Books and memory problems

I have always loved reading books  if there was an interesting story attached to them, but these days I struggle, but this is for a few reasons,

I don't always remember where I am in a story, when I pick a book back up

The names don't always fit in later, and I get very confused about who is who, apart from the main characters.

This may have good points because I can read a book over a few times, and apart from a "name", the rest does not seem familiar at all.

The names which come,  to mind are usually names, similar to those of people I have met in early or working life, people who usually were of interest to me for one reason or another

My wife can usually tell straight away if I have read a book,  but reading the cover, where I simply don't remember at all.

While it could be distressing not remembering what I have read, it also means that I don't get  bored. 

I sometimes have problems understanding so words, or pronouncing them when reading,  so I sometimes skip over them rather than trying to get myself in a mess 

It always means that I must finish a chapter before putting the book down or that causes extra trouble with my memory, because I lose track of the plot. 

But I guess that this is life and I have to do what I can to keep my brain going.