The Guardian Blog today was bigging up the ability of books to explain life in ways no one else does.
Other reasons we love reading:
1. They give us the chance to stop and think about life in a way you wouldn’t give yourself.
2. Escapism – “Transportations of Delight” (Spike)
3. Infinitely preferable to life, sometimes …
4. It’s music on a page
5. It’s still cheap
6. There’s something social about a novel (especially handy for antisocial people)
7. We’ve given loads of ideas of things you can make with them afterwards
8. Armchair travel
9. And yet, no better thing to do on a long journey
10. What yours?
Some time ago we shared some ideas to keep your old books out of the skips round the back of Oxfams all over the country.
Well, we’ve had more ideas sent through …
Page turner? Slow worm? Serial shelver? or Double booker?
These are the 4 types of reader as identified in a new survey of the nations reading habits, reported in The Guardian last weekend.
photo © Jonathan Bean
Ok, lets get the depressing bit out of the way and move on, because it seems that men actually don’t read that much (in comparison to women). The gender divide it seems is alive and thriving when it comes to reading habits.
Nearly half of the women surveyed (48%) describe themselves as avid readers (page turners) who cannot put a book down once they begin it, and who will devour a long list of titles in any given year. Men it seems are much less likely (only 26% of men called themselves page turners) to finish a book, and may only complete one or two books in that same period. I’ll put my hands up now and say I’m starting to feel that category sadly includes me, and I’m not proud of it. 2 jobs + 2 kids = 0 free time (note to self – must make more time for reading, if you see me around town you have my full permission to chastise me).
Slow Worms on the other hand take their time but always finish. 32% of the male respondents and 18% of women made up this group.
Serial Shelvers are those whose book shelves heave under the weight of books that yet to be opened and are probably not likely to be (apparently 17% of women and 20% of men fall into this category).
The final type is the Double Booker, this reader tends to have at least two books on the bedside table at any one time having started a second before finishing the first. Interestingly, both men and women are as likely to fall under this category (125 of each) and both claim an ability to flit between two books with ease.
So come on, which are you?
I want one!
I came across this lovely piece of book sculpture this afternoon and decided to share it in the hope of persuading the Artistic Director to commission something similar for Litfest.
OK, quit dreaming, back to work!
Litfest
