Booking Through Thursday: Statistics
There was a widely bruited-about statistic reported last week, stating that 1 in 4 Americans did not read a single book last year. Clearly, we don’t fall into that category, but . . . how many of our friends do? Do you have friends/family who read as much as you do? Or are you the only person you know who has a serious reading habit?
Hmmm. I would suspect that my friend C. reads even more than I do--she's the only other one at the library who keeps close tabs on the new book cart, she ILLs a lot, and she's much more inclined to stay up late finishing books than I am. She's not as obsessed with keeping track of what she's read as I am, though.
Otherwise I would suppose I have friends/family all along the continuum. Some don't read at all, some read on occasion, some belong to book clubs or pass books back and forth between friends with similar tastes, some read steadily but not obsessively.
A bang, not a whimper
Two months into L.'s retirement, and I'm finished with the stockpiling of books. No more book purchases! Or at least, no purcha...
-
(See also Musee des Beaux Arts ) As far as mental anguish goes, the old painters were no fools. They understood how the mind, the freakiest ...
-
When I finished Kevin Brockmeier's A Brief History of the Dead last spring I immediately did a search to see if the Coca-Cola Corp. had...
I don't really keep track of what I have read. Sometimes I even end up buying the same book, and then realize that I have read it already!
ReplyDeleteMine's posted here.
Happy BTT!
I am constantly amazed, since I've started working in a bookstore, how many people simply don't read. At all. It's not unusual for lifetime residents of the town to come in and say, "This is my first time in here!" Or for others to admit that they haven't been in to this "new location," when the owner moved to the present site 28 years ago.
ReplyDeleteOr when I meet new people and say that I work there, I often get in response, "Oh, now there's a store I never go to." They don't even feel sheepish about admitting it. Seems weird to me...
My whole family's throwing off the bell curve. Everyone I know at all read at least one book last year.
ReplyDeleteI know, because I gave everyone at least one book last year and hounded them until they reported back.
People who don't read, I don't know what they do with their time. Most of the people I know do read. I'm not sure about my cycling friends, but if they don't read, at least I know what they're doing with their time -- riding.
ReplyDeleteOh, meowmix, I hate buying the same book twice!
ReplyDeleteDiana, it's that way around here. I've never met a non-reader who was the least bit ashamed for not reading--instead, they generally feel sorry for me for having all that empty time that I have nothing more to do with than to read! And we have regularly have college seniors who come in the library saying it's their first time there and they haven't a clue what they should do. . .
Kaethe, besides my kids (and the nieces and nephews when they don't speak up and tell me what they want), there are only a couple in the family that will appreciate it if I buy them books as presents. And I'm so far behind these days in reading the books they give to me, that I can't hound them much if they don't get straight on the ones I give them!
Dorothy, most of the non-readers I know believe they're too busy to read. And some do stay awfully involved in worthy activities, but even so, there are so many opportunities during the course of a day for fitting in a bit of reading. . . and they let them pass them by!
LOL at eyeing the new book cart!
ReplyDeleteWhen someone tells me they don't read, I always wonder, "Well, what DO you do?" I can't believe it never occurs to them to pick up a book!
I like your reference to a continuum--I think that's a good way to put it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know a couple of readers at least who read more than I do, but none as book crazed. I think that is what separates me from them.
Most of my friends read even more than I do. Talking books to them really helps to keep me stimulated to read more and more.
ReplyDelete