Just today, Alex spent a happy late afternoon plunging himself into The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson and trying to unravel the Swedish thriller’s convoluted plot. He even texted a friend about it. All of which is not only enormously entertaining, but also has its therapeutic value, since he’s on the mend after a cycling mishap and has to cool it on the spinning wheels front for a while. And what better way to relax and recover than cracking open a big fat juicy book and getting lost in it?

In fact, my brother Peter is also having to cut back on his regular activities after minor surgery. Since he’s a huge history buff, I’m planning to send him a copy of Alan Furst’s new historical spy thriller, Mission to Paris, which sounds like it’s exactly his cup of tea. Can’t wait to hear what he thinks!

When you’re feeling a bit under the weather or recuperating from a medical situation, what better balm can there be than a good story well told? Sure magazines are great for this and so is TV, in a lazy sort of way. But there’s something about challenging your mind while you’re resting your body that’s a very potent healing combination — at least that’s what I’ve found.

Recently, a friend of mine has been toughing out some challenging circumstances. Since she’s spending a lot of time at home, she’s been working through some new books that she wanted to read as well as dusting off some on familiar volumes on her shelves and revisiting them. She’s finding that the companionship of these old friends isn’t just comforting, it’s also stimulating her to think in some exciting new directions. So let’s read on and write on.