a very misleading article with some faulty logic at play. so there is (supposedly) a drop in people reading "literature" (whatever the NEA's criteria for "literature" is) and that means we are becoming an illiterate society. nevermind that reading as a whole (regardless of whether it falls under the NEA's definition of "literature") may be up. a worthless "study" and an equally worthless piece of journalism.

horatio | July 3, 2005 6:09 PM

Well, I think we are becoming a rather illiterate society. Reading articles like this only bolsters my determination to become an English teacher.

enygma | July 6, 2005 5:23 PM

Bookins Inc. of New York, NY has just launched a new website for individuals and institutions who have old books which they would like to trade for new ones. The site is located at:
http://www.bookins.com
and the service is free. You are invited to join.

Joshua Salik
Salik Games
http://salikgames.home.att.net
"The empty half of the glass is always at the top"

Salik Games | July 11, 2005 11:42 PM

Ana, I finally had the chance to sign up to read the article and found it very interesting. I agree with Horatio that we aren't becoming an illiterate society just because volutary reading of "literature" is down. If we really are becoming illiterate, why are all the bricks and clicks bookstores out there so successful? People simply are choosing to read things besides literature.

However, I find it very sad when I walk into my local B&N and head straight to the fiction section, which is the smallest in the store. They recently added two more shelving units to it (yay!), but I was disappointed to see that the reason was to accomodate a lot of chick lit, a genre I consider to be romance novels with slightly more literary merit.

I guess this is one reason why I love BookBlog. When I started the site, I was stuck in a rut with the literature I was reading. It was always the same kinds of books by the same kinds of authors. My TBR list needed a kick in the pants, so I'm thankful that our members have exposed me to so many great books that I'd normally pass over without a second glance. Finding a worthwhile piece of literature is like going on a treasure hunt, and you can grab lots of gems when there are more people reading the map.

Thanks for posting this!

marydell | July 12, 2005 11:06 AM

"However, I find it very sad when I walk into my local B&N and head straight to the fiction section, which is the smallest in the store. They recently added two more shelving units to it (yay!), but I was disappointed to see that the reason was to accomodate a lot of chick lit, a genre I consider to be romance novels with slightly more literary merit."
Seriously, what is with the overwhelming popularity of this genre?

enygma | July 15, 2005 12:48 AM

I have no idea why Chick Lit is so popular, but I'm guessing that the people who read it are the same people who like TV shows like Sex and the City. I've only ever read one Chick Lit title, Good in Bed, and that was because a moderator chose it for BookBlog. Eh, it was entertaining enough, but it didn't make me run out and snap up all the books I could find in this genre.

I admit that I have a few other Chick Lit titles in my TBR piles. But, honestly, they were all given to me.

marydell | July 15, 2005 10:17 AM

hmmm, i haven't read any Chick Lit at all.
i don't know if i've ever seen any at the store, or noticed any.

or maybe i have and the book covers just drew me away?

ana | July 15, 2005 12:05 PM

I guarantee that there is always some pink on Chick Lit book covers. When I see them, I walk right by.

marydell | July 18, 2005 12:15 AM

I noticed that there is a common thread(s) running through the chick lit genre: Men, shopping/clothes/fashion, marriage. It's a bit discouraging.

enygma | July 19, 2005 1:00 AM