purple95 Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 It's cold in Florida this morning and I have outside chores to do. I'm stalling........... Just for fun I looked back at my have-read list for 2006 and 2007 and found that only 35% of the books I read in that time were fiction. I would have guessed that number to be much higher. I have several life long interests and hobbies. I search out and read books on these and strive to learn from them. While I derive great satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment from this, it does not provide the guilty pleasures associated with devouring a novel by King, Oates, Turtledove, et al. Perhaps I thought the percentage of NF to be higher that it actually was is because I derive more "guilty pleasure" from fiction than I do from non-fiction. What say you? What are your percentages of Fic vs. N-F? I get the impression from reading the posts here that most of you are reading far more fiction as a total percentage that I am. Are you too perhaps reading more non-fiction than you suppose but enjoying it less? Merry Christmas, dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deirdre Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I have to say that I have a 100% fiction score for this year. Come to think of it I don't really enjoy non-fiction books. I can't remember any non-fiction book that I have read in the past couple of years. For some reason they just don't seem interesting to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran71 Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 It's cold in Florida this morning and I have outside chores to do. I'm stalling........... dan Cold in Florida, surely not!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple95 Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 Supergran... Yep. About 45 deg F this AM. Anyway...I've finished my chores. And now I have a date with Joyce Carol Oates this afternoon in my reading chair. Cheers, dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I love non fiction, but that is because I have a lot of books on my favourite subjects. I haven't read any this year apart from dipping into my bible dictionaries, as those books were behind a wardrobe until recently. I will get round to reading them now that they are in my room (if I concentrate with the children). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laramie Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I probably read about 98% fiction through choice, but a few more non-fic for school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I probably read about 60% fiction and 40% non-fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 Without actually going and counting up, I would hazard a guess at approximately 2% of my reading being non-fiction. I am predominently a reader of fiction and it's very rarely that I'll find a non-fiction title that will really grab my attention - I have to be specifically looking for something, information-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 In the last two years, I've read 90% fiction to 10% non-fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I would probably read 33% non-fiction to fiction, I love reading biographies about interesting people. I also read quite a few NF books on subjects I'm interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I would venture a guess that I probably read about 90% fiction and 10% non-fiction. My wife on the other hand probably reads about 50 to 60% percent fiction and the rest non-fiction, especially biographies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I enjoy both. I enjoy reading for fun and stories, but I also enjoy reading for knowledge and information. I like to keep it balanced. I enjoy my biographies. I would say I'm 50-50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I'm probably 60% fiction, 40% non-fiction in terms of books; but probably 25% fiction 75% non-fiction in terms of time readin. I tend to fnid non-fiction, with its innate lack of contained, constructed narrative, takes me longer to read. I think my percentages would be higher for fiction but for the fact that everyone buys me non-fiction books as gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oblomov Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I have several life long interests and hobbies. I search out and read books on these and strive to learn from them. So do I. Amateur astronomy, space exploration, paranormal phenomena, unexplained true mysteries, the Titanic, World War II, the Dravidian culture, the Knights Templar and the enigmatic English mystic Roger Bacon are among my various interests. I have got books on these subjects and several others and spends a lot of time reading and researching on them. Offhand, I'd say I read 70% NF and 30% F; included in the latter would be reading and re-reading from my vast comic collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aromaannie Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I am 50/50 as I read a fiction followed by a non fiction. I usually find I read non fiction more quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 I spent four years at uni reading nothing but fiction, apart from reading Lord of The Rings and the Harry Potters, which my housemate made me read (and I loved). I didn't have time for anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 About 50/50 for me. I love history, politics and current affairs, plus anything to do with London. And sports books too, provided they're intelligent and well written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writeoff Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 It's proably 60% fiction for me. I like to read biographies and historical books too. I also read quiz books in the hope that one week my team will win the pub quiz. How sad is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Poppy Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Writeoff said; I also read quiz books in the hope that one week my team will win the pub quiz. How sad is that? Not sad. Any reading is good and learning about things is satisfying and useful. I would have to say that I read more non-fiction. I have loads of hobbies and interests, and read lots of biographies too. Probably 70% NF to 30% F. Lovesreading...non-fiction includes all sorts of books, such as reference books about any subject under the sun. Could be cross stitch, gardening, astronomy, crayfish, Eskimos...anything. Also books like dictionaries, or manuals for learning, like learning a language, or studying something, like first aid. Then there are the biograpgies and auto-biographies, and things like mewspapers and magazines. I'm sure you probably read non fiction without even realising it! Pp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I read predominantly non fiction also, but then again, I am a non fiction writer (mostly mind, body and spirit/religion). After five years spent writing my book, and updating it last year, I mist admit though that I have really enjoyed going back to reading some really good novels written by writing friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateleopald Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I love fiction but I also love the way that non-fiction can double inspire you because the very best stories happen in real life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazgul Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Apart from school textbooks, all of my reading is fiction I just find it much better to "escape" from reality by reading something imaginative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I'll most certainly be picking up a few pregnancy and baby books from the library at the weekend, so I'll be reading a little more non-fiction than I usually do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I used to read more non-fiction then decided i wasn't reading enough fiction so now I read nothing but fiction. But now I feel I'm not reading enough non-fiction. Must rectify that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 i have always read non fiction because i like a true story but then i read dear john by nicholas sparks and that changed my idea of fiction books, i absolutly loved this book and will be buying more fiction books in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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