RubySoho
Winston
How Often Do You Read, and What Are Your Favorite Books?
August 24th 2007 21:08
I just came across this article from CNN, a poll that has some interesting (and slightly depressing) stats about the reading habits of Americans.
For example, according to this poll over a quarter of Americans did not read one, single book in the past year. 80 million people didn't read one book? Amazing. Some other notable excerpts from the poll:
-"People from the South read a bit more than those from other regions, mostly religious books and romance novels. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently."
-"Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives."
-"Among those who said they had read books, the median figure -- with half reading more, half fewer -- was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger."
Actually, I don't know how many books I've read in the past year. I'm pretty certain it's well north of five, however. I read a lot, although nowhere near as often as when I lived in NYC and read to pass the time on the train/subway. I read A LOT of books on those trains. I have a stack of books on my night stand, plus I subscribe to a few different magazines, so I really have no idea how much I read in a year. "Plenty" is a good enough answer I suppose. I can't imagine not reading! I love my DVD collection, and I'm a sucker for video games, but man, I suppose if I had to choose between movies, games, or books.....see ya, DVD player and farewell Playstation. I'll miss you both more than you know.
I can't overstate how important books are to me. Books encourage imagination. They foster education. They enhance vocabulary. Books can help you escape from the world for awhile, or they can help you to better understand it. The best ones do both.
I tend to read fiction, but lately I've gotten into a lot more non-fiction as well. Still, the novel has been and likely always will be my favorite literary form. If I had to list some of my favorites, they would include (in no particular order):
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (heck, I like anything by Kurt Vonnegut)
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle (one of my faves when I was younger)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
I'm having a hard time thinking of a list, because I love so many books (and I can remember so few of the ones I've read off the top of my head). Those listed above are some of the standouts, ones that I love and have read several times each.
What about you? Do you like to read? What are your favorites?
For example, according to this poll over a quarter of Americans did not read one, single book in the past year. 80 million people didn't read one book? Amazing. Some other notable excerpts from the poll:
-"People from the South read a bit more than those from other regions, mostly religious books and romance novels. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently."
-"Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives."
-"Among those who said they had read books, the median figure -- with half reading more, half fewer -- was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger."
Actually, I don't know how many books I've read in the past year. I'm pretty certain it's well north of five, however. I read a lot, although nowhere near as often as when I lived in NYC and read to pass the time on the train/subway. I read A LOT of books on those trains. I have a stack of books on my night stand, plus I subscribe to a few different magazines, so I really have no idea how much I read in a year. "Plenty" is a good enough answer I suppose. I can't imagine not reading! I love my DVD collection, and I'm a sucker for video games, but man, I suppose if I had to choose between movies, games, or books.....see ya, DVD player and farewell Playstation. I'll miss you both more than you know.
I can't overstate how important books are to me. Books encourage imagination. They foster education. They enhance vocabulary. Books can help you escape from the world for awhile, or they can help you to better understand it. The best ones do both.
I tend to read fiction, but lately I've gotten into a lot more non-fiction as well. Still, the novel has been and likely always will be my favorite literary form. If I had to list some of my favorites, they would include (in no particular order):
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (heck, I like anything by Kurt Vonnegut)
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle (one of my faves when I was younger)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
I'm having a hard time thinking of a list, because I love so many books (and I can remember so few of the ones I've read off the top of my head). Those listed above are some of the standouts, ones that I love and have read several times each.
What about you? Do you like to read? What are your favorites?
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Comment by Onesnap
I read 1 book per week when my life is in perfect balance. It is my measurement as to how balanced my life is. If my life is all out of whack I see when the last time I went to the library was. It's my perfect little way of telling myself to get back on track.
Some of my favorite authors are:
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Jodi Picoult
Douglas Coupland
John Saul
John Grisham
Elizabeth Berg
Mitch Albom
Alice Hoffman
And to quote a recent <i>
"Good 'ol J.K"...because we can't forget how Harry Potter has helped kids start reading again. And by kids I mean my very own husband. He actually owns books now and even has a favorite author of his own: Terry Pratchett. Prior to Harry Potter I never saw him read a book (and I've known him since he was 16)
Quite a mix, eh?
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I try to alternate between a fiction novel and a non-fiction each month....All my life Ive been hooked on the written word and the escape it provides is sometimes more immersive than cinema.
My Favourite novel of all time is The Dice Man written by Luke Rheinhardt.
A few others I buzzed on off teh top of my head-
Anything by HG Wells, HP Lovecraft, Lord Byron, Elmore Leonard
American Psycho by Bret Eaton Ellis
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuik
Shibumi by Trevanian
Ninja by Eric Van Lustbader
The Life of Pi by Yann Martell
Brotherhood Of The Rose by David Morrell
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
Not very impressed with a lot of modern authors, with a few notable exceptions. They seem amateurish compared to the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, P.J. O'Rourke, Vonda McIntyre, O. Henry, Saki, James Thurber, Jean Shepherd, Isaac Asimov, Ayn Rand, and Harlan Ellison. To name a few.
I don't think any of them has written anything for at least 15 years, though. Maybe P.J. has.
Fitzgerald is far and away my favorite author, and his best book (to me) was "Tender is the night". Much truer and deeper then "The great Gatsby".
Right now, I'm reading:
"In God we trust; all others pay cash"
"A fistful of fig newtons"
" A ferrari in the bedroom".....all humor by Jean Shepherd;
"The SAS guide to survival in the wilderness" by "Lofty" Wiseman
"Totch: a life in the Everglades" by Loren "Totch" Brown
-plus an account of travels around the Mediterranean by Paul Theroux. I like his writing too.
P.S.--I think CNN is full of shit, myself.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Currently reading The Invisible Man by H G Wells.
I feel so retro.
If I travel by train I read a lot more.
I tend to either enjoy well written adventure escapism or something Russian and a little more demanding Rarely anything inbetween.
Comment by youranter
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Comment by Anonymous
I love them too, couldn't live without them.
Latest ones are:
Beyond Good and Evil - Friedrich Nietzsche
Tintin and the Land of the black gold - Herge
The second sexe - Simone de Beauvoir
The Language of New Media - Lev Manovich
The fear of freedom - Erich Fromm
The Essential Rumi
It's not how good you ARE, it's how good you WANT TO BE - Paul Arden
Quantum Psychology - Robert Anton Wilson's
Nice to share this with us
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
I've read too many to have a list of favs but some books I'd read again (and again!) are (in no particular order):
- books by Charles Dickens
- books by John Steinbeck
- Animal Farm, George Orwell
- The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
- Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
I'm currently reading 'Blink', Malcolm Gladwell and 'Collapse' Jared Diamond.
Good post, Winston.
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Wow! Frightening statistics from the global super power...
I couldn't live without reading and complete at least one book a week, although I'm usually reading about six at once... always reading to update my Tarot skills, learning new aspects of this ancient language. So interesting recently to find out the thread between Hebrew and these cards... so am teaching myself to read Hebrew alphabet – each letter is a book in itself (hence a tarot card for each) …and it's slow going.
hmmm let me see... having recently completed a few more of the classics by Tennyson, Voltaire (to see what all the fuss is about), and particularly enjoying still; Walden and Civil Disobedience by Mr Thoreau…
Some interesting stuff in The SHadow of Solomon by Laurence Gardner...but heavy, so I've moved on to some light stuff for texture…
Your Body Speaks Your Mind by Deb Shapiro - an interesting look at this phenomenon.
Voyager Homecoming - the episode they should have made, but never did at the end of the last Star Trek Voyager series. It's a two-part series of books.
Reading Egyptian Hieroglyphics by Richard H. Wilkinson
Emotional Healing with Homoeopathy by Peter Chapperell
Love is in the Earth by Melody – A Crystal Almanac
Dream On by Jesse Martin – The Journey of Kijana – making it happen.
and *chuckle* Norwegian Folklore Simplified by Zinken Hopp ( A kind of Norway for Idiots guide to their customs and such)... it's really funny..
I’m always reading the Dictionary, it’s my favourite book of all… I have a vast collection of them from all eras, since 1924.
Always reading… how could we not?
Great Post,
Lilla …
Comment by Mike Crowl
Webitz
Work Report
However, in regard to reading, that's something I do constantly. For the last several years I've kept a list of the books I've finished, or nearly finished, and each year it runs to 40-50. That's beside all the other reading I do that doesn't get recorded.
I'm not going to give a list of the books I think are best, as this changes from month to month...
Mike
Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
I don`t understand how people cannot read. I am surrounded by non-readers myself.
Some of my favourite books are
The Awakening - Kate Chopin
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
Electricity - Victoria Glendinning
Bird Song - Sebastian Faulks
Most things by Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen
Jane Eyre - Bronte
I tend to read more than one book at a time so if I average them out I doulw probably take just over a week to finish a single one. I particularly like non-fiction and historical books and travel books (Brian Thacker is a GREAT travel writer!) always find their way onto my library shelves. At the moment I am reading:
We are the Weather Makers - Tim Flannery (2nd time around)
The Bride Stripped Bare - Anonymous
No Fixed Address - Jackie Hartnell
The Lightworkers Way - Doreen Virtue
I love the written word... I love the smell of books and I love being in a library... the old kind where silence is the golden rule and you can feel the words swirling around in the air... there is nothing quite like it.
Very sad statistics you have presented I hope they go the other way soon.
Ahs
Comment by charliesgirl_992000
Histeries, Mysteries and what not
Lifes little slices
Mystical Creativity
I also Love Elizabeth Berg and Nicholas Sparks.
Right now i'm reading "One Child" by Torey Hayden, a book that was in a box of books my friend gave me to read recently.
Tammy
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
I read American Psycho a few years back. I had seen the movie prior to reading it, and the book filled in a lot of gaps and questions I had about the story. I'll go so far as to say that the movie doesn't make a lot of sense without reading the book. It was a good read, but it's one of the very, very few times that a book was so gruesome that I had to put it down for awhile before I could continue.
Haven't read Survivor as of yet, just Fight Club. Palahniuik is great, but he's another author capable of making me squirm through his terribly detailed descriptions...
Thanks for the feedback!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
I've read snippets by most of the authors you mentioned, but nothing too substantial by any of them (save Vonnegut, of course). Any recommendations? I recognize Jean Shephard as the name behind my favorite Christmas movie of all time, 'A Christmas Story', maybe I should check him out....
CNN may well be full of shit, as are most of the major news outlets to an extent. To be fair, though, this was an AP poll, not a CNN poll. The stats don't seem too out of whack to me. Sadly, I know several people myself who never, ever read books because to them it's a chore. Hard to understand....
Thanks for dropping in!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
I've tried to get into the Russian literature, but have had poor luck thus far. I was particularly interested in The Brothers Karamazov and got a ways into it before I just lost focus. Someday I hope to take another stab at it, because the theme of the book intrigues me. It's just paced.....very.....very...... .......slow.
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
If you like King, I would recommend Robert McCammon to you. He writes in the same genre, and dabbles in some of the same themes, but I sometimes find his stories more satisfying. King's endings have seemed sort of abrupt or strange to me before (I almost threw The Stand across the room, I was so annoyed by the resolution) whereas McCammon's endings feel more appropriate. Check out Stinger, Gone South, Boy's Life, or Mystery Walk. Or, try McCammon's answer to The Stand, Swan Song.
Good to see you here
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Thanks!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Quantum Psychology? What is that? Sounds interesting for sure....
Thanks for the comment
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
That's a great list. I really enjoyed Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, although I was not as fond of The Pearl. Orwell is fantastic, of course. I am almost sure that I read The Little Prince long ago, but I'm not positive. I know the story at any rate, so I suppose I must have read it. Haven't read any of JK's books. I've been resistant of that for some reason or another. I think they've been SO hyped up that I'm just not interested.....
Thanks for the feedback. Keep reading!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Teaching yourself Hebrew? I'm impressed. It's difficult to learn a new language as an adult, and from what I understand Hebrew is not simple. Good for you!
I'll admit, your reading list and mine do not cross too much, although I did read Candide by Voltaire. It wasn't so much that I enjoyed it as that I appreciated how ahead of its time it was. In that day and age, writing that book was a bold move!
I'm intrigued by the Egyptian Hieroglyphics book, as well as the Norwegian folklore. I enjoy myths and folklores from different cultures, so those sound appealing. As for reading the dictionary, what can I say? I won't be playing you in Scrabble any time soon!
Thanks for stopping by
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
40-50 books a year? Not too shabby. Once upon a time I may have kept up that pace, but no longer. I imagine I'm in the 20-30/year range now, with other magazines and such thrown in as well.
Appreciate the feedback!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
I love what you say about libraries. Aren't they wonderful? My teeny little town has just opened a new library within the last year or two, and it's very nice, but it does lack that quality embedded in an old library. When I was little my mom used to take me to a great, old library. The wooden floors upstairs were old and warped, and they creaked with each step. When you're a kid walking around in that dim light by yourself, unable to see much between the rows of books as the floor creaks and groans, and it's around Halloween, it is delightfully creepy. There were deepset windows up there with wide sills, perfect for curling up into and reading on a rainy day. Man, it was the perfect library. The musty air, the antique chandeliers that cast a faint yellowish light over fading leather chairs..... it was great
Thanks for helping to bring back a good memory!
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Thanks for peeking in!
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
I've really enjoyed this post, and would like to thank everyone for adding to my reading list -- I'm heading to the library this afternoon. I've a week off from work, so guess what I'm doing?!
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
Guaranteed hilarious, especially if you've travelled to any of the places mentioned. If you haven't, it's still hilarious. O'Rourke was a veteran writer for Rolling Stone (back when it used to be good reading) and is unashamedly old-school..you'll see what I mean.
Let me know if you can't find it...
D.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
I cant count. Im getting back into Christopher Pike at the moment - he was a great inspiration to me as a teenager. Since you mentioned King, HATE and LOATHE the old stuff, too wordy, couldnt get into any of it except Carrie. BUT I adored 'Lisey's Story' That was a writers book. Cross refrence metaphors and enjambment and onomatopeia!
For scary? Richard Laymon, no one lays it down like that cat.
For religious metaphor or just plain old vampire fantasy? Anne Rice
Get into Nicholas Evans when Im feelin conflicted and country.
OH! Laurel K Hamilton for fantasy....And Graham Edwards and Marion Zimmer Bradley
Stop me now. Just give me a slap or I'll be here all night....