Quote:
Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks
I dunno. I have one friend and she bought Da Vinci Code. She finally did get around to reading it. But she buys about three books a year at best. It took her over a year AFTER she bought it to read. The lady up the street from me said she bought Dragon Tattoo (what is it called? Lady with a Dragon Tattoo...something.) She hasn't read it yet. She's had it a while. I suspect she never will read it.
I'm on a reading group on Facebook with mostly casual readers (three of them are relatives.) They check books out of the library all the time--mostly the best sellers. They might read a page or two or none of it at all and return it--intending to get it again. One of them selected that Water for Elephants for us to read (Not even gonna try it. Not my thing.) And it was on a huge sale on Amazon so about 6 people bought it rather than get it from the library. ONE of us read it. And it wasn't even the lady who suggested it.
So I honestly don't know. And of course, they could have claimed they bought it and never did. I think casual reading is a lot like my sewing group. There are a number of us "casual" sewing people who are VERY good at buying the material. Actually sewing, not so much. But show me free fabric or a sale and I'll find something because, boy, do I have ideas. Sometimes my casual book group feels like that. Most of the titles suggested are NY Times ones, but actual pages read...not many. When the group does get going chatting, it meanders into "organizing closets" and "kids" and "would you believe..."
Your mileage may vary.
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Well I can relate to the sewing thing, I used to sew and had boxes of material. My mother who is 87 still has several closets stuffed to the gills and she still sews and gives a lot away.
And perhaps there is a correllation if the New York Times Best Sellers are on sale or likely to be sold out.
Getting a book from the library and not reading it is not the same as having it and not reading it. And IMO a library ebook borrower is unlikely to be a casual reader.
I am sure there are lots of people who don't read much and who buy a book just because it is on the best seller list or all their friends are reading it and do it over and over again. I just don't see it as common behavior.
Helen