What are you reading?
Today I found this slightly disturbing article Why Women Read More Than Men. Despite the title, the article does not explain scientifically why women read more than men. However, it does list many observations that women are reading more these days than their male counterparts. According to the article:
One thing is certain: Americans—of either gender—are reading fewer books today than in the past. A poll released last month by The Associated Press and Ipsos, a market-research firm, found that the typical American read only four books last year, and one in four adults read no books at all.
Only 4 books? In a year? And one in four adults read no books at all? At first that number seems staggering. However, when I look at my own life, I realize that while I am a reader, my husband is not. He reads plenty, but it is all in cyberspace, while I love to lose myself in the imaginative world of the author. Another interesting point brought up by the article is:
Among avid readers surveyed by the AP, the typical woman read nine books in a year, compared with only five for men. Women read more than men in all categories except for history and biography.
It seems in a very general way that they are arguing in this article that women are more fiction readers and men more non-fiction. I think that is a very big stereotype, but again, due to personal experience, I must say that I read a lot of fiction, whereas my husband gravitates to more non-fiction short articles on the web. Again, very non-scientific, but an interesting conversation piece nonetheless.
So, what are you reading? Fiction, non-fiction, articles in cyberspace? Or are you one of the four adults who reads no books at all? I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It details how she and her family moved from Tuscon to a family farm in Virginia and tried to eat locally for a year, growing a large majority of the food themselves. I really enjoyed it and already made one of the recipes - will divulge in another post. Curiously, a non-fiction work. I just started a Kiran Desai novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, a fiction piece. It is too early to tell if I will like it, but will keep you posted.
September 10th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I sometimes don’t get to read as much as I would like but I do manage to get to more than 4 books a year (by a sizable margin.) Currently I’m reading Norman Mailer’s The Castle in the Forest and then I’ll be reading Alvaro Mutis’ The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll, which was recommended to me because I’m an unabashed fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
September 12th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I wonder if it has to do with the subject matter available for reading? Do you think that perhaps women read more books and novels, but men read more periodicals? Interesting topic.
If you find yourself in need of something to read, check out my blog and order my book “The Other Woman at the Well.” It’s my true story of how I overcame cocaine addiction. I’ve posted other books on similar topics in my “Recommended Reading” sidebar.
Hope to see you there and read a comment or two!
September 16th, 2007 at 2:43 am
I keep reading about the same statistics. I was really disappointed about the amount Americans read now (it’s really disappointing from a writer’s perspective). But I do wonder what would happen to those statistics if newspapers and magazines were included (online and in print). Do the people who don’t read any books at least read the news?
And right now I’m trying to make time to read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. I also have to read a lot of textbooks to prepare to teach my classes.
September 16th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I love Barbara Kingsolver and I have not yet read this book. I will have to go and find it. I read mostly fiction by way of books, I read at least on book per month for my book club. I also read a ton of non-fiction via cyberspace. My husband reads non-fiction pretty much exclusively. He does not read very much on the computer at all he hates to read on the computer. He reads a least a book per week. He loves his books about hikers and war. He and I are both late in life college students and we also read a ton of books for school. Great post. I found you at blog explosion.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:49 am
I read a mix of fiction & non-fiction, but the subjects tend to be eclectic. I just finished “Dancing Naked in the Minefield” by Kary Mullis, “Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds” by Arthur C. Clarke (both science essays), “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace ( fiction), the 4th & 5th Harry Potter book. I’m currently reading HP#6 and will also read HP#7 before I go on to something completely different.
I also read quite a bit of newspapers on the Internet.
I just don’t get people who don’t read.
September 18th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
In our household the menfolk read for information. My daughter and I read a lot, though she reads a book a day when she’s not studying. I have to read when I can. I’ve just finished Harry potter and I’m reading “Mes Amis Mes Amours” by Marc Levy and after that I’ve got “A Girl’s Best friend” by Liz Young lined up. I shall be looking at my daughters bookcase after that. I enjoy finding readable blogs, there are some incredible writers online!
I’m always shocked when I walk into a house with no books.
September 19th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
My husband and I read all the time. He reads so much faster and more books than I do, but I read one book a week. Sometimes more. He will read several in a week. And we both read online, news, blogs, etc,
September 22nd, 2007 at 8:52 am
I like reading history and non-fiction so I must be in the norm, found you on blog soldiers, nice blog,,
October 13th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
I found this article to be very interesting. In my house it is the women that read for fun and the men read for information and that is only if they have to. Personally, I love to read. It is the thrill of getting into someone elses imagination or someone else’s thoughts that gets me interested in to reading.
December 23rd, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Currently reading “The Power of Now” by Echart Tolle. As soon as that is finished, starting on “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. My personal goal is to read 20 by the end of 2008.