It’s hard to believe we’re at the beginning of a new year!

While getting fit and healthy is often top of the New Year’s resolutions list, a healthy resolution doesn’t necessarily mean burning more calories or cutting out carbs. Did you know curling up with a good old fashioned book can have tonnes of health benefits too?

Here are a few great reasons to make reading more books one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2019:

1. Reading keeps the mind active

Studies have shown that keeping your mind active is just as important as keeping your body active. Reading books, along with puzzles, games and other mentally challenging activities are thought to help prevent brain diseases, such as dementia, later in life. So put down the remote and keep that brain active with a good book!

2. It can reduce stress

Not only is stress unenjoyable, but it’s also bad for your health. Luckily, picking up a book is one of the most relaxing ways to unwind. In 2009, researchers at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress levels by 68 per cent!

3. It might help you sleep better

We’ve all heard spending time staring at a screen before bed actually keeps you awake longer. For anyone having difficulty sleeping, establishing a good bedtime routine is essential for more shut-eye, and a great way to do that is with a quick half hour of reading before bed.

4. Reading boosts concentration

If you spend your time flicking between social media accounts and news stories and conversations with friends, you’re not alone. Our lives are full of distractions and it can be hard to stay focused. But practice makes perfect, and there’s nothing like the practice of reading a book to help train your brain to block out distractions and boost concentration.

5. It might help you live longer

A study by Yale University School of Public Health, which explored the benefits of reading on longevity, showed that people who read books for more than three and a half hours a week were found to have a higher survival advantage. That’s only 30 minutes a day! A great excuse to take some time out for yourself and unwind with a book.

Of course, besides the health benefits, there’s really nothing like the feeling of opening a new book and being transported to another place. In the words of Dr Seuss, “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back & relax. All you need is a book.” So forget Netflix binges! Make 2019 your year of reading. And if you’re not quite sure where to start, treat yourself to a Bookabuy book subscription to get a brand-new book, handpicked to suit your personal reading preferences, delivered to your door each month.

Here’s our Top 10 Books of 2018:

1. Modern Fiction: "Every Note Played" by Lisa Genova
2. Fantasy: "Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #2)" by Jessica Townsend
3. Science Fiction: "Thunderhead (Arc of the Scythe #2)" by Neal Shusterman
4. Chick Lit: "The Kiss Quotient" by Helen Hoang
5. Horror: "Foe" by Iain Reid
6. Non Fiction: "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by Yuval Noah Harari
7. Autobiography: "The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" by Anthony Ray Hinton
8. Mystery: "The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton
9. Historical Fiction: "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" by Heather Morris
10. Young Adult: "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

We’d love to know what you think of our Top 10!

We’re giving away a Christmas gift every day for 25 days!

Once a day, we’ll post a different clue to a book on either Facebook or Instagram. If you are the first person to correctly guess the book’s title and author in the comments of that post, you’ll win a gift from us!

We’ll have different prizes every day to make it fun, and you could even win multiple prizes!

The giveaway will run from Saturday 1 December to Tuesday 25 December.

Good luck!

Terms & Conditions:

1. The book author's first and last name, and the book's full title, must be provided in your comment and spelled correctly.
2. The prizes are as stated and are not redeemable for cash or other alternatives.
3. The winner for each day will be notified via the post on Facebook or Instagram that they have commented on. If the winner does not claim their prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
4. Bookabuy's decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Bookabuy and not to any other party.