was the style already bared-back back then? Can't see any laces or did they have these tiny buttons already? It's strange but I just wanted to zip up her dress. Don't know why though. I like the cover.

Well, I'm glad somebody has done some serious research on this. I'm definitely with my fellow Canuck, Kathy on this. I've had many of the same problems. Travelling is great too but I hate lugging baggage around. I know books kept me sane too. I do like some non-fiction but it depends on how well it is written. I must find that article. Maybe it's in our library somewhere. I also think I'm more empathetic than some people I know. I always put it down to my own very varied life and circumstances but it's probably a combination of the two. I think that's maybe why I don't care for characters that are too perfect.

Made a booboo again. When I "backed up" my book database before I went to Mexico, I must have copied the old over the new. And then somehow moved the file from the C drive to that little thingy. Anyway, this week when I wanted to enter some more books, I suddenly couldn't find some of the others by the same authors. The last one listed in my Access 2000 hails from sometime in June. And I was so happy that I was finally getting all my books catalogued. I will definitely have to back up more frequently--say once a week--to prevent a like disaster. And I'll definitely have to practise copying the right files. Sob, all that work to repeat. Well, I mean, I really don't have anything else to do, do I?

Hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving holiday with family and/or friends. And don't spend all your money on Black Friday!

[Ranurgis]

Yeah, I *always* have to read a little bit of a book before I can sleep. One day I was visiting an American/German friend who was visiting her brother in the Cleveland area. She slept in the bed while I slept on the floor. We talked quite a bit with the light already off and she finally fell asleep. I did not: I hadn't had my reading fix. How could I without any light. I hardly slept all night. I think I didn't close my eyes but I probably did so fitfully. That turned out to be a very long day. I'd left home early for about a five-hour drive or more. I then went to see the house of the President that lived in that area (was it Garfield?) and did other touristy things and then drove home. Those were still my better days but still, it wasn't that easy. Now I can't imagine how I managed it.

Well, I had better toddle off to bed. After all, here it's after 3 a.m. Goodnight and have a great day, everybody.

[Isabel]

Happy Thanksgiving, Julie :) And that's a gorgeous cover for TSTS it comes out a few days before my birthday, yay!

((hugs))

A VERY Happy Thanksgiving to all ~ and I will be more than happy to lift a one or two to you Yanks! ^.~

Belatedly I checked out the cover for TSTS as well; it's VERY nice! [and I am increasingly impatient, as usual]. I am also more than a little sure that the insides will be more than a match for the cover; all your other books certainly have lived up to, and exceeded, their covers!
And as for girly, I get the definite impression that Sabrina is much more the feminine, or girly, of the three sisters ~ not sure why that is, but the cover seems to fit my impression of her.

With regard to your book database Ranurgis, ouch! that's gotta hurt. I know that sometimes I fall behind in keeping my list up-to-date and then I'm scrambling to catch up; but to overwrite it.... *wince*
Good luck on re-doing it. At least it's books, and inherently fun, right??

Take care all, and once again Happy Thanksgiving Julie, Diana and Isabel, et al.

Bibliotherapy, here I come!

Kathy

[Haven Rich]

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Julie! And anyone and everyone who visits this blog.

I knew romance readers were nicer. But I figured it was because we believe in feeling emotions and working toward the happier goals in life. Either way, this is good news.

We haven't ate Thanksgiving dinner yet but I'm busy away multi-tasking. I'm getting things ready for this next week of candle making (getting a good amount of orders, yay) and cooking dinner and of course making the normal rounds.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

[Julie Anne Long]

Hey Ranurgis! Welcome back from your vacation! And I think the man standing behind the woman on the cover of TSTS is responsible for the dress being open in the back. LOL. Sounds like the cover's a hit with you guys, so that's good news! It's a bit of a departure from the other ones in the series, isn't it? It's a fairly steamy story , but Sabrina was raised by a Vicar, so she's a trifle more prim than her sisters, so you guessed pretty close, Kathy (or at least she *thinks* she's prim...until she meets the Earl of Rawden, of course.) Bummer about your book database, too, Ranurgis!! I hate when things like that happnen. I've become an obsessive backer-upper, thanks to a few, um, unfortunate experiences.

And hey Isabel!! Happy Bay Area Thanksgiving!! What a glorious day, weather-wise eh?? Clear and crisp and washed clean by last night's rain. Hope you're having a lovely time today. (I'm back to my own preparations in a minute here!) And very happy Thanksgiving, Haven!! :) Candlemaking sounds like a cozy fall-type thing to do. :) Glad the orders are rolling in. Hope your day is splendid, and the food fantastic. (Mmm....love the cooking smells.)

Big hugs all around for everyone. :)