Tag Archives: reading

Are You Aging or Maturing as a Reader? (Guest Post)

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?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

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.

Why Reading Can Be a Challenge (Guest Post)

Why Reading Can Be a Challenge

by Steph Beth Nickel

Don’t get me wrong. I love books. Physical books. eBooks. Audiobooks. All the books. But sometimes I do struggle to sit down and read a book from cover to cover.

Specific Challenges

When I’m tired, it can be difficult to focus on the words on a page. All of us have likely found ourselves reading and re-reading a paragraph because we complete it and wonder what on earth we’ve read.

Reining in my thoughts can prove challenging. I enjoy flitting from one thing to the next to the next. This is one reason I have multiple books on the go at all times—and ideas for books in multiple genres that I would like to write.

As an extrovert, I enjoy auditory input. I find both quiet and background music (especially with lyrics) distracting. This is why it requires more deliberate focus for me to read a physical or eBook.

Enter . . . the Audiobook

While you may not face the challenges I do when it comes to reading, you may be surprised at some of the advantages of listening to audiobooks. These are true even if you’re not an auditory learner.

For we who are extroverts, sometimes it’s nice to have someone keep us company, even if that someone is the narrator of the audiobook we’re listening to. (Of course, listening to some narrators is more pleasant than listening to others.)

It’s possible to do other tasks while listening to an audiobook: drive, wash dishes, tidy up, etc. And with the advent of Bluetooth earbuds, things like running water don’t have to interfere with the experience.

I prefer listening to fiction, but I do listen to some nonfiction books as well. If there are passages I want to make note of, I may purchase the eBook or physical book as well.

Cost-Prohibitive

One “problem” with audiobooks is the cost. However, that need not be the case any longer.

If you want to listen to audiobooks but don’t want to pay a monthly fee for only one book or pay the per book retail cost, there are options.

I was thrilled to discover Chirp | A Better Way to Audiobook. Chirp has phenomenal sales on audiobooks, both more recent releases and classics. Often the first audiobook in a series has a low price, under $5.00. This is a great way to discover new authors and see if we want to invest in the complete series.

And when it comes to subscriptions, you can’t beat Kobo Plus eBook & Audiobook Subscription | Rakuten Kobo Canada. For approximately $15.00 per month, you can download as many audiobooks (and eBooks) as you like for no extra cost. They will disappear, however, should you cancel your subscription, but they won’t disappear from your library if you haven’t read them by the end of the month you downloaded them. Not all books are available, but there are more new and recent releases than I could ever hope to read—even though I often listen to a book in one or two days.

While reading can be a challenge, I am thankful for audiobooks . . . and eBooks (after all, I can easily carry hundreds with me wherever I go) . . . and physical books.

What’s your preferred format? Have you found reading to be a challenge? If so, in what ways?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

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.

Picks from 2023

Goodreads: My Year in Books

Goodreads tells me I read 51 books in 2023. That’s way down from previous years, and I feel good. I’ve had more quiet time to think. That said, there are some books I really want to read this year!

From those 51 books in 2023, here are my top picks:

Book of the year, fiction: All the Lost Places, by Amanda Dykes, and The Color of Sky and Stone, by Sara Davison (Both chosen for their effect on the heart)

Book of the year, nonfiction: Breath as Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker

Christian living: The Believer’s Secret of the Abiding Presence, excerpts from the writings of Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence (compiled and edited by L.G. Parkhurst Jr.)

Fantasy: The Lost Metal, by Brandon Sanderson

Favourite re-read (fiction): Star Wars: Choices of One, by Timothy Zahn

Favourite re-read (non-fiction): The Spirit-Filled Life, by Charles F. Stanley

Heartwarming reads: All the Lost Places, by Amanda Dykes

Mystery/suspense novel: A Cast of Falcons, by Steve Burrows

Nova Scotia fiction: Crafting for Murder, by Barbara Emodi

Science Fiction: Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card

Some of these books were produced in 2023, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

Follow me on BookBub

Picks from 2022

Graphics credit: Goodreads

My top picks from 2022:

Book of the year, fiction: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Book of the year, nonfiction: Grace Over Grind by Shae Bynes. I listened to the audiobook for free through Hoopla, then bought the print book with workbook and went back through it again. Highly recommended for Christian entrepreneurs or Christians in the workplace, period.

Christmas fiction: The Christmas Hummingbird by Davis Bunn

Fantasy: The Contest by K.E. Ganshert

Favourite re-read (fiction): Cascade Point by Timothy Zahn (science fiction novella)

Favourite re-read (non-fiction): My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, Edited by James Reimann

Feel-good reads: My respite goal this year was to read one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books each month. I fell behind but did enjoy a total of 6 this year. Our theology is light-years apart, but this is pretty clean fantasy that makes me laugh out loud like few things do. Anyone sitting near me is in danger of having chunks of the best passages read aloud to them, like it or not. Brilliant writing, clever turns of phrase, nods to real-life things that I mostly miss catching, some mysteries that keep me guessing, and often an “awww” moment near the end.

Mystery/suspense novel: The Shadow of Memory, by Connie Berry, and The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny.

Science fiction novel: Warhorse by Timothy Zahn, and A Stainless Steel Rat is Born by Harry Harrison (both rereads)

Speculative thriller: Island of Time by Davis Bunn. This is an international thriller with fantasy/magic elements. Lots of fun.

These are the books I’ve most enjoyed last year. Some were produced in 2022, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

Follow me on BookBub

Picks from 2021

My year in books in 2021 from Goodreads: 56 books, 14, 165 pages read.
Graphic credit: Goodreads


Here are the books I’ve most enjoyed last year. Some were produced in 2021, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

My top picks from 2021:

Book of the year: Yours is the Night, by Amanda Dykes (historical fiction)

Fantasy: Rhythm of War, by Brandon Sanderson

Favourite re-read: Star Wars: Scoundrels (Star Wars Legends), by Timothy Zahn [I’d forgotten I didn’t like the ending, but it’s a fun read]

Feel-good read: Tranquility Falls, by Davis Bunn

Mystery/suspense novel: Chasing Angels, by Karin Kaufman, and All the Devils are Here, by Louise Penny. In that order, based on how I felt as a reader.

Poetry: Wing Over Wing, by Julie Cadwallader Staub

Science fiction novel: Lesser Evil (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy, #3), by Timothy Zahn

Writing how-to: Writing Your Story’s Theme: The Writer’s Guide to Plotting Stories That Matter, by K.M. Weiland, with an honourable mention to How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market, by Ricardo Fayet

This was a difficult year for me and my family. Hence the reduced reading count!
Here are five things that refreshed me this year:

  • Prayer: Not a new practice for me; a major source of comfort and hope.
  • Praise: Also not new; praise music helps me keep grounded. Funny how often the right song would come on the radio just when I needed it.
  • Poetry: Nova Scotian writer Laura Aliese showed me I can enjoy poetry. This year I’ve dipped into a few books from other poets. The strong word choices have been inspiring.
  • Pilates: Toward the end of 2020, I discovered a wealth of free YouTube videos from Rachel Lawrence Pilates. Her friendly and accessible instruction has helped tame the body aches that crept in during the first lockdown.
  • Photos: For all the negativity on social media, Instagram became my online happy place in 2021. I don’t post (that might feel like work) and I only follow nature photographers, tourism shots, and Bible/inspirational quotes (well, and David Crowder because he makes me laugh). It’s been a lovely mini refuge when I needed it most.
Follow me on BookBub

Hidden Secrets Short-listed for Canadian Award

Hidden Secrets is one of three novels short-listed in the suspense category for The 2020 Word Awards (for work published in 2019).

Hidden Secrets short-listed for The 2020 Word Awards

Also short-listed are:

Scars, a novel by Kevin Dautremont, M.D.
Scars, by Kevin Dautremont, M.D.

Vigilant, by Sara Davison
Vigilant, by Sara Davison

I haven’t read either of these novels yet, but I’ve met both authors, and their work is highly respected. Hidden Secrets is in good company. The beauty of this is that when the winning book is announced, I can either celebrate for my “imaginary friends” if it’s my book or celebrate for one of my real-life writer friends (at least acquaintances!). Win-win!

The 2020 Word Awards winners will be announced June 13, 7pm Eastern Time (8pm Atlantic) online via livestream on Facebook and Zoom. It’ll be free for anyone to tune in. Link details TBA.

For the complete short-list, visit The Word Guild’s Media page and click on the short-list announcement link.

Follow me on BookBub

Keeping Track of What We Read

Do you love reading?

Reads to Remember: A book lover’s journal to track your next 100 reads is now available.

Whether it’s a book a day or a book a year, in print, digital, or audio, this reader’s journal is the perfect way to track the next 100 books in your life.

  • Jot your reactions and reflections.
  • Note key details:
    • author
    • subject
    • format
    • date finished
    • rating
    • favourite lines
    • and more
  • Track your reading habits across genre/subject.
  • List those rare, life-impacting reads.
  • Manage your to-read list.

Includes bookmarks you can cut out and colour for the print books on your list.

At this point, these readers’ journals are only available through Amazon (only in print form… who wants to write on their tablet or e-reader?)

Amazon links:

Book Stack Edition:
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk

Books With Tea Edition:
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk

Follow me on BookBub

Picks from 2019

Goodreads tells me I’ve read 91 books in 2019. And that’s not counting Bible reading. Here are the books I’ve most enjoyed last year. Some were produced in 2019, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

My top picks from 2019:

Book of the year: Whose Waves These Are, by Amanda Dykes

Christian living: The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life, by Charles Stanley

Contemporary novel: As the Light Fades, by Catherine West

Fantasy novel: Wayfarer, by K.M Weiland

Historical Novel: The End of the Magi, by Patrick W. Carr

Mystery/suspense novel: A Better Man, by Louise Penny

Science fiction novel: Thrawn: Treason, by Timothy Zahn

Picks from 2018

Goodreads tells me I’ve read 99 books in 2018. And that’s not counting Bible reading. Here are the books (and new-to-me music) that I’ve most enjoyed this year. Some were produced in 2018, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

My top picks from 2018:

Book of the year: Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson (epic fantasy)

Christian living: The Dream of You, by Jo Saxton

Contemporary novel: Dear Mr. Knightley, by Katherine Reay

Fantasy novel: The Wounded Shadow, by Patrick W. Carr

Favourites revisited: The full “Cobra” series, all 9 books, by Timothy Zahn

Mystery/suspense novel: Guilty Blood, by Rick Acker

Science Fiction novel: Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson. Also notable: For Us Humans, by Steve Rzasa, Cold Welcome, by Elizabeth Moon, and Thrawn: Alliances, by Timothy Zahn

Series of the year: I’m liking the new Smithwell Fairies cozy mystery series from Karin Kaufman

Surprisingly fun: The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes, by Wade Albert White

Thriller:  Stealthy Steps, by Vikki Kestell (techno-thriller)

New-to-me songs that blessed me most: “Living Hope,” by Phil Wickham, “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship, and “You Say” by Lauren Daigle… And “Even If,” by Mercy Me. Wow.

Picks from 2017

Goodreads tells me I’ve read 99 books in 2017. And that’s not counting Bible reading. Here are the books (and new-to-me music) that I’ve most enjoyed this year. Some were produced in 2017, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

My top picks from 2017:

Christian living: Prayer Warrior and The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, both by Stormie Omartian

Contemporary novels: Soul’s Gate, by James L. Rubart, and Grace in Strange Disguise, by Christine Dillon

Favourites revisited: Where Eagles Dare, by Alistair MacLean

Historical novel: The Incense Road collection, by Tracy Higley

Mystery novels: Glass Houses, by Louise Penny, and Guilt by Association, by Heather Day Gilbert

Science Fiction novel: Thrawn, by Timothy Zahn

Series of the year: The Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Series, by Karin Kaufman, and The Maple Syrup Mysteries, by Emily James, and an honourable mention to the Molly Sutton Mysteries, by Nell Goddin.

Fantasy novel: Elantris and Edgedancer, both by Brandon Sanderson

Thriller: Fault Lines, by Thomas Locke

Writing how-to: Creating Character Arcs, by K.M. Weiland

New-to-me musical artists of the year: All Sons and Daughters