Spurred by an initial post by thriller writer Jason Pinter (who I love), an interesting discussion about men's reading habits is underway at the Dystel and Goderich Literary Management blog.
In his Huffington Post article, Pinter suggests that the number of men who actually read is rapidly declining - primarily, he feels, because the publishing industry is alienating half the market. DGLM staffer Stacey begs to differ. (Stacey offers some compelling points...)
I'm inclined to agree. My dad, stepdad and father-in-law are avid readers - and the fact that they are all fans of the same-ish authors makes Father's Day, Christmas and Birthdays fun. (Yes, Steve Berry, I have bought three copies of The Paris Vendetta this year...in hard cover...) Many of my male friends are readers, too.
And... is that this week's muse avatar? In a book store? Grasping a book with the same enthusiasm he's putting into providing my daily inspiration? By golly, it is. Well done, Brad. Bravo!
Unconvinced? Just this morning, an Edmonton radio station advertised this highly under-publicized blog. Ahem...Need I say more?
The Book In My Bag Today: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
I can tell you my husband doesn't like to read. He tells me he spends all day doing it, so it's just not a form of relaxation for him. What I don't understand is....If he's on a computer all day at work, how come he plays video games on one all evening at home? bah!
ReplyDeletethat blog is awesome! haha!
ReplyDeletebtw, did you notice what book brad was holding? i think it was dr. laura's guide to the proper care and feeding of husbands.
i think he's trying to give angie a hint, haha.
Donna - my hubby doesn't read other. Must be the spouses of writers ;-)
ReplyDeleteMi - I keep offering to show Brad what he's missing out on, but Angie has such power over him...sigh. Thanks for making me smile this morning.
One of the first things I noticed about my hubby when we started dating was that he had a bookshelf full of books in his room.
ReplyDeleteI knew he was "the one" after we had been living together awhile and we co-mingled our books so we didn't know whose was whose.
Miss V - that's so awesome! My best friend and I tend to swap books a lot and I'm thankful we have similar taste. But I don't expect to see my handsome hubby rummaging through my TBR pile any day soon...
ReplyDeleteMost of the readers I know are women, but I don't know enough people to make a statement as bold as "men in general don't read". I'm going to check out the interview, interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I haven't met a lot of men who are avid readers. My husband will read- but usually only biographies of sports figures:(
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Crimey. I agree, it's a pretty bold statement :-)
ReplyDeleteCQG - I can relate! My hubby *will* check out the Gene Simmon biography or a short, very short, book on Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. I suppose I should be grateful he isn't reading Playboy ;-) (for the articles, of course...)
My dad is a voracious reader, so I don't know if I agree with the idea of "men don't read".
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Hey lady! I pulled you into a contest on my blog today... you should go check it out!
Thanks B. Heading to your blog now...
ReplyDelete