13 reasons to read more fiction

Discover the wellbeing, social and cognitive benefits that lie behind the cover of a good book

Do you read much fiction? Maybe you’re one of those who reads in bed at night. Perhaps, rather than watch TV, you choose to read in the evening. Maybe you find reading stories a little indulgent so save it mainly for holidays or commuting.

Having come to realise that reading and underlining non-fiction books at bedtime is studying rather than resting, I’ve recently returned to fiction to stop doing and start being with a book again.

It turns out, reading fiction is no bad thing. Far more than simply a way to switch off, losing ourselves in a good book has been shown to increase empathy, sharpen reasoning and improve attention span.

Read on to discover the benefits that lie behind the cover of a book.

13 benefits of reading fiction

1.Helps us to relax

It should come as no surprise that reading is helps us to relax. Escaping from our worries into the world of a novel we mentally let go and switch off.

In doing so our heart rate lowers, our blood pressure decreases and muscular tension reduces (Rizzolo et al, 2009). No wonder reading before sleep is the most popular time to read, closely followed by being on holiday (Billington 2015).

2.Combats loneliness

Lonely people live less long and less well. But it seems reading fiction can play a role in filling gaps left by loneliness and isolation. Turns out losing yourself in a book provides a sense of connection to the characters, events, settings and authors (BOP Consulting, 2015).

It can engender connection in real-life too, if you talk about the books you read with others informally or formally as part of a book group or a member of a library (Rothbauer & Dalmer, 2018).

3.Improves mood/wellbeing

Reading fiction has also been found to enhance mood. When an area of life feels out of our control reading, as an autonomous pursuit, gives us a sense of control, connection and achievement (Levine et al, 2020). All psycho-social needs that when unfulfilled impact mood.

Readers have also reported that reading gives rise to feelings of reassurance (Currie et al, 2025). In reading stories, people may come to realise they are not alone with their problems, that others have gone through similar, helping them to feel better about themselves and their situation (Billington, 2015).

And, Weziak-Bialowolska et al. (2023), who explored the health and wellbeing benefits of various mind-engaging activities among middle-aged and older adults, found that those who read almost every day had a substantially lower risk of being diagnosed with depression, along with lower loneliness scores.

4.Lowers risk of mortality

Other health benefits have been established through longitudinal studies that have followed reading cohorts for over a decade.

A study that explored the reading patterns of 3,635 people aged 50+ that older adults who read books had a 20% lower risk of death over a 12-year period compared to those who did not read. They also discovered that reading books provided a greater advantage than reading newspapers or magazines (Bavishi et al, 2017).

See also protects brain function

5.Protects brain function

Reading is cognitively stimulating, something that is a recognised factor in preserving brain function. Various studies have found that reading books in older adulthood appears to support better cognitive functioning and protect against late-life cognitive decline.

For example, a recent longitudinal study with 6, 10 and 14 year follow-up with a Taiwanese population saw that those with higher weekly reading frequencies had a reduced risk of cognitive decline, no matter education attainment (Chang, Y. H., Wu, I. C., & Hsiung, C. A., 2021).

6.Improves attention span

In contrast to the superficial way we read online, skimming and scanning for key words, reading a book requires sustained focus.

This makes reading an effective exercise for developing concentration. As we read, we train the brain to ignore distractions and stay on task and, according to van de Ven et al. (2023) ourselves in cognitive patience.

Interestingly, a UK millennium cohort study found that daily reading for pleasure outside school by 7 year olds is associated with lower levels of inattention/hyperactivity by age 11 (Mak and Fancourt, 2020), suggesting that reading could help protect against hyperactivity/inattention.

7.Increases problem solving skills

Along with flexing our attention and comprehension processing muscles, it is thought that the exposure to different settings and perspectives, ignites our imagination making it easier to make decisions, plan and prioritise (Billington, 2015).

8.Improves self-understanding

As fiction focuses on individuals navigating situations and challenges, stories can cue self-reflection and personal memories (Rothbauer & Dalmer, 2018).

Through the experience of a fictional character, we explore their likes, dislikes, hopes and fears which can reveal truths about ourselves.

9.Increases emotional intelligence

When we read, our brains create mental images of the worlds and characters described. This process actually stimulates areas of the brain responsible for visual processing, allowing us to visualize the story as if it were unfolding before our eyes (Tamir, 2016).

Standing in a character’s shoes we get to predict the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of others. In effect, we practise empathy.

Indeed, studies have found that after reading fiction people do better on tests that measure empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence than non-readers. Readers of fiction also score higher on measures of Theory of Mind - the understanding that other people have mental states that drive their actions and that they can be different from our own (Mar et al., 2006, 2009, 2010).

10.Enhances communication skills

The simulation of real-world experiences in fiction helps us better understand what happens in real life. In reading we gain a better understanding of human psychology, how we should/shouldn't interact with others, becoming more confident in expressing ourselves.

11.Enriches vocabulary

Most research into the benefits of reading for pleasure have concerned the impact on children and young people. A study mentioned in Cremin & Scholes (2024) undertaken by Sullivan & Brown showed a link between higher literacy scores and improvements in vocabulary. This is unsurprising as time spent reading for pleasure will likely expose us to words rarely heard in daily life.

12.Improves writing skills

Jouhar and Rupley (2016) cited in Cremin & Scholes (2024) concluded that independent reading enhances the quality of both narrative and descriptive writing. They proposed that reading for pleasure offered models of written texts on which we can draw and that this improves our text organisation, spelling and grammatical accuracy.

13.Widens general knowledge

Studies also indicate reading recreationally extends our life experience. Developing wider general knowledge and understanding of the world, as we learn about and experience different cultures and viewpoints.

How to obtain these reading benefits

Read a book that interests you

For wellbeing benefits to increase, what is most important is that you read books that resonate with your interests and your life.

In fact, connection with characters is key to whether you will read a book or not (Poerio & Totterdell, 2020) and according to Bal et al. (2013), the level of empathy derived depends on how emotionally affected we are by the story.

Read for at least 30 minutes

According to Rizzolo et al., reading for just 30 minutes leads to lowered heart rate, blood pressure and perceived stress.

Read regularly

Levine (2022) who studied the effect on students found that the benefits of reading fiction accumulated the more you read.

Getting back into reading for pleasure

Has your relationship with reading changed over time? A few months ago, I rarely read fiction. It was something I mainly did on holiday, if I did it at all. But, I hadn't always been that way. Somewhere along the line, my view of books changed - from something I used for relaxation to becoming learning aids and tools of the trade.

If, like me, it's been awhile since you picked up a fiction book, one way to get into it again is to think back to books you have read and enjoyed in the past. What genre were they?

Alternatively browse a bookshop window, stop by a library or ask others what they've been reading.

Enjoy your time reading.

Take care of you.

References/Further Reading

Bal, M., & Veltkamp, M. (2013). How does fiction reading influence empathy? An experimental investigation on the role of emotional transportation. PloS One, 8 (2013), Article e55341, 10.1371/journal.pone.0055341

Bavishi, A, Slade, Martin D.; Levy, Becca R. (2016). A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity, Social Science & Medicine. 2016; 164, 44-48.164, 44-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.014

Bavishi, A., Slade, M., & Levy, B. (2017). The survival advantage of reading books. Innovation in Aging, 1(Suppl 1), 477. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx004.169

Billington J. (2015). Reading Between the Lines: the Benefits of Reading for Pleasure. Galaxy. The Reading Agency, Quick Reads.

BOP Consulting. (2015). Literature Review: The impact of reading for pleasure on empowerment. The Reading Agency.

Chang, Y. H., Wu, I. C., & Hsiung, C. A. ( 2021). Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older people: evidence from a 14-year longitudinal study. International psychogeriatrics, 33(1),63–74. doi.org/10.1017/S104161022000812

Cremin, T., & Scholes, L. (2024). Reading for pleasure: scrutinising the evidence base – benefits, tensions and recommendations. Language and Education, 38(4), 537–559. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2324948

Currie, N.K., Wilkinson, K. & McGeown, S. (2025). Reading Fiction and Psychological Well-being During Older Adulthood: Positive Affect, Connection and Personal Growth. Reading Research Quarterly, 60: e605. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.605

Dore, R.A., Amendum, S.J., Golinkoff, R.M and K. Hirsh-Pasek.  (2018). Theory of Mind: a Hidden Factor in Reading Comprehension?. Educ Psychol Rev 30, 1067–1089.

Good, Elise N. and Schaab, Katharine (2022). The Biological Influence of Stories & The Importance of Reading Fiction. The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 3.

Levine, S. L., Cherrier, S., Holding, A. C., & Koestner, R. (2022). For the love of reading: Recreational reading reduces psychological distress in college students and autonomous motivation is the key. Journal of American college health 70(1), 158–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1728280

Mak H.W. & Fancourt D. 2020. Longitudinal associations between reading for pleasure and child mal¬adjustment: results from a propensity score matching analysis. Soc Sci Med. Volume 253:112971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112971

Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., Hirsh, J., dela Paz, J., & Peterson, J. B. (2006). Bookworms versus nerds. Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and the simulation of fictional social worlds. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 694–712. https:// doi. org/ 10. 1016/j. jrp. 2005. 08. 002

Mar, R.A., Oatley, K., & Peterson, J. B. (2009) Exploring the link between reading fiction and empathy: ruling out individual differences and examining outcomes. Communications 34: 407–428.

Mar, R. A., Li, J., Nguyen, A. T. P., & Ta, C. P. (2021). Memory and comprehension of narrative versus expository texts: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin & Review, 28, 732–749. https:// doi. org/ 10.3758/ s1342 3-020-01853-1

Poerio, G., & Totterdell, P. (2020). The effect of fiction on the well-being of older adults: A longitudinal RCT intervention study using audiobooks. Psychosocial Intervention, 29(1), 29–37. https:// doi. org/10. 5093/ pi201 9a16

Rothbauer, R., & Dalmer, N. (2018). Reading as a lifeline among aging readers: Findings from a qualitative interview study with older adults. Library & Information Science Research, 40(3–4), 165–172.https:// doi. org/ 10. 1016/j. lisr. 2018. 08. 001

Rizzolo, D., Zipp, G.P., Stiskal, D., & S. Simpkins. Stress management strategies for students: The immediate effects of yoga, humor, and reading on stress. Journal of College Teaching & Learning. 2009; 6, 79-88.

Tamir, D. I., Bricker, A. B., Dodell-Feder, D., & Mitchell, J. P. (2016). Reading fiction and reading minds: the role of simulation in the default network. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 11(2), 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv114

van de Ven, I., Hakemulder, F., & Mangen, A. (2023). ‘TL;DR’ (Too Long; Didn’t Read)? Cognitive Patience as a Mode of Reading: Exploring Concentration and Perseverance. Scientific Study of Literature, 12(1), 68–86.

Weziak-Bialowolska, D., Bialowolski, P., & Sacco, P. L. (2023). Mind-stimulating leisure activities: Prospective associations with health, wellbeing, and longevity. Frontiers in public health, 11, 1117822. doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1117822