The question i asked last month regarding "do you read fiction or non-fiction" didn't
seem to generate much response. Of the 4 responses i did get 2 said they try for a
balance and 2 said they prefer nonfiction. i seem to prefer fiction in that last year i read 21 fiction and 8 nonfiction books. i found a couple of interesting polls on the internet that reading is not dead. the following is from a Harris poll:
"For years, people have been crying about the death of the book. While reading books may be declining, Americans are reading. Just one in ten (9%) say they typically read no books in an average year. About one-quarter (23%) read between 1 and 3 books, while one in five (19%) read between 4 and 6 books and 13 percent typically read between 7 and 10 books. And, over one-third (37%) of Americans say they read more then ten books in an average year.
There are certain groups who are more likely to read more than ten books in an average year. Looking at the generations, almost half (47%) of Matures (those aged 63 and older) say they read more than ten books compared to just one-third (33%) of Baby Boomers (those aged 44-62). Women are also more likely to read more than men – 44 percent of women read more than ten books a year compared to three in ten (29%) men. Candidates may not want to try books to reach their partisans, but they may be a good way to reach out to Independents"
a zogby poll examines whether what you like to read predicts your politics :
* Conservatives and liberals are more likely than moderates to read books.
* Liberals are almost twice as likely as conservatives to read
literary fiction (20% to 11%) and they're also more likely to read
science fiction/fantasy than moderates (13% to 8%).
* Moderates and conservatives favor mysteries and thrillers while
liberals (22%) and conservatives (20%) prefer books about politics and
current events.
* Liberals like non-fiction and fiction equally. Moderates and
conservatives prefer non-fiction.
* Moderates are more likely to read self-help books (7%) –
liberals are the least likely to read them (3%).
of course everyone i know falls outside any polling parameters.
Here is a list of the books i read in the past year:
FICTION
Blood Lure Nevada Barr
Skeleton Man tony Hillerman
Mission Song John Le Carre
One Good Turn Kate Atkinson
Arthur and George Julian Barnes
the Road Cormac McCarthy
Brooklyn Follies Paul Auster
What is What Dave Eggers
Echomaker Richard Powers
American Outrage Tim Green
HouseKeeping Maryanne Robinson
No Country for Old Men Cormac McCarthy
Bridge of Sighs Richard Russo
The Book Thief Markus Zusak
A Thousand Slendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mohsin Hamid
The Appeal John Grisham
A Soldier of the Great War Mark Helprin
A Free Life Ha Jin
The Yiddish Policeman's Union Michael Chabon
Everyman Philip Roth
NONFICTION
The God Delusion Richard Dawkins
Into the Wild Jon Krakauer
Clapton Eric Clapton
The Beatles Bob Spitz
MoneyBall Michael Lewis
Truth and Beauty Ann Pacthett
Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers
