I just finished reading this article over on Slate.com, “Women Aren’t Dating Their Books.” It’s an interesting piece where the author argues that “there’s really no need to assume that women’s fiction reading habits are shaped primarily around their mating urges. It truly may be that women just enjoy a good story.”
I tend to agree with the author.
As I was reading the comments, I came across one from DaveB_NH, where essentially, he asks: What are our reasons for reading? Male or female.
I thought it was an interesting question. Do we read to escape our lives for a bit? Do we do it to get a better understanding of other people’s lives? For entertainment, for education? For all of these reasons at different times? Is it for the same reasons you watch movies or television?
I’d love to hear the reasons you read. Why do you read?
To turn my brain off. I always have a million things on the go, and when I’m reading I’m able to immerse myself and let them float away. My thoughts manage to interrupt when I’m writing, but reading successfully chases them away, at least temporarily.
I’m commenting for my father. The reason he reads is to take his mind off his pain from his cancer. The pain meds don’t work on this type of cancer, so he reads alomst a book a day. if only the library could come to him.