I am an author (8 novels) and I'm amazed at how many adults tell me that they haven't read a book since high school.

It's dismaying to see that our culture is getting to the point that so few people read nowadays.
I think our instant communication culture has become lazy and many people can't focus for longer than 5 minutes, thus the expectations that someone read a full-length novel is too daunting for most people.

How about you? Do you read? If so, what genre of books do you read, and why?

Any other authors out there?

The last book I read was 'Ask and it is given' by Jerry and Esther Hicks. Next on the list will be 'The green fool' by Patrick Kavanagh'.

Usually I read lots of non fictional books, all related to my job as a nurse.

There is no shortage of people constantly staring at their cell phone ; no matter where they are . Going for a walk ; eating lunch ; not eating , just staring at their cell ; etc , etc. . . .

I'm always reading a book. I'm close to finishing "Hearts in Atlantis" by Stephen King right now. I like different kinds of stories, but mostly the ones that seem realistic. A few years back, I discovered Jodi Picoult. She'e very good. My favorite true crime writer is Ann Rule. I think the love of reading books happens when you are very young. I always enjoyed reading when I was a kid and still enjoy it.

I love Stephen King! I read everyday I make it a habit. To many don't do it anymore. And I agree with you Cat I think it's something you learn to love young. I've always been a big reader and I always give books as gifts. Especially to children who haven't read all the great children's books.

Do schools even teach students how to read books anymore?

Good to know that, Queenie.

Just finished "A Man and His Ship," which is a history of the S.S. United States passenger liner and it's designer. Naturally, the history of passenger travel by sea was included.

Well into "Newton's Football," an analysis of American football, from a physics point of view.

Always have one going.

When I'm reading a book, I'm always thinking about the next book I'm going to read.

What is the last book you've read?

I love mystery and certain biographies.

I read everything Stephen King or Dean Koontz. I also enjoy James Patterson. I read Dreams of My Father (Barack Obama) and am currently reading Becoming (Michele Obama). I also like poetry by people like Maya Angelou. I grew up on short stories from people like Edgar Allen Poe and Rudyard Kipling. I also am intrigued by some of the historical documented interviews and speeches of people like MLK, Malcolm X, James Baldwin, John F Kennedy ... et cetera.

yeah. My mom brought us up to not be 'lazy thinkers' and I think part of the process of actually reading through a whole IDEA or plot line embellishes that skill. I am enjoying Michele Obama's book Becoming right now.

Last dead wood?
Season of the Spellsong by Alan Dean Foster

Last audio book? (Is that considered reading?)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrRMfqH-w8

Last PDF
Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

Last DOC
A Storm of Swords by George RR martin

Last TXT
Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves by Alan Dean Foster

Last HTML

The Creatures of Man
by Howard L. Myers
edited by Eric Flint
Baen Free Library Book

I belong to a forum community for science fiction, fantasy and horror that has many avid readers and a quite a few published authors and cover artists.
I've written a series of snippets and shorts there I have also posted here, they're not really good but they are mine.

I don't read as much as I used to (dead wood) but I read every day online and have a fairly large electronic library (which I have also posted screenshots here) but no dead wood (I gave them away as I found electronic versions).

I think my main problem with reading now is my vision and I found the electronic versions can be enlarged to any size which I prefer.
I don't curl up with a good book, I curl up with a book on my tablet.

Still, I do read much more than anyone I know.

I also have been in the habit all my life of reading daily and often have 2/3 going at once and like Queenie often give books as gifts. I read all the King and Kootz stuff but really like historical fiction as long as it's accurate. I have every book Louis La M ever wrote and love John Jakes "Kent Family Chronicles" it's 8 volumes and I seem to read them every few years. I'll read anything about a subject I feel the need to learn about; for my old career the "Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Manual" was my bible. My 14 y/o daughter is a reader and I've always told her that you can learn anything you want if you READ!

Good question. II believe they're taught to read, minimally. It's the writing that has gone steeply downhill, aided in large part by the social media platforms that allow (encourage) ridiculous abbreviations (UR instead of 'you are' and all the others).

Most of the younger generation can type (texting skills) 200 words per minute, but with that speed they're tossing out all attempts whatsoever at punctuation, spelling, and basically writing anything that makes sense literally. It's mostly gibberish.

And I am fairly sure that most schools nowadays are not even attempting to teach cursive writing at all.

I have read many James A Michener books.

I was having a lot of trouble keeping track of books I've read. In 1992 I started a journal of every book I've read. I have read 397 books since 1992. It should be more.

I once started keeping a list and it became too much hassle to do (I was also writing mini-reviews as I kept my list)

I have read 1-2 books a week, sometimes as many as 4, my entire life. Well, from the time I was in the 3rd grade - That's when I said 'when I grow up I want to be a writer!' - - well, I have written 8 novels, and am now working on numbers 9 and 10, and as far as growing up. . . LOL. . . I am heading towards 60 years of age, so I'd say that I have read somewhere between 5 and 10 thousand books in my life.

I don’t remember

Well I thought I have read all of John Grishams books,except his latest which I'm on waiting list at library . So I found one if his books at Goodwill and since I wanted something to read at work I bought it Street Lawyer very good book but I like all of Grishams books. My mom took my sister's and brother to the library every Saturday I started reading when I was 6 years old. I read to my children when they were youngsters but unfortunately they.don't like to read.