Who reads books?

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Replies

  • monicaP413
    monicaP413 Posts: 165
    Read for pleasure every day. So does my wife and all my daughters. The one thing I have with me at all times is a book. Never know when you might have some down time to read. (Dr.'s office, DMV, Waiting for the women to finish getting ready)

    I even make a Book Mark every year with the current pics of my daughters and wife on it.

    Currently reading "Fade Away" by Harlan Coben.

    I love this!! I may have to do something like this too!! Thanks for sharing!
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
    This just confirms my theory that girls who read are sexy, judging by the replies!

    As a girl who reads, I have to agree! :wink:

    I have this sticker on my car

    jk001.gif
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    I read a book once.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    I LOVE to read. I actually want to become a writer. I also refuse to buy into this nook stuff. Give me a real book any day. Since Im in college, I dont have time for personal reading, however, Ive already got my own summer reading list planned out!! :)
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    I love to read. (although with an infant I don't get to indulge as much these days. :frown: )

    We don't have cable in our house (and never even turn on the channels we can get from rabbit ears) Boyfriend reads magazines and newspapers (which I prefer to do online. :tongue: )

    But when it comes to books...I don't think I can get into the Ereader thing. I like to have the book in my hands and turn the pages.

    I have read to my daughter from the beginning and can only hope that she picks up the love of books from me.

    The poster that stayed up all night reading HP...I did the same thing everytime a book was released. I think I even took the day off one year when it was released on a weeknight...because I knew I would be up all night reading. :laugh:
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    This just confirms my theory that girls who read are sexy, judging by the replies!

    As a girl who reads, I have to agree! :wink:

    I have this sticker on my car

    jk001.gif

    That's awesome!!! I want one. Where did you find that?
  • JanerZzz
    JanerZzz Posts: 276
    That's so sad. I have about a 1000 books on my kindle I'm plowing through! Everything from classics by Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott to ridiculous Chelsea Handler books!
  • RDH0513
    RDH0513 Posts: 245 Member
    If those statistics are true, that is scary.

    I am proud to say that I still love reading actual books :)
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
    I'd like to see the research summary. Of course, you will get different results based upon who is polled. Poll a bunch of students at a football game and you'll get different answers than if you poll a bunch of the same at the bookstore or library. Trust me, we can all manipulate statistics to say whatever we want.
    I think it was taken from a men's bathroom at a Raiders football game.

    woo.gif for stereotypes! joke.gif
  • curvygirl512
    curvygirl512 Posts: 423 Member
    Also big fan of Dan Brown and Ken Folliett.

    Dan Brown is ok, but I love Ken Follett. Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books ever and resides on my "keepers" shelf.

    Pillars of the Earth is the best I've ever read. Did HBO? or Starz? really base a series on this novel? The five-minutes I saw of one episode butchered (pun intended : ) ) the novel.

    What else is everybody reading?
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member

    Pillars of the Earth is the best I've ever read. Did HBO? or Starz? really base a series on this novel? The five-minutes I saw of one episode butchered (pun intended : ) ) the novel.

    What else is everybody reading?

    Hmmm, I have that in my Netflix instant queue. Maybe I won't bother.

    I'm currently reading I, Lucifer (which is boring the crap out of me) and Sunshine (which isn't all that great either).
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    I can't imagine not reading after graduating, as taxing as it is at the moment.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Personally I think the kindle/nook present a disservice to parenting. You know how many times I told my kids I walked to school uphill both ways in 3 feet of snow carrying 6 pounds of school books.
    What will they have? "I remember walking to school with my Kindle.."
    You can stop right there.

    Dad says to sons "You boys have it lucky. Every day i had to walk the 45 seconds to the bus, ride the 10 minutes to school carry my 1lb kindle...all you guys have to do is....."

    Sons "Wow dad, you had a harsh life".
  • fitnessjch
    fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
    That is seriously worrying! I read a book a week (I read whilst in the bath relaxing!)

    Wonder if it is the same in the UK. Do you guys get forced to read Shakespeare and stuff?
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
    used to be a real big reader , read constantly . then slacked off a few years do to vision. Recently broke down and got multifocal lenses (even with my other glasses couldnt read well) now getting back to reading. Love the feel , smell and everything about books, but i must say i have kindle for my ipod, and it is might convient for being out and about
  • nkswans
    nkswans Posts: 469 Member
    This just confirms my theory that girls who read are sexy, judging by the replies!

    As a girl who reads, I have to agree! :wink:

    I have this sticker on my car

    jk001.gif

    Omg I love that sticker! I want one!
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
    This just confirms my theory that girls who read are sexy, judging by the replies!

    As a girl who reads, I have to agree! :wink:

    I have this sticker on my car

    jk001.gif
    First I saw the boobs, then I saw the book. Yeah, I need help.
  • Cbandelier
    Cbandelier Posts: 217 Member
    I have started the A Song of Fire and Ice series. I read Game of Thrones in 2 days, currently working on A Clash of Kings. They are showing he book a Game of Thrones on HBO now! Pretty neat. Before that, I hadn't read a book in about 5 years


    LOVE these books, and now the HBO series, too. The long-anticipated next book is supposed to come out this summer!
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
    I read every day, historical Non Fiction and ridiculous romance. I didn't read much when married, there were other things to occupy me. I love to buy second hand books (especially history books).

    I always read to my children from when they could sit in my arms, neither of them are great readers, but they always have a book on the go.

    GG
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I read! I don't read for recreational purposes during the school semester because I do not have time. During the summer, and once I graduate THIS month, I read a ton!

    I agree, I do not want an e-reader. I look books, I have 3 bookshelves full in my house! If I ever come into millions I will have tons of hardcover books and a whole library in my house lol.
  • TexasNurseMom78
    TexasNurseMom78 Posts: 897 Member
    I read about a book a week. Novels, romance, Times best sellers, old classics. I love them all and always have. I try to instill that love of books into my kids, but I dont think it is working sadly.
  • Ren0913
    Ren0913 Posts: 58
    I have always loved reading. A really early reader when I was little. And when my siblings and I were in elementary, mom would let us get as many fiction books out of the library as we wanted as long as we got one bibliography. I know that we all benefited from this. I love fictions, any kind. Mostly fantasy, adventure and thrillers. Not too big on the romance novels... I love historical fiction too. I do read non fiction from time to time, but fiction is for my pleasure reading. Really like Dean Koontz and Dan Brown. When I was in high school, it was amazing to me how many people didn't understand words that seemed simple to me, or that didn't like reading at all. I was always ahead in the books we read as well. I adore reading
    I do have a nook, but I use that mainly when I'm traveling. Also during work, I can put my regs on it which frees up a lot of space :D
    But I love a good book. I love to curl up and read it, anywhere, inside the house on a chair or in my bed, or outside in the summer, sitting on the porch, or laying in the grass ^_^ Just the thought of it makes me happy. I can't wait to go read now...
  • cnance
    cnance Posts: 92 Member
    Those statistics are sad, but not really surprising. I work in an office with only college grads, 10 of us from 23-60. Two of us read regularly. A couple more have read one book in the last year, the rest probably don't remember the last book they read after college. I think its sad, but I've always enjoyed reading as has my entire family. (I did take a 4-5 year break after college.)

    I read in waves. I spend a lot of my spare time working around the house and I do watch a few TV shows (love DVR!), but I read a lot also. I read about 30 books a year on average. I love to read. Wife and daughter also read a lot. My 12yo daughter reads a ton of books, probably 2/week. We have two kindles which means I do most of my reading on actual books and I love the library.

    I've asked for my own Kindle for my birthday/father's day because Kindle is going to start allowing library books. So excited about that!

    Anyone else here use Goodreads? Its a website to track your books and kinda like facebook for book readers. There are groups with monthly reads and discussion and tons of user reviews. I've read several books because they were on Goodreads that I wouldn't have read otherwise.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I have been addicted to reading since I was 4 years old. My mother used to nag at me that I would burn my eyes out, reading so much. I've always dragged a book around and had one or two in reserve. I have several bookshelves full of books (and authors) I can't part with. My 22yr old son reads actual books occasionally, preferring to read the 'net. My 15yr old daughter refuses to read anything at all, including cooking instructions and labels. My D5 is turning out to be very much like me....loves to read and be read to. I read to all of them growing up, interesting how different they turned out.

    My partner/spouse reads as much as I do, but his tastes are slightly different (sci-fi, fantasy).

    I use the Kindle now, because I can carry around dozens of books at once and it takes up very little space. I do have at least one printed book going, for trips to the beach/camping/hot-tub sitting.
  • TK266
    TK266 Posts: 3,638 Member
    So what’s to blame? A shift in popular entertainment? The dominance of the screen over the printed page? Are books just less interesting than they used to be? Or are we, as a society, getting … dumber?

    What do you think?

    Part of this is just people looking back through the lens of history. People in in 50-70 may have read more, but not much more. I am an avid reader, have been for as long as I can remember. But also for as long as I remember people have been saying to me "why do you read so much or wow you read a lot of books". I believe that reading books has been slowly diminishing since the advent of radio and TV.

    As for are we getting dumber as a society, I feel that that is the same old song of "things were better when I was young. Kids were respectful, crimes was less, the world was a simpler place", which has been said by many people over many generations.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Also big fan of Dan Brown and Ken Folliett.

    Dan Brown is ok, but I love Ken Follett. Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books ever and resides on my "keepers" shelf.

    you've read World Without End, I assume? It was fantastic!!! Follett is wonderful. I have never loved (or hated!!!) characters so intensely.

    I read very early (Dad taught me at 2), have always loved reading, would prefer Barnes & Noble gift card to almost any gift...

    I won't think of an e-reader. I just don't like the concept, I don't want another gadget, What would I do with all my nice bookmarks!? No thanks, not for me. I don't read more than one at a a time, so the "carrying ten books" thing doesn't apply to me.

    Right now I just started Atlas Shrugged. IDK if I buy into these concepts fully, but it is a very interesting read, and one to check off the "I should have read this by now" list LOL. I'm working my way through the books I feel like I *should* read, and I alternate with what I call "candy books". For example, a candy book would be a Palahniuk, one I can rip through and enjoy quickly. A quickie.

    I found my most favorite book of all time because of the sensation that, "it's a classic, I should read it".....East of Eden. Magnificent.

    One of those stats that didn't bug me at all was the one about percentage of books read to completion.
    I have ZERO problem abandoning a book. If I make it through a good portion of the book and I'm forcing myself, and not enjoying it, I'll give it one more chapter. Then, if nothing has improved, goodbye!! I won't torture myself with it if I'm not enjoying it. I started on The Shipping News, struggled through 2/3 of it, and at this point I just do not care if he drowns in the damn bay. It's a "should read" because it won the Pulitzer, and the language is beautiful in places, but the story....meh. Goodbye Shipping News.

    One candy book I just finished was "The Help" I liked it so much, until the end. I found it to be so unlikely how everything just wrapped up in a tidy bow...I felt like the ending was SO unrealistic. I won't spoil the book for anybody, but that's NOT how it would have turned out in real life.
  • meadows654
    meadows654 Posts: 164
    Shocking stats. I LOVE to read! I try to pace myself because I'd blow my budget on books! And I mostly buy books on my Kindle. I love that thing. You can download the next book right away on the device. No need to go to the store. You can set up a wishlist right on Amazon. It's nothing like looking at a computer screen at all. It doesn't hurt your eyes and I get sucked into the story just as easily. It weighs about the same as a paperback. You can type in notes and bookmark pages if you want to. You can also store over a thousand books on that thing! It has enhanced my reading experience. (And no one knows what book you're reading :wink: ) Don't poo poo it unless you've tried it.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    I just prefer having a copy of a book that smells like new paper, being able to loan it or give it to a friend, the old-fashioned appeal of a fresh book with intact spine. I use bookmooch and paperbackswap a lot, and I couldn't do that with e-books.

    I can tell that the devices offer some nice benefits, but they don't intrigue me enough to accept the drawbacks I perceive.

    I don't hate them or anything, but I have made it very very clear to my husband, "DO NOT BUY ME THAT THING" haha just in case he gets ambitious. I just don't want one for myself.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
    I just prefer having a copy of a book that smells like new paper, being able to loan it or give it to a friend, the old-fashioned appeal of a fresh book with intact spine. I use bookmooch and paperbackswap a lot, and I couldn't do that with e-books.

    I can tell that the devices offer some nice benefits, but they don't intrigue me enough to accept the drawbacks I perceive.

    I don't hate them or anything, but I have made it very very clear to my husband, "DO NOT BUY ME THAT THING" haha just in case he gets ambitious. I just don't want one for myself.

    Agreed! I like to turn pages. I also buy all my books at thrift store for about $2 or less. My mom always wants me to read these great books but they are on her Kindle so she can't loan them to me. What good does that do me?!
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