How to Read a Book after a Brain Hemorrhage

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I love reading, I have always loved reading. It is very important to me that the
children have the opportunity to enjoy books and I want to be able to encourage
 them.

At work, I used to go to a monthly book club. Then after I had children, I went to
 another group where you ate a three-course meal and after every course you moved
 to discuss a book.

But after my brain haemorrhage (see post ‘about me’) my vision - albeit just in one
eye - is much worse. So although I can still read, I am frustratingly slow at it. The
double vision I suffered for the first 18 months (until I got a vision blocking contact lens
 – turns out you can’t have double vision if you only see through one eye!) did not help.
In my post haemorrhage life I have therefore had to come up with an alternative: and so I
 discovered the audio book and I simply love them.

To start with it felt almost like cheating. Just listening wasn't proper reading but now I love
the fact that I can do other stuff. And I think everyone should listen to audio books!

I have an App called Audible - which I love. I buy books through this App on my mobile,
they are downloaded to my mobile phone and then I can connect my mobile phone to my
Alexa/bluetooth speakers.

I am by myself a lot of the day so listening to books stops me from talking to myself (not good!)
 or sitting down in front of the TV all day (also not good and something I don't do!)

I listen whilst I am cleaning, doing my physio or making lunch and it’s brilliant. Now that I am
 used to this being the way I consume books, I definitely wouldn't go back.

I am the first to admit I was an actual book snob. And at first, I did question whether I would
be able to get as immersed in a story as one does when you read. However, needs must and
one must adapt.

If you want to try audio books, you will have to be open minded - you might have to listen to
 a few hours before you like it or need to try a different book. Stick with it.

Over the years, while I have been at home, I have listened to the following books:

• Pride and prejudice by Jane Austin (highly recommended obviously)
• Little book of Lykke by Meik Wiking
• Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews
• Kremlin's candidate by Jason Matthews
• Red sparrow by Jason Matthews
• Why mummy drinks (very funny) by Gill Sims
• Why mummy swears (very funny) by Gill Sims
• Vanity fair by William Thackory
• Red rose, White Rose  by Joanna Hickson
• The President is Missing  by James Patterson & President Bill Clinton
• Jurassic park  by Michael Crichton ( highly recommend- it’s different from the film!)
• Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
• My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows  by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince  by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix  by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling (I am listening to this separately
 with the children)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  by J K Rowling (I listened to this separately
with the children)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (I listened to this separately
with the children)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling (I listened to this separately
with the children)
• Covenant College by Amanda M.Lee  (very light reading)
• I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggart (non fiction)
• Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Under the Dome by Stephen King
• Wild Swans by Jung Chang (very good but also very long)
• The Tudor Wife by Joanna Hickson
• The Agincourt Wife by Joanna Hickson
• I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (brilliant - simply the best book I have ever read)
• Grammar Girl: quick and quirky tips by Mignon Fogarty (non fiction)
• Mocking Jay: hunger games by Suzanne Collins
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Night's Circus by Erin Morgenstern (absolutely stunning- read this!)
• Book of Life by Deborah Harkness (I really enjoyed this)
• Shadow of the Wind by Deborah Harkness (I really enjoyed this)
• Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (I really enjoyed this)
• The Unpredictable Consequences  by Jill Mansell
• Bridget Jones  by Helen Fielding
• The Spy & the Traitor by Ben Macintyre  (I really enjoyed this)

I appreciate there is quite a few listed now that I have written it down, but I am by myself
rather a lot and I like reading...

I have recently discovered a very good free App downloadable from the library called
Borrow Box.  It's very good - and have I mentioned it’s free?!

The downside to the library scheme is that not everything is available on it so I still need
 Audible (which I pay for) but I do check if something is available free first. You do also
need a valid library card to use it which is a bit of a pain, but worth getting.

During physio I have listened to the following: (there’s a theme - I like fairly light but
interesting reading during physio):

• Texas Ranger by James Patterson
• Sents and sentsability by Maggie Alderson
• Private Paris by James Patterson
• The Games by James Patterson
• 17th Seduction  by James Patterson
• NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson
• Private Princess by James Patterson
• Murder Games by James Patterson
• Revenge by James Patterson

And although it might look like I have read a lot of books but I am always after recommendations
. So I really want to know: what's your favourite book? Send me the title/author or leave it in the
comments below… I read pretty much anything...

Mummy idea:

I also listen to audio books with the children. I love the fact we can listen whilst we do other
 things like eating breakfast, colouring or playing outside. See my post about ‘learning whilst
doing’.

I have had my children build a den to listen to books whilst I do my physio exercises. The way
 I see it, if they are listening to a book they aren't on electronics or watching a screen...

We have listened to:

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
• You are Awesome by Matthew Syed
• Lots of Storynory

We have just finished Matthew Syed’s ‘You are awesome’ and we're about to listen to it for a
 second time because I thought it was so good.

I have been really working at walking and writing for the last 5 or 6 years as I really want to get
better at. So I think it is incredibly important for my children to hear his view on persistence and
to realise the importance of not giving up.

If you have children, read it with them. It’s incredibly important.

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