One in Four Americans

by Nancy

One in four Americans admit they haven't read a book in a year. The situation is perhaps even more depressing since some of us are tipping the statistical scale in the wrong direction because we've read four books this week.  (And some of us have read even more.  Are you there, Debby?)

A couple of years ago, my hairdresser told me she was going on vacation for a week.  When I asked what she planned to do, she said she was going to read on the beach.  I perked up.

"What are you going to read?"

"Oh, I started a John Grisham last year.  Maybe I'll read a few more chapters this year."  She told me she had bought her book in the drugstore where she also purchased sunscreen and a folding beach chair.

I was stunned.  "Why did you choose the Grisham book?"

She shrugged.  "I recognized his name."

I walked down the mall to the bookstore and bought one of my books.  When I gave it to her, I said,  "Here.  I think this will be more to your taste."

A week later, she reported she read my book the first day on the beach, loved it and went looking for the rest of the series.

Thing is, she thought she was supposed to be reading John Grisham.

One of my theories about the bookselling business these days is that people who don't read a lot just don't know how to find books they might enjoy. 

Me, I did read four books (and a fraction) this week, and here's what I thought:

#1 on my hit parade is DEAD EX by some lady by the name of Harley Jane Kozak. This book has it all. Wit, charm, plot, clever observations, and lots of interesting tidbits about life in LA and the world of daytime drama. Wollie Shelley is a greeting card designer, a muralist, a sometime reality show contestant--and in this outing, she's also a dating correspondent for a TV show called SoapDirt.  Wollie's observations on life would make greeting cards I'd buy by the shopping cart.  Plus it's an accomplished author who can maintain a complicated plot while keeping a theme deftly balanced as well. This is my kind of mystery--a woman with an intriguingly complex life solves a crime for the love of a friend, and there's stuff to think about, too. If you haven't picked up this book yet, this is the week to do it!

#2. I think Charlaine Harris's publisher has figured out that she's brilliant, which is good news for us all. I will read anything you write, Charlaine, even a book, A SECRET RAGE, that was originally published in 1984 and slid off the radar before I found it back then. Now that her various mystery series are so successful, Berkley has re-published this powerful novel in paperback.  It's as meaty as the best women's fiction, but with the streamlined plot of a good mystery novel.  Plus I find it fascinating to see how a writer develops.  You can see the roots of Sookie and Harper in A SECRET RAGE.  (Someday, we need to talk about the evolution of Iago.  I think he appears--in slightly different forms--in several of Bill's plays.)

Tangent:  I read part of Charlaine's book at the food court of the mall while my husband finishing watching the Bourne movie.  Which I had to leave because it made me sick!  I needed Dramamine! Why does a movie director feel he's got to keep the camera moving, even in closeups?  Maybe BECAUSE THE PLOT IS NOTHING BUT A BIG LONG CHASE SCENE AND HE'S TRYING TO DISGUISE THAT FACT? I listened to most of the story with my eyes closed (until I couldn't stand it any longer and left) which gave me plenty of time to contemplate the problems with the plot. Which were too numerous to list here, not to mention boring.

#3 was FACELESS KILLERS, the first book in a highly touted Swedish detective series by Henning Mankell. A guy whose taste I respect (hey, he likes my books!) told me this author is the mystery writer's mystery writer. Well, the book was good, but I won't go as far as to say it felt much different from most police procedurals, except for the setting. The bleak landscape and Hemingwayesque prose appeal to men, I know.  But I lost interest long before the beautiful woman fell in love with our hero despite his icky personal habits, beaten-up face, his weakness for booze and yes, even chronic diarrhea. I felt that the secondary characters solved the mystery for the detective, and then the final resolution was told rather than shown (the same complaint I have for a big book that's been much nominated this year, written by a woman I respect so I'm not going to say more here) and the conclusion was--well, a cheat. But I'm not the prime audience for this book. Somebody tell me where I'm wrong here. What did I miss?

#4 is a book I don't think I'll write about at all here because, frankly, I read about a chapter and a half before tossing it aside.  A standard plot set-up. Nothing new.  (Life's too short to be bored, right? Or do you feel the need to finish everything you start, no matter how derivative?) So instead I picked up Suzy Gershman's memoir about moving to France after her husband's death.  C'EST LA VIE is light, entertaining reading. She's one of the BORN TO SHOP ladies, and this book is laced with shopping tips and insider, gossipy stuff that's simply fun.  Good beach reading.

In the same spirit, I'm also skimming the 840-page (!!!) current issue of Vogue magazine. The highlights: Throw away your tweezers, girls. Eyebrows are back. Also, Vera Wang is designing a bunch of stuff for Kohl's, the way Isaac Mizrahi designs for Target. Stay tuned.

For most writers, it's nauseating as hell to think that for whatever reasons, one in four of our neighbors doesn't read books. But then, I don't play soccer or knit or participate in plenty of other pastimes that other people enjoy.  Are we assuming that reading books is a measure of intelligence, and a quarter of Americans are therefore dumb as dirt?  I don't think so. For one thing, I read a lot of books this week, but most of it was summer brain candy. And I'm not tasting any topsoil.

Me, I'm thinking the future of reading isn't all gloom and doom. Sure, a lot of people aren't readers, but three quarters of us are. And lots of writers are creating new, challenging and entertaining stories that will lure readers back to the love of books. Things look especially great for the mystery genre, if indeed J K Rowling is writing a crime novel. Think of those millions of Potter fans crowding into the mystery bookstores!

Think she'll need any blurbs?

Tell me what you've been reading.  Because I need something for next week.

Comments

[Stacie Penney]

I've read 107 books this year. I loved the Scott Westerfield Uglies trilogy. And Jim Butcher (I'm getting caught up; book five is next.) Allison Brennan's Fear series. And Jodi Picoult is a staple too.

[Cinema Dave]

Once again Nancy, you summarized a collection of thoughts I have had about reading lately.

"Dead Ex" is the last thing I have read. "Dead Ex" is the perfect book for summertime reading. Wollie is still endearing and the narrative has a good climax. (I have pictures of Harley's local visit on my blog).

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was great, it is rare that I read two good fictional books in a row. "Deathly Hallows" was a fitting conclusion to a 10 year rights of passage.

I do read a lot of non fiction; mostly history, politics, biographies, Christianity and books related to the motion picture industry. Given that it is the start of the Halloween season, I am starting to review titles like William Schoell's "Stay out of the Shower" and William K. Everson's "Classic of the Horror Films."

Given that September is her 100th birthday, I will reread Fay Wray's "On the Other Hand."

Reading is fundamental.

[Cinema Dave]

Oh, thanks for reminding me,
I think I will be reveiwing the new "Bourne" movie this weekend, I have to pull out Robert Ludlum's interview from 20 years ago and compare his intentions with that of Matt Damon's.

[Cinema Dave]

BTW - who would win if it was a fight between Bond vs. Bourne?

Was this issue ever resolved?

[Lee Lofland]

I read two or three books each week. This week I read Elmore Leonard's The Hot Kid and Echo Park by Michael Connelly. Last week I read Tilt a Whirl by Chris Grabenstein and Bill Cameron's Lost Dog.

Normally, I mix up my genres a bit, but lately I've stuck to mysteries because some of my favorite authors can't seem to write books as fast as I like to read them.

[Sue]

In my planner just three days ago was a quote by Mark Twain: "A man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

I have different books going for different places....the nightstand, the deck/living room, the car (for when I'm waiting - something I seem to do a lot.) Right now I'm reading Sandra Brown's "Ricochet", Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", and Cervantes' "Don Quixote." On my list for sure are "Huckleberry Finn", "The Great Gatsby", and "Of Mice and Men" simply because they're on the teen's reading list for school and I just like to read whatever he's reading so we can talk about it. I've a chunk more on my 'to read' list (some new, some re-reads), the most anticipated of them probably being a couple of Stepehn Hockensmith books, "Holmes on the Range" and "On the Wrong Track."

[Laura (in PA)]

I can't pretend to compete with Debby, especially after having seen her list :) But I have to say I was amazed when she shared that article from USA Today regarding reading habits. I can't imagine never reading, it would be like not eating to me. I wish I had time to read more, but work and family and housework doesn't make that possible right now.

I am currently in the middle book of the series by Lois Greiman, Unzipped, Unplugged, and Unscrewed. It's fun. I am on vacation Labor Day week, and I'm saving two books to take with me to my sister's in NC - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and her family, and a book given to me by a friend for my birthday - The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco. I don't know anything about the latter, but it looks really interesting.

Hopefully shipping the last kid off to college on Saturday will help with the more time to read dilemma. I'll try and help skew those numbers.

[ramona]

I just finished Whack-A-Mole, so now I am in severe Ceepak withdrawal. It hurts.

I have a stack to read for my YA school book group. The books have the greatest titles-- Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, The Art of Keeping Cool, How to Stop Screwing Up. Hopefully, the titles will rub off. Well, maybe not the sleeping part.

I just started Erik Larson's Devil in the White City. His writing style--simple, direct--is just beautiful.

[Laura (in PA)]

In re-reading my post, I sound like that lady who manages two chapters a summer. I should clarify that I want to have time to read more because at this point I can only manage about two books a week, lol.

Also, one of my best feelings this summer came when my daughter and I were both re-reading all the Harry Potter books to prepare for the movie and new book, and my husband finally decided to read his first one because he likes the movies. At one point, we were all trying to read Book 5 at the same time, and I had to go out and buy another copy.

[Nancy Martin]

I think it's so cool that parents read the same books as the kids. Makes for great table discussion! (And I finaly understood Heart of Darkness when my daughters were required to read it in high school.)

I'm a big Grabenstein fan, too! I've been saving Wack-a-Mole for a really worthy week.

[katiebird]

I'm always reading at least one novel (at least one a week, often more). But....

This was a survey of Book reading specifically, wasn't it? My husband, a chronic reader told me yesterday that he'd been a little worried lately because he hasn't read any novels for a long time.

But he is reading -- magazines & Internet news and information.

He's on a non-fiction bender lately. As he works on the 4 or 5 projects he's got going, he reads up on How-To do them.

And politics, he's keeping up on the news.

It's not that he suddenly stopped reading. It's that his interests have shifted a little and he's reading a different sort of thing these days.

Are we fooling ourselves?

[SarahS]

This blog is proving the exception in that AP story about 1/4 of Americans not reading - women are.

Publishers need to take note of this. I think on many levels they have with reading groups, etc...

I just finished Good Grief which I liked a lot except that I was ready to strangle the protagonist for being so, well, depressed and some other things. Still, very good book overall. Lolly Winston really captured the nature of grief, especially the frustrating notion that life goes on when the one you love doesn't.

[Kathy Reschini Sweeney]

Dead Ex is fantastic. The best of Harley's series - each one gets better, I think.

Just finished Suzanne Brockmann's "Force of Nature" - she is a former romance writer who now writes mainstream romantic suspense - this is a great series.

Before that, it was Lori Foster's "Simon Says" - part of her romance series set around the sport of ultimate fighting.

On tap: Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's "Agnes and the Hit Man" - a collaboration and follow up to "Don't Look Down". Can't wait.

But the highlight of the summer (after Sarah's book in June) was Harry Potter - what a masterpiece!

And if you haven't yet read Sarah's Sleeping Beauty Proposal - you MUST.

[Maryann]

Bourne would win---sorry, but he has absolutely nothing to work with but his wits and Bond gets those nifty gadgets :o)

What I Read This Summer(so far)
by Maryann
Thunder Bay- Kent Krueger. Great Cork O'Connor
Harry--need I say more?
James Lee Burke (Neon Rain, Heaven's Prisoners,Black Cherry Blues)
The Hellfire Conspiracy-Will Thomas
Dead Ex-Harley's latest and greatest
Requiem for An Assassin-Barry Eisler
The Stephanie Plums I never got to
And a lot of others just as good as the above.
As for a good read, Nancy, let me recommend Twilight by Stephanie Meyers...the first of a trilogy. It's classed as YA fiction, but Meyers hooked me (against my will)in the first ten pages and I'm picking up the second in the series this weekend. Fast read but really good :o)

[William Simon]

Went to see Harley this week here in Houston, and realized how little things had changed. While she was speaking (and doing a wonderful job of it), my eyes kept wandering to the shelves, and I ended up with a stack of new books.

Some things never change.

Finished TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN by James Lee Burke, probably his most brutal novel in the Robicheaux series;

Finished Lee Goldberg's new MONK novel;

Finished the latest John Rain by Barry Eisler (and I still say Rain is the slickest character since Jonathan Hemlock);

Currently reading (and laughing a lot) Jason Starr's THE FOLLOWER;

Got two by Patricia Smiley, two by Kate Pepper sitting on the TBR shelf.

In addition to my own writing, my (as someone called it) 'piddling day-job', and Life Its Ownself in general...

P.S. Murder by the Book has a beautiful facsimile edition of THE THIN MAN by Dashiell Hammett for $200.00. I was able to resist, but it was a close close call. Then the manager made the error of saying they had just gotten in "a bunch" of Saint novels by Leslie Charteris. I've got the complete series, but am always interested in different editions. I took off like a bullet, and Ms. Kozak could be heard muttering "William....a man with a mission!"....

[Lee Lofland]

Ramona, "Whack-A-Mole" is next on my list. Ceepak is quite the interesting character.

Oh, The Devil in the White City is a fantastic book. It's one of my favorites. I've read it twice already.

[Maryann]

Laura, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is a good read. Kind of surreal, and you have to pay attention, but worth the time.

[peach]

On average I read 200-250 books in a year. I've read six in the past 7 days, but have slowed down the past three days as I have been working at canning produce from the garden.
Books read: Flower Confidential-Amy Stewart, I highly recommend this non fiction book about the flower industry.
John J. Lambs first two Teddy Bear Mysteries
Marcia Talley's first 3 Hannah Ives mysteries
Right now I am working on Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Haven't had time to devote to it but will finish today. Books to be read in the next week include: Christietown-Susan Kandel; Thursday Next: First Among Sequels-Jasper Fforde; the remaining 3 Marcia Talley books; the new Donna Andrews, Margaret Maron, and of course Dead Ex.

Other non fiction I've read this summer that I can recommend to all:
Uncommon Carriers-John McPhee
Animal,Vegetable, Miracle-Barbara Kingsolver
The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War and Madness in 17th Century England-Adrian Tinniswood (yes that is the full title)

[Kerry, the Martial Tart]

I've found some new fun reading this summer, most of it while I was traveling. Don't ask me for titles, but Elizabeth Lowell and Eileen Dreyer are new faves. I liked Kingsolver's new book, but found it overly preachy and was a little bothered by some of the implicit (or explicit) gender role assignments that crept in here and there. Don't laugh, but I also "discovered" Norah Roberts, whom I now consider excellent airplane reading (on her good days -- some books are better than others).

Harley's book is getting opened up tonight and I can't wait.

[Scotsie]

I just finished an amazing debut novel from Pam Jenoff, titled The Kommandant's Girl, and holy crap monkeys, this book was excellent!

Emma, a young Jewish woman living in Krakow Poland, just married Jacob, a student and political activist. They have been married for three weeks when the Nazi's steam into Poland, bringing death, destruction, ghettos and camps. Jacob goes underground to work with the Polish resistance, while Emma, after escaping from the ghetto, goes to live with Jacob's Catholic aunt. Emma assumes a new identity as Anna Lipowski and gets a job working as the personal assistant for the Kommandant, a very high ranking Nazi official. She uses her position to feed information to the resistance. However, from the moment they meet, the attraction between Emma/Anna and the Kommandant is undeniable.

I could not put this book down! The pace never slackens and the first person narrative from Emma/Anna's point of view is poignant, direct and visceral. I really felt both the passion between Emma/Anna and the Kommandant, and Emma/Anna's shame and anger at what she sees as a betrayal of her people and her husband. This is a book with no easy answers and Jenoff handles the ethics with grace and grit. There's no side-stepping the tough questions here!

I can't recommend this book highly enough!

[ramona]

Erik Larson is one of my favorite writers. His book about the Galveston hurricane, Isaac's Storm, is riveting. I understand his next thriller is about creepy Dr. Crippen.

Also on my TBR list is The Poe Shadow, written by the author of The Dante Club. Love those literary thrillers.

[ramona]

BTW, about the Rowling rumors:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2007/08/21/rankin-rowling-potter.html?ref=rss

That scamp, Ian Rankin. He had one over on us.

[SusanS]

I have no idea how many books I read a year, but it's well above the national average. I'm usually reading several at once, too. Lately, Ive read,
Dead Ex - Harley's - loved it.
caught up on Charlaine Harris (2 of hers)
Lean Mean Thirteen - Janet Evanovich - loved it.
Bad Monkeys - Matt Ruff - excellent
Portugese Irregular Verbs - Alexander McCall Smith - great book
caught up on Sarah Stromeyer with The Sleeping Beauty Proposal - loved it
Next is Burden of Memory by Vicki Delany - a Canadian SinC member who will be coming to our chapter's next meeting.

Every time I read someone else's list, I get new ideas for next reads. I think you're right about people not knowing how to choose a book for themselves. I know lots of people in that position and been there myself (years ago). I think a lot of people feel they have to read what is 'popular', too, or they will not consider a book because they don't think they'd like the premise. Can't tell you how many times I've been wrong on THAT one!

[Cathy]

Let's see ... for the last few days I've been stuck at home with a terrible cold and managed to read

- High Noon by Nora Roberts. Roberts is like Starbucks to me, extremely consistent, always enjoyable, but rarely produces a standout.

- Invisible Prey by John Sandford. The latest entry in the Lucas Davenport series. It will help if you've read the previous 113 or so titles in this series already.

- Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. I loved this book! It's a fun mystery. It's set in the 1930s, and the main character is a young woman who is an impoverished relative of the British royal family, trying to figure out how to live on her own.

Next up -- The Ever Running Man by Marcia Muller.

[Elaine Viets]

I read about four books a week, and it's sad that people say they "have to finish" a book, as if it were a duty, like getting their teeth cleaned.
I wonder if part of the problem is the required reading in schools. Some books are really much better when you're an adult and have knocked around a bit. When my husband was with a Shakespeare company and I was script girl, I finally understood those plays.
Elaine Viets