Is it just that the times were different and nobody was out there writing think pieces about how moms and grandmothers needed to flaunt their sexuality? Is it because I’m getting closer to my grandmother in age, and when I was a wee, tween, and teen I just lumped “older” into one category? Or is this due to advances in healthcare and quality of living? I mean, my father-in-law is 72 and he’s perfectly capable of climbing a mountain if he wanted to (he doesn’t want to). But then again he’s about 40% robot at this point, having had so many joint replacements.
I might not find the answers I want to those questions, but one thing I do know is that reading keeps the brain young in many ways. Research is still being conducted, but early signs show that reading could even help prevent or reduce the severity of various forms of dementia, which is of particular interest to me because I have the APOE e4 gene, which increases my chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
So allow me to present to you some of the best books for seniors. Experts agree that the earlier a person gets started preparing their brain for senior-ness, the better off they’ll be, so I’ve got my work cut out for me, too.
Self-Help Books
The thing about aging is that you don’t really need a book to tell you how to do it. All you really have to do is continue to not die and you will age, magically! But there are some great books for seniors on how to age healthfully and happily.
Fiction in Large Print
It’s common for eyesight to decline as a person ages, and this can make it particularly difficult to read tiny words on a tiny page. There are tons of great audiobooks out there (and yes, audiobooks absolutely count as reading) and you can make an ereader’s text just about as big as you want, but if you love the feel of fresh pages between your fingers, then you need large print books for seniors. But it also has funny anecdotes and heartwarming stories. It’s a great choice if you want to start thinking about the hard stuff but you want a little levity mixed in for good measure. A big disclaimer: This book is targeted specifically to people who are well off financially, physically, and mentally. This is not going to be a helpful book for seniors facing the very real issues of housing insecurity, mental decline, loneliness, etc.
Puzzle Books for Seniors and Other Books to Increase Mental Sharpness
A variety of studies have now shown that jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, and other brain games can help keep the brain sharp. Check out the collection below and hop on over to our previous Puzzle Books for Adults if you’re looking for more. I hope this list of books for seniors is helpful and provides hours of fun and stimulating brain time! The good news about keeping my brain sharp as I age is that I don’t even have to do anything I hate to do. All I gotta do is read fun books, crack some codes, and get some puzzling done. That’s a prescription I can fill, no problem!
