Well, I'm not terribly surprised that historical fiction pulled ahead as the clear favorite in our little poll :
Nonfiction, Memoirs, Biographies--turns out truth is stranger than fiction (30%)
Historical Fiction--the past calls! (50%)
Fantasy and/or Science Fiction--I love visiting other worlds or seeing a new twist on my own (20%)
Literary Fiction--the words, I love them (30%)
Classics--you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em (20%)
Women's Fiction or Romance--like getting a hug from a book (10%)
Other, any, or all! (10%)
We're a bunch of old souls when it comes to readers, it seems! Also, given the number of writer-friends dropping by, am not surprised by the literary fiction gaining a bit of a foothold, too. If you were in the group that enjoyed one or both of these genres, I recommend that you enter the Leaky Bookshelf Giveaway--pop over, leave a comment, the usual. Both books are literary historical fiction, so they'd be right up your alley!
I was, admittedly, a bit more surprised that nonfiction earned a steady 30% of readership. Not that I don't adore a good nonfiction--I tend to dive into research. I love research. Put me in front of a stack of books in a musty corner of a dingy library and I'm in heaven. I just didn't expect that so many of the rest of you enjoyed a good romp through reality as well!
Classics and Fantasy/Sci Fi maintained a solid presence with 20% each. Creating this poll reminded me that it's been ages since I read fantasy--any recommendations for getting me back in the game?
Poor Romance and Women's Fiction--seems its biggest fans are not reading this blog. They're not writing this blog, either--I enjoy a good love story, but layered into the folds of a historical or literary fiction plotline. Thoughts?
Care to elaborate on your vote? Any genres that I missed? Are you with the majority here, or do you have more eclectic tastes?
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3 comments:
Interesting poll numbers! Not a big non-fiction reader -- I do research, but research, to me, is such a completely different animal than the enjoyment I get from a good STORY -- and I think maybe memoirs and biographies might be pulling up that number. Just a guess! And women's fiction -- well, to me that's chicklit (romance is in another category and I only like a few authors), and a lot of chicklit is just dreadful, in my own opinion anyway. How about some nice thrillers and mysteries?
And historical fiction -- well, we love going back in time, don't we? A lot of times we get the sanitized version of what life was like, all wrapped up in a good story. My book club is delving into the past in a big way with Power of a Woman which is about Eleanor of Aquitaine." She was married to Louis VII of France and Henry II of England (Henry was a remarkable cad, who was unfaithful with a capital "U"). The book is her memoirs, dictated in the last year of her life -- and what a turbulent life it was: wars, intrigues, travels, ruthless diplomacy. A great read. And for book clubs, there's a reading guide, too, which is very helpful.
Liz--you're right! I completely forgot about thrillers and mysteries!
The book your book club is reading sounds fascinating--I love stories of intriguing women!
I was interested and a bit surprised by the poll results. With all the Hollywood emphasis on fantasy sci fi...a la Twilight, Lord of the Rings etc. I thought sci fi would come in these days at a higher number. However, excited to see that Historical Fiction came in at 50% as it's a genre I really enjoy and I think it reaches even people who did not enjoy history as a subject in school. As an example, in these days of Dr. Phil and Prozac etc. I never really thought about mental health as a big issue in history, but the book Bedlam South
opened my eyes that this is not a modern issue - the book takes place largely in an asylum during the Civil War.
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