
Are You Aging or Maturing as a Reader?
by Steph Beth Nickel
Over the next couple of months, I will be having cataract surgery on both eyes and may need corneal transplants in the years to come. I can no longer go as long between workouts and not get stiff—not the good kind that comes from beneficial exercise but the kind that comes from too much inactivity. My sleep patterns are wonky, admittedly because I often stay up too late.
Are these signs of maturing or aging? Easy answer, right?
Sadly, we often think of aging in negative terms and maturing in positive ones, but I truly believe we can combine the two—while acknowledging the challenges of the passing years.
Below are some tips for older readers. (If you haven’t felt the effects of aging as of yet, hopefully you’ll find a few tips that will benefit you as well.)
Tips for Readers
As we age, our bodies and minds often get less pliable, less flexible. Just as regular physical activity can be beneficial to our body, reading can help us continue to mature and reduce the mental signs of aging.
While we all have our favourite genre(s), there are many benefits to expanding our horizons. Why not pick up a book in a genre you don’t typically read?
Have you been wanting to develop your skills in an area you’re familiar with or learn an entirely new-to-you skill? Why not nab a book in your favourite format—or pull one off your shelves you’ve been meaning to (re)read?
Just as it’s beneficial to read a wide variety of genres, there are advantages to consuming books in multiple formats: physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. In recent years, I’ve consumed far more audiobooks than I’d ever imagined I would, being more of a visual learner than an auditory one. When I’m tired or busy doing something that doesn’t require my undivided attention, I enjoy having an audiobook playing.
You can use a library app and borrow audiobooks (and e-books) for free, make individual purchases from sites such as Chirp Books (their deals are phenomenal), or pay a monthly subscription rate to a service such as Rakuten Kobo and download as many e-books and audiobooks as you like.
True confessions: I have numerous apps on my phone for consuming books and hundreds of unread volumes.
How about joining (or starting) a book club? If you don’t have enough friends or family member to begin your own book club, you may want to join an in-person or online club that reads books in one of your preferred genres.
Happy reading, all!
And if you’re a writer—or thinking of becoming one—check out next month’s post, “Are You Aging or Maturing as a Writer?”

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.
You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.
You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.