I have a love for Contemporary Romances that over time have helped me heal both in mind and body.
My name’s Laura! Here’s a little snippet about how my love of Contemporary Romance novels began and how reading has helped me heal my mind, body, and spirit. I would also like to share a brief glimpse into my new passion project – educating and advocating those affected, like myself, by Traumatic Brain Injury.
After a devastating traumatic brain injury in 2011, I was left with various symptoms including cognitive slowing, memory issues, and confusion, among others. My neurologist suggested that I start reading whenever I found the time to help aide in my recovery.
At that time I was not the most avid reader. I loved books and I bought them often, but then they would sit on a shelf and collect dust. This was due to my struggles with dyslexia and other numerous language arts deficits that I struggled with only brought to light during my final year of college.
Once some time had passed after my accident, I started looking into getting an E-reader, because I knew it would help me with little things like changing the font size according to my visual issues or headache level that day. I also loved the fact that I could look up a word I didn't know without leaving the page. Before I would get distracted and then frustrated because I had to stop reading and go to a dictionary to do this. So, I got myself a Kindle. Once that sucker was in my hot little hands, my literary life suddenly started improving!
I had always struggled with reading in school, but once I was able to change the background color on my Kindle, I was soon able to read almost non-stop, without my dyslexia being an issue. I then also noticed that my vocabulary was getting stronger and reading comprehension which I had struggled with for my entire life was actually getting better too!
For the first time in my life I was reading and truly enjoying it! Before long, I had transitioned from reading children’s books at the library to finishing several adult level books on my Kindle in a single month! I started to feel smarter and my self-esteem was rising along with my completed book count.
The stories I’ve enjoyed the most have been Contemporary Romance novels. The characters in these stories have kept me company over these past eight years of healing and have remained my constant companions. Reading has not only become a way to distract myself from physical pain, but it has also became a way for me to heal my mind and my soul. These books have provided me with a daily escape from the house that I am often unable to leave, while their characters have given me a feeling of friendship when I otherwise feel isolated.
It's amazing what the written word can do to inspire us, to change our outlook on life, to challenge our personal views on topics, to convey emotions to a loved one, and so much more. I will be forever grateful to the authors that I have fallen for over the past several years. They’ve helped me reclaim my body and brain and better myself on a daily basis.
While here I hope you will also take a look at something very near and dear to my heart which is Traumatic Brain Injury Advocacy. Whether you are someone directly affected by this condition or not, I urge you to check out the information on this page, as you never know who or when this information may come in handy.
Recently I have been given the opportunity to put my passion into action! I am now working with the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado in helping to develop a Peer Mentorship Program for the Colorado community and I could not be happier to be involved during the inception of this invaluable program.
Whether you are long-standing fan of Contemporary Romance or new to the genre, I hope you’ll enjoy some of my thoughts about the books I feature, along with some fun stuff along the way!
Likewise, I hope that by sharing my experiences with my own Traumatic Brain Injury, I might encourage you or your loved one on your own journey of personal healing.
Please feel free to message me with any comments or questions that you might have because I would love to hear from you! Just remember to keep it kind!
As Always, Happy Reading!
Be Well My Friends,
Laura
After a devastating traumatic brain injury in 2011, I was left with various symptoms including cognitive slowing, memory issues, and confusion, among others. My neurologist suggested that I start reading whenever I found the time to help aide in my recovery.
At that time I was not the most avid reader. I loved books and I bought them often, but then they would sit on a shelf and collect dust. This was due to my struggles with dyslexia and other numerous language arts deficits that I struggled with only brought to light during my final year of college.
Once some time had passed after my accident, I started looking into getting an E-reader, because I knew it would help me with little things like changing the font size according to my visual issues or headache level that day. I also loved the fact that I could look up a word I didn't know without leaving the page. Before I would get distracted and then frustrated because I had to stop reading and go to a dictionary to do this. So, I got myself a Kindle. Once that sucker was in my hot little hands, my literary life suddenly started improving!
I had always struggled with reading in school, but once I was able to change the background color on my Kindle, I was soon able to read almost non-stop, without my dyslexia being an issue. I then also noticed that my vocabulary was getting stronger and reading comprehension which I had struggled with for my entire life was actually getting better too!
For the first time in my life I was reading and truly enjoying it! Before long, I had transitioned from reading children’s books at the library to finishing several adult level books on my Kindle in a single month! I started to feel smarter and my self-esteem was rising along with my completed book count.
The stories I’ve enjoyed the most have been Contemporary Romance novels. The characters in these stories have kept me company over these past eight years of healing and have remained my constant companions. Reading has not only become a way to distract myself from physical pain, but it has also became a way for me to heal my mind and my soul. These books have provided me with a daily escape from the house that I am often unable to leave, while their characters have given me a feeling of friendship when I otherwise feel isolated.
It's amazing what the written word can do to inspire us, to change our outlook on life, to challenge our personal views on topics, to convey emotions to a loved one, and so much more. I will be forever grateful to the authors that I have fallen for over the past several years. They’ve helped me reclaim my body and brain and better myself on a daily basis.
While here I hope you will also take a look at something very near and dear to my heart which is Traumatic Brain Injury Advocacy. Whether you are someone directly affected by this condition or not, I urge you to check out the information on this page, as you never know who or when this information may come in handy.
Recently I have been given the opportunity to put my passion into action! I am now working with the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado in helping to develop a Peer Mentorship Program for the Colorado community and I could not be happier to be involved during the inception of this invaluable program.
Whether you are long-standing fan of Contemporary Romance or new to the genre, I hope you’ll enjoy some of my thoughts about the books I feature, along with some fun stuff along the way!
Likewise, I hope that by sharing my experiences with my own Traumatic Brain Injury, I might encourage you or your loved one on your own journey of personal healing.
Please feel free to message me with any comments or questions that you might have because I would love to hear from you! Just remember to keep it kind!
As Always, Happy Reading!
Be Well My Friends,
Laura
"Beaming Brains"
Book Reviewing Structure
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Just like most other rating systems for book reviews, Beaming Brains, is based on the traditional 1 to 5 rating scale with a bit of a twist for some extra fun.
A "5/5 Beaming Brains" rating indicates the highest honor for a book reviewed by me. This rating indicates a genuine love for the book and that I feel it to be a must read. It indicates that I loved both the characters and the story as a whole, and my interest was held at all times. Putting it mildly, a 5/5 Beaming Brains rating simply indicates that I felt it to be "Completely Mind Blowing!" With that, I hope you enjoy my reviews, and as always, Happy Reading! - Laura |
Connect with Me!
I love to hear from other readers. Those who are avid romance readers or new to the genre. I would also love to hear if you have a TBI story of your own to share! So, please reach out! Your feedback is welcomed as well.
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