Dear friends. Many thanks for all the responses to the Is This Mutton 2024 survey about our reading habits. It was the best response the annual survey has ever had. It shows how universal books are, across every age group and demographic.
So what did we find out?
A special call out to libraries, who play a key role in supplying books. There wasn't a specific question around libraries, but in the one question where open ended comments were allowed, several people mentioned them.
The most popular genre, for 45% of respondents, was crime or psychological thrillers, followed by historical fiction (25%) and literary (20%). The results are influenced by the demographic who were more likely to answer the questions: females aged between 51 and 70.
The least read genres were horror (34%), science fiction (27%) and fantasy (14%).
54% prefer fiction over non-fiction with 38% liking them both equally.
Interestingly, the vote was literally 50-50 for those who try to support independent book shops, and those who don't.
IS THE BALANCE RIGHT ON IS THIS MUTTON?
I started adding book reviews just over a year ago, rationalising that many of the readers are likely to be just as interested in books as they are in fashion or beauty. 60% said the balance was just right, with 11% saying there weren't enough books, and 8% saying they preferred more fashion.
CHALLENGES AND SHARING AREN'T FOR THE AVERAGE READER
83% of you don't set yourself reading challenges. Just those who blog about books! And you're not particularly keen to write reviews on Amazon, Goodreads or other sites. 50% said they never do, while 32% do it occasionally. Just over 16% do it very often.
WHEN DO WE READ?
Most of us read before bedtime (63%) or in the afternoon (27%). The rest read at the weekend or when commuting (via audiobooks).
HOW DO WE PREFER TO READ?
The convenience of e-readers such as Kindle or tablets sees them in the lead at 46%. Paperbacks are next followed by hard backs and then audio books.
WE LOVE TO TELL STORIES
Nearly 70% said they read, or did read, to children and/or grand children. Good news!
Survey Methodology: Respondents answered questions via Google Drive. 98% were women. 62% were in the UK followed by 25% in the US or Canada. 58% are retired with 14% working full-time and 15% part-time. 7% are self employed and 4% are stay-at-home parents.
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