The case for a good novel

I am married to a person who doesn’t read. 😱

Not that he can’t read, but he doesn’t. He’ll read nonfiction books occasionally, and he consumes lots of information through other means.

But he does not read fiction.

I, on the other hand, read a lot of fiction.

Reading fiction isn’t just a leisure activity—it’s exercise for your brain and your body.

Check out some of the research on the benefits of reading fiction:

• Improved connectivity in language regions: MRI studies show that reading fiction strengthens the neural networks involved in language processing, especially in the left temporal cortex (the language center).
• Boosts empathy: When you follow characters’ inner lives, your brain engages the same networks you use to understand real people’s thoughts and feelings (the “theory of mind” network).
• Mirror neurons at work: Reading about a character running or tasting something can activate the same brain regions as if you were running or tasting it yourself.
• Recruits the default mode network, the brain’s system for imagination, daydreaming, and perspective-shifting. Immersing in stories expands your ability to think flexibly, generate new ideas, and explore “what if” scenarios.
• And perhaps the most widely known benefit: Reading fiction reduces stress levels significantly (studies show as much as 60% after only six minutes of reading) and provides psychological distance from your own problems while giving your brain a healthy focus—almost like meditation.

I was gathering this research while reading my last novel: ​The Measure by Nikki Erlich​. Based on the premise of the story, I anticipated this novel to challenge me to consider “what if” scenarios. (What if I had access to a string that would tell me the exact length of my life? Would I look at it?)

But here are some other things it made me think about:

• How often do we use one singular piece of information about a person to judge their character? Or to make assumptions about a group of people?
• If I knew that my partner was going to have a short life and I would have a long life, would I still invest in that relationship?
• When do advances in technology cause more harm than good?
• Can everything be used for political gain, if positioned in the right way?

Empathy, perspective shifting, and healthy focus.

Yes, all of the above.

And the good news is that these benefits apply to all fiction – so don’t feel guilty picking up that romance, thriller, or whodunnit series. It’s not just entertainment, it’s exercise.

What’s the last novel you read? What did it do for you?