A week after being diagnosed with the flu, I’m finally starting to see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. I still have a good deal of pain while breathing and still have a slight wheeze, but I’m up and mobile again. Even more importantly, the mental fog that hovered over me while recovering has gone and I can finally get back to reading again!
It was pure torture not being able to read and once the fog started lifting, I noticed a particular sort of book was needed to keep my attention. What is the perfect prescription for that flu/cold read?
- Short! Nothing over 250 pages and if it does, it must have a storyline that is intense enough that it keeps my attention. No light and fluffy chick-lit for this girl, I needed something heavy!
- Limited characters. There is no way my flu-brain could keep track of more than 3-4 characters. Jotting down notes with the characters names, etc., had no value because most of the time my handwriting was so bad I couldn’t read it hours later.
- Memorable main character. This individual had to stand out from the rest and characteristics that kept my interest.
- Portability. Somewhat linked to Number 1. My body was weak, so weak that I would have to take a nap after doing any sort of physical activity, including walking to/from the kitchen to refill my orange juice. If the book was heavy, no way I could hold it for any considerable amount of time.
So there you have it, my perfect prescription for flu reading. Add a dose of high-interest television (in my case, Downton Abbey and Homeland) and you are on the path to recovery!
What is your prescription for flu/cold reading?
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