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By M.K. Tod

This summer, a total of 2,418 participants from various parts of the world weighed in with their opinions about reading. As in prior years, the survey attracted high volume readers with 72% reading more than 20 books a year. Survey participants love fiction—most say they read more than 50% fiction.

So what else did we learn?

  • 49% of participants use social media regularly to support their reading
  • Top 5 genres are mystery/thriller, romance, historical fiction, women’s fiction and literary––a caveat here as I am a member of a robust group of historical fiction fans; top genres for men are mystery/thriller, science fiction, military/war, historical fiction, and fantasy
  • Gender: women read more than men and use social media more regularly in support of reading; men and women prefer different types of stories and different non-fiction
  • Print books remain popular––75% of participants frequently or exclusively use print books
  • Not surprisingly, entertainment is the dominant reason for reading fiction, followed by “to appreciate other places and people in the world
  • Readers say that feeling immersed in the novel’s world is the most important factor for their reading
  • The top two factors when choosing a book are subject matter and genre
  • Age influences reading habits: interest in fantasy decreases with age; the highest use of phone-based e-readers is for those between 30 and 50
  • Friends remain the top source for book recommendations––chosen by 61% of participants when asked for their top three sources
  • For reading purposes, connecting with the author of a book is the social media functionality most valued by participants

 

You can read the complete report and peruse previous reader surveys at M.K. Tod’s award-winning blog a writer of history.


MKTod-author

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, Time and Regret was published by Lake Union. She can be contacted on FacebookTwitter and Goodreads, or on her blog www.awriterofhistory.com.

 

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