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[00:00.13] For many of us, there’s nothing better than burying our head in a good book.

[00:06.24] Whether it’s a gripping crime story or a biography of someone’s amazing life, it’s good to read a book to switch off from the distractions of everyday life and help us relax.

[00:20.05] Maybe that’s why some of them are actually being prescribed as a remedy to sickness.

[00:26.95] It may seem obvious that reading is good for us. It can be educational, and, as some say, it can ‘broaden the mind’.

[00:37.31] A good novel can make us happy or sad, or make us cry as we empathise with characters.

[00:45.55] The power of books was recognised a few years ago by the British charity Reading Agency, who published a list of books that doctors could offer to patients, tackling topics from depression to dementia to chronic pain.

[01:01.75] It called this ‘bibliotherapy’ and it’s become so successful that it's about to be extended to children as well.

[01:12.11] Professor Philip Davis studies the effects of literature at Liverpool University and is author of a book called Reading for Life.

[01:22.20] He studies people in reading groups and found that it’s reading literature – written work thought to have artistic merit, that has the best effect.

[01:33.62] He told the BBC that when reading something for pleasure, “…the brain begins to work from different parts, from a different hemisphere and it gets excited, it gets pre-emotional – and you can see the brain coming to life.”

[01:50.09] Of course, it’s easy in our smartphone generation to ditch a good book and fiddle with our phones instead.

[01:58.86] But opening up a paperback could be a simple way to help boost or maintain our mental health.

[02:05.76] It's thought they can help you set targets and find focus.

[02:10.54] And they may allow you to see that awkward situation you've been anxious about for weeks from someone else's perspective.

[02:19.31] If you’re not an avid reader it can be hard to know where to begin. If the Reading Agency book list doesn’t appeal, you could to read book reviews, visit a library or bookshop or ask a friend.

[02:35.25] Once you’ve found the right text, you’ll be hooked! And if you still love your technology, you could always use an e-reader.