There's nothing quite like that feeling of getting a brand-new book from the bookstore, taking it home and spending hours absorbed in its pages.
People used to talk about the imminent death of reading. The internet, it was thought, would kill the book industry. But old habits die hard, and the trusty American novel continues to give readers many hours of escapism.
In fact, according to Global English Editing's infographic on American reading habits published below, we're reading almost as much as we ever have.
The books we love
American authors tend to top the bestseller lists and account for most of the world's best-paid authors. Household names like John Grisham and Stephen King are always popular, with loyal followings across the US and the world. However, every state has its own preferences - as Scribd's snap shot of American reading in October shows. In October, Hillary Clinton topped the charts in Rhode Island, Dan Brown won out in Arkansas, and self-help author Mark Manson held the attention of Floridians.
Paper vs. electronic
Being a book lover once meant having rows of shelves groaning with books at home. Today, you can store thousands of books on a handheld e-reader. Electronic books might not have the romantic appeal of paper, but they're certainly more convenient and often cheaper. However, the forecasts of a decade ago, that ebooks would take over the literary world and print was doomed, are yet to pan out. Going into 2017, print books still represented two-thirds of all books sold and sales were up compared to ebook sales that fell year on year.
What's your preference? We don't think it matters. Don't worry about how you read, just make sure you do it. You'll rarely regret an afternoon spent with a book and your brain will thank you.
(graphic is large and make take a few moments to load)
