For many Americans, the answer to the question "Do you read?" is "not so much." A recent study says one in four adults read NO books last year! The Associated Press-Ipsos poll was released Tuesday, and in addition to the dreary news about the many who do not read at all, the poll said that those who read the most are women and older people. And the top choices among readers are religious books and popular fiction.
Reasons given for not reading: competition from the Internet, movies, television. Also many cited other activities as taking the place of reading (e.g., "spending time in the backyard pool").
Readers are pretty diverse. Women read more fiction; men more nonfiction. Those in the South read more religious books and romance novels than people in other parts of the country. What a combination.
And how about these two observations from the study:
The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories.
Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives.
I haven't kept track of the number of books I've read this year. I should start keeping a list. That reminds me--I said I'd comment more fully on Jamie Turner's lastest novel, Winter Birds. Maybe that will inspire me to write another post sooner. :)
What's the best book you've read during the last year? Any recommendations for the rest of us? It can be fiction, nonfiction, fun or serious. If anyone is still out there, leave a comment and suggest a book I should read and tell me why.
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