Novel reading and brain function study

The new research, carried out at Emory University in the US, found that reading a good book may cause heightened connectivity in the brain and neurological changes that persist in a similar way to muscle memory. The changes were registered in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, as well as the the primary sensory motor region of the brain. The neurological changes were found to have continued for all the five days after finishing a novel, proving that the impact was not just an immediate reaction but has a lasting influence.
Berns, Gregory S., Blaine, Kristina, Prietula, Michael J., and Pye, Brandon E. (2013). Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain. Brain Connectivity, 3(6): 590-600.